Customer: OK
Customer service: Whilst you are on the phone Mrs Patel, would you like us to send you emails about our new tariffs and services?
Customer: No thank you.
Customer service: OK, and if you have any other problems that you would like to talk about with our customer services please dial 150 on your phone, free of charge.
Customer: OK thanks for your help, but I have to say I have been very disappointed with t-mobiles service. And next time I want a phone I will be looking elsewhere. I would like compensation for the money that I had to pay for the phone bill when I wasn’t even able to use the phone.
Customer service: OK, we will put £5 credit on your phone and we are very sorry for the inconvenience. I am sure it will not happen again. And I hope you will be able to reconsider to use our service again.
Technical team: Hello this is tmobiles technical team; I understand that you are having trouble sending and receiving text messages.
Customer: I am having a problem with sending text messages and receiving texts.
Technical team: How long have you had the phone for?
Customer: I have had it for over two months now.
Technical team: The phone is still under warranty as it is less than 12 months old. And as far as I can see there doesn’t seem to be a problem with the phone so it must be the handset.
Customer: So what does that mean?
Technical team: We will send a courier to pick up the old handset and to give you a replacement. Please keep your old battery as the new phone won’t have a battery.
Customer: what day and what time will the courier be arriving?
Technical Team: The delivery will be made on 8am-1pm on Friday. Is that ok with you?
Customer: Yes that’s great thanks, thank you so much for your help.
Roles play 2.
Sky helpline: Hello, this is Sky digital helpline. How may I help you?
Customer: Hello, well I was just wondering that if I bought the sky digital box, what would I get out of it? What kind of services would it provide for me?
Sky helpline: If you buy the Sky digital box it will provide you with Sky talk, Sky TV and Sky broadband, a combination that's just right for you.
Customer: Ok, could you tell me all of the options that I can choose from please?
Sky helpline: In Sky TV, you can choose the amount of mixes of channels you would like to watch. So if you are interested in Music, Knowledge and News then you could buy just those three mixes. Or a variety of mixes of your choice. In Sky broadband you can choose your own broadband options. The monthly broadband cost is £5.00. And finally Sky talk can offer you free time talk which is free UK weekend and evening calls, or unlimited UK landline calls and free international calls to 10 destinations.
Customer: Could you tell me the difference between Sky digital and Virgin media please?
Sky helpline: Well, the monthly cost for Sky digital is £22.00 and for Virgin media is £50.95. The combination for Sky TV includes up to 65 digital channels and more than 200 free-to-air channels. For Sky talk we provide you with free evening and weekend calls and for Sky broadband we provide you with up to 8Mb download speed and 40GB monthly usage allowance. On the other hand Virgin Media TV provides you with up to 103 digital channels, for the phone they provide you with free evening and weekend calls while on a 12 month contract and as for their broadband their download speed is up to 10Mb and unlimited monthly usage allowance.
Customer: And how much does it cost for the Sky digital box and for it to be fitted in?
Sky helpline: For the whole Sky set up is £120 for non-sky digital subscribers.
Customer: Well that's not bad is it? Ok thank you so much for your help; I am going to discuss it with my husband
Sky helpline: That's ok, thank you for calling and if you need any more information please log on to our website www.sky.com.
Customer: Ok thank you again.
Roles play 3.
Customer: Excuse me; I am looking for a D.V.D called The Longest Yard.
Employee: If it is not at the front then it is not here.
Customer: Are you sure, it could be in the back?
Employee: Yes I am sure.
Customer: Actually I just remembered that I called and reserved it this morning.
Employee: Well, it’s not here.
Customer: I told the person I spoke to, to keep a record of our conversation.
Employee: Ok, what was this person’s name?
Customer: Max.
Employee: I just asked him and he doesn’t remember.
Customer: I want to speak to your manager.
Employee: There is no need to get the manager involved.
Customer: Yes there is, call him.
Manager: Is there a problem?
Customer: Yes there is, I called to reserve a D.V.D and they are telling me I didn’t.
