Formulating a Research Project about Training Internal Staff and Workers for Better Customer Service Delivery

This research project delves into the crucial role of internal training in enhancing customer service delivery. It examines the methods for formulating research specifications, implementing the project, evaluating outcomes, and presenting findings. The study focuses on a computer and smart devices manufacturing organization, analyzing the importance of training employees to provide effective telephone and internet-based customer support. The research explores the key aspects of customer service, the challenges faced, and the solutions needed to improve customer satisfaction scores. It also highlights the significance of customer satisfaction scores in business operations and provides recommendations for future research and training initiatives.

Formulating a Research Project about Training Internal Staff and Workers for Better
Customer Service Delivery
Name of the Author:
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
LO1 – Understanding the methods to formulate the specifications of a research...........................3
AC1.1 – Formulating and Recording possible specifications of the research project outlines. . .3
Research objectives..................................................................................................................4
Research questions...................................................................................................................4
AC1.2 – Identifying the factors that contribute towards the process of selecting the research
project...........................................................................................................................................4
AC1.3 – Undertaking the critical reviews of the key references selected in the project.............5
AC1.4 – Producing a research project specification....................................................................6
Research rationale....................................................................................................................6
Research methodology.............................................................................................................6
AC1.5 – Providing an appropriate plan and necessary procedures for the research
specifications agreed upon...........................................................................................................7
LO2 – Implementing the research project within the procedures agreed as per the specifications.8
AC2.1 – Meeting the resources to the research questions or hypothesis efficiently...................8
AC2.2 – Undertaking the proposed research investigation according to the specifications and
procedures agreed upon...............................................................................................................8
Necessity of knowing the key aspects of a research................................................................9
Knowledge about the necessity of customer support...............................................................9
Essentiality of training for customer services department workers.........................................9
Significance of the customer satisfaction scores....................................................................10
AC2.3 – Recording and collating the data at necessary places..................................................11
LO3 – Evaluating the Research Outcomes....................................................................................12
AC3.1 – Using appropriate techniques for the evaluation of the research................................12
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AC3.2 – Interpretation and analysis of the results in terms of the original specifications of the
research......................................................................................................................................13
AC3.3 – Making recommendations and justifying the areas for further considerations...........14
LO4 – Presenting the Research Outcomes....................................................................................14
AC4.1 – Using an appropriate media and agreed format for presenting the outcomes associated
with the research to the audience...............................................................................................14
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
Reference List................................................................................................................................16
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Introduction
While conducting any research about a particular topic or issue, it is that all the necessary aspects
and specifications associated with the research of analyzed and considered carefully. Moreover,
following the format of continuing a research is also important as it gives a clear perspective of
the researcher regarding the topic to the audience for readers of that final Research report. It is
also important that the major elements of research that include research rationale, methodology,
type, and problem statement are included in proper sequence to give an overview regarding the
internal details associated with any research. While selecting the topic, it is necessary that all the
data and information are collected properly so that the necessary outcomes could be formulated
in the form of a particular Research report. The following business report is about the importance
of internal training of the workers and staff working at an organisation in order to deliver better
quality customer service to its customers. This research has undertaken all the key aspects and
parameters where the methods of formulating a research report as per the specifications have
been described. In addition to this, the research project has also been implemented within the
specifications mentioned and the procedures that have been agreed upon to carry out the
research. This has been followed by proper evaluation of the research outcomes followed by
presenting that particular research in the form of a report to the audience which has included
some recommendations regarding the topic also.
LO1 – Understanding the methods to formulate the specifications of a
research
AC1.1 – Formulating and Recording possible specifications of the research project
outlines
The following research is about the necessity of training for the employees and staff so that
better and superior quality Customer services can be delivered to the customers of any
organisation. The area of Investigation will be a computer and smart devices manufacturing
organisation regarding which the products and services which are delivered will be studied
about. This will include primarily the electronic products like laptops, tablets, and cell phones
which are sold by the organisation to its customers as well as the online, offline, and the
telephonic customer support which are provided to the customers of these electronic goods and
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accessories. The major issue which has to be examined is to analyse the importance of providing
telephone and internet based customer support for helping the customers to use the products
appropriately. Moreover, the problems that will be solved in this report will be the various issues
which are faced while providing the customer support services to the customers and the solutions
associated with them. Following are the research objectives and questions.
