A Customer Focused Environment

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Bringing in and focusing on customers true needs

A firm need to produce excellent results in terms of improved quality; cost and timing by focusing of customers need and want.

Proactive approach and ways to improve the service to meet the expectations and requirements

Use the ‘wow’ factor to increase customer retention with exceptional service and satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction and loyalty

Feedback and find solution to customer upon examine the letters of complaints from customer for the poor service or products.

Maintaining a good relationship with customer to retain the loyalty from customers by ensuring prompt delivery service

Friendly and courtesy customer service

Provide training to employee to improve their skills on listening, effective answering, problems solving and excellent communications to customer.

Elements such politeness, courtesy and treat well need to be shown by customer service

Consistency and Reliability

Provide a reliable service and products for customers to rely on as well as meet the expectations for the continue usage of products upon purchased by them

Consistent follow up and by providing customer with sense of security and confidence in you personally and in company. This can build a good reputation and trust from customer

Responsive to customer needs

Level of responsive can be evaluated by three perspectives which is sensitivity to customer concerns, awareness of changes in customer needs and speed of service

Don’t sit and wait for customers to reach out with complaints and dissatisfaction. Instead of it, respond appropriately and addressed the issue promptly to maintain customer happiness

Enjoyment of experience

Customers enjoy the use of products or services they have purchased by the experience whether they like it or no.

Customer enjoys the privilege member card or discount given by organization upon purchase the products or service. It may also leverage up more customers for experience of using it.

Factors which can be influenced by location, environment and quality of what is purchase by them

Accessibility and Availability

Provide the accessible service by giving accurate information or special features such as guidelines, website and helpline for using the products or services for customer convenient

As for availability, ensure the service or products is sufficient ready to deliver

Customer representative are available to answer the questions regarding the service/orders which placed, problems and return policy once transactions of business is out

Ensure customer experience exceeds what they expected

Deliver a precise understanding of customers’ usage, to meet and exceed customer expectation for products and services.

Ensure customer receive a consistent experience regardless of channel they decide for conducting business with utility

Concern and feel about their problems as it is essential to respect customer’s need for information and control

Example of an existing service-oriented organization in Malaysia and how these components are applied and practiced:

Kelly Services Malaysia

Website

www.kellyservices.com.my

Industry

Recruitment service

Address

Level 29, Menara Bank Islam,

No 22, Jalan Perak,

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Information

Kelly service is a recruitment company in Malaysia, with offices across the regions, which provide workforce solutions to customers based on variety of industries to match the needs of customers. Besides that Kelly provide a wide range of outsourcing and consulting services as well as temporary to hire and direct hire basis.

Customer service excellence charter

Deliver excellent customer service and people is a fundamental Kelly principle to achieve customer requirements.

There is values driven organization which stated as below:

Quality

Provide best service consultant based on customers interests in both existing and future. Prompt reply and solutions to meet client requirement and satisfaction.

Practise standard operating procedures to ensure deliver consistent service

Provide excellent customer service such as response customers call by professionalism and courtesy.

Ensure the employee work as a team and well communication to meet customer needs and exceed the expectations.

People – service and management

Arrange qualified candidates to attend the recruitment at the earliest convenience and based on the individual specification in the industry.

Make effort to people start work within a week of being hired

Customer service

Visit existing customers within three months to keep update of customers needs

Track and manage customer information into the system to ensure service is timely and accurate

As far we concern, more and more business of recruitment agency is expanding throughout the Malaysia, however we have increase 24 hours professional call centres to handle customers enquires and solutions. Apart from that, we communicate face to face to customers as it is essential important to sustain customers trust and needs. Besides that Kelly Services will respond customer message politely and efficiently.

We must aware that good customer service provides organization with its competitive edges as in today we live in new era where the customer is treated as king.

How these components are applied and practise:

Bringing in and focused on customer needs

It is vital to understand what customers needs by providing career opportunity based on customer needs in terms of job selections in different segment of industries.

Identifies customers requirements and problems faced by customers

Providing a career guidance such as dealing with conflicts, effective communication skills for customer who intend for interview and how to shine interview, the changing phase in workplace and as well as guide to flexible working.

Professional support for companies seek help in terms of temporary or full time hire staff at all levels. Take pride in serving the best employees to keep the company business operating at peak capacity.

