Category: Customer Service

Introduction

Program Attended

The title of the in-service training program attended was Why is customer service important in healthcare? It was held on 28^th September 2018. The location of the training was the Brooklyn Hospital Center, and the presenter was the Nurse Educator. The time framework for the program was between 9 am, and 11 am on October 5^th, 2018.

Target Audience

The audience comprised of RNs, nurse aides, and nursing students. The objective of the training session was to explain why customer service is a crucial component of quality care. It was presented in an auditorium with an audience of over 100 nurses. Since the professional background of the audience was nursing, the subject was clinically relevant, and the nurses could grasp essential concepts. It comprised of nurses of different ages, both genders, and a minimum BSN degree.

Philosophy Statement or Vision Statement

The presentation included a customer-service philosophy statement that encompassed three aspects: being there for the patient, lighten their day, and have a positive attitude. The presenter urged nurses to be compassionate listeners in order to provide patient-centered service. She envisioned a polite, friendly staff that relate to each patient in recognition of the diversity of healthcare needs in clinical settings.

Program Objectives/Stated Goals

The presenter stated the learning objectives for the teaching program. She noted that by the end of the training session;

1. the audience should be able to articulate the importance of excellent customer service in healthcare.
2. the nursing staff should be able to identify different approaches to customer service throughout the patient care process.

Physical Setting

The training was held at the Brooklyn Hospital Center Auditorium. The environment was appropriately prepared for the teaching session. The physical setup of the room from the layout, heating, and audio-visual equipment was ideal for the training. The seating arrangement could allow trainee interaction and improved engagement and focus.

Presentation Design

Evidence of Use of Learning Paradigm/Approach/Model

The Nurse Educator built on basic concepts on customer service procedures first before leading the audience to a self-directed learning orientation. Further, consistent with the andragogy mode, the session centered on real-life hospital context, not on discrete topics. The presenter stressed the connections between inpatient experience and satisfaction scores to elicit critical inquiry into what constitutes quality care from the perspective of the patient. The teaching approach involved greater participant involvement augmented by instructor explanations. She prompted the audience to give poor customer service encounters at the facility and suggest improvements.

Greater audience engagement by the instructor was evidence of active learning. She encouraged participants to reflect on customer service scenarios in a role-playing kind of environment and group collaboration. Each individual was required to articulate his/her comprehension of the material during the training session. The active learning approach ensured a deeper understanding of the subject since participants could give their reasoning to the audience and acquire customer service skills to apply in their practice. Enhanced peer interactions and exchanges with the instructor provided an ideal environment for addressing misconceptions about the subject matter.

Domains of Learning Addressed

The training and its delivery were designed to appeal mainly to the cognitive and affective areas of learning. The aim was to enhance recall and practice application of approaches to excellent customer service as well as sensitivity to patient needs. There was a clear instruction intended to improve specific cognitive functions of knowledge, comprehension, and application (Bluestone et al., 2013, p. 15).

Using illustrations and tasks, the nurse educator explained the nature of customer service, the customers, i.e., patients, families, and communities, and healthcare as a business to facilitate recall, understanding, and application of the material learned in practice. She indicated that nurses could give excellent customer service by being personable and relatable and by using appropriate language when communicating with the patient/family.

The affective domain centers on feelings or emotions (Bluestone et al., 2013). Through participation and responses, it was possible to receive, integrate, and internalize the values of excellent customer service. Explanations about the connection between patient experience and HCAPS scores enhanced the willingness and commitment to compassionate care and effective communication with patients. Practical examples were used to promote recall and appeal to the affective domain of the participants.

Teaching Strategies/Program Delivery Methods Used by the Presenter

The presenter used a Socratic seminar to keep all participants involved in learning. This instructional strategy entails the use of questions and answers to engage learners in whole-class discussions (Bluestone et al., 2013). The presenter asked open-ended questions on what patients want when they are likely to complete hospital surveys, common complaints, and the nurses role in ensuring excellent customer service to patients/family. To enhance engagement, participants were given an opportunity to respond and build on one anothers ideas. Problem-based learning was another delivery method used. In this case, the presenter gave a practical example of poor patient interaction and required participants to suggest changes to ensure excellent customer service.

Other more traditional delivery strategies were also used to pass information. One such method included a lecture that involved slide-shows and videos in illustrating customer service concepts and their application. The presenter also referred to cases of patients with low educational level and required participants to brainstorm appropriate language or communication approach to the scenario. Discussions were encouraged to foster customer management skills and address biases and other barriers to productive interactions with the patient. The presenter also used visual aids and supplementary handouts to assist in learner retention.

Management Skills of the Presenter

The presentation reflected mastery of delivery and content. Additionally, the presenter had good management skills concerning both the use of self and time. The material was delivered in an organized manner and a clear speech. She exhibited a high level of awareness, composure, stage presence, enthusiasm, and connection with the audience. She did not appear nervous, which was a sign of adequate preparation.

She started by introducing herself before delving into the subject. The participants were actively engaged throughout the presentation, and sufficient time was allowed for a question and answer session at the end. The presenter used eye contact to keep the audience engaged and gauge our understanding of the subject matter. Her glances shifted between the audiovisual content and the crowd.

Her movements and body language on the stage communicated energy and confidence. Her gestures were natural and matched the words. When illustrating a point, she varied the pitch and volume of her voice to stress key concepts of customer service. She also paused occasionally to increase focus and transition between ideas. Effective management of time was a hallmark of the presentation. The presenter delivered the content within the indicated period. The question-and-answer session was also well managed. She anticipated and gave brief responses to the questions posed in a way that directed the critical points of the presentation.

Evidence of Presenter Appropriate Skill Base

The presenter exhibited great mastery and in-depth knowledge of the subject. There was a logical flow of concepts. She framed healthcare as a customer service impacted by nurse-patient interactions during routine exams, assessment, and treatment. It became clear that patients are customers who can prefer one provider to another because of the quality of care received. For this reason, hospitals and units must offer excellent customer service to gain a competitive edge over others and benefit from HCAPS-linked reimbursement. She indicated that rudeness and long waits are key reputational risks to a facility that affect customer satisfaction. Therefore, the presenter was able to make connections between poor customer service, quality of care, and HCAPS ratings.

There was evidence of in-depth research and preparation. The presenter outlines the top four factors that contribute to high HCAPS scores as the courtesy during treatment, adequate information and explanation, timely care, and cleanliness.

She also listed some common customer complaints about the quality of service, including rude staff, dirty hospital, long waits, and delayed responses to call bells. She concluded the presentation by giving evidence-based recommendations for improving customer service, which included being personable and relatable to the patients, use of appropriate language based on patient age and educational level, and showing compassion. The presenter gave a summary of the session and a recap of the main points, which helped enhance learner retention of the content.

Use of Evidence-based Practice/Theory

The presentation included evidence-based practice recommendations for personal and process changes that could lead to better care provision. From the delivery, the techniques that nurses can use to ensure excellent customer service are listening, using touch, making eye contact. Using a language that a patient can understand when passing medical information and showing compassion in your communication is also important.

Patient-involvement in their care is another evidence-based recommendation for improving customer service indicated in the presentation. The speaker stated that nurses should offer patients a choice, consider their preferences, involve them in care planning, and be sensitive to socioeconomic and cultural factors specific to each case.

The theoretical foundations of excellent customer service were included in the delivery. The inclusion of hospital experience surveys in the HCAPS metrics and the rationale for using them to compare hospitals were explained. In this regard, a business case was made for customer service excellence at the facility and practice levels. It would contribute to a better inpatient experience, which would result in a higher HCAPS rating, facility reputation, and reimbursements. Change frameworks were also alluded to in the presentation. The speaker indicated that training programs help equip employees with customer service skills to trigger and sustain a patient-centered culture in hospitals.

Use of Supplemental Materials

Supplemental materials were utilized to increase the efficiency of teaching. The content was segmented into sections augmented by supplementary video content. For example, appropriate multimedia embedded in the presentation were used to explain the nature of customer service and how to prioritize patient needs. Other supplementary materials used included simulations and case studies. The presenter gave real-life scenarios of customer service as a supplement to the presentation. She also gave questions to guide further deliberations on the discussion board.

Links to additional study materials and open-access resources on customer service were included to supplement the training materials. Short online modules illustrating how to interact with patients throughout the care process were also provided. Additionally, the presenter listed the blogs where participants could obtain structured information on improving customer service in a hospital setup. She also indicated that the learners could benefit from specific sites offering computer-graded quizzes.

Use of Audiovisual Aids

Audiovisual aids enhance the pedagogical efficacy of presentations. Examples include simulations, slides, and handouts that help clarify information and promote recall. The speaker used slides projected to a whiteboard to reduce the subject matter into themes. The strategy also helped her deliver content in a sequential and organized manner. Simulations embedded in the presentation slides helped augment critical aspects of customer service in healthcare.