Research objectives
There are four primary research objectives for this particular research.
 To find out the important aspects to be considered while carrying out a research about
importance of customer support in a business
 To analyze the different elements that influence the quality of customer support delivered
to the customers of any business organisation
 To learn the different problems involved in delivering proper customer service to the
customers and find necessary solutions to those problems
 To formulate the research data and conclusions in the form of a business report that can
be presented to an audience
Research questions
The research will focus on finding the answer to the following research questions.
 What are the important aspects that need to be considered while carrying out a research
about the necessity of customer support in any business operation?
 What are the various elements that have an influence on the customer support quality
which is delivered to the customers by any business organisation?
 What are the various problems which are involved in delivering proper customer service
to the clients and customers along with the necessary solutions to those problems?
 What are the appropriate methods to formulate the data and conclusions related to a
research into a business report that is present able to an audience?
AC1.2 – Identifying the factors that contribute towards the process of selecting the
research project
There are multiple factors that will contribute towards the process of selecting the most
appropriate topic for this research project. The most notable factor is the necessity of any
particular service in the business domain. As observed by Skålén et al. (2015), there are certain
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complications involved in the using of any technically advanced object like an electronic device
including laptops, tablets, desktop computer systems, and other similar accessories. Therefore, it
takes a very long time for the customers to learn about the methods and procedures to use them
and operate them as per their own demands and necessities. Moreover, while using these
products a customer is very much likely to face from difficulties for complication that might get
him stuck in the middle of some work. Iyer and Johlke, (2015) have mentioned that in this type
of scenarios telephonic or internet based customer support is the best option that can be provided
to any customer as a primary help to deal with the issue. Therefore, this particular topic has been
chosen for the research.
In addition to this, customer support and services also ensure that company is able to satisfy its
customers by providing appropriate post sale services regarding any electronic item like
computer systems or laptops. As opined by Aryee et al. (2016), it is necessary for every
organisation to open a 24/7 customer service helpline so that the customers can get necessary
support whenever they need the same. There are instances when a customer is doing an
important work on the laptop and it gets stagnated due to some hardware or software issues on
the computer. Therefore, getting the right customer support at the right time is very essential so
that the company reputation is held high in front of the customers. Moreover, it has also been
observed that due to the lack of training, the employees find it quite difficult in the initial stages
to deal with the customers and the various issues that occur on the computers. Hence, the training
of employees and staff is also very important so that the services are delivered in the right way to
the customers that is beneficial for both the parties which include the customers as well as the
service providers (Lu et al. 2016).
AC1.3 – Undertaking the critical reviews of the key references selected in the
project
There were both primary and secondary references which were elected in order to complete this
project. The secondary references included the data related to HP Enterprises which was
published in the annual report of HP where is stated about the statistics regarding the number of
people that recommend their friends to purchase HP products. Moreover, Bowen, (2016) has
mentioned that importance of the training involved in developing skills of better customer
relationships and interacting with customers over the phone are important because of the
significance of keeping a customer interact with the organisation for the sale of products in the
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future. Therefore, the books that have mentioned about various ways to interact with a customer
in a non physical way that includes over the phone and through internet have been referred. In
addition to this, as indicated by García-Holgado and García-Peñalvo, (2016), having primary
hands on experience on a practical basis regarding the factors to be considered while providing
customer support is very important because it makes the trainees experience the real value of
receiving proper customer support.
AC1.4 – Producing a research project specification
The research specification regarding this project has included the main reasons for considering
this topic for the research which is also known as the research rationale and the technique or
methodology that has been used while conducting the research. Following are the details.
