Customer Orientation

Part 1: Concept
Topics Covered

Definition

Types of customers.

Facts about customers.

Why customers leave?

Definition

A person, company, or other entity which buys goods and services

produced by another person, company, or other entity is called
customer.
A customer is not just money in the cash register. They are human
beings with feelings and deserve to be treated with respect. Deserves
the most courteous attention we can give them. They are the
lifeblood of every business.
Who Is The Customer?

A Customer is the most important

Visitor on our premises.

He is not dependent on us,

We are dependent on him.

He is not an interruption of our work,

He is the purpose of it.

He is not an outsider to our business,

He is a part of it.

We are not doing him a favor by serving him,

He is doing us a favor by giving us

An opportunity to do so.

Mahatma Gandhi
Types Of Customers

There are two types of customers:

1. Internal

2. External
Internal Customers

 Internal customers are the people who work for your company.
 They depend on you and the work you do in order to complete
their own tasks.
 Employees, Team members, Colleagues, etc.
External Customer

 External customers are outside your organization.

 These are the people that buy your goods and services.
Which is more important
external customer or internal
customer?

External customer is much valuable since he buys your product or

services. That is the reason he is attended very well. But the fact
is, your internal customer is equally important and plays a vital
role in any organization. The problem is, internal customer is often
neglected. Internal customers are needed for serving the
requirement of external customers.
Facts About Customer Complaints

 A typical dissatisfied customer will tell 8-10 people about their

problem.
 7 out of 10 complaining customers will do business with you
again if you resolve the complaint in their favor.
 If you resolve a complaint on the spot, 95% will do business
again.
Why Customers Leave?

 1% die.

 3% move away.

 5% develop other relationships.

 9% leave for competitive reasons.

 14% are dissatisfied with product or service.

 68% leave because of rude or discourteous service.

Task

Who are the Internal customers?

Options:

Customers who buy from the shop

Customers who buy online

Employees

None of these

Please try to answer yourself before moving on to the next slide for
the answer?
Answer

Employees
Summary

Definition?

Types of customers.

Facts about customers.

Why customers leave?

Part 2: Customer Service
Topics Covered

Definition

Examples of customer service

Types of customer service

8 rules for good customer service

Definition Of Customer Service

 It is the ability to provide a service or product in the way it has been

promised.
 It is also about treating customers with respect and personal
attention.
An Example : ABCD Financial
Services – Call Back

Sweta got distracted by work and Summer and (for the first time ever)
she missed a car payment.  ABCD Financial Services was not distracted
and started calling her every day, asking her when she would pay. She
told them she would mail the check that day, which she did.  It was
understandable, but still a drag that they were calling every day, but she
figured that they would also call to confirm receipt of payment, but they
didn’t.  As it turned out, all of this happened over the 4th of July
weekend, so for about four days, she had no idea whether they had
received her payment or not.   She got a very nasty note from them in
the mail dated July 2nd (a Saturday).  When she called to find out the
status of her account, they said they received the payment on the 5th
(the 4th was a holiday) so they sent her a letter on a Saturday and
received payment on the next business day. If you will call her every day
to tell her she is late, then call her when you get the payment and say all
is good.

Source :
http://ricmerrifield.com/2011/07/10-worst-customer-service-experiences
-of-the-last-year
An Example : Southwest
Airlines

A man was in route from a business trip in L.A. to his daughter’s home in
Denver to see his three-year-old grandson for the last time. The boy,
beaten into a coma by his mother’s live-in boyfriend, was being taken off of
life support at 9 p.m. that evening so his organs could be used to save
other lives. The man’s wife called Southwest to arrange the last-minute
flight and explained the emergency situation. Unfortunately, the man was
held up by L.A. traffic and long lines at LAX and didn’t make it to the gate
on time. When he finally made it there 12 minutes after the plane was
scheduled to leave, he was shocked to find the pilot waiting for him. He
thanked the pilot profusely, and the pilot said, “They can’t go anywhere
without me, and I wasn’t going anywhere without you. Now relax. We’ll get
you there. And again, I’m so sorry.”
The Two Types Of Customer
Service

1. Reactive Customer Service

2. Proactive Customer Service

Reactive Customer Service
Starts after receiving a complaint.

