Marketing and Sales Management

Level III
Based on November, 2023 Curriculum Version II

Module Title: Delivering and Monitoring a Service

to Customers
Module Code: LSA MSM3 M01 11 23
Nominal duration: 75 hrs.

Prepared by: Ministry of Labor and Skills

November, 2023
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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 Acknowledgment
Ministry of Labor and Skills wish to extend thanks and appreciation to the many
representatives of TVET instructors and respective industry experts who donated their time
and expertise to the development of this Teaching, Training and Learning Materials
(TTLM).

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 Contents
Acknowledgment ............................................................................................................. ii
UNIT ONE: CUSTOMER NEEDS ............................................................................... 2
1.1 Customers‘ needs and expectations ...................................................................... 2
1.1.1 Customer need .................................................................................................... 3
1.1.2 Strategies for Identifying Customer Needs .......................................................... 5
1.1.3 Customer Expectations ........................................................................................ 9
1.2 Customer needs priorities ..................................................................................... 12
1.3 Effective communication .................................................................................... 14
1.4 Addressing customer‘s Needs .............................................................................. 20
1.5 Limitations in addressing customer needs ........................................................ 21
SELF-CHECK (UNIT ONE) ...................................................................................... 25
UNIT TWO: DELIVERING A SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS ............................... 27
2.1 Customer service .................................................................................................. 28
2.2 Establishing rapport .............................................................................................. 32
2.3 Customer complaints ............................................................................................ 35
2.4 Providing respond to Customer needs. ................................................................. 46
2.5 Opportunities to Promote services and Products ............................................ 50
SELF-CHECK (UNIT TWO) ..................................................................................... 52
UNIT THREE: MONITOR AND REPORT ON SERVICE DELIVERY .............. 54
3.1 Reviewing customer satisfaction .......................................................................... 55
3.2 Enhancing quality of services and products..................................................... 58
3.3 Monitor service delivery ....................................................................................... 60
3.4 Customer feedback................................................................................................ 61
3.5 Reporting service delivery .................................................................................... 62
SELF-CHECK (UNIT THREE) ................................................................................. 64
References ................................................................................................................... 66

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 Introduction to module
In marketing field deliver and monitor a service to customers help to know how to identify
customer needs, deliver a service to customers and monitor and report on service delivery
under the marketing and sales management field.
This module is designed to meet the industry requirement under the deliver and monitor a
service to customers‘ occupational standard, particularly for the marketing and sales
management.
This module covers the units:
 Customer needs
 service delivery
 Monitoring and reporting on service delivery
Learning Objective of the Module
 Identify customer needs
 Deliver a service to customers
 Monitor and report on service delivery
Learning Instructions
For effective use this modules trainees are expected to follow the following module
instruction:
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning outcome.
2. Follow the instructions described below 3 to 5.
3. Read the information written in the ―Unit Try to understand what are being
discussed. Ask you teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding
them.
4. Accomplish the ―Self-check‖ given at the end of each unit

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 UNIT ONE: CUSTOMER NEEDS
The learning guide deliver and monitor a service to customers is developed to provide
you the necessary information regarding the following content coverage and topics are:
 Customer needs and expectations.
 Customer needs priorities
 Effective communication
 Addressing customers‘ needs
 Limitations in addressing customers‘ needs
The above learning guide will also assist you to attain the following specific objectives.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning outcome you will be able to:
 Identify customer needs and expectations.
 Determine Customer needs priorities
 Assist effective communication of customers‘ needs
 Address customers‘ needs
 Assess customer need limitations

1.1 Customers’ needs and expectations

Customer is an individual or business that purchases the goods or services produced by a
business, the customer is the end goal of businesses, since it is the customer who pays for
supply and creates demand. Businesses will often compete through advertisements or sales
in order to attract a larger customer base.
Customers include the following
 Corporate customers
 Individual members of the organization
 Individual members of the public
 Internal or external
 Other agencies
A customer (sometimes known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient of a good,
service, product, or idea, obtained from a seller, vendor, or supplier for a monetary or other

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 valuable consideration.
Customers are generally categorized into two types:
A. An intermediate customer or trade customer (more informally: "the
trade") who is adealer that purchases goods for re-sale.
B. An ultimate customer who does not in turn re-sell
A customer may or may not also be a consumer, but the two notions are distinct, even
though the terms are commonly confused. A customer purchases goods; a consumer uses
them. An ultimate customer may be a consumer as well, but just as equally may have
purchased items for someone else to consume. An intermediate customer is not a consumer
at all. In the world of customer service customers are categorized moreoften into two classes:
 An external customer of an organization is a customer who is not directly
connected to thatorganization.

 An internal customer is a customer who is directly connected to an organization,

and is usually (but not necessarily) internal to the organization. Internal customers
are usually stakeholders, employees, or shareholders, but the definition also
encompasses creditors and external regulators.

1.1.1 Customer need

Customer need is a motive that prompts a customer to buy a product or service.
Ultimately, the need is the driver of the customer's purchase decision. Companies often
look at the customer need as an opportunity to resolve or contribute surplus value back to
the original motive.
Most Common Types of Customer Needs
The types of product needs can be split into two categories: product and service.
Product Needs
I. Functionality Customers need your product or service to function the way they
need in order to solve their problem or desire.
II. Price Customers have unique budgets with which they can purchase a product or
service.
III. Convenience product or service needs to be a convenient solution to the function
your customers are trying to meet.
IV. Experience The experience using your product or service needs to be easy -- or at

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 least clear -- so as not to create more work for your customers.
V. Design ፡ Along the lines of experience, the product or service needs a slick design
to make it relatively easy and intuitive to use.
VI. Reliability፡ The product or service needs to reliably function as advertised every
time the customer wants to use it.
VII. Performance፡ The product or service needs to perform correctly so the customer
can achieve their goals.
VIII. Efficiency፡ The product or service needs to be efficient for the customer by
streamlining an otherwise time-consuming process.
IX. Compatibility፡ The product or service needs to be compatible with other products
your customer is already using service needs.
X. Empathy፡ When your customers get in touch with customer service, they want
empathy and understanding from the people assisting them.
XI. Fairness፡ From pricing to terms of service to contract length, customers expect
fairness from a company.
XII. Transparency፡ Customers expect transparency from a company they're doing
business with. Service outages, pricing changes, and things breaking happen, and
customers deserve openness from the businesses they give money to.
XIII. Control፡ Customers need to feel like they're in control of the business interaction
from start to finish and beyond, and customer empowerment shouldn't end with the
sale. Make it easy for them to return products, change subscriptions, adjust terms,
etc.
XIV. Options፡ Customers need options when they're getting ready to make a purchase
from a company. Offer a variety of product, subscription, and payment options to
provide that freedom of choice.
XV. Information፡ Customers need information, from the moment they start interacting
with your brand to days and months after making a purchase. Business should
invest in educational blog content, instructional knowledge base content, and
regular communication so customers have the information they need to successfully
use a product or service.
XVI. Accessibility ፡ Customers need to be able to access your service and support

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 teams. This means providing multiple channels for customer service.
We'll talk a little more about these options later.
 Understanding customer needs is critical for innovation and go-to- market success.
 Many organizations lack a consistent approach for finding and using needs
Identify Customer Needs
Ten things you need to know about your customers
Who they are? If you sell directly to individuals, find out your customers' gender, age,
marital status and occupation. If you sell to other businesses, find out what size and kind of
business they are. For example, are they a small private company or a big multinational?
What they do ፡ If you sell directly to individuals, it's worth knowing their occupations and
interests. If you sell to other businesses, it helps to have an understanding of what their
business is trying to achieve.
Why they buy፡ If you know why customers buy a product or service, it's easier to match
their needs to the benefits your business can offer.
When they buy፡ If you approach a customer just at the time they want to buy, you will
massively increase your chances of success.
How they buy፡ For example, some people prefer to buy from a website, while others
prefer a face-to-face meeting.
How much money they have? You‗ll be more successful if you can match what you're
offering to what you know your customer can afford.
What makes them feel good about buying፡ If you know what makes them tick, you can
serve them in the way they prefer.
What they expect of you፡ For example, if your customers expect reliable delivery and you
don't disappoint them, you stand to gain repeat business. What they think about you if your
customers enjoy dealing with you, they're likely to buy more. And you can only tackle
problems that customers have if you know what they are.
What they think about your competitors፡ If you know how your customers view your
competition, you stand a much better chance of staying ahead of your rivals.
1.1.2 Strategies for Identifying Customer Needs
Strategies for identifying customer needs are an integral element of a company‘s marketing
program. Understanding customer needs helps refine product development projects,
marketing communication programs and distribution choices. Companies that launch

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 products without researching and taking account of customer needs run a high risk of
failure.
Research፡ Carrying out customer research as part of your marketing strategy provides a
broad view of customer needs. Review published market research on the sectors that you
target to identify trends or changes in purchasing patterns. Visit customers ‗websites to
assess their product and market strategies and identify opportunities to meet their current or
future product needs.
Customer Feedback፡ A strategy that encourages customer feedback will provide you with
insight into customers ‗attitudes toward your products and services, helping you identify
how well you are meeting their needs. Set up a forum or poll on your website or on a social
media site where customers can post reviews or leave comments. Encourage customers to
join a user group or other community where they can share their experience in using your
products and make recommendations for changes or improvements. Acknowledge the
feedback from customers and respond to requests for improvements.
Social Media፡ Incorporating social media in your communications strategy enables you to
track discussions on your products and those of your competitors. Input from social media
adds further insight to complement the information you get from customer feedback.
Monitor social media that mention your company and respond to comments to engage
customers and prospects in dialog.
Collaboration፡ Building collaboration with customers into your new product development
strategy ensures that products reflect customers ‗needs. Involve representatives of key
customers in your product development project team, asking them to provide input on
product requirements or feedback on product proposals. Set up a panel of customers to test
or evaluate new product prototypes. In the software industry, for example, publishers
release beta versions to selected customers for evaluation before finalizing products for
general release.
Customer Relationship Management፡ A customer relationship management strategy
enables you to develop insight into customer needs from your own records. CRM systems
collect data on all customer contacts and transactions, providing information on purchasing
and service history, product inquiries, complaints, communication channel preferences, and
response to marketing campaigns. By analyzing the data in a CRM system, you can build a
picture of individual customer ‗s needs and preferences.