Overall, the audiovisual aids used supplemented the speakers words. They were well-designed to appeal to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners without causing any significant distraction (Bluestone et al., 2013, p. 21). The slides were written in an appropriate font, consistency, and contrasting color shades that enhanced their readability even from the back of the auditorium.

Another audiovisual aid used included short videos explaining various aspects of customer service, such as why customer needs should come first and how to show compassion when caring or communicating with the patient. Other multimedia features such as custom animations were used to transition between slides and increase participants focus on the subject. The presenter simultaneously interacted with these tools and the audience, which enhanced the efficacy of the audiovisuals.

Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Factors Related to this Presentation

Linking customer service to HCAPS survey scores is growing in the era of value-based purchasing. From a legal standpoint, lawsuits over medical malpractice are more likely to arise if the patient is dissatisfied with the interpersonal aspects of care than when he/she is satisfied. Therefore, a greater focus on customer service is required to ensure a better inpatient experience. Ethical factors pertinent to this presentation include penalties for low HCAPS that may force providers to avoid vulnerable populations with complex needs and biased patient reporting or evaluation of customer service. Thus, a greater focus on hospital experience alone may increase disparities and community health outcomes.

Among the regulatory factors related to subjective patient experience and expectations from a healthcare service is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under this legislation, hospitals with excellent customer service, as indicated by reported HCAPS scores, qualify for financial incentives that are tied to quality. On the other hand, those with low patient experience scores are penalized through the withholding of Medicare payouts. Hospitals with high HCAPS numbers have better patient engagement or customer service mechanisms than those with low scores. Thus, ACA rewards providers based on patients ratings of the interpersonal aspects of the care received.

Cultural Competence

The presenter showed sensitivity to cultural differences in the audience. She used culturally appropriate language to explain the significance and approaches to customer service. She used technical words and nursing concepts, which were appropriate for the audiences literacy level. Her communication skills were suited to the level of expertise of the participants. The speaker seemed to be aware of cultural assumptions and biases over the significance of customer service to overall hospital performance.

She addressed these misconceptions and explained that inpatient experience is an indicator of quality. She also used team resources to address cultural dissimilarities in the audience. The session facilitated active engagement and learning, which allowed participants to give their perspectives in a whole-class discussion.

The printed training materials and audiovisuals were designed for in-service customer service training of nurses. Thus, they were suited to the literacy level of the audience, as no participant complained that the content was difficult to understand. Culturally appropriate videos and pictures were embedded in the teaching materials. They reflected a broad spectrum of customer service scenarios that were not neutral and inoffensive to the participants. The speaker also responded to questions respectfully and considered the great diversity of perspectives and views in the audience.

Evaluation Methodologies

The evaluation methods utilized as a part of this presentation included assessment of learning and audience feedback. The presenter prompted the participants to indicate if the session was useful, challenging, or well-organized through a short post-training evaluation survey. The qualitative feedback from the audience helped the presenter gauge if the trainees enjoyed the training. However, it was not possible to tell which specific aspects of the presentation the participants understood as this methodology focuses on the entire session. It was also qualitative, and thus, was not an objective measure of the audiences perceptions of the program. The presenter also used verbal feedback from the audience to evaluate the presentation.

Assessment of learning was used to measure the participants understanding of the importance of customer service after the training. A post-training survey was administered to assess if there was an improvement in skills due to the presentation. However, the assessment involved self-reported knowledge gains, not objective measures.

Summary

Overall Effectiveness

In general, the presentation was well-designed, and the delivery style was excellent, contributing to the effectiveness of the program. The training goals were clear and meaningful, and the presenter emphasized key points  customer service, patient satisfaction, and the role of nurses  to enhance the learning experience and retention. The purpose of the teaching was defined, and the speaker demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the subject. The content was also relevant to the participants. Personally, the utilization of visual aids enhanced my learning and involvement in the training.

Recommendations

The presentation could be improved further by including real-life demonstrations and role-playing to illustrate customer service problems and how to resolve them. Assigning small tasks to groups during the sessions can also enhance engagement and reflective learning experiences. Additionally, offering the training in real-life settings such as a ward or department can improve critical thinking and use of customer service concepts in practice. Pre- and post-training surveys should be used to compare knowledge gains to baseline skill levels.

Strongest Messages

As an attendee, I learned the link between customer service and patient satisfaction with care and how it affects HCAPS scores. I also understood that patients want courtesy, information/explanations, timely care, and cleanliness. Nurses, being the caregivers with direct patient contact, can ensure excellent customer service by being relatable, using appropriate language, and showing compassion. As a future nurse educator, I learned the strategies of effective professional presentation and delivery skills such as active audience involvement through audio-visual aids and open-ended questions.

Reference

Bluestone, J., Johnson, P., Fullerton, J., Carr, C., Alderman, J., & BonTempo, J. (2013). Effective in-service training design and delivery: Evidence from an integrative literature review. Human Resources for Health, 11(51), 1-26. Web.

One message that is consistent all through about service recovery in all my internet searches is that service recovery is about ensuring dissatisfied and irked customers after receiving poor service leave the business premises reassured, happy and more loyal customers. While emphasizing the need and importance of good customer recovery strategies in business, Hart, Heskett and Sasser, Jr. (1990) acknowledges that mistakes are inevitable and a critical part of every business servicehowever, dissatisfied customers are not.

They reckon that, while it is almost virtually impossible to put in measures that would prevent any problem or mistake from happening in customer service, businesses can learn to turn the tide and recover from such happenings. Service recovery done perfectly well has the potential to turn angry and frustrated customers into the best loyal ones  better even than if nothing went wrong in the first place. According to Tschohl (2005), service recovery is;

&.putting a smile on a customers face after youve screwed up. Its solving a customers problem or complaint and sending him out the door feeling as if hes just done business with the greatest company on earth  and its doing so in 60 seconds or less (Tschohl, 2005, p. 18).

Poor or inadequate service recovery will definitely lead to customer defection. In order for an organization to craft the best and most adequate service recovery strategies strategist need to understand and indeed know what are the real primary causes of customer defection.

Well, many things in a business can result into irked and dissatisfied customers but they will all emanate or border on the failure to meet customers expectations and hence make a customer leave satisfied. Ideally, having dissatisfied customers necessitates the need for service recovery but even then when that is not done correctly or even done at all customers will have no choice but to leave you and seek elsewhere.

According to Lucas(2011), customer defection is inevitable when customers; perceive poor services in part of the organization that does not meet their needs, their problems are handled inefficiently or they themselves feel treated unfairly, and finally, when no adequate systems in part of the organization are put in place to prevent or even handle customers problems.

Good customer recovery strategies and hence proper and adequate measures to make amend when the organizations services or products are unable to meet the customers expectations are essential to ensure customers do not result in defection.

While every strategy or measure to be put in place purely depends on the specific issues the customer has against the organization, well there are available broad measures that an organization can put in place to ensure its broad service recovery strategy works or succeeds. These broad measures will either fall under any of the three subcategories namely; the organization, employees, and the customer.

Under the organizational level, a firm needs to ensure that all its processes, procedures, policies and structure as relates to customer service are effective and efficient. For instance, the policy, procedures and indeed the entire process of handling customer grievances should ensure unnecessary hurdles of bureaucracy are done away with, and that unhappy customers are able to get adequate and reassuring answers to their grievances as quickly as possible and in the most time conscious manner.

Under the employee banner, empowerment is vital to enabling customer service staff carry out their duty well and effectively as possible in a manner that leaves the customers happy to come back. Empowerment could be in the form of ensuring employees receive the relevant training ton ensuring resources and necessary permissions to handle customer complaints.

Third, but not the least, is the customer category. Surprising as it may seem, customers may defect because of themselves. Understanding the customer is vital to avoid defection. Some customers may not understand how your product or service works or might assist them but they will not ask. It is therefore incumbent upon the organization to diagnose and identify such customers to assist them to avoid losing them.

Having talked about service recovery and customer defection, let us now turn our focus on the real factor that necessitates the two, service breakdown. Service breakdown refers to inadequacies in service delivery that results to the organization as ability to meet customers expectations in effect culminating to unsatisfied customers (PRweb, n.d.).

Well, just like the cures given above to avoid customer defection, service breakdown remedies also fall in three categories namely, organizational, employees and customers. Organizational remedies are such that all processes, policies and procedure should aid and actually be designed in manner that ensures good service delivery.

This means that from the top management and indeed the entire line of authority should not lose focus on the customer and service delivery. The structure should empower those directly dealing with customers give the best services as well as enhance communication and timely feedback and where possible immediate remedial actions where deficiencies are noted.