Moves on to solving the complaint.

Usually is a one time activity.

 Uncaring
 Unresponsive
 Uninvolved

In general, they under-deliver customer service.

Proactive Customer Service

Starts by anticipating a complaint.

Seeks to eliminate the possibility of a complaint.

Usually is a continuous activity.

 Caring
 Responsive
 Involved

In general, they over-deliver customer service.

8 Rules For Good Customer Service
1. Understand The Customer

 Customer has some need’s and wants.

 Some of these are stated and some unstated.

 One should try to understand the needs and wants.

 One should also try to understand the customer as a person.

Example

We need to get into customers’ minds to determine how they think

and what they want. Starbucks sells coffee, but so do many other
places, from grocery stores to gas stations. Though coffee is a readily
available commodity, Starbucks offers a specialized product line,
and an in-store experience that allows them to charge a premium
price for their coffee. Early on, Starbucks understood that many
customers want more than just a cup of coffee.
2. Exceeding Customer’s
Expectations

Exceeding your customer’s expectations is like a pole-vaulting at the

Olympics! Over time, the bar gets set at higher and higher levels.
Getting across the lowered bar is simply a minimum entry
requirement for later stages of the event.
Example

On vacation in the Virgin Islands in the month of April Blake and his
wife Julie made reservations at a local recommended restaurant –
Cafe Brittany on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.
To their surprise, when they arrived, on their table were two books
of poetry embossed with their name on it. The restaurant makes
customized gifts for every reservation. Blake still have them.
3. Greet The Customer

 Always start with a greeting.

 Your tone is more important than your words.

 Smile, even when you are on the phone.

 Learn and use the customer’s name (and title correctly).

 Make the greeting personalized by using the customer’s name.

Example

Alice usually goes to the Sunset Tower Hotel with her husband whenever
they are in Los Angeles. And that is often because their son and his
family live there. They love the Hotel and the staff is terrific. Tim
Cunningham greets them with a smile and welcomes them warmly each
time they arrive. They feel as though they have come back home.
4. Heal The Customer

 When a customer calls with a problem be polite and soothe the

customer before offering the solutions.
 Backtracking says you’re listening; Asking questions says

you care.
 Focus on what you can do rather than what you cannot do.

 Customer wants to be helped, not handled.

Example

Mr. Smith an elderly person went to pay his electricity bill and after
standing for an hour, he found that the bills cannot be paid on that
day due to link failure. He got very angry and started shouting.
Suddenly after 5 minutes he collapsed due to high blood pressure.

The staff of electricity office came running and provided him with
water and they also called a local doctor for check up. After providing
the customer a place to take rest , they arranged a vehicle to drop
him back in his house.
5. Educate The Customer

 Learn what the customer needs to know before offering a lesson.

 Offer learnable lessons that will make sense to the customer.

 Be willing to say “ I don’t know,” and then find out.

 Make sure your customer has time to learn.

 Consider the ideal form for the lesson (face to face, phone, e-mail).
Example

For some businesses, educating prospects and customers is a primary

form of branding, lead generation and business development. You see this
in the form of user conferences, webinars, white papers, blogs and other
educational marketing outreaches.

On the web, customers and prospects are often looking to learn. To build a
deeper relationship with their customers, FedEx uses video to teach best
practices when it comes to shipping. On their official YouTube channel,
you can learn packaging tips from a packaging engineer or how to
efficiently ship internationally by watching a mock infomercial with Fred
Willard.
6. Solve The Customer’s Problem

 Own the customer’s problem (take charge).

 Keep accurate and complete records.

 Keep the customer informed of progress and results.

 Ask the customer for feedback.

Example

This happened on ABC airlines. A old white woman arrived at her

seat and saw that the passenger next to her was a chatty man, he
was trying to become too personal with the woman which she was
not liking. So, she went and spoke to the air hostess and explained
her discomfort.
After a while the hostess came and upgraded her seat to the
business class.
7. Represent The Customer

 Speak for the customer in your organization.

 Documents speak louder than words, so put your ideas in writing.