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 "You cannot manage a quality service organization unless you understand the nature of
what you are providing; fully realize what your customers want from you and how they
perceive you from the start." Once you have identified who your customers are, you need
to assess what they need from your product or service.
Most customer needs can be divided into four basic categories:
I. The need to be understood Customers need to feel that the message they are
sending is being correctly received and interpreted
II. The need to feel welcome Customers need to feel that you are happy to see them
III. The need to feel important Customers like to feel important and special
IV. The need for comfort Customers‘ needs physical and psychological comfort
Identifying Customer Needs: Not identifying customer needs correctly is just like building
a house on a weak foundation. Why would you knowingly do that? A good builder will
consult an expert that then conducts soil surveys and engages contractors to properly set a
solid foundation.
Your customers are looking for businesses that understand their requirements. They are the
experts on their problems and you need to ask about these, before you develop new
offerings.
Listening to your market
The importance of market research cannot be underestimated. With so many new products
and services failing, we need to establish a solid foundation as early as possible. Of course,
poor market acceptance can happen for many different reasons.
Just look at the product development and launch cycle and you ‗ll see that at any of these
points there are challenges: gaining customer insight, understanding the competitive
landscape, design and development your products or services, channel alignment, rollout
planning and execution, and promotion.
But you need to start with a sturdy foundation prior to concept development. Proper
customer data mining is the key.
Voice of the Customer
It's an obvious statement to say that market research is about listening to your customers.
When identifying customer needs it is very important to ask the right questions, listen, and
ask more questions based on the answers. Then absorb what you hear.
"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize

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 that what you heard is not what I meant."
The first step to identifying customer needs is with a customer needs analysis that takes all
of the following into account: product-market fit, customer feedback, input from your
service team, and any customer service data you can gather. From there, you'll be able to
identify customer needs as well as any friction that exists in your process.
Interpersonal skills are the skills you need when you, as a person, communicate with
another person. Some examples of interpersonal skills:
 Active listening
 Teamwork
 Responsibility
 Dependability
 Leadership
 Motivation
 Flexibility
 Patience
Some people have a better understanding of the needs of others and know how to please
them because they have learnt to watch and listen rather than do all the talking. Other
people have such a warm and friendly manner that the people they meet immediately
feel at ease and comfortable with them.
Interpersonal skills can always be improved and refined so that you can achieve the
best possible communication with your clients. You can do this by practicing your
existing skills or by developing new skills.
Understanding your client‘s needs and the type of cleaning they require will make it
easier for you to do your job efficiently and effectively. When you first meet a client it‗s
important to try and establish a relationship with them. You will initially need to remain
the listener in the conversation.
Take notes and try to avoid butting in as this will only annoy the client and you will
become disadvantaged by not giving yourself enough time to listen and understand what
the client wants. In order to meet the client‘s expectations you must first comprehend
what the client‘s cleaning requirements are active listening, such as paraphrasing and
asking ‗open ‗and ‗closed ‗questionswill enable you to hear and clearly understand what
your client wants and expects from you.

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 1.1.3 Customer Expectations
Refers to the expected perceived value, behavior, service or benefits that the customers
seek when purchasing a good or availing a service.
Types of customer expectations
There are certain types of customer expectations. Let us discuss the 3 major types:
Core Expectations፡ There are aligned with the customer requirements and expectations
from the core product or service offerings.
For Example, they should be able to talk and message using the phone and should also be
able to connect to the internet.
Unstated Expectations፡ These are the expectations of the customer which are not stated
clearly or expressed by the customer but having them will raise the customer experience
and loyalty. A voice controlled AC remote and air filter in an Air conditioner can be an
example. Though it is not normally expected but if these are there then customer would try
to explore these and eventually buy the product.
Service Expectations፡ While buying a product or a service, customer expects a certain
level of experience and interaction with the brand. If the product is good but buying
experience is not good then a company may end up losing the customer. Also after buying
a product, a customer expects a certain level of After Sales support.
Importance of Customer Expectations for Business
The importance of customer expectations for a large or small business must be balanced.
Meeting and exceeding these customer expectations are essential for building strong
customer relationships, fostering loyalty, and achieving sustainable growth. Here‘s why
customer expectations are crucial for the success of any business:
Customer Satisfaction: Meeting customer expectations leads to higher levels of customer
satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more likely to deal with repeat future purchases,
recommend your business to others, and leave positive reviews. On the other hand, failing
to meet basic expectations can lead to dissatisfaction and negative word-of-mouth, harming
your reputation.
Customer Loyalty: Consistently meeting or exceeding customers‘ expectations cultivates
loyalty. Loyal customers stick with your brand over time, even in the face of competition.

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 They become advocates who promote your products or services to their network,
effectively becoming a free preferred channel.
Brand Reputation: Customer expectations influence your brand‘s reputation. When you
consistently deliver what you promise, your brand becomes associated with reliability and
trustworthiness. This positive reputation can attract new customers and differentiate your
business in a crowded marketplace.
Competitive Advantage:
Understanding and meeting customer expectations can give you a competitive edge.
Businesses that consistently provide exceptional experiences are more likely to stand out
and attract customers away from competitors. This advantage is particularly significant in
industries with a similar product or service.
Repeat Business:
A loyal customer is likelier to deal with repeat buyers. They‘ll return for additional
purchases when they know they can rely on your business to fulfill customer needs
according to customer expectation. Repeat business contributes significantly to revenue
and profitability.
Positive Word-of-Mouth:
Happy customers are sharing their positive customer experiences with friends,
family, and colleagues. Word-of-mouth recommendations are powerful and can
significantly impact your customer acquisition efforts.
Innovation and Improvement:
Customer feedback and expectations drive innovation and improvement. By
actively listening to your customer feedback and desires, you can develop new
products, services, or features that align with their expectations, enhancing your
competitive offerings.
Emotional Connection:
To meet customer expectations creates an emotional connection between your brand and
customers. Emotional connections lead to deeper relationships and increased customer
lifetime value.
Long-Term Growth:

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 Consistently exceeding customer expectations ultimately leads to long-term business
growth. Loyal customers and positive word-of-mouth contribute to a stable customer base
and a strong market position.
Tips to Meet Customer Expectations Efficiently
To ensure lasting customer relationships, it‘s essential that you meet the expectations of
your target audience. Here are six tips to meet your customers‘ expectations efficiently.
Know Your Customers፡ Getting to know your customers is the first step to meeting their
expectations. And for that, you‘d need more than just their demographic information.
You‘d have to dive deep to assess their needs, preferences, and buying behavior to get a
clear picture of your audience profile.
Knowing your customers makes it easier for you to offer tailored solutions, which in turn
increases satisfaction and breeds customer loyalty.
Know Where to Find Them፡ Once you have a clear understanding of your target
audience, the next step is knowing where to find them.
Technology has made it easier for us to reach out to anyone in the world. However, when
you‘re targeting a specific group of people, it‘s essential to know their whereabouts. This
helps ensure that your message is reaching the right people and enables you to capture
quality leads.
For example, if you plan to reach out to your customers via social media, it‘s important to
know which platforms they prefer. Being active on all platforms can be overwhelming. So,
a wise strategy would be to select social media platforms where your customers are active
to channel your efforts in the right direction.
Try New Things፡ Sticking to tried and tested methods is a good thing, but sometimes
surprising your customer also helps. Therefore, you should try new ways to impress your
customers and fulfill their needs.
For example, you‘re a startup offering your software solutions to make a living. You‘re
getting a pretty good response with the features that you offer. What can you do to achieve
better results than you‘re already getting?
The answer to this is quite simple, actually. You should strive to be better and surprise your
customers with new features from time to time.
This will not just enable you to meet your customers‘ expectations but exceed them,
bringing you a step closer to experiencing their undying loyalty.

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 Embrace Customer Feedback፡ Customers love it when you hear them out and
incorporate their suggestions to make your products better.
Incorporating customer feedback is never easy, but it‘s something you must do to meet
their expectations.
Brace yourselves, as you may not like most of the comments you receive. And that‘s a
challenge many businesses struggle to overcome. You have to be open to any and all sorts
of criticism, as it paves the way for you to be better and craft solutions that exceed
customer expectations.
Be Transparent፡ When striving to meet your customers‘ expectations, you must ensure
that you‘ve set clear expectations in the first place.
The core focus for most businesses is scoring sales. And there‘s nothing wrong with that,
as it helps generate revenue and keep the needle moving. However, you should prioritize
generating awareness and helping your customers drive maximum value from your
offerings.
Without awareness, your customers won‘t know what to expect from your product or how
they can benefit from its capabilities. This may affect their user experience, as they may
not be able to use the product to its full potential.
Furthermore, your customers should know what they‘re signing up for. Therefore, you
should be transparent about your price and refrain from adding any hidden charges. You
should also have a clear return or cancellation policy, along with other terms and
conditions, clearly listed on your website.
This will make it easier for you to set clear customer expectations and keep the promises
you‘ve made.
Be There for Your Customers፡ Make it easy for your customers to reach out to you and
always be there for them in their time of need.
1.2 Customer Needs Priorities
Customer priority refers to the emotional drive of a customer to buy a product or
service. It is a measure of the customer’s willingness to buy that product or service at
a given time. Prioritizing customer needs is essential for businesses to provide better
products, marketing strategies, and customer service. Here are some efficient ways to
prioritize customer needs:
 First in, first out (FIFO) method: This method prioritizes customer needs

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 according to the interaction rank. This approach is a good option for
businesses with a low customer volume that don’t have official sites for
prioritization.
 Segmentation: Segmenting your customer base helps you collect data more
contextually and prioritize customer needs more efficiently.
 Gathering in-app customer feedback: Gathering feedback from customers
who use your app can help you understand their needs and prioritize them
accordingly.
 Product usage analysis: Analyzing how customers use your product can help
you identify their needs and prioritize them.
At Absolute Domestics we inform the client when they make their initial enquiry that the cleaner
works to their requirements. This is a large selling point for the company and it‘s something the
Agency strives to achieve every day. It‘s important that you as the cleaner also strive to achieve
this. By this we mean that you will:
 clean as the client requests you to clean

 do the cleaning tasks the client sets for you

 use the products and equipment selected by the clients
The only time this would differ would be if you were to identify that the products
and equipment selected by the client might damage or harm the surface in which
you are to clean. If that happens you would need to discuss options with the client
and provide an alternative solution forthem.
Quite often you will arrive at a client ‗s home to discover a list of cleaning tasks
that need to be completed. Although we encourage the client to priorities this list
for you, you will find that on most occasions it will generally be up to you as the
cleaner to use your initiative and assess what needs to be done first. When
prioritizing the tasks, you need to take into consideration the amount of time the
client has booked. Sometimes you may not have the time to complete all of the
tasks set and it‘s times like these that you will have to re-evaluate your workload
and priorities the cleaning tasks according to urgency. Discussing this with the
client will aid in achieving a positive result.
Most clients will want the bathrooms, toilets and floors done every week so it‘s
important to ensure that these tasks are completed. On occasions the client‗s