Manager: Is this true?
Employee: Yes but…
Manager: Did you ask the person she had a conversation with?
Employee: No.
Manager: Why is this?
Employee: Because, I don’t believe he had a conversation with him.
Manager: Go and ask him.
Employee: He says he did.
Manager: Ok, here’s what we will do, NADINE! Go check in the back and see if we have any left.
Employee: There’s one left.
Manager: That must be yours then.
Customer: Can I just say I am not at all pleased with this customer service and I would like something to be done about this.
Manager: Ok, we will give you a free rental next time you come or a discount on any D.V.D.
Customer: I would like a discount please.
Manager: Ok and I would like to say that I am sorry for the inconvenience and I can assure you that it will not happen again. Thank you and please come again. (Customer leaves) Karen I do not like the way you handled this situation, next time I would like to see you making more of an effort with our customers.
.
Employee: Ok.
Manager: Just remember that a good customer service is what makes customers come back to shop, and makes us successful and pays your bills.
Employee: I understand this won’t happen again.
Manager: OK make sure it doesn’t.
Achieve a merit:
Write a report saying why presentation, interpersonal and communication skills are important to customer service. You could do this by explaining what would happen if a company had poor presentation, interpersonal and communication skills.
Merit
3. Write an explanation on why presentation, interpersonal skills and communication are key parts of customer service.
Presentation, interpersonal skills and communication skills are key parts of customer service as all organisations benefit from customer service. “Private sector businesses want to increase the number of orders they receive because this directly affects profits. They know it is cheaper to increase sales through repeat business and by word of mouth recommendations than by advertising”. Customer services also know that this can be achieved by giving the customer excellent customer services. In the public sector, failure to meet customer service standards may be reflected in league tables or published by the media.
Presentation, interpersonal and communication skills are important to customer service because customers rely on those three things. If a customer has a problem with something they expect to talk to someone that may help them in everyway and know what they are talking about. They also react to first impressions of someone. If an employee is dressed badly the customer would think poor of the business. On the other hand, if an employee is dressed smartly and respond well to the customers needs, then the customer would think highly of the service. If a company has poor presentation, interpersonal and communication skills they will get a bad name. And customers would always remember how poor the service was and how they was treated.
Task 3 –Consistent and reliable customer service and how this contributes to customer satisfaction
Consistent and reliable customer service is important in achieving customer satisfaction by:
Many customers need information or advice of products and/or services. Customer services must provide them with the correct and accurate information. Customers could ask information about the organisation or to provide them with information about a product. For example, in Asda a customer could ask one of the employees where they stock the milk. Also if a customer would want to know the type and quality of a service or a product, customer services would have to give them accurate information on what they have asked. If they provide the customer with inaccurate information or fail to do what they have promised, this could disappoint or anger the customer.
Staffs attitude and behaviour is very important as this gives the customer an impression about the organisations customer services and also an opinion of the organisation. The three main key terms of the staffs attitude and behaviour are:
Presentation skills - They relate to you as a person, by appropriate clothes and a smart appearance.
Body language - These are messages we transmit by our gestures, facial expressions and posture. Your facial expressions give out your thoughts and emotions. Your posture displays your confidence and attitude
Working environment – Your working environment relates to the area that you work in, its layout, the space you have and the equipment that is available.
Timing - Is valuable in organisations for customers, as most customers do not like to be kept waiting for a long time. Approaching people at the wrong time, if they are angry or upset, you could get a bad response. If you are arranging appointments, phone calls or deliveries must be at your customers satisfactory as this will please them and will not prevent them from returning to the organisation.
Accessibility/ availability – Customers find it very irritating when they want something but cannot have it for some reason, especially if they saw an advertisement of the product and when it comes the time for them buying it, it is sold out. If an employee comes across a situation like this they should try to help the customer by satisfying them and putting their name on a waiting list for the product.
Meeting specific customer needs – Meeting customers needs involves talking to the customer and then providing them to a range of goods and services that you can offer and also which match their needs.