 Present your ideas and documents to the right people. Specific

numbers make broad ideas more compelling.
Example

Mr. J.C Wootton bought a suit in a departmental store. The suit

proved to be a disappointment; the dye of the coat rubbed off and
darkened the collar of his shirt.

Taking the suit back to the store, he found the salesman he had dealt
with and told his story. But the salesman refused to help. Mr.
Wootton was very angry. Then the head of the department strolled by.

The manager listened to his story from beginning to end without

saying a word. He then argued with the salesman by taking the side
of the customer and eventually replaced the suit with a new one.

Mr. Wootton still visits the departmental store for his wardrobe
requirements.
8. Love Yourself

 A customer care job can be very stress inducing therefore create

your own system of recharging yourself.
 Give yourself a break, change the pace, keep your energy high.

 Choose and emulate your role models based upon how you want
to feel and act.
 Keep things in perspective and find opportunity in your
challenges.
 Self-Love Exercise

The exercise is called The Mirror Exercise.

Step 1: Every night before you go to bed, preferably after you've

washed your face, brushed your teeth. Find a mirror in your home
that you can stand in front of undisturbed for a few minutes.

Step 2: For the first few seconds, just stand there and really look at
yourself, deep in your eyes.

Step 3: After you've really looked at yourself for a few seconds, say
out loud to yourself "I love you" and then your full name.

Step 4: Try to recall 5 things that you did well during the day.

 
Task

Heal the customer is one of the 8 rules of good customer service.

Options:

True

False

Can’t say

Please try to answer yourself before moving on to the next slide for
the answer?
Answer

True
Summary

Definition

Examples of customer service

Types of customer service

8 rules for good customer service

Part 3: Handling Difficult Customers
Topics Covered

Understanding difficult customers.

Lens of understanding.

Moment of truth.
Understanding Difficult
Customers

When bad behavior is directed at you, we know it’s easy to take it

personally. But service is personal difficult behavior is not. Bad
behavior has more to do with the person exhibiting it than it does with
you. When you’re being attacked, your first priority should be to
stabilize yourself.
Lens Of Understanding

The model ‘Lens Of Understanding’ defines a normal zone where

there are four basic positive intentions that drive behavior. The four
positive intentions are:

Get it done

Get along

Get it right

Get appreciation

When these intentions are thwarted, people have a stress (fight/flight)

reaction that leads to increasingly difficult behavior.
POSITIVE INTENTIONS TYPES OF CUSTOMERS

Get It Done Tank , Know It All

Get Along Grenade

Get It Right No Person, Whiner and Nitpicker

Get Appreciation Sniper, May Be, Yes and then

Nothing
1. The Tank Attack

Sometimes people are in a hurry because they’ve left on hold for too
long, or they’ve gotten a run around before they got to you. The Tank
customers are those who are in a Get It Done mode. Anything that
takes too long or seems like a waste of time will escalate the attack.
Anything perceived as forward progress will de-escalate the attack..
The Tank Customer wants action, not sympathy and not an
explanation.
Dealing With Tank
Customer

1. When customer talks to you in a blunt, direct manner, be brief and

professional in response.

2. Give pushy customers time and encouragement to vent.

3. State your positive intent when asking questions.

4. When asking and answering questions, be direct and to the point.

5. Establish that you are on the side of the customer.

Example

Joe the service manager looked up from the service desk to see a red-
faced customer bearing down on him. This guy looked intense. He
pointed his finger at Joe and said loudly “ I can’t believe this
dealership! How do you stay in business? You people are idiots. You
must be genetic mistakes! This is the fourth time I’ve been in here
with the same old problem!”

The customer continued at the same volume and intensity, “Look, I

want this car fixed right now”.

How did Joe handle this difficult customer?

Answer

Joe maintained eye contact, raised his voice volume a little but kept
his tone professional and said, “ That isn’t right! You shouldn’t have
to deal with that kind of inconvenience! Four times?”

With the sound of authority in his voice Joe proclaimed, “ Sir I am

here to help you. We’re going to do something about this.”