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 priorities may change due to avariety of reasons, such as:

 friends/family visiting - the client may request you clean some

windows, dust someskirting boards or clean the blinds
 carpets being cleaned - the client may require you to devote extra time
and attention togiving the carpets a thorough vacuum
 renovations being done - you may need to pay particular attention to a
room in the homefor the entire clean
 a party you may only need to clean bathrooms and the room the party will be in
These are the types of things you will need to consider when assessing your client‗s needs
for urgency to help determine their priorities. If these requests were made on a normal
cleaning day, they may not necessarily be an urgent cleaning task and you might decide to
get to it if you have the time, but when the client has another agenda such as one of the
items mentioned above then the task will have an urgency to it, therefore making it a
priority.
It‘s important to all parties concerned that Absolute Domestics and you as the cleaner
deliver on what we promise on every occasion. This is called ―Under promise and over
deliver. You will never have a dissatisfied client if this is your approach. Avoid giving an
unrealistic expectation as the Agency and the client will expect you to meet it. If you
promise to deliver something and fail to achieve it then this is called ―over promise and
under deliver.
This outcome can be detrimental to you and absolute domestics as it could mean the loss of
not only one but several clients. Negative experiences are discussed more readily with
friends, colleagues and relatives, than positive. There is no point saying you can do
something when infact you can‗t, so be honest.
1.3 Effective communication
Effective communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions,
knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and
purpose. When we communicate effectively, both the sender and receiver feel satisfied.
In order to communicate effectively, participants should be able to understand the message
being conveyed as well as the emotion, intention, and purpose behind the message.
To make communication effective

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 Clearly, effective communication is vital for performance, both on individual and on team
level.
To achieve all the benefits effective communication brings, you need to not only
understand the essentials of effective communication but also improve your
communication skills.
The steps helps to ensure effective communication.
Step 1: Follow the 7 Cs of communication
These 7 Cs of communication are the most important characteristics of effective communication.
They include:
Clarity
To avoid misunderstandings, you need to be clear when communicating. Clear communication
implies the communicator highlights a specific piece of information only. A clear communicator
focuses on pursuing a specific goal and delivering a specific message.
Coherence
Coherent communication flows smoothly, which means it‘s consistent and logical.
A coherent communicator connects all points discussed and ensures they all are relevant to the
main topic. Being coherent in communication helps:
 Give credibility to your ideas, and
 Avoid confusion, dissatisfaction, and exhaustion in the listeners/readers.
Confidence
In communication, confidence helps you convey what you want in an efficient manner. A confident
communicator gives extra credibility to their words by stating thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and
opinions assertively.
To appear confident while communicating, you’ll need to:
 Maintain a clear and stable voice volume,
 Maintain eye contact,
 Be honest,
 Listen to others attentively,
 Look for compromises about points discussed,
 Offer apologies when you‘re wrong, and
 Positively acknowledge the contribution of others.
Correctness

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 Correct communication implies there are no errors in communication, which gives
credibility to your words. People listening to what you are saying or reading your messages
are likely to form a subconscious connection between your usage of grammar and the value
of your words.
A correct communicator shows their respect to fellow communicators by ensuring
grammar, pronunciation, and vocabularies.
Being correct in communication helps:
 Improve the impact of the message,
 Enhance professionalism,
 Enhance comprehension, and
 Avoid misunderstandings and confusion.
To communicate correctly, you’ll need to:
 Think about what you want to say before you say it,
 Proofread written communication with care, and
 Consult grammar manuals or online grammar checkers.
 Conciseness
Concise communication implies the information is communicated in the fewest words
possible. A concise communicator sticks to the point and keeps things brief.
Being concise in communication helps:
 Save time and money,
 Underline your main points better, and
 Make the message more comprehensible to listeners/readers.
To communicate concisely, you’ll need to:
 Avoid getting distracted by additional issues,
 Stick to the topic at hand, and
 Give only a reasonable amount of information at a time.
 Concreteness
Concrete communication implies the information is presented in a specific, definite, but
also vivid manner.
A concrete communicator provides a clear picture of what they want to convey.
Being concrete in communication helps:
 Strengthen the confidence in your words,

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  Maintain the audience‘s interest,
 Avoid misinterpretations, and
 Speed up the course of action.
To communicate concretely, you’ll need to:
 Support your ideas with facts and figures,
 Use clear, unambiguous words and phrases,
 Use precise modifiers,
 Avoid generalizations, and
 Provide detailed steps for actions you want to be undertaken.
 Courtesy
The final C of communication is courtesy. Courteous communication implies
the information is delivered with respect. A courteous communicator is open, friendly, and
honest.
Being courteous in communication helps:
 Build and maintain a good rapport among teammates,
 People feel heard, acknowledged, and appreciated, and
 Build a more loyal and productive team.
To communicate courteously, you’ll need to:
 Be positive, polite, and sensible,
 Be enthusiastic and reflective,
 Consider the viewpoints of others,
 Focus the message on the audience, and
 Show respect to fellow communicators.
Step 2: Establish trust among teammates
To build effective communication in a team, you‘ll need to build trust in that team. Teams
who trust each other communicate more (and better), while better communication leads to
more trust.
Respect is important for fostering trust that leads to effective workplace communication.
You can achieve it by:
 Respecting your teammates‘ time,
 Respecting your teammates‘ ideas, even when they don‘t align with your

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 knowledge, experience, or expectations, and
 Respecting your teammates‘ opinions, even when they are different from your own.
Step 3: Manage communication barriers
Anything that comes in the way of communication — a misunderstanding, a problem, or an
obstacle — is a barrier.
Communication barriers come in various forms — we typically recognize:
 Physical,
 Perceptual,
 Emotional,
 Cultural,
 Language,
 Gender, and
 Interpersonal barriers to effective communication.
To manage communication barriers, you’ll need to:
 Identify the communication barriers you are facing — once you do, it will be
easier to tackle them.
 Learn about different cultural norms and customs as well as cultural differences
in terms of verbal and nonverbal language use — once you do, you‘ll decrease the
chances of misunderstandings and confusion.
 Identify your assumptions, stereotypes, biases, and prejudices — once you do,
you‘ll be able to work on overcoming them.
 Pick an appropriate official team language — in case the members of the team
have different mother tongues.
Step 4: Learn how to manage nonverbal communication
Proper nonverbal communication is an important step toward effective team
communication — and you‘ll need to make the effort to properly convey and interpret
nonverbal language.
To underline our words, we use:
 Facial expressions,
 Gestures, and
 Body movements.
Step 5: Learn how to express yourself in communication

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 Learning how to express your-self in communication is one of the most important steps
toward effective communication.
After all, to be able to properly communicate, you‘ll need to be able to express your
thoughts, ideas, opinions, and beliefs properly.
Step 6: Learn how to actively listen to others
Listening to the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of others with real interest is equally important for
effective communication as contributing is.
Step 7: Avoid assumptions
As mentioned, not making assumptions is one of the key aspects of active listening and,
thus, effective communication. That‘s because assumptions can quickly lead
communication to the point of breakdown.
Assuming we have greater knowledge or experience or that others agree or disagree with
us can lead to misunderstandings and even conflicts.
Step 8: Actively work on resolving conflicts
Step 9: Manage communication channels effectively
In a business environment, a communication channel represents the means through which
people communicate with each other.
Step 10: Be a responsive communicator
High responsiveness is a crucial component in effective team communication because it
helps teammates solve problems and make decisions faster, as well as save time overall.
Step 11: Perfect your writing skills
Step 12: Adjust to the communication situation
Step 13: Follow the 4 steps for nonviolent communication (NVC)
NVC or Nonviolent Communication (sometimes referred to as compassionate
communication) can help you consciously use words to express what you want.
The concept includes the following steps:
 Observing without judgment,
 Expressing feelings,
 Expressing needs, and
 Expressing requests.
Benefits of effective communication
Effective communication is essential for any business, no matter its size,

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 because businesses depend on the flow of information to succeed. That‘s probably why
effective communication is among the top rated and sought after soft skills any employee
can have. If the information flow is clogged in any way, the business will start to
deteriorate — that is why we need effective communication.
Effective communication:
 Removes confusion,
 Gives purpose,
 Creates accountability, and
 Builds positive company culture.
 Easier and better problem-solving,
 Easier and better decision-making,
 Better business relationships,
 Increased engagement,
 Improved productivity, and
 Better team culture.
1.4 Addressing customer’s Needs
Addressing customer needs refers to the process of identifying and fulfilling the
requirements of customers. It involves creating a culture of care that prioritizes customers,
delivering quality customer support and communication, measuring customer satisfaction,
mapping customer journeys, and creating buyer personas to understand their needs and
pain points. Companies can enhance the unique selling proposition of their products and
offer value to their customers by paying attention to their competition and staying ahead of
market trends.
A customer need is a motive that prompts a customer to buy a product or service. It is the
driver of the customer‘s purchase decision. Companies often look at the customer need as
an opportunity to resolve or contribute surplus value back to the original motive. An
example of a customer need is when people begin to experience hunger and decide to
purchase lunch.
Understanding and addressing customer needs is crucial for businesses. Anticipating
customer needs can help companies cater to customers before they feel the need to put in a
request for a new feature, product, or solution. If companies can begin to make changes
before their customers‘ needs aren‘t fulfilled, this can ultimately lead to growth,

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 innovation, and retention
The main information help to address customer needs are:
 Listen to customer feedback: Customers may notify a business to communicate
whether it meets their needs. Listen to them and take their feedback into account.
 Acknowledge your customers: Beyond listening to your customers, make sure to
emphasize that you hear them .
 Solve the customers’ problems: Address the issues that customers face and
provide solutions that meet their needs .
 Build a customer-focused company culture: Make sure that your company
culture is centered around the needs of your customers.
 Demonstrate empathy: Show empathy towards your customers and understand
their needs.
 Interact with your customers: Engage with your customers and build a
relationship with them .
 Analyze your reviews: Analyze customer reviews to understand their needs and
improve your products or services
 Be honest with customers: When communicating with customers, speak honestly
about your products, services, and business direction
1.5 Limitations in addressing customer needs
There may be times when you are not able to meet the needs of a customer and will need to
seek assistance from others in the organization.
When it comes to addressing customer needs, there are several limitations that businesses
may face. These include:
I. Lack of knowledge: Customer service representatives may not have the necessary
information to answer a customer‘s question or resolve their issue.
II. Transferring customer calls: Customers may become frustrated if they are
transferred multiple times before their issue is resolved.
III. Inadequate tools: Customer service representatives may not have the right tools to
address a customer‘s issue.
IV. Misaligned workflows: Customer service workflows may not be aligned with the
customer‘s journey, leading to a poor customer experience.
V. Dealing with angry customers: Customer service representatives may struggle to

