Managing Customer Service Quality: Report on Effective Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive overview of managing customer service quality, covering various aspects crucial for business success. It begins by outlining steps for effectively handling customer complaints, emphasizing active listening, empathy, and problem-solving. The report then delves into strategies for dealing with customers with special needs, highlighting the importance of courtesy, respect, and patience. It also explores methods for identifying customer needs through market research, surveys, and data analysis, as well as the significance of customer feedback mechanisms. Furthermore, the report examines factors contributing to superior customer service, including convenience, accountability, efficiency, and constant communication. It also discusses service dimensions, elements of quality service, and cultural components that influence customer relationships. The report also analyzes phrases that can damage customer relationships and provides guidance on dealing with assertive customers. It also covers behavior styles, service breakdowns, and barriers to service recovery. The report also provides information on what to know about customers, including their preferences, demographics, and purchasing behavior. Finally, the report explores customer feedback strategies, conflict resolution, and the role of ethics in customer service, providing a holistic view of customer service management.

Running head: MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 1
Managing Customer Service Quality
Name
Professor
Course
Date

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 2
Task 3: Questions and answers
1. Steps to deal with complaints
 Listen to the customer’s concern
 Do not take it personal as the customer is not angry to the employee
 Apologize to the client to show concern
 Show some empathy and assure the client that the issue can be fixed
 Do not admit to have done the wrong but consider it a mistake
 Gather some facts about the concern
 Find out what exactly the clients want if they are not clear
 Provide a solution to the problem raised
 Discuss with the client and any other stakeholder
 Consider offering more to the client than just requested
2. Dealing with special needs customers
 Be courteous
 Show some respect
 Acknowledge the victims
 Show some patience
 Facing the persons directly
 It is important to be flexible with them
3. Identifying customer needs
 Do a market research
 Consult or interview the clients and stakeholders
 Using existing information or data

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 3
 Map the client process
 Map the clients’ journey
 Conduct research targeting specific customers
4. Effective customer feedback
 Usage of the right metric of customer survey
 Use of open-ended responses
 Feedback is personalized
5. Interactions with customers
 Cross-platform visits
 Repeated purchases
 Call to action
 Funnels
 Shows and exhibitions
 Roadshows and marketing events
6. Factors for superior customer service
 Convenience-customers want services and products delivered in good time
 Accountable-taking the responsibility to honor and offer high quality products and
services
 Efficiency-minding how fast products and services reach the customer
 Value addition-offering extra or services beyond what the customer expects
 Constant communication-keeping in touch with clients
 Customer feedback-shows any serious concerns that help understand the client and have
issues identified and fixed in time

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 4
 Standardized services and products –offering services above the standard of quality for
satisfaction
 Reliability-keeping promises made to customers honored in good faith and timely
7. Customer follow-up
 This is important since customer engagement and relationship need not stop after sales
are made but a long term relationship is needed to win the customer loyalty. It is
important to know the customer feedback after using the service or product and
understand their feelings about the business (Mahamad, and Ramayah, 2010, p. 72).
8. Service dimensions
 Personal dimension that involves how employees interact with customers in relation to
attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, and verbal skills
 Procedural dimension involves the systems and operations for offering services and
products to the clients
9. Elements of quality service
 Trust: the business needs to initiate some level of trust to the customers such that they
cannot fail in terms of quality service
 Reliability: being able to keep or honor promises and agreements made between the
business and the customers
 Responsibility: standing behind what the business has offered to the clients in support of
it being the best towards customer satisfaction
 Accessibility: customers need to be able to reach both the products or services and the
business operators in case they need to make orders, or clarification is needed