Employees, on the other hand, could as well be the reasons for service breakdown. Here, attitude knowledge as well as communication skills of the employees can turn the tide between excellent service delivery to a disappointing service breakdown and vice versa. Empowering employees such as through training can ensure have the requisite knowledge and are able to communicate well offering solutions to inquisitive clients.

A customer service supervisor will however require going work an extra mile to ensure his or her staff is in their right attitude to handle the customers. Unlike knowledge and communication skills which if a customer service staff lacked can readily be identified, attitude is difficult to assess as even the best customer service representative could have a bad attitude on a particular day or client.

As such, it is always important that the customer service supervisor is able to read the psychology of his or her staffers and ensure that all are of positive attitude to avoid service breakdown. It is important to also always remind the staffers that in whatever they are doing they should not take matters personally but rather they should carry themselves as the organization. Once they understand that, attitude becomes much easier to manage.

In conclusion, customers will become dissatisfied if their expectations are not met and if they feel badly treated and or if ignored. As such, the very first strategy to ensure customer satisfaction is by surpassing their expectations. Never paint a notion of some expectation to the customer that you cannot meet.

Secondly, customers are indeed the king and they require to be treated like one- focus on the customer. Everything that is done in a business should not lose focus that customer is the king; they should all be geared to achieving and addressing customer needs. Third, but not the least, respect the customer. Business is the customer. No business can survive without customers. This basic tenet should not be lost and by what better way than to respect and treat the customer like a king.

References

Hart, C. W. L., Heskett, J. L. and Sasser W. E. (Jr.). (1990). The Profitable Art of Service Recovery. The magazine July 1990. Web.

Lucas, R. (2011). Customer Service Skills and Concepts for Success. 5th edition. McGraw-Hill Education: New York.

PRWEB (n.d.). What is Service Recovery  And Why Do You Need It? Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB). Web.

Tschohl, J. (2005). Loyal for Life: How to Take Unhappy Customers from Hell to Heaven in 60 Seconds or Less. Best Sellers Publishing: New York.

Introduction

Academic libraries are facing several external and internal pressures in their environments. For instance, the popularity of the internet is causing potential library users to shift away from libraries as their primary source of knowledge. Additionally, academic institutions are struggling with budgetary allocations because they are competing with other public services such as hospitals.

University and college administrators have to critique the use of their resources in libraries and some may have to reduce allocations if minimal efficiency exists. Furthermore, the development of online libraries has created a renewed challenge in information services because new legal and copyright rules must be instated in order to protect authors. These and many more factors have/will force academic libraries to reconfigure their customer service or service quality provisions so as to survive in such challenging environments.

Evaluation of quality of services provided by academic libraries based on theories and models

Services marketing and 7 Ps

Services are quite distinct from fast moving goods because they possess certain qualities that cannot be found elsewhere. Services typically encompass economic activities transferred from one party to another. Usually, these are time bound and may not encompass exchange of physical assets; in other words transfer of ownership will not occur.

Customers in the services sector often exchange money and time for value derived from systems, networks, facilities, labour, skills or even goods owned by the service provider. In the case of academic libraries, customers exchange money (through annual fees) for facilities, systems and labour in those institutions. These qualities make the marketing of services quite unique; that aspect can be analysed through the 7Ps i.e. Product, promotion, price, place, people, process, physical environment (Lovelock and Wirtzm, 2011).

In service offering, product refers to a service concept that has the capacity to give value to customers. This will be a combination of a core need and a supplementary need. Academic libraries offer information through books and this is their core value; other supplementary needs include rental book services and cataloguing services which are designed to add value to the core product.

The second P is promotion. Service marketing promotion often employs educating customers about the service, how to use it and how to drive maximum benefits from it. Academic libraries often do promotions through websites, self service equipment or use of display screens. Third, service marketing employs price.

Any service provider needs to be offering services at a price that will be worthwhile to customers so that they can go beyond price considerations and purchase the service. Academic libraries ought to minimise time and travelling expenses that can inflate price. They can do this by making their services convenient.

Place is also another important consideration. This refers to the channels used by the service provider and may be a physical location, website, the phone or other outlets. Libraries now have a wider access to distribution channels through the internet and this can improve performance.

People denote the employees used to deliver those services and they need to possess the right attitudes, interpersonal and technical skills. Academic libraries cannot compromise on this element as it is what users employ to assess their effectiveness. Process means those variables involved prior to actual offerings. These may involve training, standardisation of services as well as automation. Academic libraries ought to employ rigorous service quality management as part of process.

Lastly, physical environments refer to the look of tangible aspects of the service such as the building, furnishings and equipment. In academic libraries, this normally involves appropriate seating arrangements, arrangements of books and design of the actual library (Gummesson & Lovelock, 2004).

The latter overview of service marketing gives a brief illustration of what this concept entails in academic libraries. However, one needs to know whether actual institutions pay attention to 7ps of marketing. Primary data that has been collected from academic libraries by a number of researchers has illustrated challenges in the people aspect.

Some employees have attitudinal issues. Many will be so preoccupied with the task at hand that they may not bother clarifying exactly what customers want. New students who may not know how to use library systems may often get assistance about how to locate references but rarely understand verbal illustrations. Many libraries lack practical illustrations for using their systems.

Overly speaking, the manner in which employees handle complications can be improved in most academic libraries. Additionally, libraries seem to have a problem with their product aspect because there is often very little excitement about new books. Displays are often not there or may not be attractive or value driven.

Promotional aspects of this industry are quite good because many institutions utilise the internet in order to educate customers about use. Libraries tend to be academically oriented so the physical environment in marketing can also be improved as many have not considered customer wants (Goh & Vhung, 1999).

Customer service system theory

Customer service systems encompass those kinds of configuration of technology and networks that are crucial in delivering the wants and needs of customers. In other words, it is a configuration of technology, people, external service systems, internal service systems and others connected through the use of shared information.

Dominos Pizza is an exemplary case of how customer service systems can translate into profit. Dominos decided to automate the pizza making process such that all unnecessary processes could be eliminated. This implied that the organisation could deliver quality pizzas uniformly. Also, in order to reduce time spent in handling paperwork, the firm adopted an IT system that would assist in management of marketing costs, inventory and payroll.

These contributed to their success. However, some service providers may have greater contact with their clients than others as is the case with academic libraries. Here, their aim in the customer service system should be to boost the quality of their interactions with users.

In such scenarios, they need to have technologies and networks that allow relatively new employs to carry out their roles effectively even as they go through the learning curve. Most customer service systems are complex and keep changing as more innovation takes place.

Many institutions have realised the importance of this aspect so most are using technology to boost their systems. However, it was found that most libraries will often introduce new product stacking methods yet they will not bother to inform and educate consumers about it. Customer service systems can only be effective if they involve the consumer so universities are failing in this area (Goh & Vhung, 1999).

Service quality model

The service model proposes a number of issues that must be tackled by service providers in order to enhance customer satisfaction. First, it proposes an assessment of customer perceptions on the services under consideration and assessment of their actual expectations. Many institutions will stop at customer perceptions of what they have already offered but most of them will rarely focus on the things that customers wish for or expect from that service provider. It is crucial to measure both these aspects in order to know where a library is and where it needs to be.

Service quality also encompasses improvement of services. This should involve the use of technology in library systems and effective training of those offering the service (Usherwood, 2003). Service providers also need to look for ways of cutting costs as these will translate into effective pricing strategies in the company.

Libraries often need to charge users for services used and if they can eliminate all the backlog in their service systems then this could definitely translate into lower unit pricing. Sometimes service improvement can translate into reduced costs but in other situations it could increase them. Libraries need to be aware of this potential clash and hence work on a compromise between the two goals.

Nothing matters more in service quality than valuing ones customers. When most users are asked about the issues that make them highly dissatisfied in libraries, most will cite poor treatment by employees. Therefore, libraries need to ensure that the customer is valued by according him due respect.

This means responding effectively and promptly to their concerns. Scorning or criticising customers for complaints will often do more harm than good. Furthermore, valuing the customer also means offering timely service. Many library users have complained about waiting times when trying to get help from librarians. Academic libraries are not doing so well when it comes to the issues of prompt service delivery.

Service quality should also involve tangibles. Here, organisations need to pay attention to ambiance in their organisations. Customers should be able to derive satisfaction from this aspect in much the same way that they do from goods. Libraries often work on ambience by improving seating arrangements and design.

The users would prefer a place that is comfortable and satisfying. However, sometimes this may not work well because libraries are meant to facilitate knowledge acquisition rather than provide comfort. Therefore extremely comfortable seats may work against them.