Research rationale
There are multiple reasons for selecting this particular topic for conducting the research out of
which the most prominent one according to Vasquez, (2014) is that customer service is very
much necessary while conducting any business operation because it helps the customers to
understand the technical complexities related to any product and use it in the most appropriate
manner. My personal rationale for this research is that I want to know about the significance of
customer support in any business and its related operations along with the problems associated
with them and solutions to those problems. From the organizational point of view, Mustak et al.
(2016) have mentioned that Customer services are often known as the backbone of any business
operation as the probability of any customer choosing or continuing with that support depends on
the level of service that is provided by the organisations post sale of the product. As far as the
academic rationale is concerned, the knowledge about being able to properly interact with the
people who are not professional with handling any issues related to technical prospect must be
taught from the educational period. As mentioned by Billett et al. (2015), the academic syllabus
of any business related studies must comprise of the different techniques to interact with people
of various measures and understanding regarding technical aspects and other similar issues.
Research methodology
The research methodology which has been used to conduct this particular research about the
selected topics will be a blend of both primary and secondary methods of research. According to
Jayaram and Xu, (2016), the data and information related to the necessity of Customer services
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and support of any technical issue can be collected only by considering different research books
and articles apart from experiencing those issues practically. The major portion of data that
requires information regarding how to conduct an efficient training related to customer support
can be obtained only by referring to the books and articles written by the experts of human
relations and behavioral fields. However, it is necessary as per your opinion of Ostrom et al.
(2015) that the practical hands on experience must also be gained to find out the areas where
customer support can be provided easily along with those where it needs some extra efforts to be
put in for delivering the effective customer service to the customers.
AC1.5 – Providing an appropriate plan and necessary procedures for the research
specifications agreed upon
The conduct of this particular project includes a four weeks plan in which all the four objectives
will be met. The first week will be dedicated to realize the importance of different aspects which
are mandatory to be considered before carrying out a research regarding customer support in any
business. The following two weeks will comprise of analyzing various elements that impact the
quality of customer service and the study of some of the basic problems involved in delivering
appropriate customer service to the customers along with the solutions to them respectively. In
the last week the research data will be concluded and formed in a business format which is
present able to the audience. Following is the Gantt chart schedule for the plan.
Activities Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Finding the important aspects to consider while doing a
research about importance of customer support
Doing the analysis of various elements that influence
the customer support quality in a company
Learn the various problems involved in delivering the
customer support to customers and solutions to them
Formulating the overall research data into a report
formation presentable to the audience
Table 1: Gantt chart related to research project
(Source: Created by the learner)
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LO2 – Implementing the research project within the procedures agreed as per
the specifications
AC2.1 – Meeting the resources to the research questions or hypothesis efficiently
The resources that have been considered to carry out the research in order to meet the research
questions and objectives effectively mainly include books and online articles that have been
written by research experts. As per Joung et al. (2015), every research includes some
observations which is personally taken down by the researcher as well as some sources that have
been included to know the statistics related to secondary information. Considering all the
resources, there are two hypotheses that have been stated in the following report.
Hypothesis 1 – Every organisation focuses on providing customer support for the maximum
possible time on a weekly basis
Hypothesis 2 – The outcomes of customer support services are considered important to further
discuss the Strategies and plans for business operations
AC2.2 – Undertaking the proposed research investigation according to the
specifications and procedures agreed upon
The research has been planned to be undertaken according to the specifications and procedures
that have been agreed upon as per the basic rules of research. However, there are some
milestones that have been set for the research according to which the project report related to any
business will be concluded and formulated as for the necessary schedule. According to the
opinion of Huang and Rundle-Thiele, (2015), the best thing that can be considered before
initiating the research is to decide the milestones associated with it so that the tasks which are
required to be done throughout the research could be predicted and necessary arrangements
could be made. The first section of the report will include is study about how to formulate a basic
research followed by data collection from primary and secondary sources regarding the
importance of training in customer support department to make the workers and staff more
capable of delivering better and superior quality customer services. Following are the data and
information which have been collected after carrying out the research investigation regarding the
proposed topic as per the agreed procedures and specifications.
