- Individuals.
- Groups.
- People of different ages.
- People from different cultures.
- Non-English speaker.
- People with specific needs.
Individuals
We often deal with individual customers on one to one basis. Someone working in the ticket office at London Zoo for instance will deal mainly with individuals. In some ways, this can be one of the easiest types of customer to deal with because you can give the customer full attention. On the other hand, it can be difficult if the customer is being awkward or you find it hard to understand the person’s needs.
Groups
Dealing with groups requires special skills to take in to account the individual needs of customers while dealing with the group as a whole.
People of different ages
When working in the leisure and tourism industry you will almost certainly meet people from a wide range of age groups who will have different needs. The ages of customers can be broken down into:
- Children – babies, toddlers, older children and teenagers.
- Adults – young adults, middle-aged adults and senior citizen.
Leisure and tourism staff will often deal with a group of mixed ages, such as an adult with young children or a senior citizen with grandchildren. You should be able to identify the specific needs of each and satisfy them all.
People from different cultures
When we talk about culture we mean the tradition, tastes, opinions and behaviours that influence us. Foreigners might see British culture as including going to watch football match or a drink at the local pub on Sundays and families sitting down to a traditional roast meal on Sunday. Many of us do not fit into cultural images because we are all individuals. We are now far more aware of other cultures and tend to copy the parts of those cultures that we like.
Non- English speakers
Many thousands of people visit Britain each year with little or no knowledge of the English language but they hope people providing them with customer service will able to understand their needs. You may find yourself in a situation where you have to deal with non-English speaking customers. You cannot be expected to be able to speak all foreign languages, but even if you know just a little of customer’s language its shows excellent customer’s service to use it.
People with specific needs
Some customers have specific needs that may require special customer service in addition to that provided to meet general needs of customers. A specific need is anything that may require a bit of extra thought and assistance from staff. This may be because of:
- Sight impairment.
- Hearing impairment.
- Literacy and/or numeracy learning difficulties.
- A need for wheelchair access.
- A need for facilities for young children.
If you were to work in leisure and tourism it is very likely that you will sometimes deal with customers who have specific needs. These customers may have needs that are different from the general customers and require special customer service.
London zoo different type of customers
The original and best - entry to London’s wildest attraction!
Set in leafy Regent’s Park amid heritage-listed buildings and beautiful gardens, ZSL London Zoo is an oasis in the heart of the capital. With over 650 amazing animal species to discover, as well as live shows and fantastic, immersive exhibits such as the Gorilla Kingdom, this is an unmissable attraction. New for 2008 is the Tropical Bird Pavilion; a beautifully restored Victorian pavilion housing an array of tropical birds in a walkthrough environment, including the only hummingbirds in the UK.
External and internal customers
External customers: who are they?
- Members with savings accounts and mortgages.
- People who use the Hanley’s services for financial advice.
- Suppliers
The needs of these people may be:
- To receive good quality customer service.
- To receive useful and professional advice.
- To be kept up-to-date on their accounts/mortgages.
Internal customers: who are they?
- People who work for London zoo.
To members of staff, their colleagues, sometimes in different departments, are also their customers.
The needs of these people may be:
- To have a good environment to work in.
- To have the correct resources to work with.
- To be trained to correct standard to be able to do their job.
London zoo internal and external customers
Job satisfaction
The employees at London Zoo are also customers of the organisation and are known as internal customers. A member of staff at London Zoo should expect to receive from the organisation the same standard of service as external customer, i.e. the general public, receives. The employees may not be buying the product or service of their organisation but should expect the same level of service from their managers which should include:
- Being made feel a valued and important part of the organisation.
- Receiving prompt attention to requests.
- Being kept informed of development of the progress of the organisation.
- Being treated with respect.
- Receiving a level of training which meets their needs.
By treating its employees in this way the organisation will encourage employees to take pride and interest in their work which should ultimately lead to a better standard of service for the customer.
When the members of staff at London Zoo are made aware of the importance of good customer service they can understand why the implementation of the customer care policy by all members of staff is vital to the success of the organisation. Everyone within the organisation has responsibility for creating a product which meets the needs of their customer whether they have direct ‘face to face’ contact with their customer or not.
By carrying out the principles of the organisation’s customer care policy employees themselves may receive benefits such as:
- Self-satisfaction – in carrying out their job role well.
- Pride in their job and company.
- Interest in understand their importance.
- An increase in confidence and competence which may then lead to promotion.
- Possible financial benefits.
It is vital therefore that all the members off staff at London Zoo are fully briefed in the customer care policy and that they all recognise the importance of achieving good customer service for the benefits of:
- The customer.
- The organisation.
- Themselves.
Benefits of customer service
You will need to understand that excellent customer service brings a number of benefits for leisure and tourism organisations, such as:
- increased sales
- satisfied customers
- more customers through repeat business and recommendations
- a better public image
- an edge over the competition
It is also very important that all members of staff give a high level of service to each other. Benefits to the staff and the organisation include:
- a more pleasant place to work
- a happier and more efficient workforce
- improved job satisfaction
- improved chances of promotion within the organisation
London Zoo benefit of customer service
The training has left London Zoo staff better equipped to welcome its many visitors, and has laid the foundation for an efficient, successful operation.
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Customer service – key to drawing in the crowds, vocational training helps staff provide a professional and friendly welcome.
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Staff morale – because they can develop in their roles, staff are more dedicated and motivated.
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Continuous improvement – the programme highlights key areas for attention so the Zoo can continue to improve its service.