Customer satisfaction and loyalty

Provides wide range of business services such as staffing solutions, staffing specialities, outsourcing and consulting Kelly ‘eSolutions’ to offer customers and employees satisfaction

With the advance technology, ‘esolutions’ is a web portal which can access to customers orders and reports. The advantage is no additional cost for subscribe.

Genuine effort to build lasting relationship by helping candidates to find their dream career as well as match their knowledge and skills which require by company. Therefore, it can build a loyalty and trust customer relationship.

Friendly customer service

In order to handle the best interest for both company and customers, Kelly services provide friendly and pleasant customer service representatives to offer their access to specialist expertise in servicing both parties.

For more than 27 years, Kelly has been partnering with Malaysia’s leading companies to deliver the best talent as well as deep knowledge to ensure client’s success

Consistency and reliability

Different from other recruitment firm, which provide clients with reliability and consistency into the recruitment process by feature hundreds of permanent or temporary jobs , contract basis or part time throughout Malaysia.

Tailor the needs of workforce solutions by ensuring a trust worthy on worldwide authority on global employment solutions

Maintain customer database confidentially and ensure reliable information given to the respective client.

Responsive on customer needs

Recruit staff that capable to meet the company requirements by reducing the turnover of new recruitment in the company

Increase productivity for the company by providing excellent choice of skilful and positive attributes employees

Conduct a systematic and well organised hiring process to meet customer needs

Enjoyment of Experience

Need to be responsible, consistent and most importantly passionate about enjoyment for recruitment that shows the ability to provide clients and candidates with an honest and professional range of jobs.

As Kelly services beliefs that by providing the concepts of quality and value and enjoyment which can exceed customers expectations and continuously business growth.

Accessibility and Availability

There is a complete range of job opportunity offer by Kelly services with accessibility 24 hours online web portal and social networking which is a high strategy for high touch customer. For example social networkings are facebook and twitter.

As for availability, Kelly services provide outsourcing services which indicate call centre consultants specialize for clients to enquiry, technical support, sales call (order taking and tracking) and complaint solution.

Provide jobs which match the criteria and based on availability of clients

Ensure customer experience exceeds what they expected

The level of customer service exceed beyond the expectation of customer with expert consultants are fully trained to match with your current opportunity available.

High in dept of providing screening process recruitment to ensure they are best to fit working in the Malaysia’s leading companies.

Helping clients to save cost, time and money by outsourcing the recruitment process

Conclusion

Overall we need to apply all these components of a customer focused environment for all the organization to achieve customer satisfaction, improve the responsiveness of excellent service. Besides that is beneficial for organization identifying customer service standards and customer oriented vision and accountability. Further, the words caring can be use in organization to serve customer well. Caring can defines as following:

Customers first

Accept responsibility

Reach out and help

Initiate contact

Nurture others

Give attention in details to customer

Question 2

As far as we know, we unable to please everyone, though the main purpose for business organization is to please everyone as beyond expectation so they keep returning. Therefore there are four kinds of complainers: passive, aggressive, voicers, irates and activits. Organization need to addressed identify the type of complainer and action for dealing with the complainer.

Passive complainers are those category customers who encounter some problems or dissatisfaction with the company service or products and dislikes to communicate openly to the organization. Besides that, they also strongly believe that by complaining won’t resolve the issue and not worth for time. However with the increase of number of passive complainers would decrease the business growth in any organization and not a good sign to carry on for long term.

Customer response strategy:

Separate the two people from the problem. Deal directly with the people problem. Every communicator has two kinds of interests which is substance and in relationship. The relationship tends to become entangled with problem.

In order to find ways to juggle the people problems, we need to think in terms of three basic categories which are perception, communication and emotion. For example for the categories:

When perceptions are inaccurate, you may look for ways to educate.

If emotion arises, find ways for those involved to let off the anger. Firstly try to recognize and understand emotions, them and yours. For example, by asking yourself what is caused of emotions? Why are you angry? Or why are they angry? Are they the one who responding to complaints and seeking for revenge? By overcome the anger, we need to let them steam off so that is easier to talk rational to them.

If misunderstanding exists, communication needs to improve by listening actively and response what is being said.

In order to retain customer, we need to ensure the customer complaints are resolved.

Voicers, is one of the complaints and voice their thoughts and rights. They less likely spread the negative word of mouth or confront the third parties with complaints. Besides that, they also believe by complaining will gain some social benefits and positive vibes. I would call them messengers as to inform you what is not working. Therefore, it’s good to listen and aware of their concerns so that organization will be given a chance to serve them well.

