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Managing
Customer
Service

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Contents :
• Understanding Quality Service and Service
Culture
• Key Skills for Quality Customer Service
• Addressing Customer Different Behavior
Style
• Steps to Resolve Service Breakdown

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Those with a positive attitude and a cheerful outlook
Those who can allow customers to be right (even on
the occasions when they are not)
Those who genuinely enjoy working with and for
other people
Those with the ability to put the customer on
“center stage”
Those who view their job primarily as a human
relations profession
Service Winners…..

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Service is….
• Customers in a restaurant want more than a meal
• Guests in hotels want more than a room
• Client in a transaction want more than a settlement
• Customer want more that just the product or
service that is offered – they also want to be
treated well

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Service is Intangible
Service is
intangible
Intangibles deal with
the human side of an
organization
They include human
emotions, behaviors,
understandings, feelings,
and perceptions

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Service is Intangible
Examples of
customer service
intangible :
• Satisfaction
• Attentiveness
• Flow
• Helpfulness
• Sensitivity
• Tone
• Attitude
• Knowledge
• Understanding
• Tact
• Guidance

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Service
The procedural dimension
Consist of the established
systems and procedures to
deliver products and/or
services
The personal dimension
How service providers (using
their attitudes, behaviors,
and verbal skills) interact
with customers
Two Dimensions of Service

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Two Dimensions of Service
The Freezer
Low in both personal and
procedural service. Motto
: “We don’t care”
The Friendly Zoo
Bad in procedural service,
good in personal service.
Motto : “We are trying
hard, but don’t really
know what we are doing”
The Factory
Good in procedural service,
bad in personal service.
Motto : “You are number. We
are here to process you”
Quality Customer Service
Excellent in both the
personal and procedural
dimensions. Motto : ‘We
care and we deliver”

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Key Elements of
Quality Service

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Assurance
Five Elements of Quality Service
Tangible
Empathy Responsiveness
Reliability

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Five Elements of Quality Service
Reliability
• The ability to provide what was
promised, dependably and
accurately
• Action strategy : make sure that
you correctly identify customer
needs, promise only what you can
deliver, and follow through to
ensure that the product or service
was received as promised

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Five Elements of Quality Service
Assurance
• The knowledge and courtesy of
employees, and their ability to
convey trust and confidence
• Action strategy : take the time to
serve customers one at a time.
Provide service assertively by
using positive communication
techniques and describing
products and services accurately

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Five Elements of Quality Service
Tangible
• The physical facilities and
equipment and the appearance of
personnel
• Action strategy : maintain
workspaces in a neat, orderly
manner, dress professionally, and
maintain excellent grooming and
hygiene standards

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Five Elements of Quality Service
Empathy
• The degree of caring and
individual attention provided to
customers
• Action strategy : listen for
emotions in your customers’
messages. Put yourself in their
place and respond
compassionately by offering
service to address their needs
and concerns

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Five Elements of Quality Service
Responsiveness
• The willingness to help
customers and provide prompt
services
• Action strategy : project a
positive, can-do attitude. Take
immediate steps to help
customers and satisfy their
needs

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Service Culture Components
Delivery
System
Training
Motivators
and reward
Employee
roles and
expectations
Policies and
procedures
Management
support
Service
mission
SERVICE
CULTURE
Products
and services

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Service Culture Components
Service
mission
Products
and services
The direction or vision of an
organization that supports day-to-day
interaction with the customer
The material, products, and services
that are state of the art, competitively
priced, and meet the needs of
customers

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Service Culture Components
Delivery
System
Training
Motivators
and reward
The way an organization deliver its
products and services
Instruction or information provided through a
variety of techniques that teach knowledge
or skills, or attempt to influence employee
attitude toward excellent service delivery
Monetary rewards, material items, of
feedback that prompts employees to
continue to deliver service and perform at
a high level of effectiveness and efficiency

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Service Culture Components
The specific measures that indicates what
is expected of employees in customer
interactions and that define how employee
service performance will be evaluated
The guidelines that establish how various
situations of transactions will be handled
The availability of management to answer
questions and assist frontline employees in
customer interaction when necessary
Employee
roles and
expectations
Policies and
procedures
Management
support

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Key Skills for
Quality Customer
Service

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Know Your
Organization
Know Your
Product/Service
Know Your
Customer
Customer
Service
Person
What You Should Know?