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Necessity of knowing the key aspects of a research
Before conducting any research, it is important as per the experts like Kumar and Pansari, (2016)
to know the basics and advanced details of any research so that it becomes easier for the learners
and researches to formulate the research at the end. Moreover, as per To et al. (2015), it also
helps the individuals to carry out the research in a well coordinated manner as following the
things in a systematic way saves a lot of time and resources. It has been observed that proper
recording of information in a tabular manner or in the most appropriate form is very important so
that it becomes accessible for future references. According to Gurung and Prater, (2017), if the
research includes survey or questionnaire, the necessary questions must be formulated well
before initiating the server and there has to be a proper analysis before deciding the questions
which are to be asked to a sample population or a group of interviewees through that
questionnaire.
Knowledge about the necessity of customer support
According to the secondary resources which have been considered for the study, it was clear that
there is a necessity of providing Customer services to the customers so that a repeated image
about the organisation can be created as well as sustained from the perspective of the customer.
According to Reeve et al. (2016), the necessity of customer services further increases in case of
computers and laptops because these are electronic gadgets and require some level of skills to
use them properly. For example, if a customer has purchased an HP laptop for gaming and
business purposes, he or she might be aware of how to use the laptop for that purpose. However,
that customer is not necessarily aware of the internal technical details which can often create
issues while using that laptop. The most prominent example that has been described by Du Preez
and Bendixen, (2015) is that the customers have to face issues when the laptop does not respond
to the internet server or does not opens web pages. Therefore, it is important that a dedicated
department to deliver Customer services for helping the customers dealing with the issues can be
provided.
Essentiality of training for customer services department workers
In order to deliver the customer support through telephonic medium or via Internet in the most
appropriate and efficient manner, it is necessary that the team of workers that is providing the
customer support is adequately trained and skilled regarding all the possible issues which might
occur during using that gadget. As opined by Huq et al. (2016), there is mostly software issues
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along with some minor hardware problems with a customer might face using a laptop or a
desktop computer system. Therefore, they must be adequate training provided to the Employees
and staff of the customer services department so that they can help the customers guide through
the issue and ultimately fix the same so that the customers can carry out their work without
hassle. In addition to the technical knowledge, the customer support executive must be able to
interact and communicate with a customer in a friendly and convincing manner so that the
customer is happy with not just getting the Technical solution to the issue but also with the
human interaction experience while being on the call.
As mentioned by Popli and Rizvi, (2015), the level of satisfaction from the perspective of a
customer depends upon the overall experience which includes solution to the software or
hardware related issue, type of interaction that occurred between the customer and the support
executive over telephone, and time taken to deliver the necessary solution. It has also been
observed that the customers are very frustrated due to the issues that commonly occur in their
computers while working with some important task. Therefore, Wuyts et al. (2015) have
described that adequate training must be provided to the support executives and supervisors to
handle the customers who are experiencing a very unpleasant time with the product by helping
them come down and assuring them for the right solution while being on the phone call.
Significance of the customer satisfaction scores
The customer satisfaction score is a very important element in the overall business operations.
This is because of the fact that a customer is more likely to purchase any product in the future
from that organisation or is going to recommend for purchasing a product from that organisation
to a friend only if he or she has a very pleasant experience after purchasing any item. Hence,
Pomirleanu et al. (2016) have stated that there must be a proper record of all the data and
information related to the outcome of customer services so that the areas that led to some specific
customer satisfaction scores could be highlighted and necessary action should be taken
accordingly. In case of HP Enterprises, there are three types of customer support which is
provided to the customers which are telephonic support, chat support, and internet based support.
