Developing and Managing Quality Customer Service Practices

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Title- develop and manage quality customer service practices

Contents
1. Explain how informal and formal research can be used to develop quality customer service.
Provide an example for each research method....................................................................................3
2. Why is it important to have an understanding of your competition in order to plan for quality
customer service?.....................................................................................................................................3
3. When developing market knowledge, it is essential to have an awareness of how the
market is divided. Explain each of the following segments of the market. Provide examples of
how each segment can influence customer choices and trends........................................................4
4. Why is it crucial for a manager to have in-depth knowledge of internal and external
business environments to provide quality customer service? Provide 2 examples each, for
internal and external factors:...................................................................................................................4
5. Identify three ways you can obtain information about current trends in your industry.............5
6. Explain businesses’ responsibilities under Consumer Protection Law and how it impacts on
customer service delivery........................................................................................................................5
7. Explain why it is important to have a clear refund and cancellation policy and what is
required if there are potential price increases.......................................................................................5
8. Describe the importance of providing accurate product information to customers in order to
provide quality customer service............................................................................................................6
9. In order to provide quality customer service, it is important to establish your target market.
Provide 4 questions you should consider when developing a clear customer profile.....................6
10. Why is consistency crucial to providing quality customer service?........................................7
11. Describe five common principles of customer service in detail..............................................7
12. Suggest three service standards to encourage quality customer service for your specific
industry.......................................................................................................................................................8
13. Describe 3 industry schemes aimed at improving customer service, including 1 relevant
to your work area......................................................................................................................................8
14. Define continuous improvement and explain how this process contributes to effective
customer service.......................................................................................................................................9
15. Explain why it is essential to have an effective complaint handling procedure....................9
16. If you are faced with an escalating complaint, why is it necessary to involve
management?.........................................................................................................................................10
17. List three ways you can set a positive example for customer service as a manager........10
18. Why should specific preferences of regular customers be communicated and shared with
all staff?....................................................................................................................................................11

19. It is necessary for service standards to be communicated to and followed by both new
and old staff. Which policies and procedures can be used to assist in setting standards? Provide
3 examples..............................................................................................................................................11
20. List 10 examples of policies and procedures which are commonly used in organizations
to set standards for customer service:.................................................................................................11
21. How can changes in technology affect the business’ customer service practices?...........12
22. How can management changes and organizational restructures affect the business’
customer service practices?..................................................................................................................12
23. Describe three methods of formal and informal customer research you can implement to
determine your existing level of customer service..............................................................................12
24. You are reviewing feedback received from customers. List 4 aspects you will review and
what this would involve to evaluate responses critically....................................................................13
25. While you are working a shift, you witness an employee get into an argument with a
customer regarding a delay in service. You record the incident and notice that there have
recently been an increasing number of disputes between staff members and customers. What
would this indicate to you in terms of processes in place and processes potentially lacking?.....13
26. In order to improve the quality of customer service delivered by a business, the existing
level of service must be determined. List 4 ways of obtaining customer feedback about your
level of service:.......................................................................................................................................13
27. List 2 things that must occur when a change or improvement needs to be implemented:14
28. Why is it important to communicate your policies and procedures to your staff and
customers?..............................................................................................................................................14
29. List 3 common ways to make your policies and procedures readily available to your
customers................................................................................................................................................14
30. The following data report provides you with a summary of customer surveys that were
recently conducted for the “Coloured Sands Resort”.........................................................................15
Assessment 2:.........................................................................................................................................17

Assessment 1
1. Explain how informal and formal research can be used to develop quality customer
service. Provide an example for each research method.
RESPONSE
 Formal research- this is done by following the proper methods of research by being in
discipline. For example- surveys, questionnaire which contain all the questions to get
feedback by the customers. This will help in knowing which company stands where in
this competitive world.
 Informal research- this research is generally performed by an individual. In this research
feedbacks are taken orally by the group people. This helps in getting the frequent
feedbacks.
2. Why is it important to have an understanding of your competition in order to plan for quality
customer service?
RESPONSE
It is important to know your competitors this can help in knowing what type of
product and services they are offering. This will help you in getting the
changes in your products and services or in the prices. By knowing your
competition you can plan your marketing strategies in order to improve your
business. You can also set new business initiatives for your own business. By
this your own business will become successful.