The customer stopped and glared at him but let him continue. “ I
am taking personal responsibility to make sure that your car is
fixed. Now, in order to solve your problem fast, I need to ask you a
few questions. It will only take few minutes. Is that all right with
you?”

The customer sighed deeply and then seemed to relax.

2. Grenade Tantrum

Grenade behavior is a tantrum. The main reason why people

lose control of themselves is that they feel under-valued and
unappreciated.

A grenade tantrum is a demand for attention. When a Grenade

explodes, nothing makes sense. His ranting and raving can be
all over the map! With a Grenade customer you usually have to
stop everything and help him regain his self-control.
Dealing With Grenade
Customer

1. Help the customer regain self-control by interrupting tantrums.

2. Increase your energy level and raise the volume of your voice
just a little.

3. Blend by showing enthusiasm and energy for problem solving.

4. Say the words the customer needs to hear.

5. Then lower your voice, soften your tone, and slow your
breathing.

6. Take some time out for the customer to regain composure.

Example
“ I have been an excellent customer of your company for over 10
years. I have always paid on time. You can look at my records”

Marsha waited for the customer to stop talking long enough to

breathe. Then when the opening came, she repeated for the third
time, “ Sir I keep telling you, our policy is…..” And that was as far as
Marsha got.

The customer seemed to snap. He completely lost it! Now he was

ranting and raving, “No one cares. Nobody cares about anybody
anymore! That’s the problem with the world today!”

Suddenly Marsha realized that she pulled the pin on a Grenade.

How did Marsha handle this customer?.

Answer

Marsha raised the volume of her voice a little and tried to say the words
he needed to hear if he was ever to calm down. “Sir, Sir, Sir, I don’t want
to feel you that way! I care about you as a valuable customer, and I
assure you that we appreciate your business for the last 10 years. This is
as misunderstanding, and I’m terribly sorry about this
misunderstanding!”

To her amazement, somewhere along the way, the customer had stop
yelling. Marsha took a deep breath and continued to speak, and as she
continued, she gradually brought her voice back down to a normal level
and softened her tone “ Would you prefer to hold for about 2 minutes?”

A minute later, Marsha returned and found herself talking with a nice,
calm customer.
3. Know-it-all Attitude

The Know-it-all customer is a combination of Get It Done and Get

Appreciation. The customers who think that they know-it-all has an
intense need for attention and recognition. Both these behaviors
represent people with a big ego. The Know-it-all customer is happy to
answer questions because it lets him be the authority.
Dealing With Know-it all Customers

1. Feed the need of the customer’s ego.

2. Backtrack and clarify extensively to gather information.

3. Refer to documentation to lead toward a solution.

4. Make your case in a non threatening way.

5. Create a sense of closure with every step forward.

Example

Lynn was the lead tech support for the premier image-editing program on
the market. The new version had just come out, and the phone lines were
jammed. They were now in that situation where customer problems need
to be solved, but calls had to be completed fast.

The current caller was a photographer who said that he was in a hurry,
but apparently he had plenty of time to tell Lynn about his many years of
experience with the software and all the famous people he had shot during
those years. He dismissed her many attempts at helping him, claiming
that he had already tried everything she suggested.

She thought that she knew what he was doing that perpetuated his
problem, but every time she tried to correct him, he would set her straight
on how much he knew and how little she knew in comparison.

How did Lynn handle this customer?

Answer

Lynn realized that she might make more progress if she went a
little slower and blended with his huge ego.

“ Excuse me for interrupting,” said Lynn respectfully. With the

sauna of excitement in her voice, she continued, “ I just have to
tell you how exciting it is to talk with an artist of your caliber. I
am hoping you have a website so that I can see some of your
work.”

“Well of course I have a website. I have to tell you what a pleasure

it is to talk to someone like yourself who know this software inside
and out.” said the photographer.