Numerous academic libraries have created areas where students can seat around a table and even engage in discussions. This works against the major principle in operation in libraries because it creates noise and interrupts other serious students. Such a problem is quite rampant in a number of institutions and therefore needs to be addressed in order to improve service quality (Goh & Vhung, 1999).

Didactic model

The didactic model is an old school of thought in library and information services. In this model, it is assumed that the librarian knows best. He or she can anticipate the needs of the student and should therefore provide that individual with them.

It should be noted that this model focuses on needs and not wants; needs refer to things that students cannot do without while a want refers to an inherent desire that may not be that important. Librarians adhering to this school of thought will pay attention to student needs by relating them to an overall school mission or to certain policies applicable within the library.

In other words, the librarian considers himself or herself as a professional and someone who facilitates learning. He or she will therefore deduce users needs through external mechanisms. Librarians often reason that students may not always understand what is best of them and this implies that librarians must educate them about this knowledge.

If for example a student has been given an assignment by his or her lecturer, a librarian following this model will tell him how to find information that he is looking for rather than show him exactly where it is. In a number of academic libraries, it has been shown that many adopt such a stance.

Theirs is to encourage a spirit of independence and this can only be learnt when one is not spoon-fed. Practically speaking, many librarians in academic institutions have stated that they consider themselves as co teachers. Theirs is to complement the relationship that exists between students and their teachers in their lecture rooms. Consequently, most do not do searches on behalf of students especially those new ones who appear to be having unrealistic expectations (Martula & Menon, 2005).

Recommendations

Academic libraries can improve customer service through a series of approaches. The deficiencies in the 7 ps found in these institutions can be corrected through clarification of expectations. Libraries can repeat back what users tell them  a technique called mirroring.

This will ensure that they handle the right problems. Alternatively, they can teach new students how to use a new method of finding books or any other thing. They should deal with one sample and then let users do the rest. During waiting times, libraries can reduce pressure by installing video monitors which educate students about new developments in the library system.

Also, employees can empathize with students when they bring forward complaints or they can direct them to superiors if they feel that they cannot answer the question at all. This would cool down the concerned user and make them understand the situation especially when they hear it from a superior.

Libraries can work on promotional aspects by displaying new books at the entrance of the library to attract customers attention. All these issues will go a long way in improving customer excellence hence satisfaction.

References

Lovelock, C. and Wirtzm J. (2011). Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy. NJ: Prentice Hall

Gummesson, E. & Lovelock, C. (2004). Whither services marketing? In search of a new paradigm and fresh perspectives. Service research journal, 7(1), 20-41

Goh, C. & Vhung, P. (1999). Service typologies: a state of the art survey. Journal of Operations and productions, 8(3), 403-456

Usherwood, B. (2003). Libraries as a public service. Public library journal, 7(5), 141-145

Martula, C. & Menon, V. (2005). Customer expectations; concepts and reality for academic library services. College and research libraries journal, 56(13), 33-47

Role of the Consult

• Brainstorming as the starting point in launching a new project (Wickham & Wickham, 2008).
• Developing a new framework of processing information received from customers;
• Introducing a new training program for employees who are expected to work in team on test projects; such an activity will allow the managers to define the level of the readiness of employees to make important decisions, their leadership skills, as well as their ability to accept changes;
• Supporting managers decision-making and correcting his/her actions whereas managers should be able to listen to the consultants advice and implement the necessary changes (Block, P., & Nowlan, 2011). In addition, the consultant should be ready to face resistance on the part of the managerial staff and personnel;

Role of the Manager

• Controlling the availability of resources and devices the exact number of people and resources needed to meet customers concerns;
• Encouraging creativity among employees and stimulating their responsiveness to the challenges that the company faces (Wickham & Wickham, 2008);
• Using Lewins model of change management, managers should reconsider the previous policies of HR department and introduce new communication strategies that are focused on horizontal collaboration, as well as strict distribution of responsibilities;
• Outsourcing is an efficient strategy that could be implemented within organization because it has two potential benefits. First, engaging fresh blood into the staff can contribute to generating new ideas and improving the quality of communication with clients. Second, applying for new employees will promote a healthy competition among other members of the organizations personnel;
• Defining dependent and independent variables. Independent variables will involve introducing training programs and new employees whereas dependent variables include shifts in department organization and quality of customer services.

Evaluating External and Internal Environments

Analysis of external and internal environments is vital for any business organization because it allows managers to set the course on enhancing corporate business responsibility.

At this point, Wall-Mart should be more concerned with efficient human resource strategies that can create a favorable setting for their employees belonging to one of the most important stakeholders.

Therefore, before entering an international market, the company should conduct a SWOT analysis to assess its readiness to face threats and gain new opportunities for development (Wickham & Wickham, 2008).

The second step of evaluating the environment will rely on analysis of economic factors, including economic wealth and distribution of customer groups.

Flexibility of currency in the country is also an important threat coming from the external environment and, therefore, currency control should be a priority for the organization.

Further analysis of external environment should cover environmental factors to address ecological situation, define the strategies of environmental protection. Ignorance of this factor can have legal and political consequences for an organization.

Assessing Client Capabilities and Business Opportunities

Therefore, Wall-Mark should tackle this issue to maintain good reputation and expand their client base. The necessity to retain good reputation can also attract new employees and increase the organizations competitiveness over other business organizations.

It can also minimize the pressure on the part of the government posing legal and political regulations.

Enhancing communication is possible through establishing fruitful cooperation with other environmental organizations and investors who would be interested in financing the companys projects.

Therefore, for the training program and outsourcing initiative to be successful, the managers should take care of these stakeholders and promote philanthropic responsibilities among all members of an organization.

Moral stance is an integral component of acting in an international environment because it does not only establishes strict ethical codes but also enhances corporate culture.

References

Block, P., & Nowlan, J. (2011). Flawless consulting. A guide to getting your expertise used. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Wickham, P., & Wickham, L. (2008). Management consulting: Delivering an effective project (3rd ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson.

Symptoms indicating the customer service failure at the Mount Rundle Hotel

A common symptom of the failure of customer service is the lack of apology from the management. The customer is hardly granted an opportunity to explain his frustrations. The difference in the price of the same service on two different websites indicates that the hotel is not keen on customer services. Lastly, the hotel uses the credit card of the customer and overcharges him without his consent.

The causes of the customer service failure

The management tends to focus on the cash flow at the expense of customer service. The management of Mount Rundle is, to some extent, either poor or thoroughly incompetent. The technical team of the hotel is to be blamed. It is supposed to ensure that all the websites are properly harmonized in accordance with the daily activities of the hotel. Generally, a combination of these will result in such problems reoccurrence. Unfortunately, these problems are not unique to Mount Rundle Hotel. They spread to all restaurants that prioritize in-flow of cash.

The behaviour of the customer and its appropriateness

Although Mr. McKenzie was justified to demand his money back, the way he went about it was not good. He did not have to go writing negative reviews about the hotel and spoiling business for them yet he had been there only once. It was probably his bad luck and not the hotels habit to frustrate its clients. He should have given the hotel management a chance to explain and correct the errors or find a way to make it up to him. Since they value customer feedback, it was very unlikely that they would let this customer go away with a heavy heart. Similarly, he should have just informed such organizations as Banff Lake Louise Tourism about the issue and left it for them, not him, to handle.

The actions to prevent this problem in the future

The best way to prevent such an occurrence in the future would be for the hotel to employ a competent technical team with enough experience. Also, if customers are treated in an inappropriate manner, they should report the case to the relevant authorities or associations but not publicize it. The client, in this case, does that, though later, by informing various authorities like The Better Business Bureau of Southern Alberta. There should be a thorough assessment of all top managers to rest assured that such problems will not reoccur. Besides, the hotel should establish an interactive site where customers will be channeling their views on the services they offer.

Communication Skills

The training of the customer service representatives (CSRs) in the Student Registration Office must address their communication skills. The CSRs are not able to identify and clarify the problems of students because they lack effective communication skills. The CSRs also use evaluative questioning when attending to customers because of their poor communication skills. Training for communication skills is important for the CSRs because it will allow them to listen effectively to the concerns of customers and to convey their responses in an appropriate manner (Lee, 2012).

Through training on communication skills, complaints from students about services in the registration office will reduce. Training the CSRs will allow them to acquire specific communication competencies, such as asking questions in an appropriate manner and appreciating the fact that each customer is different or unique in the manner of expression through communication (Sturdy, 2000).

Problem Solving Skills

Problem-solving skills are an important requirement for CSRs because they allow them to identify the complex concerns that customers present in order to provide the most effective solutions on the basis of an analysis of all available alternatives (Parasuraman, Berry, & Zeithaml, 1991).