3. When developing market knowledge, it is essential to have an awareness of how the
market is divided. Explain each of the following segments of the market. Provide
examples of how each segment can influence customer choices and trends.
RESPONSE
 Demographic segmentation- it is the segmentation of the market according to the
income, age, education etc. this helps organization to target their customers.
For example- industries of automobile can target customers on the basis of
income, age through their products.
 Geographic segmentation- in this business is divided depending upon the
geography (different regions). Example- dominos pizza targets the local people
of the city in the different countries.
 Psychographic segmentation- in this business gets divided depending upon
values, interests, attitude and the customer’s lifestyle. example- manufacturing
of the mobiles
 Behavioral segmentation- in this type of segmentation organizations loyalty is
observed. For example- hotels, airlines which shows their hospitality towards
the customers.
4. Why is it crucial for a manager to have in-depth knowledge of internal and external
business environments to provide quality customer service? Provide 2 examples each,
for internal and external factors:
RESPONSE
It is important have the knowledge of internal factors with involves
strengths and weakness of the company. This factor helps in setting the
goals of the organization.
Knowledge of the external factors helps the company to adjust in the
market, according to the economy, infrastructure and demands of the
customers.

5. Identify three ways you can obtain information about current trends in your industry.
Response
1. Analysis the research reports of the industrial trends and take the advantage of
performed research.
2. Regularly go through the publications and blogs which follow your respective
organization. This will help in knowing in which direction the trend is going on.
3. Asks for the feedbacks from the customers. Learn and implement the changes
according to the demand of the customer.
6. Explain businesses’ responsibilities under Consumer Protection Law and how it impacts
on customer service delivery.
RESPONSE
The responsibilities under consumer protection law are as follows-
 Protection of consumer from the unfair practices perform in the business
 Promotes competition in the market, by this consumer will get better
products of improved quality
 The product must be sold to the customer safely.
This law has protected the consumer from getting cheated by the
organization. According to this law if any organization do unfair with the
consumer then they will have to pay penalties, legal actions will be taken.
7. Explain why it is important to have a clear refund and cancellation policy and what is
required if there are potential price increases.
RESPONSE

It is important to have a cancellation policy because-
 Registration cost can be covered by each vendor
 The recovering cost is processed through credit cards
If the potential price increases then it also important to ensure that quality of the product is also
increased. So that the organization can maintain the relation of loyalty with their customers.
8. Describe the importance of providing accurate product information to customers in order
to provide quality customer service.
RESPONSE
It is important to provide all correct information because it creates the
good impact of the organization on the customers, increases the
growth of the organization, customers gives good reviews about the
services or the product of the organization.
9. In order to provide quality customer service, it is important to establish your target
market. Provide 4 questions you should consider when developing a clear customer
profile.
Response
1. Which type of product or the service organization wants to provide their customers?
2. How their product and the service is beneficial for their customers.
3. Organization must have the knowledge of which type of generation is interested in their
product.
4. What unique product or service organization is providing over their competition in the
market

10. Why is consistency crucial to providing quality customer service?
RESPONSE
Consistency means following the business practices strongly and applying those
practices to the customers services it can be online services, person to person or
telephonic. Consistency plays the vital role in the customer service and they are as
follows:-
 This helps in making the strong relationship with the customer
 This is helpful in building the good reputation of the company
 If the consistency is maintain in the business then it will also maintain the
quality of service
11. Describe five common principles of customer service in detail.
Response
1. Support customers- organizations need to support their customers as a team. This can
be achieved by teaching each and every employee how they can help the customers
even when they are busy.
2. Listen customers- the business of every organization is running profitably because of
the customers so it is important to listen the demands or changes want.
3. Don’t act as a robot- it is believed by many people that it takes time to reach an alive
agent who is capable of understanding their problem to provide solution.
4. Honest- the organization need to be show their honestly towards the customers by
providing them complete detail of the products they know
5. Knowledge of the product- in order to support customer it is important to know the
complete details of service or product organization is providing.