Lynn could not believe it! One minute he was treating her as if she
knew nothing, and now he was elevating her to an equal status.
4. The No Person, Whiner
And Nitpicker

No person, Whiner and Nitpicker customers originate out of the

intent to Get It Right. Details are important to some of our
customers, and the beginning of the trouble is when details are
discounted or missed. Whenever it looks like things could be going
wrong, Get It Right becomes a perfectionist.
Dealing With No Person,
Whiner, And Nitpicker

1. Don’t push too hard or talk too fast. Take your time.

2. Turn generalizations into specifics by backtracking and clarifying.

3. Use open-ended questions that require more than a grunt.

4. Create a formal transition from problem finding to problem solving.

5. Set in place a mechanism for progress reports.

Example

It was almost an hour, Janet was talking to a customer. The customer

was whining about her money problems and her relationship problems,
and if Janet wasn’t mistaken, she was telling her the same sad tale over
and over again, like a broken record.

Finally, Janet had enough. She cut the customer off and said, “Look our
policy is to give you a few days, but you need to know that this is going to
be on your credit report and….”.

“My credit report?” whined the customer. “ But I have been sick and had
to miss work and …..”. She again started the old story.

How did Janet managed this customer?

Answer

Janet gently interrupted; “ I’m sorry to interrupt you, Mrs. Jones, but I
just want to make sure that I’ve understood what you’re telling me.” Janet
then proceeded to backtrack what she had heard so far.

She completed her summary, but before she could ask one of her
questions, Mrs. Jones started in again.

Janet then summarized again, and this time she was able to ask her
questions and get some answers, which she again summarized. She then
steered the conversation toward problem solving.
5.Sniper Attack

Sniping takes many forms. It could be a cutting comment or a barb

hidden in humor. It can be a sarcastic tone or a facial expression,
such as the rolling of one’s eyes. Whatever is the form its source is
some kind of suppressed anger or resentment. It could relate to
something happening right now or something that happened in the
past. It could be something you said or didn’t say or something your
organization did or didn’t do. Or it could be related to some other
event or person in your customer’s life. But when a customer snipes,
it is wise to treat it as a demanded for attention.
Dealing With Sniper Customers

1. Call attention to sarcasm by backtracking.

2. Gently inquire in a caring fashion as to the source.

3. If the customer says nothing is wrong, inquire again.

4. Offer assurances of caring, interest and desire for feedback.

5. If the sarcasm stops, return to the business at hand.

6. If the customer reveals a problem, empathize and set things right.

Example

John was just wrapping up the order with his customer, Mrs. Swill.

John said, “ You should expect to see it by next Tuesday.”

“Well I certainly hope so. Tuesday wouldn’t that be a surprise!” said

Mrs. Swill with an unmistakable sound of sarcasm in her voice.

John then gently inquired, “Mrs. Swill, it sounds to me like there’s

something you’re not saying. I’m wondering if I have done anything
during this call or my company has done anything in the past that
might be bothering you.”

“No, no,” said Mrs. Swill. ”It’s nothing, really.”

What should John do to understand the customer’s problem?

Solution

John pressed for more information, gently and with genuine caring.

“Well…,” Mrs. Swill hesitated, “The last time I ordered from you, I made the
2:00 p.m. deadline, but my order did not ship for two more days.”

John said, “ Mrs. Swill, I am so sorry we inconvenienced you like that. It

shouldn’t have happened, and although I cannot change the past, I can do
something about the future.

Mrs. Swill said, “ It’s my husband’s birthday, and this is a gift for him. It
would mean a lot to me if you got it right this time.”

After John hung up the phone, he spoke to the manager of shipping, who
thanked him for the feedback. They both made sure that the package was
ready that day and included a little birthday card from “ the folks at
shipping” and a 15 percent off coupon on the next order.
6. May Be People

Sometimes customers occupy with small talk and endless questions

that seem to lead nowhere because there is something they’re
uncomfortable talking about. Their language maybe vague and
approximate. Maybe customers put off a decision that could hurt
someone’s feelings, such as having to say “no” to a salesperson.
Dealing With May Be People

1. Create a comfort zone of concern for the customer’s discomfort.

2. Speak in a considerate and patient manner.

3. Check back after each response to be certain you’ve heard

correctly.

4. Offer reassurances that sharing problems with you is appropriate.

5. In a sales situation, reassure the customer that it is okay say “no”.

Example
After weeks of pursuing the client, Gary sat on a chair across the
coffee table with the company’s decision makers, Ned and Martha.
He had just finished making his presentation. Ned and Martha
looked at each other, nodded their heads, and turned and smiled at
Gary.