The training program must address the problem-solving skills of the CSRs because it is the lack of these skills that make them ineffective in dealing with the different problems that each student faces in regard to the registration process. Training on problem-solving will also enable the CSRs to review and apply related information on the registration process in order to provide solutions that are relevant and appropriate to each problem. Problem-solving skills will also enable the CSRs to manage the conflicts that occur when customers are not satisfied with the registration services.

Professionalism

A professional attitude is a vital skill for CSRs because it allows them to separate personal feelings from service delivery. The CSRs seem not to appreciate the fact that understanding and recognizing the feelings of customers is part of their roles in service delivery. This makes it necessary to train them for the development of professional attitudes and positive perceptions about their obligation to attend to the needs of all customers, including the difficult ones. Training for positive attitudes is important because it influences the level at which the CSRs are motivated to execute their roles and to serve the interests of customers (Arthur, 1994).

The experiential and educational activities of the training program should address the professional attitudes of the CSRs, which influence the quality of professional relationships that they develop with customers (Blodgett, Wakefield, & Barnes, 1995).

Service Orientation

The training program must also address the service orientation attitudes and skills of the CSRs because they are not able to apply their knowledge on registration steps for effective delivery of services. The behavioral skills of the CSRs are not aligned with their role in service delivery because they lack a service-oriented attitude. In addition, the CSRs seem to be less committed to the delivery of high-quality registration services.

The training program should involve practice sessions that will enable the CSRs to develop the desired service orientation for dealing with the diverse problems of customers. The development of service orientation attitudes and skills among the CSRs will make them effective in assessing the needs of customers and providing registration services that are corresponding to customer needs. Effective training will enhance the quality of services that students receive and minimize complaints about the registration process (Hyken, 2014).

References

Arthur, G. (1994). Customer-service training in academic libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 20(4), 219.

Blodgett, J. G., Wakefield, K. L., & Barnes, J. H. (1995). The effects of customer service on consumer complaining behavior. Journal of services Marketing, 9(4), 31-42.

Hyken, S. (2014). Customer Service Training. Sales & Service Excellence Essentials, 13(9), 18

Lee, G. J. (2012). Firm size and the effectiveness of training for customer service. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(12), 2597-2613. Web.

Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., & Zeithaml, V. A. (1991). Understanding customer expectations of service. Sloan Management Review, 32(3), 39-48.

Sturdy, A. (2000). Training in service  importing and imparting customer service culture as an interactive process. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(6), 1082-1103. Web.

Introduction

Customer satisfaction is one of the main goals a business wants to reach for ensuring competitive advantage and revenue growth. As a seller of car parts and a provider of wrecking services, Hondwreck Partsheaven is looking to improve the quality of the provided services, optimize the inventory processes, and optimize the overall performance of the company. As found by Cheung and To, customers have a negative reaction to service failure (2524); thus, there is a need for designing a project plan that will be beneficial for the organization overall. The purpose of this project plan is to outline recommendations about inventory and customer service improvement in Hondwreck Partsheaven to reach high levels of customer satisfaction.

Inventory Optimization

The first step in the project plan will be focused on the efforts to optimize the inventory in Hondwreck Partsheaven because an efficient usage of inventory has a positive impact on the cash flow of a company and thus continued liability (Lemke 14). One of the primary processes of optimization will involve a decrease of order fulfillment times. After analyzing the sales as well as the levels of demand for different services, a list of the most popular items should be made to ensure that the stock is being fulfilled instantly. While the company should have an extensive stock of those items that are used and sold regularly, the just-in-time inventory system can be applied to those products that do not have the same popularity.

Because just-in-time inventory is associated with risks such as unreliable supplier networks or the lack of immediate financial gains (Mazanai 5786), it is advised for Hondwreck only to implement the system concerning the less popular products that do not have the same effect on customers satisfaction as those sold on a regular basis. Such differentiation between inventory processes will allow the company to make evidence-based decisions and ensure that in-demand products never stock out nor that there is a risk of popular items not being delivered to customers due to unreliable supplier networks. The next process will be associated with making decisions about pricing since with the decrease of excess inventory there will be a decrease in inventory costs and thus a possibility to lower the prices for clients. This is directly linked to customers satisfaction as well as the companys competitive advantage over the businesses that do not offer lower prices for great quality due to their lack of inventory optimization efforts.

Customer Services Improvement

The second step in the project plan will be dealing with customer services. As mentioned by Lemke, the provision of immaculate customer service is a crucial component in service delivery in todays industry (60). Moreover, excellent customer services ensure competitiveness and stability because satisfied customers tend to refer their friends and family to a company that offered good services (Hoffman and Bateson 382). According to Steinkirchner from Forbes, there are many steps a company can make to enhance customer services:

• Letting customers get to know a business  being upfront about location, owners, customer support contacts, and other information that can enhance accessibility and trust.
• Being available  from picking up the phone at the office to traveling to other states for trade shows, a company should always make sure that its customers are valued.
• VIP  offering special discounts to loyal customers.
• Acquiring knowledge  take time for customer satisfaction surveys and online questionnaires to get valuable information about how a business can improve from the perspective of customers.

Customer improvement processes will be assigned to a team of employees that have a direct relation to working with clients. Ranging from sales assistants to call center operators, each employee will be encouraged to implement the mentioned above steps into their daily interactions with customers to reach high levels of satisfaction. In turn, the management will invest in conducting seminars, coaching, and training sessions to educate employees on the best practices of effective customer service as well as maintain the spirit of teamwork when it comes to catering to the needs of loyal clients (Kumar 48).

Aims and Timelines

While the purpose of the project plan is the enhancement of the operations for enhancing customers satisfaction with the products and services provided by Hondwreck Partsheaven, there is a list of specific aims that should be achieved with a certain timeframe. These aims are presented in the table below:

Works Cited

Cheung, Fung Yi Millissa, and Wai Ming to. A Customer-Dominant Logic on Service Recovery and Customer Satisfaction. Management Decision, vol. 54, no. 10, 2016, pp. 2524-2543.

Hoffman, Douglas, and John Bateson. Services Marketing: Concepts, Strategies, & Cases. 5th ed., Cengage Learning, 2017.

Kumar, V. Profitable Customer Engagement: Concept, Metrics and Strategies. Sage Publications, 2013.

Lemke, Scott William. Inventory Optimization in Manufacturing Organizations. Scholarworks, 2015. Web.

Mazanai, Musara. Impact of Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory System on Efficiency, Quality and Flexibility Among Manufacturing Sector, Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) in South Africa. African Journal of Business Management, vol. 6, no. 17, 2012, pp. 5786-5791.

Steinkirchner, Sunday. 5 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service. Forbes. 2012. Web.

Introduction

Our daily interactions with Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) influence our lives. CSRs are essential to each business. Its crucial to ensure that CSRs personnel possess exceptional dispositions required to uphold the caring attitude. Furthermore, such dispositions enable effective decision making. Indeed, CSRs should show attentiveness and concern while assisting clients (Lawson, 2002). Most importantly, CSRs personnel must assure their clients that they possess the competence and responsibility required to resolve customers predicaments. Indicatively, CSRs personnel require appropriate training to gain the skills required for active customer care services provision. This paper discusses a training program together with activities designed to deliver relevant skills to the CSRs personnel.

A training program for CSRs personnel is an ongoing process conducted yearly. The training is applicable in a two-day workshop. It has four learning goals that focus on communication, public relations, personal and interpersonal skills. These training areas are crucial for effective helping tasks (Lawson, 2002). Notably, the training program should highlight these goals. It should include simulating scenarios that CSR personnel encounter in their everyday lives through role-plays. The program targets twenty of CSRs personnel. They are targeted because training a few people increases the effectiveness of the initiative. Furthermore, the financial allocation made by the firm for this project can support the training of twenty customer care personnel.

The seminar is aimed at re-emphasizing the duties of the CSR team and the value placed on them. Indicatively, their conduct and performance give an impression on the culture of the firm (Blanchard &Thacker, 2010). Therefore, the firm places a high value on the growth and individual development of the team. Trainees have the opportunity to interact with experts during the seminar. Evidently, trainees will easily comprehend the dynamism of customer service. A summary of the workshop instructional strategy is provided in table 1. The strategy encompasses different aspects of the seminar, including training content, objectives, learning goals, and learning points. Furthermore, the strategy presents applicable training methods, instructional media, and desirable workshop room set up (Blanchard &Thacker, 2010).

Training Methods

Evidently, the training methods used in the workshop aims at achieving the learning goals. The interactive discussion used in module 1 promotes critical thinking about customer service provision. Interactive conversations also create a comfortable atmosphere among participants. Lecture method, appropriate video footage, and role play are applicable in module one and two. Lecture methods will be used to introduce the modules. Appropriate video recordings are also shown to invoke participants thoughts about the training themes.