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 handle angry customers, leading to a negative experience for both parties.
VI. No crisis management or escalation protocol: In the event of a crisis, customer
service representatives may not have a clear protocol to follow.
VII. Not meeting customer expectations: Customers may have unrealistic expectations
that cannot be met by the business.
Redirecting an enquiry
Sometimes it may not be possible to respond to a request and help the customer
immediately. The information requested might be specific to a particular area and the
person the customer needs to speak to might be unavailable. The information might need to
be checked with someone else before it is given to the customer.To deal with the request
straight away, you may need to identify the designated person within the organization who
has responsibility for a particular product or service. This may be your manager or
supervisor, it may be someone who is experienced and has specific or detailed knowledge
or staff from other work areas that have expertise related to a particular product or service.
Designated persons include:
 manager, supervisor or team leader
 more experienced personnel with specific knowledge or information
 staff from other work areas with particular product or service knowledge
There will be the odd occasion that you will not be able to provide the client with the
information or service they need. This could be due to many reasons. You may not havethe
skill or expertise to complete what‗s been requested or the Agency may not provide the
service. It‘s important to be honest with the client and know your limitations. The client
would prefer you to seek advice than to attempt something and damage their property.
Politely advise the client that you do not have the expertise to complete the task however
you will Endeavour to find out how to do it or alternatively contact the Agency for
assistance.
Remember your Team Manager is always there to help. They will either provide you with a
solution to the problem or do some research and get back to you as soon as possible.

This guide tells you what you need to know about your customers, how to use this
information to sell to them more effectively, and how to win business from your
competitors.

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  Why do your customers need you?
 What do you know about your customers?
 The customer's current supplier,
 Ten things you need to know about your customers.
Know about your customers
The more you know about your customers, the more effective your sales and marketing
effortswill be. It's well worth making the effort to find out:
 Who they are?
 What they buy?
 Why they buy it?
If you're selling to other businesses, you'll need to know which individuals are responsible
for the decision to buy your product or service. For information on targeting decision-
makers, seeour guide on how to target the right people in an organization.
You can learn a great deal about your customers by talking to them. Asking them why
they're buying or not buying, what they may want to buy in the future and asking what
other needs theyhave can give a valuable picture of what's important to them.
Strong sales are driven by emphasizing the benefits that your product or service brings to
your customers. If you know the challenges that face them, it's much easier to offer them
solutions.
It's also well worth keeping an eye on future developments in your customers' markets and
lives. Knowing the trends that are going to influence your customers helps you to
anticipatewhat they are going to need - and offer it to them as soon as they need it.
You can conduct your own market research and there are many existing reports that can
help you build a picture of where your customers' markets - and your business - may be
going.
The customer's current supplier
Chances are your potential customer is already buying something similar to
your product or service from someone else. Before you can sell to a potential
customer, you need to know:

 Who the customer's current supplier is

 If the customer is happy with their current supplier

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  If buying from you would offer the customer any benefits - and, if so, what
those benefits would be the easiest way to identify a potential customer's current
supplier is often simply to ask them.Generally, people are very happy to offer this
information, as well as an indication of whether they're happy with their present
arrangements.
If you can find out what benefits they're looking for, you stand a better chance of
being able to sell to them. The benefits may be related to price or levels of service,
for example. Are there any benefits your business can offer that are better than
those the potential customer already receives? If there are, these should form the
basis of any sales approach you make.
Keys to Identifying Customer Needs
The three keys elements to fully know your customers and set your foundation on solid
footing:
i. How and why – this is the wants and needs analysis. It goes well beyond
asking what kind of features they ‗d like to see. You need to find out how
they currently operate and why. Also find out how they measure success
and why they do it that way. By the way, don ‗t confuse needs and wants
– you may find out there is a need for your offering, but providing it is no
guarantee you'll find demand;
ii. Core Values – the next step in customer data mining is determining what
would make their life easier. The natural assumption here is that it is
related to the product you are proposing, but dig deeper. Find the
emotional connections that will allow you to see how your product can fit
into their personal lifestyle and if selling to businesses, life within their
company. You may be surprised what you discover that will help you
improve yourproduct and position it in the market;
iii. Through Your Customers’ Eyes – certainly you‗ve done a competitive
analysis but the best sources of information are your target customers. An
understanding of the competitive landscape from the expert, your potential
customer and user, is a great way to gather information on the competition.
You‗ll discover their strengths and weaknesses and what customers would
like to change.

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 SELF-CHECK - ONE
PART 1 -ANSWER FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTION BY WRITING TRUE IF THE
STATEMENT IS CORRECT AND WRITE FALSE IF THE STATEMENT IS
INCORRECT

-----------1. Addressing customer needs refers to the process of identifying and fulfilling the
requirements of customer‘s needs.
-----------2.One of the limitation in addressing customer‘s needs is misaligned workflows
-----------3. Customer service means resolving customer issue with positive or negative
attitude.
----------4.You can build relationship with your customer by exceeding their expectation

INSTRUCTION –II CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER FROM THE GIVEN ALTERNATIVES

----------1. Who is adealer that purchases goods for re-sale?.

A. An ultimate customer
B. An intermediate customer
C. An external customer
D. An internal customer
--------2. who does not in turn re-sell the things bought but either passes them to the consumer
or actually is the consumer.
A. An ultimate customer
B. An intermediate customer
C. An external customer
D. An internal customer
--------3. _______is a customer who is not directly connected to thatorganization.
A. An ultimate customer C. An internal customer
B. An intermediate customer D. An external customer
------4. ______is a customer who is directly connected to an organization, and isusually
(but not necessarily) internal to the organization.
A. An ultimate customer
B. An intermediate customer
C. An external customer
D. An internal customer

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 -------5. ______ is a motive that prompts a customer to buy a product or service.
A. Customer expectations
B. An intermediate customer
C. An external customer
D. A customer need
------6_____refers to the expected perceived value, behavior, service or benefits that the
customers seek when purchasing a good or availing a service.
A. Customer expectations
B. An intermediate customer
C. An external customer
D. A customer need

INSTRUCTION –III –Give short answer for the following questions

1. Write Types of customer expectations

2. Write Most Common Types of Customer Needs
3. Explain how you can identify customer‘s‘ needs
4. Write some tips that help to address customer needs

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 UNIT TWO: DELIVERING A SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS
 This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Customer service
 Establishing rapport
 Customer compliant
 Providing respond to specific needs.
 Opportunities to Promote services and products
 This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Provide customer service
 Establish rapport customer quality service
 Handle customer compliant
 Provide assistance to respond specific needs.
 Identify and use available opportunities to promote services and products

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 2.1 Customer service
Customer service is the act of taking care of the customer's needs by providing and
delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during, and
after the customer's requirements are met.
Customer service means going above and beyond to keep the customer happy, whether
that means answering any questions they have or resolving issues with a positive attitude.
Customer service is important in any business. To work effectively in any organization,
you need to be able to provide effective customer service. Providing Customer Service.

Figure 2.1
The importance of good customer service
Providing good customer service can help you: increase customer loyalty to your
business. Decrease barriers to buying (for example, if your business has an excellent
customer service record dealing with refunds, you're more likely to entice a hesitant buyer
to purchase from you)
Companies that continually focus on the best ways to provide the customer with lasting
value and quality customer service compared to the services that the customer could
expect to receive from a competitor are assured of the potential to create loyal repeat
customers out of each customer that the organization assists.
 Manage your time and help others manage theirs.
 Be punctual with appointments and deadlines.
 Recognize that everyone‘s time is valuable. Never be too busy to assist.
 Let your customer know if you‘re going to be late or miss a deadline.
 Remember that if you‘re running behind, you could affect the work of others.

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  Eliminate excuses for service problems such as staff shortages, inadequate supplies
and equipment. Your customers don‘t care—they just want you to help them.
 Never point fingers. And don‘t blame the customer.
 Hold yourself and others accountable for customer requests.
 Take personal responsibility for the customer‘s request or need and follow through.
Customer service affects the business
The emotional experience a customer has during an interaction with your company
directly impacts how much money they are willing to spend. It has the ability to make or
break a customer's experience and, therefore, impacts your company's bottom line in
many ways. Good customer service can flat out make you more money.
Customer satisfaction results can help to identify important customer requirements.
Identification of the specific customer requirements for achieving satisfaction is useful at
a very fundamental level. An organization is able to clearly focus efforts in those areas that
are most important to the customer.
Ways to improve your customer satisfaction

 Treat every customer. Give every customer the same excellent treatment as you
would like to receive yourself.
 Keep measuring customer satisfaction.
 Know how you should survey your customers – the right way.
 Keep an eye on what customers say about you on social media.

Organizational requirements
Most organizations have a policy or code of practice, dealing with quality customer
service; in order to provide customers with prompt and efficient service for handling
enquiries, making sales and monitoring customer feedback. These would include an outline
of expected standards of service, including courtesy, discretion, confidentiality and follow-
up procedures.
Customer service standards are often set in the organization‘s vision and/or mission
statement. New employees often undergo an induction training course which may
include information on:

 How to greet customers

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  How to answer the telephone
 How to deal with difficult customers

 Where to get relevant information

 Who to seek assistance from?
 Personal presentation and dress standards
 Interpersonal skills
It is more expensive to find new customers than it is to retain existing customers.
Excellent customer service means that a business will stand out from its competitors;
and satisfied customers will promote the business by word of mouth, which is the most
effective form of promotion.