Gary said: “I’d love to have your business. Are you ready to start the
paperwork?”

Ned said, “Well, you know it sounds real good.” Martha said, “Yes it
does,”

“Of course,” continued Ned, “ we really could use some time to think
of it.” “Yes we could,” added Martha enthusiastically.

Do you think Gary could make business with these clients?

Answer

“ While you two discuss this, would you mind terribly if I used your
facilities?” inquired Gary.

“Oh please do’ said Martha.

Gary smiled and walked to the restroom. He didn’t really need to rest,
but he did want to give them to talk without him present in the room.
So, he sat down, flipped through a magazine, and then washed his
hands and returned.

Ned began, “ We have discussed it, we are ready to do the paperwork.”

“Wonderful” said Gary.

7. Yes And Then Nothing

Yes and Nothing customers operate under the axiom’ “ if you don’t
have something nice to say, they don’t say anything at all.” Some of
the nicest people in the world have trouble taking about anything
that might make waves, rock the boat, or cause for someone else.
Yes customers go along with you, but you don’t really know what
they feel or think. Nothing customers say nothing, at least to the
organization with whom they have a problem.
Dealing With Yes And
Nothing Customers

1. Lack of complaints does not mean everything is okay.

2. When things go wrong, say what the customer is unable to say.

3. Though nothing is demanded, make it right.

Example

Pam and Blake went to a restaurant where they have booked table
for their anniversary. It was going to be a very special dinner. When
they reached they found that the restaurant was overcrowded and
not a single table was empty to sit. The hostess came and apologized
for the same and insisted them to sit in the bar. But, it was a
Saturday night , and the bar was packed. There was no place to
stand, let alone sit, except for a single seat near the hostess stand.
So, Pam sat while Blake stood. It was noisy and hard to carry on a
conversation. Within a few minutes, the hostess came and said it
will take little longer than she had hoped, Blake and Pam nodded.

How did the hostess satisfied Yes and Nothing customers?

Answer

The hostess offered a table in the bar, where they could wait more
comfortably. Pam resisted to go but the hostess insisted them. When they
got their table in the bar, two glasses of champagne were waiting for
them. “Happy Anniversary” said the hostess cheerfully.

A little bit later they were shown to their table. They ordered the food. The
meal was great.

When they got their check, the waiter noted that he didn’t charge them for
the desert which he explained was complimentary. When they were on the
way out, the hostess apologized again for their having to wait for a table.
Pam and Blake smiled and said, “Thank you it was wonderful.”
The Moment Of Truth
Story

Mr. and Mrs. Jones had reserved a table in Heritage hotel on their
anniversary. They reached the restaurant around 7:00 p.m. and to their
shock they found that none of the chairs were empty. They enquired the
manager and she said that they were running a bit behind. After 15
minutes they were allotted a seat.

Mr. Jones ordered the Mrs. Jones’ favorite corn soup. The waiter
returned with the soup. The soup was so salty that they ate only a third
of it. They called the waiter and complained about it.

What did the restaurant staff do?

Answer 1

The waiter apologized for the salty soup. He said that it is the fault of
the chef and promised that this kind of inconvenience will not
happen in future. The waiter charged for the soup and did not even
have it replaced. When Mrs. Jones inquired he simply said it was
against their policy.

This incident created a “Moment Of Misery” for the couple. They

felt that coming in this restaurant for anniversary wasn’t such a
good idea.
Moment Of Misery

A Moment of Misery is created each time you fail to meet the

customer’s expectations. Often, Moments of Misery result in
damaging and highly persuasive negative word-of-mouth advertising
and customer defection.
Answer 2:

The waiter apologized for the salty soup and replaced it with fresh bowls
of soup.

But the couple found that the soups were not so delicious.

This situation created a “Moment Of Mediocrity”.