Space will be created in the room to enable the participants to perform their role plays. The role will focus on the worst-case and best-case scenarios between CSRs and clients. The participants will also discuss the learning points during breakaway rooms and later present their deliberations (Gitman & McDaniel, 2009). CSRs experts will interact with the participants and provide them with insights about the dynamism of customer service. They will also suggest appropriate adaptation tactics.

Role-Play Scenarios

The training uses handouts designed to highlight different role-play scenarios. The handouts are presented in Tables 2 and 3. The trainees will model and perform role plays in groups to depict their daily work experiences. Notably, trainees will perform diverse roles, including CSRs team and clients (Knapp, 2011). The modeled role plays are intended to reflect issues presented under the modules. Trainers will facilitate role-plays in order to note important points for discussions. They will debrief the trainees about issues and concepts emerging from the role plays. Indicatively, trainers will enable participants to comprehend links between emerging issues and customer care experiences.

The scenario represented in table 2 below shall be introduced when handling module 3 (Blanchard &Thacker, 2010). It is intended to enable trainees to note the most appropriate and applicable communication skills in client and CSRs working relationship.

The table (3) below shows a second scenario, which is intended to provide trainees with an opportunity to present a role play about personal and interpersonal skills.

The issues and concepts covered in the workshop provides CSRs team with appropriate and applicable skills required to deliver quality customer care services.

Conclusion

Provision of appropriate client care services is crucial in organizations. Evidently, firms require customer service representatives (CSRs) who possess relevant skills, experience, and knowledge. Training CSRs workforces is very crucial for a firm intending to provide quality helping services to their clients. Training CSRs personnel is a continuing process normally taking two days yearly. The training aims to achieve four learning goals including communication, public relations, personal, and interpersonal skills. The learning goals are delivered through training modules. The training program also includes instructional strategies such as lecture methods, discussions, video footage, group work, and role plays among others.

References

Blanchard, P. N., &Thacker, J. W. (2010). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and Practice. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Gitman, L. J., & McDaniel, C. D. (2009). The future of business: The essentials. Mason, OH: South-Western Cenage Learning.

Knapp, D. (2011). A guide to customer service skills for the help desk professional. Boston, MA: Course Technology Cengage Learning.

Lawson, K. (2002). New employee orientation training. Alexandria, Virg: ASTD Press.

Introduction

One of the main features of the modern business world is the high level of competition that continues to increase. This tendency can be explained by the existence of beneficial conditions for the development of small and big companies. Globalization, technological revolution, and intensive international discourse serve as the major facilitators of the rise of various industries and companies. Additionally, the shift in peoples mentalities preconditioned the higher level of independence and the desire for self-actualization. For this reason, the constant appearance of new companies that try to enter various markets is the trend of contemporary society. It contributes to the rapid evolution of multiple spheres of human activities as demand begets supply; however, it also means that to remain competitive, firms have to devote more attention to issues that might guarantee their future development. In this regard, excellent customer service, as one of the fundamental aspects of clients satisfaction, becomes one of the most potent tools that should be utilized by companies to achieve high-performance levels and beneficial outcomes.

Background

Analyzing the increased significance of customer service, the central factors preconditioning its growing importance should be outlined. First of all, modern society can be determined as the consumer one. It means that the consumption of proposed goods is one of the central features that should be considered by various industries to satisfy the constantly growing demand for new commodities (Goetsch & Davis, 2015). At the same time, the availability of numerous products means the existence of a wide choice and multiple options for clients. Under these conditions, to sell a service or a certain object to a group of clients, companies should correctly realize their diversified demands for it. In other words, customization and focus on particular cohorts of people along with the segmentation of the market became an integral part of the modern business world. Furthermore, regarding the fact that the majority of companies recognize this idea, the need for the creation of long-term relations with customers and their loyalty becomes the only possible way to win the rivalry.

Customer Service

From this very perspective, the idea of excellent customer service emerged in terms of the growing competition between the most influential companies acting in various market segments. The constant broadening of the target audience is a key factor preconditioning the future success of corporations, stable income, and growing interest in its products. That is why trying to generate a competitive environment, representatives of organizations start to adhere to new individualized and flexible approaches ensuring that every customer will remain satisfied with the offered products, services, or other items suggested by firms (Hill, 2017). The given method preconditioned the rise of a completely new strategy of working with individuals emphasizing the fundamental role of their satisfaction and its direct correlation with the results of any corporation. In such a way, the idea of outstanding customer service became topical.

Definition

The significance and the scope of the term precondition the existence of multiple definitions. The broadest one states that service excellence can be determined as the focus on the provision of services that exceed clients expectations and delight them (Asif & Gouthier, 2014). It becomes a fundamental element of any organizations sustainability and development as it creates conditions that demanded the cultivation of customer loyalty and profitability (Asif & Gouthier, 2014). In such a way, there is a direct correlation between the level of customer service and the companys success and ability to compete with the closest rivals. However, despite the seeming simplicity, the term remains a complex and challenging issue. First of all, because of its acceptance by multiple firms and the existence of diverse needs, there are no standardized approaches to the implementation and addressing of these issues in business organizations (Marquardt, 2015). The existing guidelines outline the essential factors impacting the success of implementation and results, but there are many other issues affecting every particular case.

Models

The existing methods, such as business excellence models (BEMs) or European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), also do not outline direct and universal guidelines on how to implement these strategies into the work of companies and achieve success (Asif & Gouthier, 2014; Marquardt, 2015). The existence of the given tendency can be explained by several factors. First of all, the diversity mentioned above means that every case should be investigated separately, and only some general trends can be outlined. It is preconditioned by the existing differences in clients demands mentioned above. Every company working in a particular sphere faces the need for improved performance and customer loyalty that can be achieved only by fulfilling their requirements. For this reason, all existing models of customer service excellence emphasize the focus on individuals needs as a key factor to attain success. At the same time, there are multiple challenges related to the creation of an effective strategy and its integration with the functioning of a certain company.

Elements

The majority of research papers have a common perspective on the issue. They assume that customers desires and needs are a basic requirement for the work of any company as they have the right to an adequate level of service (Asif & Gouthier, 2014). At the same time, the existence of superior, or excellent service, can become a pleasant experience and a factor creating a positive association between a brand and a provided product. The frequency of these experiences directly depends on the industry, products, and current market demand (Asif & Gouthier, 2014). However, every company should try to create conditions that contribute to the emergence of such moments as the key to the future evolution of organizations. Even satisfied customers can quit because of various reasons. For this reason, moments of delight or some positive emotions become critical for the work of any firm, and they ensure that individuals will want to experience these feelings again and return to the same service providers.

Regarding the given idea, the customer service excellence model presupposes that there are four elements that should be observed to achieve the desired goal. These are delivering the promise, providing a personal touch to the service, devoting extra effort, and dealing well with problems and queries (Asif & Gouthier, 2014, p. 514). These activities can be performed via the managerial effort and appropriate organization of the companies work. To deliver what is promised and act effectively in various situations, managers should have specific systems that can help to solve unexpected situations. These mechanisms of service recovery are critical for models of excellence as they guarantee that clients demands will be fulfilled in any case (Asif & Gouthier, 2014). The given framework becomes one of the possible ways to ensure better functioning. The given excellence model is one of the existing methods to achieve service excellence, which is one of the goals of modern companies.

From another perspective, the achievement of customer service excellence is closely related to the basic principles of total quality management (TQM). Discussing the given model, specialists outline the fact that to achieve high satisfaction levels and guarantee that they will remain high, any organization should engage in the constant improvement of all aspects of its operation (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). One of the possible ways to achieve it in terms of the given paradigm is the increased attention to leadership and decision-making focused on offering better solutions to customers and involving all employees in continuous quality improvement activities (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). For this reason, the idea of customer service excellence is also related to the creation of a special culture and climate within an organization as not prepared employees can demonstrate resistance to change and low preparedness levels, which can deteriorate results and precondition the appearance of multiple undesired changes (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). In other words, the quality culture should be cultivated in any organization that is focused on the gradual increase of clients satisfaction level and the creation or generation of high loyalty levels, which is the desired goal of any corporation.

Among various organizations, there are many approaches that are used to improve their relations with customers. For instance, there is a focus on customer retention as this very strategy is not so expensive and can help to achieve positive results (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). At the same time, speaking about customer satisfaction levels, there is no need for too strict economic measures as they can repel customers from the company and create the opposite effect. That is why there is a critical demand for the achievement of a balance between spending and the creation of effective measures that can help to improve all aspects of the firms work. It will help any organization to evolve and create outstanding customer service that will attract new clients.