Important tips when dealing with customers/clients:

First impressions are most important
 Business success depends on the quality of the service
 Ask questions to give the customer the opportunity to explain what they
need;
This makes them feel that their needs are important and also encourages them to become
a repeat customer instead of a one-off customer.
In a customer/client-focused organization, employees listen to the customers for their
input and feedback in order to ascertain what they consider is important about the
products supplied or the way service is delivered. Improvements can then be made
resulting in the organization gaining a competitive advantage over other firms as
customers will be happy to become long-term clients.
UNDERSTANDING CLIENT NEEDS
Active listening - Listening is an important skill in communicating with others, as you
are able to understand and interpret what the other person is saying. To fully understand
the message being conveyed, it is important that you ask questions to clarify the
meaning. It is also important to clarify that the other person understands your message.
If the client has written or emailed the business for information, it may be necessary to
phone them to clarify their needs. Non-verbal signs - Body and facial expressions are
often used when communicating. It is important that your body language is not
conveying something different to what you are saying.

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 Making use of correct questioning techniques - Questioning is an important tool used
to obtain feedback and clarification of a message, to ensure that the receiver understands
what the sender is saying. There are three main questioning techniques.

 Open questions encourage the sharing of information and usually require

longer answers, e.g., for what purpose are you purchasing this product?
 Closed questions are usually asking for a yes or no answer, and do not
encourage any further discussion, e.g., Would you like to purchase this
product?
 Reflective questions are structured so that the person answers in a
particular way, to make their needs clear, e.g. Why does this product
interest you?
Quality o f service
A customer will become a repeat customer if they are satisfied with the quality of service
they receive. Quality service includes:

 Employees who are polite, attentive to customer's needs and are able to
build rapport
 Employees who have good knowledge of the organization‘s products or
know the correct person to pass an enquiry on to; and actually, follow
through with enquiries
 Having goods and services that are reliable and reasonably priced
 Having complaints dealt with promptly and with understanding
 Being treated with respect and without prejudice

BENEFITS OF GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE

 Promoting goodwill - increasing the established reputation of the business and
enhancing its value
 Customer/client loyalty/repeat business - being able to win the customer's trust
and build a long-term relationship; one that will survive even in bad economic
times
 New business - being able to differentiate from other businesses and be able to
attract new customers, often due to word-of-mouth promotion from satisfied

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 customers
 Productivity - the capacity to increase production with little or no increase in
costs, improving profitability
 Credibility - building a reputation of being an honest and trustworthy business
 Promoting workplace/organization service ethic - a set of honorable rules of
conduct which will improve the loyalty of employees and give the organization a
competitive advantage
It is important to remember that business success will be dependent on the quality of the
service given by employees; satisfied customers will become repeat customers and will
promote your business to others, ensuring long-term growth and profitability.
2.2 Establishing rapport
Customer Relationship is a complex process which is based on a good knowledge of habits
and needs of customers. It assumes constant collection of information of customer‘s
behavior is to give offer to customers based on his needs. Establishing a customer
relationship concept implies continuous changes on customers and company. There are
four primary reasons why company adjusts their business processes to customers' needs:
 Retention of existing customers,
 Attracting new customers,
 Encourage customers to deepen cooperation with bank,
 Informing customers about portfolio of products, services and communication channels,
with aim of increasing profits or prevent losses.
Ways to Build Customer Rapport or Relationship

 Get Their Name First.

 Speak With a Smile.
 See It From the Customer's Perspective.
 Share Their Priorities.
 Allow Them to 'Get It All Out'
 Repeat Back.
 Make Their Problem Your Problem.
 Understand the Customer's Emotional Drivers.

When developing rapport, you are building a relationship. Personal attributes that will

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 assist employees to be responsive to customer needs include:
 Sincerity - to be genuine and honest
 Confidence - being self-assured or confident in one's own ability
 Enthusiasm - to show interest, displaying good knowledge of the range of
products/services available

 Efficiency - capable of producing the required result with minimum waste or

effort
 Empathy - identifying oneself mentally with the customer in order to fully
comprehend their needs
 Interest in other people - showing concern for their needs

Once you have developed a good rapport, it is important to build on this by continuing
the communication. A follow-up phone call after the sale will help to establish the
customer as a long-term client.

There are a number of basic rules that apply when you are establishing rapport or a
relationship with customers.
Show a genuine interest in the customer

Customers prefer to do business with people they like. You can gain this approval by
establishing rapport, or a positive connection, with a customer.
Rapport can be established by:

 Asking questions
 Making eye contact
 Offering to help
 Recognizing mutual interests
 Simple gestures such as calling a customer by their name
You will usually find that the customer responds to this type of behavior by identifying
you as being keen to assist them to understand their needs and find a solution to their
problem. The time you take to establish a relationship with the customer will enhance
their commitment and trust in the organization.
Refer the customer to another appropriate organization if you are unable to help:

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 If you cannot help, or refer to another person in the business, honestly tell the customer.
It would be even better if you could spend a few minutes talking to them to gather more
information and then accurately refer them to the correct organization.
Provide translations or bilingual support to non-English speaking customers

Most businesses operating in a situation with non-English speaking clients will have set
procedures and systems to appropriately service these clients. It is important that you
treat these customers with the same respect and courtesy as every other client, even
though they may have difficulty communicating.
Present a positive, can do, will help, attitude at all times

A positive, ―will help‖ attitude is important at all times but absolutely critical when the
customer is giving you negative feedback or complaining about the service they have
received.
Empathic phrases are a simple and easy way of conveying that you understand your
customer‘s situation. You may try using the following phrases:

 I can see how difficult this must be for you

 I understand what you mean
 I understand how inconvenienced you must feel
 I am very sorry that this has happened to you
Use a genuinely warm and caring tone, to enhance the meaning and effectiveness of
empathic phrases.
Saying ―I‘m sorry‖ to a customer does not imply that you or your organization did
anything wrong; it simply conveys that you are genuinely sorry that the customer has
had a bad experience.
Check with your workplace policies or procedures or your supervisor or team leader
regarding your organization‘s preferred method of dealing with angry or dissatisfied
customers.
When a customer is upset, they want to express their feelings, and they want their
problem solved.
Be patient and allow time for the customer to express their feelings. The customer will
be more prepared to listen to you once they have ‗got their feelings off their chest‘. You

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 can then begin to participate more actively in the process of solving their problem. Let
the customer know that you understand why they are upset and that you are ready to help
them.
Treat customers sensitively and courteously

Treating a customer courteously involves a lot of little things that demonstrate to

customers that we recognize and respect them as individuals and that we appreciate the
contribution they make to the success of the organization. This involves:

• Greeting the customer by name

• Smiling and maintaining eye contact
• Offering to assist them
• Asking permission before asking them questions
• Not interrupting them or speaking over them
• Being alert to any special needs that they may have
• Offering additional services where appropriate
• Thanking them for their custom
• Saying goodbye and encouraging them to return
All of the above points are about putting the customer first. Maintaining success with your
customers in the long term depends upon customers consistently receiving real benefits
from products and services as well as being treated as an important part of the business.
They must feel that you WANT their business and that you APPRECIATE their business.
Providing an excellent customer relationship can only be achieved with the ―personal
touch‖.
2.3 Customer complaints
Customer complaints are expressions of dissatisfaction on a consumer's behalf to a
responsible party .about a problem with a product or service. They are pieces of negative
feedback that point out when a business does not deliver on its commitment and does not
meet customer expectations. Customer complaints are also opportunities for a business
to improve its internal processes and create a better customer experience.
Customer complaints are not always bad news. They can provide valuable insights into the
areas where a business needs to improve its internal processes and create a better customer
experience. By addressing customer complaints efficiently and effectively, businesses can

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 strengthen their relationship with customers and improve their product or service.
There are different types of customer complaints, including product or service complaints,
continual complaints, and complaints about billing or payment. Resolving customer
complaints requires a good understanding of the problem, active listening, and empathy.
Here are some tips for managing customer complaints:
 Listen actively: Listen to the customer‘s complaint carefully and empathetically.
Acknowledge their concerns and show that you understand their perspective.
 Apologize: Apologize for the inconvenience caused to the customer. This shows
that you value their business and are committed to resolving the issue.
 Investigate: Investigate the problem thoroughly to understand the root cause. This
will help you identify the areas where you need to improve your product or service.
 Resolve: Resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Provide a solution that meets the
customer‘s needs and expectations.
 Follow up: Follow up with the customer to ensure that the issue has been resolved
to their satisfaction. This shows that you care about their experience and are
committed to providing excellent customer service.
2.3.1 Reasons for customer complaints
Most complaints fall into 4 groups.
I. Value for money - a customer‘s perception of value is very important. Store
presentation and excellent customer service reinforce the customer‘s perception of
value.
II. Price overcharge - mistakes happen, so the way a mistake is dealt with and
corrected will determine customer satisfaction. Good customer service is essential.
III. Product - faults or complaints are not necessarily the fault of the retailer but the
way the complaint is handled determines the customer‘s perception of the business.
IV. Service - is the essence of good retailing. Rudeness and poor service discourage
customers from returning.
2.3.2 Handling customer complaints
Handling customer complaints is an essential part of any business. Here are some strategies
that can help you handle customer complaints in a smooth and professional manner:
 Stay calm: It‘s important to remain calm and composed when dealing with
customer complaints. This will help you to think clearly and respond appropriately.

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  Listen well: Listen carefully to the customer‘s complaint and try to understand their
perspective. This will help you to identify the root cause of the problem and find an
appropriate solution.
 Acknowledge the problem: Acknowledge the customer‘s complaint and let them
know that you understand their frustration.
 Get the facts: Gather all the necessary information about the complaint, including
the customer‘s name, contact information, and details of the problem.
 Offer a solution: Once you have all the facts, offer a solution that addresses the
customer‘s concerns. Be sure to explain the solution clearly and concisely.
 Be kind: Always be polite and courteous when dealing with customer complaints.
Remember that the customer is upset and may be looking for someone to blame.
 Apologize and thank them: Apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank the
customer for bringing the issue to your attention.
 Ask questions for clarification: If you‘re not sure about something, ask the
customer for clarification. This will help you to better understand the problem and
find an appropriate solution.
 Identify the type of complaint: Identify the type of complaint and categorize it
accordingly. This will help you to track complaints and identify patterns.
 Make it speedy: Respond to the customer‘s complaint as quickly as possible. This
will help to prevent the situation from escalating and show the customer that you
value their business.
Remember that handling customer complaints is an opportunity to improve your business
and build stronger relationships with your customers.
Methods of customer complaints letters
Letters are a very common form of complaint; they are generally seen as the most official
way of complaining. This means that most customers will only use a letter of complaint
where they feel there is a serious dissatisfaction, and where the business has a separate
address for complaints or head office.
Letters have an advantage to your business, as they allow you time to look at a problem,
solve it, and reply to the customer; hopefully ensuring they are satisfied enough to remain a
customer.
Spoken word to employees

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 The most common form of complaint, particularly in retail businesses; is face to face
with an employee (usually the front-line staff). This could take the form of a passing
word or gesture, and can be for small or large problems.
Typical comments include things such as: "This is not the first time…", "I can't believe
that…" or even a 'tut' noise in a sentence. They are generally informal complaints or
comments, only occasionally do they turn into full scale complaints.
Although there is no official complaint in most cases, spoken word comments can
provide information on the everyday problems that customers are experiencing, and
provide an opportunity for your employees to solve these problems, both for these
customers, and for future ones.
PHONE CALLS
These are another common form of complaint, generally used for informal minor
complaints, but can also be used by a highly dissatisfied customer who does not
wish to write. The frequency of phone complaints generally depends on how much
your business uses the phone; a call center will receive many more complaints
than a basic office line.
Phone complaints allow you to look into a problem, but do not usually give you as
much time to solve it as a letter or email.
EMAIL
Emails are similar to letters; however, they tend to describe smaller problems that
are expected to be solved in a much quicker time. The number of email complaints
you receive will depend mostly on how widely you use email, and whether there is
a specific enquiry or complaints email address.