12. Suggest three service standards to encourage quality customer service for your specific
industry.
Response
1. Standard of empowerment- the employees of the organization must the power to make a
happy stay of customers.
2. Standard of efficiency- this standard involves balancing the efficiency with the speed in
order to serve customers.
3. Standard of friendliness- the basic principle of customer service is being nice to the
customers. This standard will help the company in knowing where company stands.
13. Describe 3 industry schemes aimed at improving customer service, including 1 relevant
to your work area
Response

1. Take feedback by customer- taking feedbacks will make customers to feel how much they
are important for the company and how willing company want to solve their issues. This
will also establish the relation of trust.
2. Formation of strong customer service team- this can be achieved by tracking the
performance of customer service. A strong customer service team is capable of serving
their customers at all situations and conditions patiently.
3. Customer relationship management concept- by this company will get to know as well as
can understand the needs of the customer and also can improve the interaction with
customers.
14. Define continuous improvement and explain how this process contributes to effective
customer service.
RESPONSE
When the changes in the product or in services made consistently in order
to achieve high standards according to the wish of the customers also.
By this process following things can be achieved for an effective customer
service-
 In this customer is the center of interest
 Increases the productivity
 Goals to get zero defects
 Enhances the quality of product
 Can easily provide the services to the customers
 Company will understand the value of the customer
15. Explain why it is essential to have an effective complaint handling procedure.
RESPONSE
Consumer call to the customer service center of company to get the solution of the

problems which the consumer is facing so it becomes important to have an effective
complaint procedure because this shows the following features of the company-
 Loyalty of the company towards their customers
 Can understand the customers
 Improve companies communication with the customers
 Company can build the trustful relationship
 Company can recognize their mistakes.
 Company will also create a good reputation in the market by good word- of-
mouth.
16. If you are faced with an escalating complaint, why is it necessary to involve
management?
Management involves arranging the source values in such way that maximum outcome can be
generated through the input value. Management can helps in preventing the customer
escalation by implementing the needed changes in the system or process. Management also
creates a medium so that employee and customer can be directly in touch. Direct
communication between employee and customer helps in solving the customer problems more
easily. Customer escalation can be prevented as follows:
 Modifying the communication methods between customer and employee.
 Providing appropriate tools and training to the employee.
 Improving the quality of product so that trust of customer in organization can be made.
 Use calm words while dealing with customer.
17. List three ways you can set a positive example for customer service as a manager.
1. Replying to the feedbacks quickly via communication medium.
2. Learn from the mistakes and implement required action to fix them.
3. Understanding the customer problems and providing effective solutions.

18. Why should specific preferences of regular customers be communicated and shared
with all staff?
Regular customers are those customers who trust the organization by using their products.
Customer’s satisfaction can be achieved by providing the desired quality at low price. If
customer uses product of the organization and happy with the quality and price than always
customer will demand the product from the same organization. Also, it is to be noted that regular
customer promotes the organization with others. So the facts show that problems of regular
customer need to be solved and communicated with the staff members. It will enhance the
working experience of the staff and improving the service quality of the organization.
19. It is necessary for service standards to be communicated to and followed by both new
and old staff. Which policies and procedures can be used to assist in setting standards?
Provide 3 examples.
Yes, service standards matters a lot when it comes to customer satisfaction. Service standard
need to be maintained to increase the quality of work and to attract new customers. It is also
important to hold regular and old customers. So, service standards should be followed each and
every employee of the organization to maintain a healthy relation with customers. Policies for
setting standards for the service:
 Updating service centre with technical tools and resources.
 Providing appropriate training to the staff.
 Getting feedback from the customer and implement changes according to feedback.
20. List 10 examples of policies and procedures which are commonly used in organizations
to set standards for customer service:
1. Opening service centre where need is high.
2. Managing the service quality.
3. Knowing customer demand.
4. Making work culture easy for customer
5. Giving effective training to the customer.
6. Making communication system easy.
7. Getting the feedback from the customer.
8. Work according to the required changes.