What Is Customer Service?

Dear Reader,

Need I say that the quality of service delivered by any personnel on each encounter with a client is relative?

This is because it is difficult to measure such things as quality service because it is intangible. However when good service is offered, the following would have taken place.

• Solution must have been proffered. It implies that appropriate information would have provided for enquiries made, availability of requested product/service or the recommendation of a worthy alternative where out of stock or where the firm does not offer the service requested.

• The customer must have been made comfortable.

• The service provider must have been able to deliver on both documented and verbal promises. Very Important!

• A comparatively better means of delivering the service was employed.

• The customer (who is king) walks away feeling satisfied and a lot better.

Quite easy I hear you say. Just maybe let us find out.

When the quality of Service Provided equals to the Customer’s Expectation, then you just lived up to the perception the customer already has about the firm. Neutral Service Offered (SP = CE)


In a case where the Customer’s Expectation Exceeds the Service Provided, it is POOR SERVICE. (SP < CE)


But if it’s the other way and the Service Provided Exceeds the Customer’s Expectation, it is simply Excellent Service!


Now you understand why the quality of service delivered is relative because it is measured largely based on the customer’s perception.


A good understanding of the client with all the principles of service in place makes it a lot easier to achieve Excellent Service delivery.


You probably want to think through on these tips before we load ourselves with more information.

Thank you for reading and sharing the link this time.

Bimbo,

What is Customer Service?

WHO ARE YOU?

Do you know that you are liable to abuse if you do not know who you are and what you are worth?

Are you a Consumer or a Customer?

In simple terms, a Consumer is that individual, group of persons or firm that make actual use of a product or service.

A Customer on the other hand is broader in scope. It includes that person or firm who currently patronizes and those that have got the potential to patronize a service provider or make use of a product.

As such whether you are actually buying (as a Consumer), window shopping or making enquiry (as a Potential Customer), you deserve "good" if not "Excellent" Customer Service.

We will be giving insight into what Customer Service is in my next post.

Thanks for visiting and reading through.


Bimbo...

Its Customer Service Week Again!

I am pretty sure that a good number of us would have received text messages, e-mails and maybe calls from our banks and certain businesses we patronize often with good database to appreciate us for our patronage and re-affirm their commitment to remain the best, all in celebration of the ongoing Customer Service Week.

The media has equally be engaged with lots of jingles and promo to create awareness on the freebies made available by firms to mark this unique celebration.

However, with the activities for the third day wrapping up gradually, let’s take a quick one down memory lane to see how this all started, the motive and establish if we are doing it right. 

The Customer service Week was instituted by the International Customer Service Association ICSA in the U.S.A and was first celebrated in 1984. By 1992, President George H. Bush signed a proclamation setting aside the first week of October to celebrate the National Customer Service Week with an annual theme defined by ICSA. 

The theme for this year's event is 'United By Service".

The essence of this annual occasion is to appreciate all front line staff, customer-facing and interacting executives for their hard work and the important role they play in sustaining every business as they determine to a large extent whether or not a customer would make a repeat purchase or leave never to return.

While many employers of labour are “band wagon celebrant” who have joined this annual event simply because other organizations are and have no idea or have lost of the essence. They therefore channel resources and efforts to appreciate only external customers leaving out the internal customers (staff) who determine the fate of their businesses.

As such, as we strategically visit those banks and stores where cakes, candies and branded items are provided solely for patronizing customers (on a lighter note), let us also make time out to share a smile and a word of appreciation with that security man, sales girl, teller, contact centre agent, waiter etc. to encourage them in the course of performing their duties.

One good turn deserves another you know. 

We would therefore like to hear from you to know how it has been at your end? Are you being appreciated as a staff? Has it been all about the customers alone or maybe it was not even celebrated at all due to many reasons best known to your employer.

Kindly share your view with us as many readers would like to learn from you.


Bimbo,

Its Customer Service Week Again!

I am pretty sure that a good number of us would have received text messages, e-mails and maybe calls from our banks and certain businesses we patronize often with good database to appreciate us for our patronage and re-affirm their commitment to remain the best, all in celebration of the ongoing Customer Service Week.

The media has equally be engaged with lots of jingles and promo to create awareness on the freebies made available by firms to mark this unique celebration.

However, with the activities for the third day wrapping up gradually, let’s take a quick one down memory lane to see how this all started, the motive and establish if we are doing it right. 

The Customer service Week was instituted by the International Customer Service Association ICSA in the U.S.A and was first celebrated in 1984. By 1992, President George H. Bush signed a proclamation setting aside the first week of October to celebrate the National Customer Service Week with an annual theme defined by ICSA. 

The theme for this year's event is 'United By Service".

The essence of this annual occasion is to appreciate all front line staff, customer-facing and interacting executives for their hard work and the important role they play in sustaining every business as they determine to a large extent whether or not a customer would make a repeat purchase or leave never to return.

While many employers of labour are “band wagon celebrant” who have joined this annual event simply because other organizations are and have no idea or have lost of the essence. They therefore channel resources and efforts to appreciate only external customers leaving out the internal customers (staff) who determine the fate of their businesses.

As such, as we strategically visit those banks and stores where cakes, candies and branded items are provided solely for patronizing customers (on a lighter note), let us also make time out to share a smile and a word of appreciation with that security man, sales girl, teller, contact centre agent, waiter etc. to encourage them in the course of performing their duties.

One good turn deserves another you know. 

We would therefore like to hear from you to know how it has been at your end? Are you being appreciated as a staff? Has it been all about the customers alone or maybe it was not even celebrated at all due to many reasons best known to your employer.

Kindly share your view with us as many readers would like to learn from you.


Bimbo,

Welcome on Board!

I have seen people cheated in the process of spending their hard earned money to buy themselves an item of need or in exchange for service to give them comfort.

 It has become common knowledge that people unknowingly expect to have their rights abused daily either because they do not even know what these rights are or because the society has come to embrace these terrible acts as the norm and the affected populace are largely uninformed.

Rather than join the vast majority who lament day in, day out with carefully selected tenses and grammar with well polished diction of either an American or British accent at times acquired locally, i have chosen to empower everyone who cares and wishes to know, on what is and what should be by from my knowledge and expertise as a Customer Service Personnel for some years.

We can collectively decide on the quality of service rendered (as Business Owners) and received (as customers) by having a deeper insight into the basic ethics and culture of customer service and its implications.

Your objective contributions, comments, questions and reservation will be appreciated as we will be writing on the various service providers ranging from the regular shops around to the well branded stores in the fast growing malls, various airlines, banks, hospitals, school administrators, government officials and agencies, public bus drivers and their conductors, skilled personnel (hair stylists, tailors, plumbers)etc to mention but a few.

Thank you for taking the time out to read through this post as well as for your interest and willingness to share your views on the issues that will be published subsequently.

Have a great week!

Bimbo.