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Know Your
Organization
Know Your Organization
• Organization mission
and vision
• Organization culture
• Customer interaction
policy and procedures
• Company support for
product/service

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Know Your
Product/Service
Know Your Product/Service
• Product /service
development and
quality improvement
process
• Product/service
configuration
• Performance data and
specification
• Maintenance and care
• Price and delivery

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Know Your
CUSTOMERS
Know Your Customers
• Customer Needs
• Customer Concerns
• Customer Personality

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Developing Excellent Communication
with Customers
Excellent Verbal
Communication Skills
Excellent Non-Verbal
Communication Skills
Excellent Listening
Skills
Productive
Relationship
with
Customers

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• Plan your messages
• Greet customer warmly and
sincerely
• Be specific
• Use “small talk”
• Use simple language
• Paraphrase
Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Communicating
positively…..

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• Ask positively phrased
question (Instead, “Why do you
feel that way” , use: What makes
you feel that way? Instead, Why
do you want that color, use :
What other colors have you
considered?)
• Communicate to your
customer’s style
• Agree with customers
• Solicit customer feedback and
participation
Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Communicating
positively…..

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Words and phrases that build
relationship:
Please
Thank you
I can or will
How may I help?
I understand how you feel
You’re right
May I
Would you mind…..
I apologize for….
Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Communicating
positively…..

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Words and phrases that damage
relationship:
You don’t understand
You don’s see my point
Hold on a second
Our policy says (or prohibits)
That’s not my responsibility
What you need to do is…..
Why don’t you
The word “problem”
The word “but”
The word “no”
Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Avoiding
negative
communication

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Six C of giving good information
to customers
Clear Concise
Courteous
Complete
Correct
Concrete
Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers

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Non Verbal Communication with
Customers
Non Verbal
Behavior
Body language
Volume Cues
Appearance
and Grooming
Miscellaneous
Cues

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Non Verbal Communication with
Customers
Body language Volume Cue
• Eye contact
• Posture
• Facial
expression
• Gestures
• Pitch
• Volume
• Rate of speech
• Voice quality
• Articulation
• Pauses
• Silence

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Non Verbal Communication with
Customers
Appearance
and Grooming
Miscellaneous
cues
• Hygiene (regular
washing and
combing of hair,
use of mouthwash
and deodorant)
• Clothing and
accessories
• Personal
habits
• Proper
etiquette and
manners

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Eye contact, posture, facial
expression, gestures
• Brief eye contact
• Eyes wide open
• Smiling
• Nodding affirmatively
• Expressive body gestures
• Open body stance
• Listening actively
• Remaining silent as
customer speaks
• Gesturing with open hand
• Clean, organize work area
• Yawning
• Frowning or sneering
• Attending to matters other
than the customer
• Leaning away from customers
as he/she speaks
• Subdued or Minimal hand
gestures
• Staring blankly or coolly at
customers
• Interrupting
• Pointing finger or object at
customer
• Disorganized, cluttered work
space
Positive Negative
Positive and Negative Communication Behavior

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Characteristics of Good Listener
1. Empathy
2. Understanding
3. Patience
4. Attentiveness
5. Objectivity
Good
Listener

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Strategies for Improved Listening
• Stop talking !
• Prepare yourself
• Listen actively
• Show willingness to listen
• Show empathy
• Send positive nonverbal cues
• Don’t argue
• Ask questions

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To listen more effectively…..
Attend physically – the right body language helps us
to focus on the customer and encourages the customer
to give us more information
Attend mentally – follow the customer’s flow of
thought, listen to understand, not evaluate; listen first,
then assess
Check it verbally – paraphrase, clarify, probe further,
summarize your understanding

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Dealing Assertively with Customers
• Look customers in the eyes as you speak
• Grasp firmly without crushing
• Think, plan, speak a specific question
• Stop, gather thoughts, speak
• Apologize if you make a mistake
• Increase volume, sound firm and convincing
• Take responsibility, resolve the problem

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Customer Focused Behavior
• Act promptly
• Guide rather than direct
• Don’t rush customer
• Offer assistance
• Don’t keep customer waiting
• Avoid unprofessional actions
Customer
focused
behavior

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Addressing Customer
Needs and Behavior Style

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Addressing Customer Needs
To Feel Welcome
To Feel Comfortable
To Be Understood
To Feel Appreciated
To Feel Important
To Be Respected
Customer Needs

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Addressing Customer Needs
To Feel Welcome
To Feel Comfortable
To Be Understood
Use an enthusiastic greeting, smile,
use the customer’s name, thank the
customer, be positive
Listen actively, paraphrase, ask key
question, give positive feedback,
empathize
Use an enthusiastic welcome, relieve
anxiety through friendly
communication, explain your action
calmly, ensure physical comfort

