Online Custom «Service Marketing» Essay Sample

Elements of Effective Customer Service Program Implementation

Customers form the most important aspect of a business. As such, they should be served diligently and with utmost commitment to reflect their importance to the business. Customers are dynamic and will avoid organizations that do not satisfy their wants. Therefore, having a structure that ensures efficient service delivery to customers will make customer satisfaction an ultimate goal for the organization. Consequently, employees will be focused on achieving this goal. Accomplishing this will help an organization maintain its customers.

For a company that aims at thriving in a competitive business environment, it has to understand its customers’ needs and expectations. Consistency must be maintained in quality service delivery to customers. Companies should involve their customers in planning as they help in modifying the services to better suit their needs. While carrying out a performance evaluation, a company should not only take into account financial performance, but should also feedback from its customers[1].Information obtained from customers can improve a company’s performance.

In making a customer service plan, one must include various ways of measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty and how to ensure higher levels of growth. Different circumstances and situations should be evaluated and how the customer should be treated in each. This keeps the company a step ahead of competitors. Anticipating obstacles that could arise and the corresponding remedies saves the customers’ time and improves efficiency. It also helps create improve customers view of the company since they see the company as efficient and effective in solving their problems. Customer service should be a collective effort of all employees. In the interaction with a customer, each employee should ensure that they adequately serve the customer for the highest level of satisfaction. Making the employees appreciate the importance of customers to their jobs will motivate them to carry out their responsibility to the customer with diligence[2]. A company should carry out a self evaluation to ascertain its level of dedication to customers, delivery of promises and the desire to exceed customers’ expectations, and efficiency in solving their grievances.

An organization should develop a service vision. This allows it to operate around a common purpose, which in this case would be providing customer service. To come up with a service vision, a company must identify what it considers essential and then come create a vision around the important aspects. The service vision statement should be short, precise and to the point. For example- “To serve our customers effectively and efficiently”- simply shows the organization’s commitment and can be used as a basis for setting goals.

There should be formal customer service policies that guide the interaction between the customer and the company. There should be written procedures for various interactions with customers. For instance, all employees must take notes when on the phone with a customer to ensure that every detail is captured to avoid disappointing the customer in the service delivery. Employees should be trained in customer handling, especially when customers enquire about products and services. Proper handling makes the customers comfortable and willing to engage the company in the future[3].

A company should take initiative and educate its employees in service delivery. Role playing is extremely effective in instilling understanding in employees. Role playing enables a company to evaluate the efficiency with which each employee can handle customers. In such a forum, the company’s management can correct employees, improve and impart new skills in them.  At the same time, the management gets a chance to commend and encourage your employees on their strengths. This motivates them and improves their efficiency.

Customer Service at Telstra

Telstra Company prides itself in helping customers to improve how they work and live through connection. This company prioritizes its customers’ needs as its survival is dependent on how effectively it can serve them. Being Australia’s largest national mobile network, the company set its sight on understanding its customers better than anyone else. This enables the company to meet the customers’ needs and leave them happy, satisfied and wanting to source their services again. Telstra Company is a practical evidence of how powerful an effective customer service plan is.  

Summary of the Articles

Customer service could be a disaster to a company when not given the attention it deserves. This could see a company lose its customers and even fail in its market expansion. Customers will naturally advise their friends based on the quality of service they receive. When the quality is poor, the company’s reputation will be damaged. Innovative customer service ideas increase a company’s competitive ability compared to its competitors.

Setting your company apart from the crowd will make it appear more attractive to customers. Thus, it will be highly beneficial to come up with new and creative customer service ideas. Lastly, it is essential to ensure your customers feel the impact of employees’ skills. This can be evaluated by the growth rate of the company and rate of sales returns.