Implications

In such a way, accepting the unique role of customer service excellence in the functioning and evolution of any company, there are multiple opportunities for its implementation. First of all, in accordance with the dominant opinion and the relevant statistics, companies characterized by the high level of clients loyalty and devotion have more opportunities for becoming successful (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). It can be explained by stable income and its growth. Under these conditions, the creation of an excellent model of customer service becomes a key to the achievement of desired goals and generation of the competitive advantage. That is why the successful implementation of any excellence model acquires the top priority. The main aspect of the improvements in this area is the focus on clients delight (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). It can be achieved via that systematic approach to upgrading and alignment of a continuous process of upgrading all fields related to customer service.

At the same time, any company that tries to build excellent models should possess increased flexibility. The ability to adapt to the constantly changing demands of clients and provide them with the services they want is vital for the above-mentioned concept of delight. The desired level of preparedness to all possible requirements can also be attained due to the upgrade or creation of certain systems and structures such as better feedback service or public relations units that are fundamental for the discussed field. In other words, customer service excellence also requires significant, and numerous alterations in the way organizations work because of the scope of this field and its significance for outcomes.

Another implication of excellent customer service in companies is that it contributes to better leadership and decision-making patterns. The effective way to achieve high levels of performance is to start from improvements in the sphere of management and leadership that serve as the basis for any successful strategy and future achievements (Kanji & Wallace, 2000). For this reason, the discussed concept has a beneficial impact on the essential spheres of any organizations work and contributes to their improvement. Better leadership parameters affect peoples performance and their motivation to work, which is critical for desired outcomes. That is why the current approach to the creation of the environment characterized by customers delight and their satisfaction with the provided services presupposes the radical reconsideration of the basics of companies functioning.

Furthermore, speaking about the implications of customer service excellence in organizations, it is critical to mention that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are required to guarantee that introduced changes have a positive impact on the work of the company and, which is even more important, are welcomed by clients who benefit from the focus on their delight and measures that are implemented to guarantee that all their requirements will be understood and appropriately analyzed. That is why the effective data collection system is also another factor preconditioning the successful implementation of various service improvements. Considering the fact that the central idea of any change is the promotion of delight among potential clients, managers and leaders should be ready to respond to any alterations in the target group and provide appropriate reactions.

Altogether, from the theoretical framework offered previously, it becomes clear that the concept of excellent customer service is critically important for the work and development of any modern organization, regardless of the sphere. However, the complexity of relations with clients and diversification of their demands mean that the appropriate changes in the structure are fundamental. At the same time, implications for the existing excellence models are rather broad and include various benefits guaranteeing that the creation of the appropriate environment is critical for any successful company. Among the possible implications, one should also mention a significant increase in the overall effectiveness of companies because of the ability to delight clients (Naidu & Reich, 2018). For the modern business world, it becomes a central factor demanded to win the rivalry and compete with other actors. Moreover, the discussed framework is closely related to the brands image and its popularity among individuals. The ability to meet diverse demands helps to improve the reputation and contribute to the future evolution of the firm. For this reason, another implication of customer service is the desire to repair or enhance the existing attitude to the company.

Summarizing the idea of excellent customer service, it can be determined as a set of measures that are introduced by the company, its leaders, and managers with the central goal to delight clients and guarantee high levels of loyalty and devotion among them. However, the complexity of the task also means that radical systematic changes of all structures are demanded to create a paradigm that will function in various conditions and help to achieve desired goals. The existing guidelines on customer service do not offer an ideal approach that works in any situation because of the multiple demands among clients. At the same time, there are many excellent models that presuppose a focus on the most critical issues demanded to align the effective work of a company.

Applying the idea of service excellence to modern companies, it should be noted that the central aspect is the necessity to meet the existing demands for the diversification and customization of all services and products that are presented to the market. The old approach presupposing only the focus on the quality of products is replaced with a new one outlining the high role of clients delight (Marquardt, 2015). This tendency can be considered a reflection and continuation of the paradigm that the needs of the client are central for any business. For this reason, there are attempts to create a system that will be able to satisfy all existing requirements and offer multiple opportunities for improved cooperation between all stakeholders.

Conclusion

Altogether, excellent customer service is one of the fundamental elements of any modern company that wants to remain prosperous and play leading roles in various market segments. For this reason, the utilization of different models offered regarding the desired goals becomes the possible way to create an environment characterized by enhanced cooperation between clients and management and their delight. This trend is one of the dominant tendencies in the modern business world as it creates the basis for future evolution and development.

References

Asif, M., & Gouthier, M. (2014) What service excellence can learn from business excellence models. Total Quality Management, 25(5), 511-531.

Goetsch, D., & Davis, S. (2015). Quality management for organizational excellence: Introduction to total quality (8th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Hill, N. (2017). How to measure customer satisfaction (2nd ed.). London, England: Routledge.

Kanji, K., & Wallace W. (2000) Business excellence through customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management, 11(7), 979-998.

Marquardt, A. (2015). Concepts and realization of customer delight. International Journal of Sales, Retailing and Marketing, 4(5), 3-13.

Naidu, S., & Reich, A. (2018). Collective action and customer service in retail. ILR Review, 71(4), 9861001. Web.

Background

FedEx is a transportation company headquartered in the United States; it has branches all over the world. The firm offers delivery and transportation services to a myriad of clients. This organization is subdivided into four major groups, which include FedEx Express, FedEx services, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Freight.

FedEx Express mostly focuses on door to door delivery through a money back guarantee. It does this through its integrated network of vehicles and technologically-based tracking system. FedEx Ground deals with the small package market in Canada and the United States.

This encompasses all the home deliveries that are less than 150 pounds. FedEx Freight covers the distributional or business market. Here, the company transports commodities that are time bound, bulky and essential to the supply chain. This market is also eligible to money back guarantees.

Lastly, FedEx Services handles back-office activities such as IT, customer service, sales and marketing. It also encapsulates FedEx mobile, which is a service that runs on mobiles and other Apple-based products. This facilitates the process of tracking ones package in order to know where it is located.

The firms main competitors include organizations such as DHL, TNT, UPS, and ABF Freight System. In this industry, FedEx is still recognized as a market leader because of initiating a number of services. FedEx was the first organization to introduce overnight letter delivery. It was also the first to bring in Saturday deliveries or deliveries that arrive at 10.30 am on the next day.

The firm handles customs brokerage and is also in charge of delivering packages across the border. Sometimes these clearances can be done electronically. The organization is ISO certified and also won a Baldridge Award for Quality.

It transports approximately 2.9 million packages every night through air transport and meets the needs of Canadian consumers through a group of 3, 500 workers in the country. In the customer care category, the firm has about 250 employees who respond to calls all day and night from Canadian clients.

Statement of the problem

The case study revolves around a customer service malfunction. The concerned client is an Office Manager at Canadian-based firm, Desktop Innovation. FedEx lost her package temporarily and thus failed to deliver it on time.

Furthermore, employees within the organization did not offer sufficient support to her during the delivery of this package. As a result, DI lost a very crucial business opportunity, and cost its clients unnecessary expenditures in dealing with the challenge.

The macro issue is poor customer service at FedEx. The micro issues include poor tracking and follow up of the lost package, inadequate feedback to the client on the status of the package, and uncoordinated responses to alterations in customer delivery requirements.

The customer was also dissatisfied with the kind of compensation the firm was offering her, and she received no personal acknowledgement of wrongs committed by FedEx.

In order to understand this problem fully, one must look at the internal and external constraints that affect the organization. The internal constraints in FedEx are the procedures, processes, systems and policies put in place. An organizations employees are only as effective as their systems.

In fact, analyses show that approximately 85% of employee effectiveness emanates from organizational systems while the rest of the percentage comes from the persons skills. Therefore, all the customer service personnel in FedEx who dealt with the aggrieved client are limited by the procedures, processes and policies put in place.

This company has a series of money-back requirements that must be fulfilled in order to qualify for a refund. Employees can only do so much for disgruntled customers if they require a refund but have not followed the right procedures. Therefore, these systems are a constraint in the process.

On top of that, the company is a profit-making institution, which implies that all the decisions being made, must be in the best interest of the company shareholders. Sometimes this may involve reducing refunds because they may hurt their bottom line.

Another set of internal constraints entails the level of coordination within the organization. If communication impediments exist and all employees do not share information accurately, then this will translate into service failure. The firms logistics handlers must be in constant communication with the package trackers as well as the customer care representatives.

The company is highly constrained by this issue because it has a vast number of employees who may not always relate to the developments that occur in that company. DI expected to receive their package before the trade show, but since the company lost the package for a substantial amount of time, then it was no longer necessary to send the package to the first location.