Every record is kept saved for a sufficient amount of time so that they could be considered for
future references if necessary. As per the opinion of Ulrich and Dulebohn, (2015), if a customer
has a bad experience while talking to an executive or receiving the customer support in any form,
everything that has been documented can be considered to find out the areas where the customer
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felt unpleasant. These specific areas can be further considered to carry out a research for which
the results could be considered to enhance the training criteria for the workers. Similarly,
Humphreys et al. (2017) have mentioned that any customer that is highly satisfied with any
support or telephonic customer service is more likely to express his thoughts and experience
about the service which can be further studied and used to enhance the quality of service by
teaching the same techniques to other employees.
AC2.3 – Recording and collating the data at necessary places
The data related to the investigation which was conducted to know the various aspects of this
research has been properly recorded in an organized manner so that the outcomes could be used
for future references. As per Hülsheger et al. (2015), the data must be collated at the appropriate
places because of the fact that they can be used to determine some necessary conclusions
regarding the study. Therefore, the data and Statistics which has been retrieved from the official
annual reports published by HP stating the opinions of the customers regarding their products
have been kept in a collated manner so that the areas which need prime importance in Customer
services can be analyzed properly. The data about conducting research was kept in an organized
manner and necessary information was associated with the required format which help the
researcher to find the areas which are to be included in the initial introduction part followed by
the research objectives and rationale.
After knowing about the research techniques and methodologies, the research investigation was
conducted where the main reasons about providing customer support in the most efficient
manner were found. This was also followed by a survey which has been planned to be conducted
for a segment of 60 people that will share their experience with the investigation team regarding
customer support. As opined by Kumar and Pansari, (2015), it is very crucial to understand the
perspective of a customer regarding the customer services provided by a digital gadget
manufacturing company like HP. By interacting with the customer regarding the services
received by him or her while being on a phone call with the customer care executive of HP, a
brief idea can be derived about the quality of services which are provided by HP after selling
their product.
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LO3 – Evaluating the Research Outcomes
AC3.1 – Using appropriate techniques for the evaluation of the research
After collection of the necessary information and data regarding any research, it becomes a
crucial task for the researchers to evaluate the data and arrange the same into a report format that
would be presented in front of the readers to understand about the whole matter. Therefore,
Karlsson and Skålén, (2015) have stated that proper format of evaluation and presenting the data
must be followed so that the associated details could be presented in the most appropriate way.
The best methods and techniques to evaluate the data related to the research include formation of
tables, graphs and pie charts so that the survey conducted over a particular segment of sample
population could be recorded properly in and understandable manner. In addition to this, Nguyen
et al. (2014) have stated that the data evaluation techniques also include going through the details
mentioned by the customers while taking part in an interview and sharing their experience.
Knowing about the details helps the researchers to derive some necessary conclusions that are
usually helpful for making the recommendations for future so that Customer services can be
delivered with better quality conversations and necessary solutions related to the issues.
There are majorly three types of data evaluation techniques and methods as specified by Ramsey
et al. (2016) in terms of providing customer support related to some electronic gadget like laptop
or desktop computer. In this particular report, all the three techniques have been specified and
used in a particular ratio. The most prominently used data evaluation technique is the qualitative
methods of data evaluation because majority of the data associated with providing quality
Customer services to the customers by various means include some specific details regarding the
customer services. The best way to derive the methods for data evaluation according to Karatepe
and Karadas, (2015) is to analyze the data and its associated details which majorly include the
type of interactions and communications experienced by a customer while receiving support
from the customer services department. In case of any research which includes the study of the
necessity of training in customer service, a major section of the data is qualitative because there
are some specific details regarding the different types of customer services in terms of quality.
However, the quantitative method of data evaluation has also been used in this report because of
the presence of some statistical figures related to customer support and satisfaction scores.
Moreover, Bittner et al. (2017) have stated that there are multiple aspects which influence the
overall satisfaction score provided by any customer. Therefore, quantitative data has been used
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to evaluate the areas that require improvement. The third evaluation technique which is the
mixed technique of data evaluation and consists of both qualitative and quantitative data
evaluation techniques has been rarely used in the report but it has been included at few places.