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 5
 Fast reaction time: customers wish to have business that respond quickly to their
demands and concerns to ensure things are always in control
10. Culture components
 Service mission- this is the form of business commitment and achievement that
determines day-to-day operations and customer relationships
 Product and services- these are the output and receivables that the customer expects from
any business
 Delivery system- is the whole set of human and physical resources such as machinery and
equipment the help in service delivery
 Training- involves the process of imparting new skills on the employees towards
improving their knowledge on delivery system and work output
 Motivators and rewards- these are the aspects that make the staff encouraged to work
harder and achieve better work outputs. They impart new energy and commitment to
work harder.
 Policies and procedures- these are the rules and guidelines that put all operations into
control by giving directions on staff
11. Phrases damaging customer relationship
 I do not know
 The entire sales are final
 Please hold
 I am not the one responsible for
 Calm down
 You do not understand

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 6
 It is not my/our responsibility
 You are not listening
12. Assertive customers
 Be calm
 Do not take things personal
 Provide reasons for things or actions
 Maintain eye contact
 Apologize for mistakes done
 Restate feeling or content
 Accept the problem and recommend solutions
13. Customer needs
 Satisfaction- always provide the best quality products and services in good time and
charge reasonably
 Appreciation- thanking clients after giving them services and make a follow-up on their
feelings and seek feedback
 Feeling welcome- giving clients, simple greetings to welcome them whenever they visit
and give them hospitality
 Respect- be humble and approach clients, in the most respectful way possible, avoid
harsh words and apologize for mistakes done
 Feel important- show concern and commitment towards serving them, use respectful
titles or refer them by name, offer personalized services
 Understanding them- direct specific questions to clients, and acknowledge when you
understand them

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 7
14. Behavior styles
Behavior Definition Dealing with style
Dominance having influence and power over
the other people
have strong views, act as if not
listening, want to feel on top and
respected
 Use brief conversations that are
targeted
 Deal with victims at their level
 Discuss the effect of the behavior with
them
 Treating them with respect
 Encouraging team work
 Support their objectives
 Show them concern and respect
Influencing Offer emotional feelings, like to
behave informally, they are
procedural, assertive and
charismatic
 Maintain eye contact
 Develop customer relationship
 Avoid using harsh words
 Be accommodating
 Listen to them well
 Provide policies that support their
objectives
 Feel enthusiastic
 Do not follow facts more than is
necessary
Steadiness Is humble, reserved and quiet
Listens well to people
Seems considerate and
thoughtful
Is not quick to actions
Accommodates people
 Need time to comprehend what is said
 Do not approach them assertively
 Understanding them is key
 Need to develop social relationships
 Encouraging them to be part of social
groups
 Disagree with them in the humble way
possible
Compliance Seem to agree to issues without
being considerate
Are emotional in their
expressions
Prefer being orderly
Express specific opinions
 They need not be pressured towards
doing things
 Need not be coerced in making quick
decisions
 Provide them with comprehensive and
detailed information
 Use formal business strategies
 Use approaches that are well
organized and thoughtful

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 8
15. Service breakdown
 Identify the cause of service breakdown
 Apologize to the customers
 Seek long term solutions to the problem
 Make amends to solve the issue
 Compensate clients where possible
 Review the procedures for satisfaction
16. Service recovery barriers
 Inability to listen
 No form of communication in business
 Failure to include stakeholders
 Working alone without training others
 Use of wrong strategies and work methodologies
 Continued conflict among stakeholders
 Lack of capital to replace resources
17. Pieces of information on customer needs for existing clients
 What they think about the business
 What they expect from the business
 The negative and positive aspects from the business
 Areas where they think should be improved
 Their level of satisfaction for products and services rendered
 How they compare the business to those of competitors
18. Pieces of information on customer needs for potential clients