Problems happen. It‘s how you honestly acknowledge and handle them that counts
with people. Customers will remember you, and happily give you another chance
to delight them when you choose to correct problems with the very best you can
offer, proving you value them and their business.
Communicating with a complaining customer
Step one: listening

 Listen to the complaint: Let the customer get it off his/her chest. Don‘t
interrupt. Make sure you hear the full story. Ask open questions to encourage

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 the customer to tell you as much as s/he wants to. Don‘t argue and don‘t
explain
 Communicate warmth and understanding: Use body language which shows
understanding: don‘t cross your arms, lean slightly towards the customer, nod,
have a pleasant but serious expression. It is not a laughing matter.
 Use the customer‘s name
 Imagine what you would feel like in the same situation as you concentrate on
listening to what the customer is saying
 Don‘t commit the company to any action. Don‘t admit liability. Action is for a
later stage
 Don‘t take it personally. The customer is not angry with you, but with the
company and the service or product
Step two: calm the customer

 Apologies and acknowledge the customer‘s feelings e.g. ―I am so sorry.

You must have been annoyed. I would have been.‖
 Summaries the complaint in your own words to show the customer that
you have really listened and understood: ―As I understand, this is what
happened. Is that right?‖
Step three: take responsibility

 Check with your supervisor. Summaries the complaint to him/her. Do not have a
dig at the customer when you tell the supervisor the tale. If you are two-faced,
you can be sure it will come out in some way
 Communicate as soon as possible to the customer what the store proposes to
do
 Explain (don‘t excuse) what went wrong if you need to. By now the customer
is relaxed because you are going to rectify the problem and will listen and
probably even understand
 Check that the customer agrees with the course of action. If s/he does not,
then ask the customer what their expectations are. Relay this to whoever it is
that makes decisions. At this stage if the customer is still unhappy, it is
probably best for a senior to take over

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 Step four: follow up

 Check that what you promised actually happens, and that it happens by
the time you said it would. You should keep a diary note
 Ring the customer up after the complaint has been rectified and make sure
s/he is happy (or check at the end of the conversation)

2.3.3 HANDLE COMPLAINTS SENSITIVELY, COURTEOUSLY AND WITH

DISCRETION

Employees receiving customer complaints should always be friendly, polite, and

helpful; and try their best to resolve the problem if they can. Even if a problem cannot be
totally solved, the fact that your business did everything you could to help will make the
customer feel much less negative about your business, hopefully enough to keep them
with you (so you can ensure they are fully satisfied next time around!)

Sometimes it can be difficult for an employee to feel like helping an angry customer,
particularly if the problem is not their fault; however, it is crucial that they remain polite
and helpful at all times.

Remember that body language is a large part of communication, so listening

while looking away will just make the customer think you are ignoring them.
 Use active listening and questioning

A critical aspect of resolving the complaint is to identify the complaint. ln most cases,
the customer will tell you what the problem is, but their version is certain to leave out
relevant information. This information may be information which lessens their case, or
which puts a different slant on things.

 Listen to your customer

One of the best ways to help make unhappy customers feel better about your business is
to listen. This shows that you care about your customers, and are looking out for them.

Active listening is a structured form of listening and responding that focuses the

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 attention on the speaker. The listener must take care to attend to the speaker fully, and
then repeats, in the listeners own words, what he or she thinks the speaker has said. The
listener does not have to agree with the speaker--he or she must simply state what they
think the speaker said. This enables the speaker to find out whether the listener really
understood. If the listener did not, the speaker can explain some more. Active listening
has several benefits:

 First, it forces people to listen attentively to others

 Second, it avoids misunderstandings, as people have to confirm that they do really
understand what another person has said
 Third, it tends to open people up, to get them to say more
Establish nature of complaint
You must talk to the customer to work out whether the issue is beyond your authority to
fix, indicating that a manager needs to become involved. Attempt to find out:

• Names of those involved

• Promises that the store/staff may have made
• Service or products that failed to live up to promises or expectations,
including how
• They failed to deliver on quality or expectations
• Timelines relating to the complaint
• Costs, money or charges involved
• The factual details, as far as can be ascertained, as to what was said and
bywhom
• Actions, or inactions, taken (or not taken) by the staff

When you have uncovered all the details about the issue, repeat them back to the person
and then move on to seek agreement about what should be done.

Whatever is decided on must be explained in detail so there can be no doubt about what
you are going to do; when such agreement is takes place, your next step is to implement
the agreed solution.
Take action to resolve complaint to customer’s satisfaction
Always offer a solution

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 When a customer complaint, you should always offer them a solution to the
problem. If you cannot directly fix the problem, offer them something else to try
and keep them satisfied.

There are many different types of solution, but they could all turn a disappointed
customer into a happy one:

 Replacement - If you sell a product that has broken, offer a replacement.

If an exact replacement is not available (or not wanted) you can try
replacing with a similar make or model. A replacement solves any
problem with the product, it may cost you the value of a new product, but
losing the customer will probably cost much more in the long run.
 Refund - If a customer is really unhappy with a product or service, they
may want a refund. This will mean a loss of the sale revenue, but
providing a refund without hassle will strongly improve the chances of
the customer returning again. In some cases, a partial refund may solve
minor problems (E.g.: Slight scratches on a product, etc.…)
 Fixing - If there is a problem with a product, try fixing it! If a customer
has a problem with your service, try taking steps to solve the problem
and prevent it happening again. If the problem is an employee, speak with
them, or if it continues, consider giving a verbal warning. If there is a
common employee problem, you may be able to help solve it with
training.
 Money off Next Purchase - For smaller problems, it may be satisfactory
for you to offer the customer money off of their next purchase with you.
This helps to ensure that they will return to you, whilst minimizing the
cost of solving the problem.
 Apologies - Sometimes one of the most effective forms of solution can
be an apology, informally for minor problems, or written for major
problems. An apology should be genuine, and may go alongside other
forms of solution, particularly if the problem is significant, or the
customer is an important one. An apology shows that you care about the
customer, and that you are aiming to put right any problems they have

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 encountered.

2.3.4 REFER UNRESOLVED COMPLAINTS TO SUPERVISOR

The importance of effective resolution of customer complaints impacts upon the

customer service performance of the organization and should be resolved in a manner
which is professional and compliant with your organization‘s procedures.
You may not be able to resolve a complaint because:
• The customer is unprepared to negotiate what they see as being
the only acceptable resolution
• The customer is irate, aggressive, threatening or intimidating
• The solution is beyond your authority to act on
• There is a lack of understanding in relation to the complaint
• There is a language problem

Sometimes, the customer's issue needs to be dealt with by someone with a different
authority level. All these situations must be referred to the appropriate person as soon as
possible to prove their complaint is not being ignored.
The appropriate person may be:

• Supervisor/management
• A more senior staff member
• The owner
• Accounts Department

• Delivery staff

There is some ideas you can apply to reduce customer frustration:

 Do everything practical to ensure that the customer does not have to

repeat his or her story to the next person
 When transferring a phone call to another staff member, make every effort
to "fill in" that member about the particulars of the problem
 Keep in mind that hostile customers may be best calmed down by
referring to a supervisor. We know that people tend to behave less

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 aggressively when they speak to a supervisor, regardless of level in the
organization
 Again, when referring to a supervisor, make sure the supervisor is aware
of the problem, and the emotional state of the customer (hostile, angry,
threatening, etc)
 Before referring, make sure you understand the customer's situation and
what he or she wants. A major error that employees make is to not listen
well, or, not ask the right questions, and assume that a referral is in order.
Good listening skills are important
 When referring, try to tell the person how long the wait will be, or what to expect

Use customer complaints to turn casual customers into loyal, long-term customers.

When you think about it, you usually don‘t get much time when you serve happy
customers - a matter of minutes, if that.
If a customer comes to the store to complain, you are given a valuable opportunity: you
have time to get to know each other better.

You get to know:

 The customer‘s name (and perhaps address and phone number)

 What the customer likes
 What the customer doesn‘t like
 How you can encourage the customer to return

The customer gets to know:

 That you give excellent customer service

 That you guarantee your products and services
 That you care personally about him/her

Are these your innermost thoughts when you realize a customer is going to complain to
you about something? If your answer is ―yes‖ you are not alone. Many people involved
in customer service make a mistake: they treat complaining customers and difficult
customers the same way.But the truth is that all of us can be complaining customers. It
just means our expectations of a product or service were not met and we let the store

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 know. It is very likely that you will be able to transform a complaining customer into a
loyal, long-term customer.
TURN COMPLAINTS INTO OPPORTUNITIES: - When a complaint is made it
provides us with an opportunity: to make a further sale, to "save" the situation, to impress
the customer with other aspects of our store, and to apologies.