In this regard, Anita Kilgour changed the directions, but because the companys employees were poorly coordinated, then the package went to the wrong location. The firms infrastructural capabilities also constrain employees to act in immediate response to consumer complaints. They have to transport their packages to various destinations around the world and sometimes this may necessitate long waiting times.

When packages are to be delivered within North America, then the organization needs to possess tracks that can take on direct routes as this minimizes distortions. However, because most tracks deliver several packages to several destinations, then many stopovers are necessary. Sometimes this may lead to the temporary or permanent loss of an item as was the case with DIs packages.

This organization takes pride in its people policies. It values its employees and always puts them first. It intends on creating the best atmosphere for people to stay committed to the company, so it achieves this through in house promotions, employee-satisfaction surveys as well as pay for performance.

While this may be an important strategy, it can act as a constraint to great service quality because employees may focus on protecting their own interests. For instance, if their quality is assessed through the numbers of people that they can talk to at any one time, then chances are that they will try as much as possible to finish with one client in order to move onto the next. Anita Kilgour may have been a victim of this kind of focus.

Technology use is essential in the prompt delivery of services especially when the delivered packages must go to various parts of the world. As a result, the firm must invest in technologies that will trace the location of these packages.

Even though technology is designed to enhance service quality, sometimes it may act as a constraint. There is only so much technology can do; besides, the system may not always manage to track the millions of packages handled by the firm at any one time. In this regard, the company will be limited by the responses it can make to customers such as Anita Kilgour.

The external constraints that affect this organization include customs rules or customs clearance. Since the package was going to another country, then the firm needed to deal with some customs related issues. Other external parties determine the pace of customs clearance. Therefore, the companys ability to meet its customer obligations may be hampered by these third parties. Such a problem may have arisen in this scenario.

The company cannot control the rate at which customers change their demands. Some clients may change package information, and this may not always get to the ground personnel on time. Clearly, Anita did the same for her package, but the company respondents did not relay the information to the shipping personnel. In certain circumstances, however, customers may not always be right.

Although FedExs mistakes may cost their clients numerous business opportunities or may increase their overhead costs, it is not possible to compensate clients for these inconveniences. For a company that delivers 2.9 million packages a day and listens to thousands of complaints daily, the firm would go out of business if it paid customers for all their troubles.

Customers may not always have this knowledge and may request for more than is due to them. Company policies show that the organization only compensates a person for transportation charges. Anita is asking for more by talking about booth fees as well as telephone expenses. These unrealistic expectations constraint FedExs ability to deliver satisfactorily.

Situation Analysis

An external environment reveals that IT advances are being made in the package delivery or transportation business very frequently. As a result, the organization must stay abreast of these issues almost immediately. It is likely that the firm may have invested in new technology at the time of delivering DIs package. FedEx also operates in a highly competitive market.

North America has a numerous transportation service providers such as UPS and DHL. Furthermore, some of these companies control crucial aspects of the sector such as mail boxes. One such organization is UPS. This company also has a higher share of ground services than FedEx. It also boasts of superior ground services.

Many competitors are merging and acquiring new portfolios that make it difficult for FedEx to stay ahead. As if this is not enough, some of the biggest FedEx clients happen to be competitors. One such organization is the US Postal service. FedEx has to collaborate with this company, but it also takes away most of its clients.

In addition to the strong competitive environment, the organization must make a name for itself in the global arena. This can sometimes entail a thorough investment in the consolidation of the air freight market by investments in planes and other infrastructure. Therefore, dynamics in the air industry can also affect the company. Infrastructural investments in the road sector also alter business at FedEx.

A SWOT analysis can assist one to understand the internal dynamics that affect this company and hence the case study. One of the major strengths of the company is that it is a household name in the US and Canada. Consequently, it is unlikely that a customer will abandon the business owing to first mistakes.

Additionally, the company operates independently thus enabling it to respond to consumer demands collectively. On top of this, the companys finances are in order.

The organization has a huge network of pilots and crew members to transport its packages. It is also highly innovative by investing in research and development. The firm has pioneered a number of services in the package delivery industry. Additionally, it has a global presence and invests heavily in technology.

Its major weakness was manifested in this case study; it has a disjointed customer service. The firm seems to think that having a large employee base is all it takes to meet customer expectations, yet this strategy is not working. There are challenges with coordination between various customer service employees.

They also have trouble with following up and giving customers feedback on their packages. Additionally, although the company does relatively well in air freight, it does not have a strong force on the ground. Its technological investments are quite costly. It also makes many late deliveries and must deal with numerous refund requests.

Implementing the money back guarantee is a problem for the firm because so many discrepancies arise. Customer requests for refunds are overwhelming to the company, so it must use various legal strategies to minimize these requests. Many clients feel that the company sometimes promises more than it can deliver because of these conditions.

FedEx has significant opportunities in its industry. First, it can expand into other global markets and thus tap into a larger market. Additionally, it can streamline its internet services so as to minimize the need for contact with consumers. On top of this, the firm can also heighten demand within the logistics industry.

The threats that affect the company are competition from other companies, especially those that offer more superior services than it does. Clients might defect from FedEx owing to frustrations from their poor responses rates and defective customer service.

Analysis of alternatives

The organization has the option of using this complaint as a wake call. It can take the positive criticisms about its customer service and thus conduct a system overhaul. DIs complaints are not the first, as many other repeat clients have experienced the same problem. If the company takes this route, then it will retrain its workers about the importance of proper customer service.

It will set aside resources to achieve this. Training should involve several business related objectives such as the company goals and the importance of paying attention to customer requests. However it should also involve some practical aspects such as instating a system in which employees who promise to get back to employees can do so as soon as possible.

It seems many of the customer care respondents tend to dwell on dealing with as many incoming calls as possible. The company can make it mandatory to follow up on calls when an employee promises to do so. This means that they need to record the number and details of every customer that needs feedback.

During shift changes, employees can offer the complaint details, contacts and names to the next group of workers so that they can follow up as soon as possible. If the firm pays its people for every phone call handled, then it can also pay them for the number of follow ups done. This would act as an incentive to always get back to clients immediately.

Alternatively, the company may respond to this problem by expanding its workforce and thus deal with burnout issues. It seems that the firm handles too many complaints and it becomes difficult to offer in-depth solutions if a customer care respondent has too much on his or her plate.

The individuals may have developed an apathetic attitude owing to burn out. FedEx can solve this problem by designating certain areas of service provision to certain members. This would make them specialists in that area. Furthermore, customers should be required to remember the name of their previous customer care attendant and thus be directed to them the next time they call the center.

This would reduce time wastage owing to the explanation of problems repeatedly. Additionally, it would provide a much-needed personal touch, since clients would be talking to the same person every time they call the company.

The third alternative that the company may consider is treating this complaint as any other typical one. It could simply give the customer what she was looking for. In this regard, the organization can require the supervisor  Chris  to call this disgruntled customer and admit that the company was wrong.

He should make a verbal apology to the client and could ask the client to make some suggestions about what she would like the company to do. Sometimes all a customer wants is to be heard. It should validate the clients claims and thus take responsibility for its mistake. The company is restricted by its profit goals to pay for other losses that customers encounter during delivery of their packages.

The supervisor and the customer service head can explain that they are limited by company policies to compensate Anita for the $600 worth of booth fees. As the customer service manager and the supervisor talks to Anita, they need to be as sincere and as apologetic as possible. Nonetheless, they can assure her that all the employees involved in the tracking of her package will be warned about their failure to honor their promises.

Recommendations

The first alternative would be the most feasible; carrying out a customer service overhaul through training and incentives. As explained earlier, one of the constraints in the company is profit making. Hiring more workers would be quite costly to the organization, and this would hurt its bottom line, which implies that the second alternative is out of question.

If the company chooses the third option, then it will not have dealt with the root of the problem. As explained earlier, Anita Kilgour is not the only customer to make such a complaint. Numerous clients experience the same problems, yet the company has done nothing about it. This should be regarded as a wake up call. Although training would cost the company money, it would not be as much as the rehiring on new staff.

Furthermore the company would protect itself from possible loss of business or defections that stem from poor customer service. It should think of the training as an investment in its repeat clients. Option three would send the message that this is an isolated incident, yet it is not. The company can let Anita Kilgour and other similar customers know that it has instated those changes.

Implementation and action plans

The implementation should start as soon as possible; preferably in one months time. The more the firm delays, the more customers it will loose. The action plan should entail a six-week training program in which customer service employees in Canada will participate. This should take one hour per day and employees should start practicing what they learn immediately on the job.

The end of the training program should be characterized by a visitation of the company goals and the role of customer care respondents. All staff members should implement a follow up program that will take three months for completion. The payment system will also be changed after 6 months training so as to include follow ups.