Communicating with customers
Customer service is an important part of distinguishing one technical support provider from another. Understanding one's customers and the expectations they have about the support centre is an important part of providing excellent customer service. In this unit, students learn customer service fundamentals from the customer's point of view. Through role-plays, they determine customer expectations and needs and how to incorporate skills to meet these needs in their help desk jobs. Students observe and assess the role-plays through video or audio taping, reviewing, and journaling. Skills addressed include:
- Active listening.
- Attitude and etiquette.
- Verbal versus nonverbal communication.
- Reliability.
- Assurance.
- Empathy.
- Responsiveness.
- Gaining agreement.
London zoo communicating with customers
Personal presentation
First impressions count in any business, particularly in leisure and tourism where dealing with people is such an important part of the work. You will need to understand that the way you and your organisation present themselves to customers has a direct influence on their enjoyment, your job satisfaction and the future success of the organisation that employs you. In particular, you will need to understand the importance of:
- Dress.
- Personal hygiene.
- Personality.
- Attitude.
- Behaviour.
Handling complaints
You will need to understand that it is important to listen to customers and to keep calm. You will need to know when to refer a customer to a more senior member of staff if you are not able to deal with an enquiry.
Most of the time, dealing with customers is a rewarding and interesting experience. From time to time, however, you may have to deal with customer complaints. These could be in writing, over the telephone or face-to-face. It is important that you know how to deal with these situations and when and who to ask for help. When dealing with complaints you should always:
- listen carefully to the customer
- apologise in general terms for any inconvenience caused
- let the customer know that the matter will be fully investigated and, if possible, put right
- try to see the problem from the customer's point of view
- keep calm and not argue with the customer
- find a solution to the problem
- agree the solution with the customer
- make sure that what you promised to do gets done
Customer’s satisfaction
A satisfied customer is one who is happy with the product or services they have purchased and the way in which they have been dealt with by the staff providing the service.
Happy customers are those who have receive the following treatment:
- Accurate information about the product/service has been provided.
- The customer feels that value for money has been provided.
- Courteous and prompt attention has been provided.
- The customer’s desire for that particular product/ service has been fulfilled.
Customer service may also be achieved through the provision of advice or help following a complaint or a query. After receiving this information or advice the customer is happy that his or her have been met.
Keeping customer records
Accurate records are an essential part of good customer service. You will need to know how to:
- create customer records
- find and change existing records
- show accuracy and confidentiality when working with customers' records
The importance of customer service to staff to working in the organisation
Through keeping the customers satisfied the employees of an organisation can achieve a number of personal objectives it is therefore the employee’s interest to the customers happy and satisfied; whether they have direct contact with the customer or not everyone within the London Zoo must recognise the importance of working together as a team in order to produce a quality product which will satisfy the needs of customers and make them want to return for more.
At the end of the day, the money which the customers pay for London Zoo’s products and services help contribute toward the cost of the employees wages. Customer satisfaction is therefore directly responsible for:
- Creating jobs.
- Maintaining wage level.
- Ensuring job security.
A mother and her daughter are sitting at Pizza Hut and they have just ordered the meal.
Staff: hello, how many people are there?
Customer: 2 please
Staff: ok fallow I and I will bring your menus so you can order
Customer: thanks
Staff: Here are your menus you can order when you’re ready will you like to order your drinks first?
Customer: ermmm let me think…ill have a diet coke and water for my daughter.
Staff: Here are your drinks one glass of water and a diet coke.
5 MINUTES LATER…
Customers: WAITER
I think I’m ready now to order I would like to have a… Pan based Mediterranean Meats pizza for me and … The Traditional Lasagne for my daughter.
Staff: Alright… so you would like to have one Pan based Mediterranean Meats pizza and The Traditional Lasagne is that correct?
Customer: yes
Staff: Anything else
Customer: no thanks
Staff: ok, I will bring your order as soon as it’s ready.
10 MINUTES…
Staff: here is your meals enjoy!
2 MINUTES LATERS
Customer: I have asked you for a Pan based Mediterranean Meats pizza and you’ve brought me the wrong one, this is not what I ordered and my daughters’ Lasagne is cold and it has a funny taste to it.
Staff: Sorry about that, I will exchange your pizza to what you ordered. Would your daughter like to have something else then pasta?
Customer: yes I would like my correct pizza please and do you have any meals that would suit my daughter?
Staff: we have these special deal meals,
Customer: Oh really? What’s there to offer?
Staff: Well we have three options. For £6.99 we have any starter or side and any individual pizza or pasta, for £12.99 we have any Tasting Platter and any medium pizza or any sharing pasta and for £24.99 we have any tasting Platter with any pizza plus either any medium pizza or any sharing pastas and large salad plate. I recommend you get the £12.99 deal meal. Seeing you get a lot for your money.
Customer: That sounds great, and I think I’m going to order the second option, Tasting Platter and any medium pizza or any sharing pasta but can you tell me what does Tasting Platter include?
Staff: Well it includes Cheese Topped Garlic Bread, Breaded Chicken Strips, Potato Wedges, Mozzarella & Tomato Salad, Texan Barbecue Chicken Wings, Bruschetta, and Garlic Bread.
Customer: Oh great, my daughter loves chicken, I am definitely having that but can u please make sure this time that we get the correct order and the food is hot.
Staff: Yes of course we will do that for you, sorry for any convenience.
Customer: Make sure that the wrong orders aren’t on my bill don’t charge me for the Lasagne and for the wrong pizza you gave me.
Staff: I will sort that out right now
Customer: make sure you will do!
Staff: Ok, I will bring you the one Pan based Mediterranean Meats pizza and Tasting Platter and medium pizza as soon as its ready!
Customer: Thank you very much