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 9
 What they know about the business
 The type of products and services they expect
 The number of brands they are aware of regarding the business
 Whether they would wish to change brand or taste a new brand
 What they dislike about their current brands
 What they expect from new brands
19. Things to know about customer
 What are their preferences? –this makes the business learn about the customer demands
and switch towards that line
 Who they are- it is important to understand the gender, age and other demography
information about the customers including where they live to help with segmented
production
 The money amounts they have- this is important in knowing whether they can afford
services and products and set prices
 When they make purchases-understanding the times of buying helps provide enough
products and availability of services at the time (Jahanshahi, et al. 2011, p. 259).
 How they buy- this helps understanding the consumption behavior and plan production
based on this
 Type of services they demand- the strategy helps align service delivery to suit the
customers and ensure that they appreciate the services
 What customers do-this is in terms of profession as it is important to predict their
capability to continue purchasing or seeking services due to affordability

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 10
 Their expectation of the business- this helps the business make changes to offer exactly
what the clients want
 What they think of the business, products and services-this makes the business
understand the status in the market and make amends towards the right direction
 What customers think about competitors-it enables the business compare and evaluate
itself against competing business and changing their competitive brand.
20. Customer feedback strategies
 Asking customers-this involves approaching customers directly and seeking to know their
perception of the brand. This involves getting firsthand information from the clients
themselves regarding the type of service and products they need or expect and whether
they are satisfied with what has been provided to them in the previous sessions or times.
 Using statistics- this may involve doing records about sales and purchases and evaluating
them after some time to see how they relate. These help understand the buying behaviors
of the clients from the business (Ryu, Lee, and Gon Kim, 2012, p. 217). They may also
involve getting online statistics from studies done by other parties and compare with
recorded data before making conclusions.
 Use of surveys and questionnaires- the process involves coming up with queries about
what the business wants to understand from the customer either online or physically and
have the customers give the right information under each query. The process involves
gathering the questionnaires and comparing the information given across different
customers.
 Acting as the customer- this is the process of putting oneself in the shoes of the customer
by acting like one in the business. It helps understand how the customers feel when they

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 11
seek the services and products from the business. For instance it gives the experience one
may get from pretending to be a customer of the business based on how they get treated
as they buy.
 Use of staff and employees- the process involves instructing the employees at the
frontline to obtain firsthand information from the customers as they serve them. This
serves as a best way of interacting with customers as they do their shopping (Yoshida,
and James, 2010, p. 350). It may also involve making direct observations on them to
understand how they shop.
 Use of focus groups- this involves identifying a group of customers who mostly frequent
the business and studying them closely for some time to get important information about
their needs or what they prefer. The process helps understand the exact needs of the
customers especially the local ones who are potential buyers to the business.
21. Variable quality of service or products
 To avoid loss of customer loyalty and trust
 To avoid the burden of having to explain to the customers
 To maintain a business brand of quality
 To be competent in the market above other businesses
 To maintain customer base and win potential others
22. Sensitivity in conflict resolution
 Sensitivity in conflict resolution involves proper understanding of the conflict dynamics
so that it becomes possible to seek solutions. Understanding the exact cause of the
conflict which in most cases involves lack of communication is the basis for solution

MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY 12
since the strategies for solving the conflict begin there. Sensitivity helps create a base for
seeking solutions to a conflict.
23. Best conflict outcome
 The best outcome of any conflict involves coming up with the most acceptable solution
across the conflicting parties that leaves all of them contented and able to forget about the
problem. This is achieved through coming into consensus or agreement regarding the
problem across the parties.
24. Ethics and role managing customer service
 Ethics involve the moral guidelines that are expected from a person during his daily
dealings especially in business. In customer service ethics determine the way businesses
treat the customers, how they perform fair operations that are within the expectations of
the people, the written and unwritten law in the society. Ethics help understand how
customers are supposed to be treated in terms of services being given.
25. How consumer protection laws affect the companies
 Consumer protection laws include the rules and regulations that govern the businesses in
relation to the consumers of their services and products. They affect how the companies
execute their operations as they serve the customers (Angelova, and Zekiri, 2011, p. 232).
They help in making sure that companies remain upright and execute fair dealings to the
customer. They ensure that customers get goods of the right quality and standard. They
also ensure that the business charge the customers fairly for the products and services
they offer to them.
26. Anti-discrimination