Moment Of Mediocrity

A Moment of Mediocrity is what most often occurs in business to

customer interactions and this is where the customer’s expectations
were met – and those may even be low expectations. Customers who
experience a Moment of Mediocrity, feel “satisfied” but will not
reward the company with loyalty. These customers are only your
customers because they haven’t found a better experience.
Answer 3

The waiter apologized for the soup and surprised them with a
anniversary cake all free of cost. When they received the bill they found
that the waiter didn’t even charge for the soup.
This incident created a “Moment Of Joy” for Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
Moment Of Joy

Moment of Joy is created when you exceed the customer’s

expectations. Service must be truly outstanding and service
providers have to go “Beyond WOW” to create the Moment of Joy.
Moments of Joy create a profitable base of loyal customers, which
results in growth, increased profits, and lasting value.
Task

What kind of customers want action and not sympathy?

Options:

Sniper customers

Tank customers

Yes and Nothing customers

Please try to answer yourself before moving on to the next slide for
the answer?
Answer

Tank customers
Summary

Understanding difficult customers.

Lens of understanding.

Moment of truth.
Part 4: Setting Customer Service
Standards
Topics Covered

• Definition
• Why standards are important?
• Standards covering all customer interactions.
Definition

A customer service standard is the interaction between a business and

its customers. Customer service standards are excellence, response time,
accessibility, delivery time and commitment.
Why Standards Are Important?

1. Setting expectations of external and internal customers and

colleagues.

2. Focusing service providers on the needs of the customer.

3. Ensuring consistency of service.

4. Providing a standard against which you can measure.

5. Encouraging service improvements.

Example 1

Suppose a lady called your company to ask for product

information and left a message on voice-mail, asking for
someone to call her back. How do you think she would feel if
she didn't receive a response for the next two days? What do you
think would go through her mind? How long would it be before
she would call your most visible competitor?
Answer

There may be very good reasons why your company didn't get back to
this customer, but the customer called your company with an
expectation of a speedy response. Your company or your industry
helped set that expectation in the minds of your customers.

Rather than let customers set their own expectations of your company,
it's much better for you to identify your standards and make them
available to your customers. That way, you'll increase their satisfaction
with you.

Therefore, the company must set a standard of responding to customer

enquiries within – let’s say 24 hrs and intimate the customer
accordingly.
Example 2

Suppose a customer calls because his or her payment hasn't been

recorded. The customer service person takes the call and sees on
the customer information screen that, indeed, the customer's
payment is not listed.

Now, the customer service person doesn't know why and has to
contact accounting for further information.
Answer

If the company has set a standard of answering the customer's

question by the end of the work day, you can be assured that
customer service and accounting will work together to figure out
how to get the information within time.

Therefore, the company must set a standard of responding to

customer complaints within – let’s say 24 hrs and intimate the
customer accordingly.
Standards Covering Some Customer
Interactions
Customer Service Standards
(Telephone/Voicemail)

1. Telephones should be answered promptly (within three rings)

whenever possible. 

2. Calls should be answered in a courteous manner (with a smile). 

3. Staff should: listen and understand the nature of requests before

transferring a call; inform callers to whom they are being
transferred; and provide callers with the telephone number and
division of the person to whom they are being transferred.
Customer Service Standards
(Telephone/Voicemail)

4. Callers should receive acknowledgements of their voicemail messages

within 24 hours on regular business days.

5. If a caller is on hold for an extended period of time, periodic updates

should be provided.

6. Staff should leave their full name, department, telephone number, and
time available when leaving a message. 
 Face To Face Meetings With Customers

1. A timely, courteous acknowledgement, such as eye contact or a positive

indication that the customer knows that they are there, especially if the
staff person is on the telephone or with another customer. Offer a
customer a place to seat and water or other beverages to drink. Begin
with a greeting.

2. If there is a person at a counter and the phone rings, the staff person will
excuse themselves, answer the telephone, ask the caller if they prefer to
be put on hold or have their call returned, and continue to help the
customer. 

3. Use of dress code with a name tag mandatory for customer care person in
accordance with company policies.

4. Always end with a greeting.

Task

According to customer service standards telephone should be

answered within how many rings?

Options:

Please try to answer yourself before moving on to the next slide for
the answer?
Answer

3
Summary

• Definition
• Why standards are important?
• Standards covering some customer interactions