Working under pressure – Many employees can sometimes work under pressure and can become very busy and unpleasant. It is also more difficult when they are trying to do more than three things at a time. Even though an employee is stressed out and under a lot of pressure, they need to make sure that they are helpful towards a customer at all times.
Confirming service meets needs and expectations – Some businesses do not forget about their customers once they have made a purchase and make sure they are satisfied with their purchase by giving them a call and making sure they are happy with the product. This shows the customer that the business has not forgotten about them and cares whether they are satisfied with the product.
Dealing with problems – Many employees have different types of problems to deal with. If they are unhappy, the employer should let them talk without interrupting them, check that you have the correct facts, do your best to help and referring the problem to some one if it is serious.
Scope of job role - Staff should know what they can and cannot do as part of their job and the type of problems they should refer to the supervisor. This does not mean that they cannot solve a straightforward problem quickly without overstepping their limits of their job by making promises that are out of their authority.
3. A) Describe what customer satisfaction means at the business that you have chosen:
How do they make customers confident in the service they receive?
How do they ensure customers get value for money?
Do they get customers by word of mouth because of their reputation?
Do employees (internal customers) have job satisfaction?
Does the business use teamwork to improve customer satisfaction?
What are the negative effects of poor communication?
Thorpe Park make their customers feel confident with the service that they receive by giving them what they want. Every month they make offers on their ticket prices to satisfy their customers as they like the tickets to not be that expensive so they have enough money to play games inside the theme park and to buy food in one of their restaurants like KFC, especially if they are with a big family.
They ensure their customers get value for their money by making offers if it is a variety of people entering the theme park. Thorpe Park have a “fast track ticket” offer which customers can buy for a bit more money that the original ticket to ensure that they get on the rides quicker instead of waiting for a long queue. Most customers like this offer as they find it very irritating in paying £25 for a ticket and they don’t go on all of the main rides because the queues are so long.
Thorpe Park gets many customers for a variety of reasons. First of all, there are many adverts on the television informing the public about Thorpe Park. Second of all, Thorpe Park has their own website which many people go on to find out information on their ticket offers and their roller coasters. There is also ticket offers in the newspapers giving the customers discounts on the tickets. Finally, once customers have experienced being at Thorpe Park they tell their friends and family about it, and they go and see if they enjoy themselves. So, customers build up over the time because of the theme parks good reputation and the way that the customers are treated there.
Employees have job satisfaction as Thorpe Park believe that if their employees enjoy working there then their customers will enjoy being there. Employees also have rewards and benefits; they have various discounts on retail and foot outlets, the staff are issued with a pass enabling them, their friends and family to experience many of our fabulous attractions and theme parks.
This is a quotation from Aidan Godwin a Ride operator at Thorpe Park telling us about his experience at working at the theme park.
“When I first started at Thorpe Park I was really nervous and shy – I kept myself very much to myself. The job really helped me to come out of my shell and overcome my personal fears, such as talking to a large group of people. After my first season in 2000, I was invited to come back, and I have been coming back ever since on seasonal contracts. Last year I became a permanent ride operator, which means I now work all year round.
“I joined because I really wanted a change. I was working in the stockroom at Boots the Chemist, and I wanted to be outside in a younger environment. I rightly imagined that it would be hard but fun – but the best thing is that it's also a perfect chance to meet new people and make new friends.
A full day
“Every day I arrive half an hour before the rest of the staff, and work closely with the ride managers on the day's staff allocations for different rides. I brief the rest of the team, and then during the day I will operate rides, ensuring the area runs smoothly and that all the staff get their breaks. I also train staff on different rides.
“The team is friendly and fun to be involved with. Of course there are challenges, but it's a good working atmosphere and everyone supports each other. It's never an effort to come into work; it's something to look forward to.
Making someone's day that bit more special
“The best thing about the job is talking and working with the general public, when they actually show interest in you and what you do. I think that what we do can have a very big impact on the customers. And if I can do something that helps to make someone's day even more special, then its well worth the effort.”