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To Feel Appreciated
To Feel Important
To Be Respected
Thank the customer, follow up, go
beyond service expectations, provide
“special” offers, remember special
details about the customer
Use the customer’s name, give
special treatment when possible,
elicit opinions
Listen, don’t interrupt, acknowledge
the customer’s emotions and concerns,
take time to serve, ask advice, elicit
feedback
Addressing Customer Needs

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Four Styles of Behavior
Dominance
Influencing
Steadiness
Compliance

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Four Styles of Behavior
Dominance
• Appears to be quite busy
• May give the impression of not
listening
• Displays a serious attitude
• Voices strong opinions
Influencing
• Appears quite active
• Takes social initiatives in most
cases
• Likes to encourage informality
• Expresses emotional opinions
(feelings)

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Four Styles of Behavior
Steadiness
Compliance
• Give the appearance of being quiet
and reserved
• Listen attentively to other people
• Tend to avoid the use of power
• Make decisions in a thoughtful and
deliberate manner
• Control emotional expressions
• Displays a preference for
orderliness
• Tends to express measured
opinions
• Sees difficult to get to know

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Strategies to Deal with Dominance Person
Dominance
• Keep the relationship a businesslike as
possible
• Develop strong personal relationship is
not a high priority for dominance
person
• Be as efficient, time disciplined, and
well organized as possible
• Provide appropriate facts, figures, and
success probabilities
• Try to identify their primary objectives
and then determine ways to support
with these objectives

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Strategies to Deal with Influencing Person
Influencing
• Be enthusiastic
• Avoid an approach that is too stiff and
formal
• Take time to establish goodwill and
build relationship
• Do not place too much emphasis on
the facts and details
• Plan actions that will provide support
for their opinions, ideas and dreams
• Maintain good eye contact
• Be a good listener

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Strategies to Deal with Steadiness Person
Steadiness
• Take time to build a social relationship
with the steadiness person
• Spend time learning about the things
that are important in this individual’s life
• Provide personal assurance and support
for their views
• If you disagree with a steadiness person,
cur the desire to disagree assertively;
steadiness person dislike interpersonal
conflict
• Give them the time to comprehend your
explanation/responses. Patience is
important

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Strategies to Deal with Steadiness Person
Compliance
• Provide a thoughtful, well organized
approach
• Take a no-nonsense, businesslike
approach
• Use specific questions that show
clear direction
• Provide detailed and comprehensive
information
• Never pressure the compliance
person to make quick decisions

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Resolving Service
Breakdown

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Service Breakdown
Service breakdowns occur whenever any
product or service fail to meet the
customer’s expectations

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Service Recovery Strategy
Express
respect
Listen to
understand
Uncover the
expectations
Outline
the
solutions
Take action
and follow
through
Double
check for
satisfaction

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Service Recovery Strategy
Express
respect
Listen to
understand
Uncover the
expectations
"What you
are telling me
I important”
Listen carefully;
empathize with
the customer; and
do not make
excuses or
interruption
“Please tell me
what happened”
“Will you please
tell me what you
feel need to be
done?”

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Service Recovery Strategy
“I will take
this action” or
“You have
several
choices”
“You refund has
been requested. I
will personally
check with
accounting to
ensure your check
goes out Friday”
“I am following
up to make
sure your
check arrived”
Outline
the
solutions
Take action
and follow
through
Double
check for
satisfaction

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Roadblock to Service Recovery
• Not listening
• Lack of respect
• Inadequate materials or supporting
equipment
• Poor or inadequate communication
• Lack of training
• Work conflict

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Dealing with Difficult People
• Don’t take it personally
• Remain calm, listen carefully
• Focus on the problem, not the person
• Reward yourself for turning a difficult
customer into a happy one
• When all else fail, ask for help

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Reference/Recommended Further Readings:
1. Robert W. Lucas, Customer Service : Skills and
Concepts for Success, McGraw Hill.
You can obtain this excellent book at this link : http://www.amazon.com/Customer-Service-Concepts-
Success-Student/dp/0078226333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219803390&sr=1-1
2. William B. Martin, Quality Customer Service, Crisp
Publication.
You can obtain this excellent book at this link : http://www.amazon.com/Crisp-Quality-Customer-Service-Fifty-
Minute/dp/1560525991/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219803398&sr=1-1

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