CUSTOMER CARE

CUSTOMER CARE

This refers to activity of  looking after customers and  helping them with complaints and problems. It involves provision of service before and after purchase. Customer care is also a third party provider that takes customers calls, answers their questions, address their concerns, and solves their problems etc, and submits detailed reports on such activities to the principal(client).

It involves putting systems in place to maximize your customer’s satisfaction with your business.

THREE AREAS/ELEMENTS IN CUSTOMER CARE.

  1. Expand your definition of services-how you define services shapes every interaction you have with your customers services should provide customers with satisfaction in essence the customers should walk  away pleased at the result of transaction and not just content but actually happy a happy customer will continue to be a buying customer and a returning customer.
  2. Who are your customers-customers, buyers and clients want to pay a fair price for quality service or product and feel satisfied they have paid for services or product and receive what they have paid for in return.it is important to listen to customers and do research, their habit and what they want and expect.
  • Developing a customer friendly approach-by customer friendly, we mean viewing customer as most important part of your job.

SOURCES OF FREE CUSTOMER INFORMATION.

  1. Business contacts
  2. Local business reference libraries.
  3. Your local authority; business link/chamber of commerce.
  4. Internet.
  5. Uk trade for information on export markets.
  6. Forex ie N.S.E.

CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITIES

Customer service accountability delivery.

Professionals who constantly deal with customers inside or outside the company need to strive for certain qualities to help them answer customer needs the professional qualities to be emphasized always  relates to customer wants.

BASIC PROFESSIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITIES.

  • Friendliness-associated with courtesy and
  • Empathy-appreciate customers wants and circumstances.
  • Fairness-customers want to feel and receive adequate attention and reasonable answers.

GREETING THE CUSTOMER.

The purpose is to create and maintain a welcoming environment and we can achieve this by;

  1. Looking good-be well groomed.
  2. Smiling

Eye contact directly to the customers eyes

  1. Shaking hands-professional hand shake is expected.
  2. Being attentive-slightly lean towards the customer and nod always to indicate you are listening.

ASPECTS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.

  • Attitude and appearance-a customer service representative must be congenial, presentable and approachable e.g. when communicating on phone they should be pleasant and an understandable voice be used. The concern of the customer is the top priority and the representative can not allow his/her mood or other internal issues destruct his/her from this priority.
  • Convenience ie easy to approach.
  • Follow up-this can be done by sending an email or by calling or even visiting the customer.
  • Communication-e.g. if you are doing repairs on someone scar, calling the customer and updating him on progress or sending an email to keep him upraised of the situation cold be a very smart way to proceed.

SOURCES OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINS.

  • Defect cost by production or service failure and employee mistakes.
  • Marketing over promises
  • Misleading marketing
  • Customer errors and unreasonable expenses.
  • Customer is incorrect but makes a reasonable mistake.
  • Dissatisfaction on use of product and its effects.
  • Poor customer services-rudeness.
  • Discrimination in serving customers
  • Customer exploitation in terms of prices, quality and quantity.
  • Long time spent in responding to their urgent problems.
  • Media-mainly social media.
  • Phone calls by customers
  • Mails sent by customers
  • Internal employees.
  • Analyzing the order history patterns
  • Direct feedbacks.

WAYS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER BASED PROBLEMS.

Effective labeling/giving clearing directions

Pro-active education-this is a cost effective way to resolve common customer problem e.g. Vodafone pro actively calls customers three weeks after cell phone activation.

Easily accessible customer assistance.

HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINS.

There will always be customers who complain after completing the sale. Like customer objections, don’t view complains negatively rather they are often a very  good way to;

  1. Obtain valuable customer feedback on products.
  2. Assess  customer attitudes to company policies.
  3. Address customer needs that were not previously identified.
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