The business use team work to improve their customer satisfaction in many ways. From the way that they talk to their customers to the way that they deal with their customers problems. The employees at Thorpe Park work as a community to improve their customer services and by making their customers happy. They take each others points of view to see how they can improve their business. Every employee treats their customers fairly and politely and also professionally, and providing them with what they need and want and by dealing with their customers problems.
Negative effects for poor communication could result in customers informing their friends and families about what happened and preventing future customers in visiting the theme park. Poor communication could also result in a customer making a complaint and giving the amusement park a bad name.
b) Write a paragraph to explain how the customer service given by the business makes customers satisfied.
Customer services given by the business makes customers feel satisfied because they are being provided with the service that they expect. Thorpe Park makes their customers feel they value for their money by giving them a suitable price for their entrance and anything that they buy inside the theme park. Every employer makes sure that they give their customers the accurate information and also advise them on a few things as well. Staff always have a positive attitude and behave professionally as customers can always tell when there is something wrong with a member of staff. Members of staff always meet their customer’s needs, and always try their best to help a customer when they need something.
c) Write a short paragraph to explain how codes of practice contribute to customer satisfaction.
Codes of practice contribute to customer satisfaction as they provide information and guidance for external customers and for staff who know exactly what type of services they are supposed to provide. They include advice on how to treat a customer and what to do and who to inform when something has gone wrong.
d) Describe any codes that the business you have chosen has. E.g. do they have a Charter Mark?
A charter mark is an award demonstrating the achievement of national standard for excellence in customer service in UK public sector organisations. During my research, I did not find anything about a charter mark with Thorpe Park.
Merit
3. Describe and explain the benefits of having good customer service (to businesses).
The benefits of having a good customer service is that customers will come back again and will tell their friends and family about how they were treated at the business and how professional they were. This way, more and more customers would go to that business and the business will have a good reputation. If customers are treated politely and are given the service that they want then they will be happy with the service. Customers are very impressed when they are treated nicely and an employer is extremely helpful. If employers are dressed badly or are rude to the customers, the business could get a bad reputation and this would prevent customers in returning.
Task 4 – Monitor and evaluating customer service within an organisation
List and collect on ways businesses monitor customer service.
Businesses monitor their customer services in many ways by making their customers do surveys about what they like and don’t like about the business and talking to them about their needs. Asda for example have an official complaints procedure which all staff must follow. This enables senior management to check that all complaints are dealt with promptly and that none are left unresolved. Another of example of how a business monitors their customer services is Thorpe Park. They monitor their customer services by asking customers for feedback of their experience at the amusement park. They ask the customers what the park should improve and also ask the customers for their ideas on how the business could improve.
2. List and collect on how businesses evaluate customer service.
Businesses like Argos and Cadbury’s evaluate their customer services by looking at their results from surveys or questionnaires and seeing how many customers are happy or are unhappy about a product. For example; if customers from Argos take a survey about what they do not like about a product, the business would then evaluate the results. And if there is like 7/10 customers that do not like a certain product the business would then act upon their customer’s interests and change what they do not like. Another example is Family mosaic; they get statistics on how long an employee takes to answer a phone call to a customer.
Pass task
Describe how the business you have chosen monitors and evaluates customer service.
The business that I have chosen monitors their customer services by informal customer feedback and staff feedback. They ask their customers to do surveys and questionnaires so the organisation can have an idea of what they need to change, what their customers are happy with and what they are not happy with. They also ask their staff for their opinions and what they think could make the business more successful. The business then evaluates the amount of complaints that they have had and find a way in which they can reduce the amount of complaints that they are receiving. The theme park’s customers return from time to time as they enjoy being there and having a good time, some customers go there in holidays or for birthdays as they think that Thorpe Park is a good place to have fun in. They get new customers everyday as more and more people hear about the park from advertisements and newspapers. Thorpe Park receives compliments and complaints due to many reasons. A customer might complain because the queues for the rides are a bit long or maybe a ride is not working during their visit at the amusement park. And some customers put forward many compliments as they have enjoyed their visit there and had a good time and thought that they were well treated by the staff. The employees
At Thorpe Park enjoy working there as they feel that they are becoming more confident with themselves in dealing with problems with the customers and talking to a large group of people. They also know that if they are happy, their customers will be happy and will enjoy themselves a lot more and also shows the customers that it is a lot of fun and a good place to work.