It is an opportunity to show a high level of customer service by:

 Showing concern for the individual and for the situation they find themselves in
 Acting promptly rather than dismissing the complaint
 Demonstrating genuine desire to find a quick and acceptable solution
 Reporting back to the customer on progress of the resolution
 Being understanding and apologetic
 Checking to ensure that what was agreed on has been done and all is now okay

CHECKLIST FOR HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

Use this checklist to help ensure that you are handling a customer complaint well:

• Demonstrate a positive, helpful attitude to the customer

• Demonstrate courtesy to the customer
• Demonstrate understanding of the customer‘s feelings
• Listen to the customer
• Ask open-ended questions to get information from the customer
• Give feedback to the customer to show you understand their problem
• Take action to resolve the customer‘s complaint
• Refer the customer‘s complaint to your supervisor if necessary
• Turn a dissatisfied customer into a happy customer
• Complete any documentation that is necessary
• Take follow up action to ensure the customer is happy
Accurately complete documents regarding customer complaints:- Having a record of
complaints is useful for monitoring any patterns and finding areas of improvement in the
business. It is also handy as a record of dates if a customer returns to make further
complaints.
As part of the recording system, make sure there is a way to tell resolved complaints

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 apart from the unresolved ones. It could be as simple as moving a complaint form into
another section of a folder or putting a red line across a complaint once it has been
resolved.
A regular check of the records will then show you which complaints still need to be
resolved. This way, no complaints will be left unresolved for very long and customers
won‘t be kept waiting. Recording any follow up contact with customers is also useful
for establishing an effective complaints process.
DOCUMENTATION: - A comprehensive complaints procedure will include a recording
system for the complaints. This could be a notebook where all complaints are written or a
form for customers or staff to fill in and the business to file.Commonly the complaints
forms will be at service counters, in the staff tea room and/or in the manager's office.
Complaints must be recorded accurately and legibly and it is usual to complete these forms
as soon as possible while the details are still fresh in your mind.
Take follow up action to ensure customer satisfaction :- Taking follow-up action in
relation to complaints involves checking with the customer to ensure they are happy, and
taking internal action to prevent the problem happening again.
FOLLOWING UP CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS :- After acting on a complaint,
check with your customer if the resolution is to his satisfaction. This is a very important
part of dealing with a complaint. Follow up procedures demonstrate to the customer that
they are a valued part of your business.
Checking with customers offers us another opportunity to provide outstanding service, and
gives us another chance to "make things right". It also shows we have taken their complaint
seriously, and we value them as a customer. It can transform a situation where they were
annoyed into a Wow factor. You might want to follow up a few weeks after, just to check
on things. Your customer might be able to give you a few insights on how to make your
service better. Follow up may take the form of formal documentation, as required by the
policies and procedures of your employer, a letter of apology, or a phone call to the
customer to see ifthey are happy.
2.4 Providing respond to Customer needs.
Providing great customer service means knowing who your customers are and what they
want. When you have a better understanding of your customers and what drives them,
you‘ll find it easier to offer them the personalized customer service they need.
To serve customers with special needs the essential elements are:

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 • The ongoing need to be polite and courteous
• The need to be warm, genuine and empathetic
• Knowing when to back off and allow people to help themselves
• Being yourself
• Knowing your own personal limitations and realizing when to:
 Involve another staff member
 Obtain an interpreter
 Refer them to somewhere, or someone else
 Redirect them to another section, department or area within the store
Consistency :- Serving customers with special needs requires you to have a positive
attitude, good communication skills, patience and, often, a sense of human ours.
SERVING CUSTOMERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Serving customers with intellectual disabilities :- Some techniques of good service are:

 Understand that people with intellectual disabilities may or may not have
physical disabilities as well
 Serve them the same way you serve other customers: make them welcome,
find out their needs, meet their needs, and complete the sale and farewell them
 Always first try to communicate directly with the customer. If you cannot
establish communication with the customer, communicate second hand
through the companion
 Do not guess what the customer wants: clarify and confirm
 Do not guess what the customer is like as a person
 Do establish a warm, humorous relationship if both you and the customer
genuinely share the warmth and hum us
 Find out by asking if there is any special service you can provide. Make your
own suggestions too
 Don‘t try too hard. It comes out as artificial. Being yourself is the best there is
 Treat the customer with the same respect you‘d show any other customer
 Be patient if the customer needs time to communicate
 Give feedback to show you‘ve understood
 Act naturally

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 Serving Customers who are Deaf or Hearing Impaired:
 Get the person‘s attention before talking. A tap on the shoulder or a wave of
the hand in their field of vision are two acceptable ways of doing this
 Do not stand in front of a window or bright light. You are then easier to see
 Look at the person as you talk
 Speak naturally. Don‘t exaggerate your lip movements or speak louder. These
distort your speech and make you harder to understand
 Don‘t mumble, eat or smoke
 Use simple language and sentence structure. Don‘t however, patronize. There
is a difference between keeping things simple and being patronizing
 Avoid background noise
 Use visual clues and gestures
 Write down what you want to say
 Be patient. Show tolerance and good humor
 Use a combination of speech and writing
Serving customers who are blind or vision impaired:- If you are serving customers
who are blind or vision impaired, there are some simple things you can do which make their
shopping easier.

 For a start, walk up to a customer straight away. It is awful standing

in a store for a long time waiting for someone to notice you
 Say something simple like ―Hi, would you like some help?‖
 Then tell the customer you are a salesperson to show you are
not another customer
 Then ask the customer ―What is your guiding technique?‖
 Don‘t just grab the customer‘s arm and start leading. The customer
will tell you the best way to guide
 Talk as you usually would. Don‘t shout. They‘re not deaf
 To provide good service, you have to listen to the customer very well
Serving customers from non -English- speaking backgrounds:-Greet the customer as

Usual . Most non-English speaking customers recognize some basic words

 Use positive body language to assist your communication

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  Speak slowly and in simple English
 Listen very carefully
 Give feedback to show you understand
 Use pictures and diagrams if necessary
 Show friendliness and tolerance
 Get feedback from the customer: ―No‖, ―Yes‖, ―Bigger‖, ―Another one‖, etc.
 Use the Translating and Interpreting Services if necessary. Phone 13 1450 from
anywhere in Australia, 24 hours a day

Once you have established the needs and expectations of your customers, you then need to develop
appropriate solutions using your products and services and offer them the best possible option to
meet or exceed their requirements. Although this process differs from business to business.

The following are some simple guidelines:

 Assess and priorities customers‘ requirements

 Identify all possible solutions that could meet customers‘ needs and wants
 Effectively communicate the available options to the customer and suggest choices that
match their requirements
 Assist customers in the selection of the best possible option

In addition to these you also need to:

 Provide prompt service to customers to meet identified needs in accordance with
business requirements
 Establish and maintain appropriate rapport with customers to ensure completion of
quality service delivery
 Sensitively and courteously handle customer complaints and objections in accordance
with business requirements
 Provide assistance or respond to customers with specific needs in accordance with
business requirements
 Identify and use available opportunities to promote and enhance services and
products to customers

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 SAMPLE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT FORM

Customer‘s Name: ……………………………………..

Address: ………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
Home ……………………………………..
PhoneNumber:
Work Place ……………………………………..
PhoneNumber

Customer Complaint: ………………………………………………………………

Please include a clear ………………………………………………………………
description of all the
relevant information.

Sales Assistant ……………………………………..

Handling Complaint:
Department: ……………………………………..

Date: ……………………………………..

2.5 Opportunities to Promote services and Products

There are many ways to promote your services and products. Here are some ideas:
 Affiliate marketing: Advertise your products or services through affiliate marketing. This is a
type of marketing where you pay affiliates to promote your products or services. You can offer
them a commission for every sale they make.
 Pop-up shops: Open a pop-up shop to showcase your products or services. This is a great way
to get your products in front of new customers.
 Email campaigns: Start an email campaign to promote your products or services. This is a
cost-effective way to reach out to your customers.
 Google My Business: Advertise on Google My Business to promote your products or services.
This is a great way to get your business in front of people who are searching for products or

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 services like yours.
 Social media ads: Sponsor ads on social media to promote your products or services. This is a
great way to reach a large audience.
 Social media engagement: Talk to customers on social media to promote your products or
services. This is a great way to build relationships with your customers.
 Influencer marketing: Send free samples to social media influencers to promote your
products or services. This is a great way to get your products in front of a large audience.
 Customer reviews: Take advantage of customer reviews to promote your products or services.
Positive reviews can help build trust with potential customers.
 Trade shows: Participate in trade shows to promote your products or services. This is a great
way to make new contacts and reach out to potential customers.
 Networking events: Participate in community activities and other networking events to
promote your products or services. Speaking to people about your business can be one of the
most effective ways of promoting your product or service

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 SELF-CHECK - TWO
PART-I WRITE TRUE IF THE STATEMENTS ARE CORRECT AND WRITE FALSE IF THE
STATEMENTS ARE INCORRECT

--------1. Customer service refers to the assistance and support provided to customers before, during, and
after their purchase or interaction with a company.

------2. Establishing rapport involves building a positive and trusting relationship with customers.

-----3. A customer complaint should be taken seriously and addressed promptly to ensure customer
satisfaction.

-----4. Promoting services and products involves raising awareness and generating interest in the offerings
of a company

Part-II Choose the best answer

-----5. Customer Service: Which of the following is an example of good customer service?
a) Ignoring customer inquiries and complaints b) Providing timely and helpful assistance
c) Being rude and dismissive to customers d) Focusing solely on upselling products
-----6. Establishing Rapport: How can rapport be established with customers?
a) Being impersonal and strictly professional
b) Listening actively and showing empathy
c) Avoiding any personal connection with customers
d) Interrupting customers while they are speaking
-----7. Customer Complaint: What is the best approach when handling a customer complaint?
a) Dismissing the complaint as unfounded
b) Apologizing and finding a solution to address the issue
c) Ignoring the complaint and hoping it goes away
d) Blaming the customer for the problem
----8. Providing Response to Specific Needs: What does it mean to provide a response to specific
needs?
a) Offering a generic solution that works for most customers
b) Ignoring customer preferences and requests
c) Tailoring solutions to meet individual customer requirements
d) Providing the same response to all customers regardless of their needs

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-----9. Promoting Services and Products: How can services and products be effectively promoted to
customers?
a) By using aggressive and pushy sales tactics
b) By providing accurate and transparent information
c) By withholding important details about the offerings
d) By avoiding any mention of the benefits or features
PART-III-. MATCH THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WITH THE APPROPRIATE CUSTOMER
SERVICE-RELATED TASKS:
a) Customer Service
b) Establishing Rapport
c) Customer Complaint
d) Providing Response to Specific Needs
e) Promoting Services and Products

---------10. Listening actively and addressing concerns

---------11. Building trust and positive relationships
---------12. Investigating and resolving customer issues
---------13. Customizing solutions to meet specific customer needs
---------14. Informing customers about new products or services

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 UNIT THREE: MONITORING ON SERVICE DELIVERY
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Reviewing Customer satisfaction
 Enhancing Quality services and products.
 Monitoring service delivery.
 Customer feedback
 Reporting services delivery
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Verify Customer satisfaction
 Enhance quality services and products.
 Monitor service delivery.
 Improve customer feedback
 Ensure customer satisfaction decision.
 Report on critical aspects of service delivery.

