ILM Level 2 - Meeting Customer Needs Assignment

ILM Level 2 – Meeting customer needs
Assignment
Centre Number: 072797 Centre Name: Specsavers Optical
Superstores
Learner
Registration No:
Learner
Name:
1. List basic principles associated with good customer care
Following are the basic principles associated with good customer care:
1. Speed: Responsiveness has the maximum impression on consumer based on which satisfaction is
actualized. First response time indicates how quickly the escalation of a consumer is acknowledged.
2. Accuracy: Customer care employees must be accurate enough in solving the query of customers at
the first instance. This does not increase satisfaction but may definitely create dissatisfaction, which
will result to poor loyalty.
3. Clarity: Consumers must be clarified about the process based which their service request will be
processed. This ensures the authenticity and transparency of service delivery within the stipulated
timeframe.
4. Transparency: For any service request, associated customer service employee must update the
status of the service progress directly to the customer, as this will help in reducing the confusion and
frustration among customers.
5. Accessibility: Often it becomes tardy for the service request to be placed by the consumers due to
the improper accessibility medium. Good customer care ensures simple yet channelized medium so
that consumers can easily contact customer support agents at any point of time.
2. Outline a company’s customer care policy
Specsavers Optical Superstores aims to bring the greatest expertise and service standards. All the
stores are owned locally and by professionals who opticians are offering best eye care.
The customer care promise of the organization is below:
“We want you to be completely happy with your purchase at Specsavers. If you have any concerns
within three months of the date of purchase, we will put it right. No quibble, no fuss.”
The customer care policy comprises of the following:
Contacting
Specsavers
People who feel that they need urgent eye care service, can visit the stores
listed in website. The stores are owned and operated by opticians due to which
best satisfaction will be achieved.
Questionnaire
emails
Feedback system through post service emails which will be started right after 14
days from first store visit. This is a form of survey called Maze to understand the
satisfaction of consumers.
Authorised
Service
Frames are sold only through the offline retail stores authorised Specsavers
sellers with Specsavers point of sale material.
Sending Feedback Direct feedback sharing procedure from the clients is also entertained by
clicking on the envelope at the customer service webpage so that consumers
can share their concern.

ILM Level 2 – Meeting customer needs
Assignment
3. Explain the benefits of an organisation having customer service standards
The most important use of customer service standards is to understand and confirm that management
whether consumers are getting the service that has been promised to them. For Specsavers Optical
Superstores, I have understood that customer service standard has helped the organization to
understand the core point of dissatisfaction and has always tried to reach out to the consumers for
nullifying the causes. This has helped the retail outlet to achieve best reputation and publicity in the
market within short time span.
Moreover, with the help of the standards Specsavers retail stores have able to create a clear, simple
and transparent way of communication with its clients, due to which redundancy of other departments
are reduced. Consumers are able to get their prosed service within correct deadline, which has resulted
in increasing their satisfaction. The amount of customer retention has also increased due to the
satisfaction achieved through customer service standards.
4. Outline common barriers to good customer care
Following are the barriers to good customer care:
Serial
No.
Barrier Explanation
1 Indifference The gap in quality of personal interaction between client and customer
service agent creates indifference. When the agents are not able to
address customer query promptly it creates negative impression among
clients.
2 Inattention Often the customer service agents fail to acknowledge the query or
service request placed by clients. This mostly occurs due to poor
attention. Once the client’s request is not acknowledged, it creates
negative image among clients.
3 Lack of
commitment
Customer service agents are often found not to follow-up with the client
regarding the progress of service delivery. In such a case, necessary
commitment is lacking and customer gets dissatisfied.
4 Scripted
communication
Most of the customer service agents try to deliver similar
acknowledgement to any or all clients with different service request. In
such cases, clients do not get the personal touch and they are not
satisfied.
5 Delayed
response
Even though consumers escalate service request or place new service
request, but agents are found to acknowledge the request after huge
amount of time. This impacts on the first reaction and creates
dissatisfaction among consumers.
Considering Specsavers, I have found that indifference, scripted communication and delayed response
are the main cause of dissatisfaction among clients. Employees need to be trained more so that each
client is dealt uniquely and response to first request is acknowledged at the earliest.

ILM Level 2 – Meeting customer needs
Assignment
5. Describe examples of good practice in customer care
Following are the examples of good practice in customer care:
1. Taking Responsibility: Specsavers always take the responsibility of its clients right from the first
service request. Moreover, it never closes the relationship with client after service delivery, rather it
keeps on asking feedback and client eye-sight status after frequent interval of time.
2. Address customer by name: In order to enhance the speciality of service and reach out deeper to
service delivery, Specsaversaddresses its clients by their name. This helps in ensuring specialized and
unique service where clients understand the value that they create in Specsavers.
3. Apologise: One of the best example of good practice that is followed by Specsavers is apology.
Specsavers believe that a heartfelt apology can disarm even the angriest of customers. At times when
acknowledgement of service enquiry is not done promptly, agents apologize to reduce the frustration of
clients.
6. Describe the difference between internal and external customers
Following are the differences between internal and external customers:
Internal Customer External Customer
1. Those individuals who directly purchases the
product of the company or the organization by
being the part of the corporation in a way or
other.
1. Those individuals are never the part of the
company and are considered as the target
audience for whom products are manufactured
by the organization.
2. These customers are associated with the
organization for service delivery or operational
purposes.
2. These customers are no way associated with
the organization.
3. Such consumers know better pros and cons of
the product.
3. Such consumers first experience the product
then come to know about pros and cons.
4. These consumers can get the products in low
price.
4. Due to market channels and intermediaries
these consumers buy the same products in
higher price.
5. Such customers can be the beneficiary in profit
for the sale of the product.
5. Such customers can never be the beneficiary
in profit for the sale of the product.
Considering Specsavers, it can be said that the external consumers are the main target audience of the
locality of London. These consumers are never the part of Specsavers and the entire revenue of the
company is dependant on them. However, internal consumers are mostly the employees within the
store who buys the frames for their families or have a check-up for their family members in low price as
compared to the price offered to external customers.

ILM Level 2 – Meeting customer needs
Assignment
7. Identify the needs and expectations of a customer
Specsavers offers wide range of services including Eye-health test, Hearing test, Eye-care at
home/work, Contact Lens, Glasses and wide variety of frames.
The detailed and thorough needs of the customers of Specsavers have been identified by asking
questions to the customers. In addition to, considering the feedback of the customers allowed me to
know what they need from Specsavers. I, as a retail supervisor, have identified the following needs of
the customers after asking them questions and considering their feedback.
Providing fashionable eyewear to the customers at an affordable price.
The customers expect authentic and timely service for them.
The customers expect highest standard of service as well as expertise
The customers also expect that their concerns or service requests are acknowledged promptly.
The customers expect to have lenses that address their needs directly thereby, improving comfort.
8. Explain why it is important to meet or exceed customer expectations
The brand value of an organization is dependant on the customer satisfaction. Once the expectation of
customers is met, they become satisfied. Therefore, customer satisfaction gives rise to customer
retention. Increase in customer retention ensures business sustainability and therefore, Specsaversis
able tocreate better customer loyalty for repetitive purchase.
On the other hand, if Specsaversis able to exceed the customer satisfaction, then it will be able to
become the market leader in London and its service life-cycle maturity stage will become more
elongated. This will indicate that the organization will be able to sustain for huge period in future with
highest cash inflows with the progress of time.