Monitoring and evaluating can improve customer service for the customer by making their business more sufficient. For example, at Thorpe Park the employees monitor how many customers come through the front gates of the park at different times and monitor which times of the day they should put more staff at the counters at the entrance of the park. This makes the customers more reliable with the service as they do not have to wait a long time in the queue to enter the park. Most customers get very frustrated waiting for a long period of time and then place a complaint for their loss of time.
Monitoring and evaluating can improve customer services for the organisation as the service improves the organisation gets a better reputation and customers keep coming. If the customers are being treated courteously there is more of a chance of them returning to the business. Also, if a customer is pleased with what they are given they will tell other people about it and this will catch the attention of new customers. If an organisation is doing well, the employees would want to carry on working there as they know what the organisation has benefits. If the organisation is successful, employees could be promoted and get pay rises. On the other hand, if an organisation is failing to become successful then not that many people would want to work there as they know they aren’t earning enough because the business is not succeeding. A successful organisation offers job security and stability and this will attract a better calibre of staff.
Monitoring and evaluating can advance customer service for the employees if the organisation builds up a reputation with the staff and create a better working environment which allows them to feel comfortable. If employees is really stressed out this may lead to poor productivity and a high turnover of staff. Spending time listening to the staff and their needs will help the organisation by incorporating some of their ideas, this will show the employees that you are proactive in regards to their suggestions and you will build team spirit. This type of working environment makes staffs want to stay and be part of the operation and it also helps to attract good staff when you are looking for new staff.
Distinction
Task 1
Briefly state what effective customer service means.
Effective customer service means when staff treats their customers politely by speaking clearly, building customer relationships and they are listening to their customer’s problems and needs. It also includes personal presentation, facial expressions and body language. Effective customer service also means when a member of staff can deal with a problem without involving the manager or someone within the department.
Task 2
Analyse (i.e. say what specifically is effective and what effects/consequences it has), using the examples from Task 4 - merit:
a) How effective customer service benefits the customer
b) How effective customer service benefits the organisation
c) How effective customer service benefits the employee
Effective customer service benefits the customer as they become reliable with the service, they get what they want and they leave the organisation happily and telling their friends and family how good the service was. They will also keep coming back to the business as they feel that the service that they have is reliable and they can get what they want.
Effective customer service benefits the organisation as they will become more successful and will carry on receiving customers. They will also earn a lot more money with treating their customers fairly. If a business is treating their customers badly and are not giving them what they want, then the business will not receive more customers in the future. For example, Etam a clothes store that is now closed down, had many customer complaints as the customers could not refund the item they had bought. The business became unsuccessful and received many customer complaints that they had to close down.
Effective customer service benefits the employee as they will have job satisfaction if the business is doing well. If a business is doing really badly and the employees keep receiving customer complaints they are going to feel unhappy because they keep getting shouted at by the customers. But if a business is doing well, the employees will feel as if they are doing a good job and would want to stay at work for a longer period of time. This will show customers that the business is a good and fun environment place to work in and will bring future staff to want to work there.
Examples of poor customer service are:
Orange – When some customers are calling at Orange customer services, they wait for over half an hour and customer representatives don’t seem to care less.
British gas - Energy watch received 15,433 complaints about British gas between April and September, compared to 6,222 in the same period last year. This is because of inaccurate billing and lack of response of enquires.
Banks – lack of communication by banks wastes the time of nearly four in five customers (77%), when customers call back the organisations trying to find out whether the problem has been sorted out or if action has taken place to resolve an ongoing query. One in ten of these spend more than an hour a week re-contacting organisations about unresolved queries.