Customer response strategy:

Try addressed the issue and understand the emotions behind the delivery. Avoid argument and stay focus in the message content. Try to listen carefully and most importantly show respect.

Work hard at soliciting complaints and comments by acting appropriately to resolve it immediately.

Level of attention into understanding what the other party is trying to convey the message and open-ended questions.

To resolve the complaints promptly, get the right person involved.

Irates, are complainers that mourned about everything and anything that is not satisfy and tend to spread the negative word of mouth within the close groups. However they assumed by complaining can be beneficial for others especially service providers. They are not a loyal and may switch to other brands.

Customer response strategy:

Understand their frustrations. Try to search the history as all of us been in situations when feeling of frustrations occurred on us. Nicest way to approach the customer know that whatever happens to be in the sand in his/her shoes today

Give a countermeasure or detailed information to avoid duplicating the problems and reassure to find solutions. You may also obtain some additional information from customers to analyze the root cause of problem.

It is essential to follow up after the corrective measure has been effective. You may provide special privilege such as discount, or free vouchers, replacement or gift card as a token of appreciation. By this way, you can gain loyal and trust customer.

Activists, are characterised by combination of all above average types of complainers. They may category as customer from hell of experience. They complain to the respective organisations and even to the third party about the grievances. However, they have optimistic sense of positive consequences of complain

Customer response strategy:

Stay rationally and sensibly. Furthermore, a good decision making is essential to deal with a complaint. With a persistent behaviour and decision making you are likely to solve the problem efficiency.

Everyone expect to be treated equally and respect no matter how outrageous their complaints were, a simple word of mouth is "I’m sorry, is all it takes to make a person calm. Apologize to the customer for the inconvenience caused.

Make sure you addressed the problems in every aspect of customer concerns. Reiterate the priorities that you heard from customer by listening carefully and stay focus. By this, you may focus and find solution easily.

An example of a scenario from the company’s experience and kind of empowerment needed to response in a positive manner

There is a scenario which happen when a pizza hut delivery guarantee that customer orders will deliver within 30 minutes from the time accepting the orders. Therefore, delivery might delay due to some circumstances such as the delivery driver was caught in massive jammed, unable to locate the customer address, or irresponsible driver who take his own sweet time to reach the destination. Thus customer was irate and frustrated due to the delivery person or attempt several calls to the call order centre for a massive complaints.

By keeping the brand developed to the height of excellent is always first at pizza hut. As you notice the "red roof" is symbol to achieve the goal. The vision is to provide consistent service, achieving people skills as well customers’ satisfaction by producing tasty and variety of pizza. Pizza success based on the following founding:

Respond to the voice of customer – Don’t just listen but act on their needs. Provide a courteous and helpful service on time, all the time.

People capability first – customer satisfaction first than follow by profitability

Core Values of Pizza hut

P.E.A.R.L.S

Have a passion for excellence in everything we do

Execute with urgency and positive

Be individual and collectively accountable growth in people, customer satisfaction and profitability

Recognise the achievement of employees and others

Listen and respond to the voice of customer

Lastly, think safety first

Furthermore Pizza Hut strives to the success for customer satisfaction by practicing the culture which is quality is everything that needs to be done. Priority the freshness of the food is what customer craving. Besides that, it is essential to have employee recognition, and marketing innovation to achieve customer service standard. By showing the appreciation to workers, it can achieve a team work that holds together to serve customers beyond expectation.

Customer complains Handling

It is very common that every organization whether you are in service neither products, customer does complaint based on their liking or no. Pizza hut will overcome the complaints with confidence and determination to provide the best for customer. There is few ways of overcome the complaints which is by setting up a call centre which customer can complain based on the issue, email to the website on the feedback column, or social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Instead of this way, there is also feedback card for customer to leave comments. If necessary, customers may directly approach the franchise managers if the problem unable resolve.

Further with the recent effective way, customers encourage to order online due to that it may save time, improve accuracy and enhance the speed of delivery. Moreover, Pizza hut can save customers data in the system and also a great way to study customer behaviour to meet the requirement.

Apart from that, marketing strategies is require to minimize the complaints such as Pizza hut advertise wording which is eats, laugh and share. With that wording, it reminds customers to share the moment of laughter while dining in the restaurant or home.

In conclusion, customer satisfaction is really matter to every organization and essential to stay positive for the brand image and quality of improvements to respond in order to retain the organization business. Most importantly, the organization needs to addressed the types of complainers and decide upon the future course of action dealing with them.