AC3.2 – Interpretation and analysis of the results in terms of the original
specifications of the research
After going through the results obtained by conducting the investigation, it has been observed
that majority of the customers prefer the services in which the customer support executive
usually involved in some casual discussion with them. According to Kauppinen-Räisänen and
Grönroos, (2015), while providing Customer services to the customers of the organisations like
HP, it is very common that the customers have to wait over the phone call for a long time just
because the computer is going through an upgrade. Therefore, it can be analyzed that during the
time when the computer is going through a long process of upgrade, the customer support
provider or executive must be able to hold a very good conversation to build a rapport with the
customer. This as per Xiong and King, (2015) helps the customer support executive to convince
the customer for having a better experience and a good reputation for the company which further
enhance the customer support and satisfaction scores which is an Ultimate benefit factor for the
whole organisation.
Apart from the casual conversation, it is also necessary that the customer support executive is
able to inform the customer about the technical details and issues associated with the computer
or laptop in a very basic language or in a layman's term. This has been explained by Gabriel et
al. (2016) that the customers feel encouraged whenever they get to know and understand the
functions of a computer properly as they are able to fix the problem by themselves in case the
face the same issue next time. This also helps them to save a lot of time which they usually spend
over the phone talking to the customer support executive for finding the right solution to any
software or hardware related issue. This also states that the technical knowledge is very
important for any customer support executive so that any software issue could be fixed within a
considerable amount of time.
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AC3.3 – Making recommendations and justifying the areas for further
considerations
Following are some of the recommendations that must be considered before initiating a research
on any technical and social issues like the one which has been selected in this particular research
about delivering proper training for customer support.
 Internal details about any technical gadget must be analyzed properly so that it is not very
difficult for any customer support executive to provide necessary support to the customer.
 The trainer of customer support and post sale services department must have adequate
and experience working for the company and facing some of the toughest challenges.
 All the data must be recorded in a human readable and understandable manner so that
necessary information could be fetched instantly whenever it is needed.
 The proper format of formulating a report must be followed with stating of the crucial
content in the beginning so that the readers are able to understand the details and get an
overview about the overall report in the beginning section.
LO4 – Presenting the Research Outcomes
AC4.1 – Using an appropriate media and agreed format for presenting the outcomes
associated with the research to the audience
After collecting all the necessary data from primary and secondary sources for this particular
research, the overall information has been collated in the report formation in a specific format
which has been prescribed for this report. It has included the main elements like a brief
introduction about the report in the beginning followed by research rationale, research
methodologies, literature review and other similar details to carry out the major section of the
project. Similarly, this project has ended with describing some recommendations associated with
the topic selected in this project and a final conclusion stating the overall details mentioned in the
project in a nutshell.
Conclusion
After completion the research successfully and formulating the Research report associated with
it, it can be said quite evidently that specifying the required details including proper format of
project proposal and the activities that have been carried out within the project is very important
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to make the research reader friendly. The data and information associated with the topic chosen
for conducting this particular research war chosen and selected carefully from various sources
along with the details of the accuracy and authenticity. The format which is to be used for
developing the Research report has been followed properly as it is explained the main topic of
the research and issues or problems associated with it. It is also described the importance of the
chosen topic from the perspective of professional development as well as for conducting proper
and efficient operations in any organisation. Necessary sources have been considered including
primary and secondary sources of information to collect necessary information for the
formulation of report and some recommendations have been also stated regarding the importance
of this topic from the perspective of any organisation. The research has successfully delivered
some outcomes about the importance of having proper customer support in an organisation and
the way it enhances the business operations. The different ways to use research techniques and
methods including action planning, selecting the most appropriate research methodology, and
also carrying out necessary analysis about the research have been explained in the report. It can
be said that the overall outcomes of this report has helped the learners gain confidence about
formulating a business proposal and the report successfully by letting them evaluate and present
the research outcomes efficiently.
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