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 3.1 Reviewing customer satisfaction
Reviewing customer satisfaction begins with customer research. Most medium to large
organizations has specialized departments that plan and conduct customer research. We will have a
look at some of the techniques you may be required to understand in order to effectively research
(or review) customer satisfaction.
THE RESEARCH PROCESS:-Like all research processes, customer service research has
five broad phases. These are:
 Defining the problem and documenting the research objectives
 Developing the research plan for collecting information
 Implementing the research plan — collecting and analyzing the data
 Interpreting and reporting the findings
 Post-implementation review
Let‘s look at each of these in more detail.
Defining the problem and research objectives: - In this phase, you need to define and document
the objectives of the research. This phase expresses the outcome as a series of goals. Defining the
problem is often the hardest part of the research process, as a manager may know that a problem
exists but be unsure how to put the problem in ‗research language‘.

Defining a problem keeps us focused on our goal, and encourages us to start with the end result in
mind, instead of getting bogged down in details. This is the essence of strategic thinking and
planning. For example, a manager may suspect that an organization is losing customers as a result
of poor service. Before trying to implement problem can be defined as a goal, or a series of goals,
such as:- Determine the causes of customer attrition by implementing weekly satisfaction surveys

Sometimes defining a customer service problem can be tricky and it can be a good idea to involve
an experienced market research specialist at this point in the process.

Once the problem has been defined, you need to identify the specific objectives of the research
process. There are three general types of research objectives for most research processes:
 Exploratory: These objectives relate to gathering information about a customer service-
related problem or impact of a new customer service. For example, a manufacturer may
wish to investigate whether the introduction of a 24-hour help-line would solve the majority
of consumer problems and therefore reduce the processing costs of returned goods
 Descriptive: Descriptive objectives relate to the customer research that will be used to
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 better describe customer service-related problems or situations. For example, you may wish
to investigate if a new customer service will appeal to the customers in your area
 Causal: The final category of objectives is causal objectives. These objectives investigate
customer service ‗effects‘ e.g., aggressive behavior by customers when market researchers
call after 7pm. This type of investigation of the linking between observed factors is called
cause and effect relationship‘ research

Finally, using these objectives, you need to decide who will use the information gathered and how
they will use it. Considering these objectives helps you to define what data or information needs to
be gathered, identify what questions need to be asked and determine what the customer service
research sample needs to be.

Developing the research plan: - Once the objectives have been identified, the next phase is the
development of the research plan. The following planning steps are usually used in an
organizational planning process:

The outcome is expressed as a series of goals (as described above). In customer service research
these goals must include determining the specific information needs of the research. For example,
must the final information outcome include demographic data, lifestyle characteristics, and
consumer attitudes to the packaging?
 A list of actions to achieve each goal is created
 A time line for each action is prepared
 Resource allocation occurs for each action
 Possible problems are identified and contingency plans are created
 A monitoring process is designed and implemented
 Final costs are estimated
 The plan is implemented

In customer service research, there are four additional areas that must be addressed during the
planning process. These involve the following:
 What ‗primary‘ and ‗secondary‘ data to gather (usually included as part of a list of actions
to be achieved for each goal). Primary data is data that is collected specifically for this
customer service research. Secondary data is information that already exists as it has been
collected for another purpose, such as demographic data or the organization‘s Profit and
Loss Statement.
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  The customer service research techniques that will be used. These include are interviews,
surveys, focus groups and case studies.
 Selecting the suitable sample of customers who will be used for the customer service
research. Choosing your sample is critical. To seek information from the wrong sample of
customers, or a very limited sample, could mean invalidating your customer service
research.
 Selecting an appropriate customer contact method. If the customer research requires
customer contact, then you must decide what customer contact methods will be used to
gather the data. Common forms of customer contact include mail, telephone, email or
personal interview. A summary of the strengths and weaknesses of these four contact
methods is provided below:
Table 3.1 Strengths and weaknesses of customer contact methods
Perso
Mail Phone Email
nal
Inter
view
Flexibility Poor Good Excellent Fair
Data quantity
Good Fair Excellent Fair
Collected
Speed of Poor Excellent Good Good
Response
Response rate Poor Good Good Poor
Cost Good Fair Poor Excellent

Implementing the research plan :- In the next phase, the research plan is implemented and
managed. Although the management of the customer service research plan may be controlled
by the organization, many organizations today elect to have the customer service-related data
collected by a third party — this reduces costs and ensures objectivity. ‗Mystery Shopper‘
organizations provide this type of service.
Interpreting and reporting on the findings :- In this phase, you interpret the findings,
draw conclusions from the data collected and present the results to your team and the
organization.
Post-implementation review: - As with all good plans, customer service research should

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conclude a post- implementation review. In this phase you ask and answer the question, ‗What
did we do well this time and what could we do better next time?‘Your service research
planning template could look like this:

Table 3.2 Service research planning template

Research objective(s): exploratory, descriptive, causal
Resources
Phase Actions By when By whom
required
Develop research plan (including
research techniques,
customer sample, contact
method)
Implement research plan

Interpret and report research

results
Post-implementation review

Once you have completed your customer research you have quantifiable data, which can be used as
the basis for constructive suggestions that will lead to changes in service standards. You can also
provide advice on future directions of client service strategies.

The underlying purpose here is to improve service performance and to increase customer
satisfaction. It‘s important to be systematic.

You need to be able to describe the performance gap and discuss it with your team. Often these
situations become difficult because people‘s emotions and feelings of self- worth come into play.
One way to keep a positive focus is to think of this as a problem- solving activity.

3.2 Enhancing quality of services and products

Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry
standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a
product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes. Quality is a measure of how well a
product or service satisfies customer needs and expectations, and how well it conforms to industry standards. It

58
is an essential aspect of any business that wants to succeed in the market. You can define product quality
according to:
 Performance and intended function
 Reliability of the product within a specific time frame
 Conformity to product specifications
 Product durability and lifespan
 Product serviceability
 Physical features of the product
 Customers' perception of the product

Figure 3.1Quality Service

To improve the quality of services and products, it is essential to focus on the needs of the customers. One
way to achieve this is by taking feedback seriously and using it to create quality products. Setting specific
goals and creating a culture of innovation can also help improve the quality of services and products.
It is important to understand what quality means for your brand and to establish a quality management system
(QMS). Additionally, product performance testing and developing a culture of quality can help improve product
quality.
Providing high-quality products and services that fulfill customer needs can create trust in your brand and lead
to customer retention. This can increase profits and lead to word-of-mouth recommendations that are essential
to a brand‘s growth.
To improve the quality of products or services
 Take feedback seriously. Don‘t fall in love with your product
 Set specific goals. ―Don‘t should all over yourself,‖

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  Create a culture of innovation. Constant and strategic innovation is one of the Seven Forces of Business
Mastery
3.3 Monitor service delivery
When monitoring the procedural aspects of service delivery for effectiveness and suitability to meet
the customer requirements, there are four steps that will help you monitor this.
The four steps to monitoring

I. ESTABLISH WHERE MONITORING IS NEEDED

The key point for a manager in monitoring the implementation of service improvement plans is
identifying where monitoring is needed. In order to identify the areas that require monitoring, ask
yourself the following questions:
What are the most important areas in my service improvement plans? Are they team member
service behaviors
 Improving product quality
 Increasing sales
 Improving service timeliness
 Improving service flow
 Reducing customer complaints
 Other
 What would be the impact if the service improvement plan went wrong?
 How do these areas support the organization‘s service strategy?

Figure 3.2 Delivery service

60
 II. ESTABLISH THE MEASURES

Using the answers to the questions above, identify what should be monitored. Remember that
your measures should monitor the key areas that you have identified in the first step, including
those that support the organization‘s service strategy. Measure the most important things that
will help you to meet your goals, and make sure the measures give you accurate and timely
information. One useful method of gathering data is to use both formal and informal customer
surveys. Informal surveys can be carried out by staff when they have finalized a sale with the
customer by asking questions. Formal surveys using a written form or external group to do
phone surveys and mystery shoppers are often best for developing a complete picture.
III. COMPARE

Compare what should be happening with what is happening. Remember that in any plan some
variation to the planned outcome will occur. As a manager your role is to identify when this
variation is important.
IV. TAKE ACTION

If a variation is identified it may become necessary for you to take corrective action. You may
need to:

 Give yourself some ‗breathing time‘ to decide on the proper course of action
(interim action)
 Change some of the service standards so that they meet customer needs more
effectively (adaptive action)
 Remove negative influences that are affecting service performance, e.g., change a
service offering to better accommodate customer demands (corrective action)
 Remove the cause of a potential performance shortfall, e.g., implement performance
management procedures to address the non-performance of a team member
(preventative action)
 Act to reverse a negative trend in the plan that is revealed by monitoring and prevent
any future impact on customer satisfaction, e.g., implement a training plan to improve
the ability of staff to manage customer complaints (contingency action).
3.4 Customer feedback
So far, we have looked at how important it is to find out what your customer thinks of your services
and products. Customer service improvement, however, is a continuous cycle. In other words,
61
when you receive feedback, you and your organization need to act on this feedback, and not just file
it away for later and do nothing with the feedback.

It is important that you regularly seek customer feedback on the service provided as well as your
product. It is hoped that when you get the feedback that your customers will say that your services
have improved. Having the feedback will help in your organization‘s continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement can be defined as the improvement of the quality of aspects of service (or
the product). The improvement will not happen overnight—it‘s step-by-step. Ideally, improvements
must be cost-efficient or cost neutral. Ideally too, it should not mean more work for staff but a
change in the ways things is done. Customer feedback is sought continuously.

In other words, continuous improvement occurs when the quality management process is
continually reviewed and improved.

Obtaining feedback is not enough. You will need to identify those work processes that are not
working well—therefore resulting in the customer not getting satisfaction out of their
interactions with your unit or organization.
You would need to examine the following:
 Work processes may not adequately incorporate quality requirements
 The quality objectives may be incorrect or incomplete
 The established quality standards may be incorrect or incomplete
 The metrics used to measure quality may be incorrect or incomplete
 The quality assurance checklist may be inaccurate
 The quality process may be incorrect

Once you have identified where the quality management process can be improved,
report your findings to your manager. Remember, continuous improvement occurs when
the quality management process is continually reviewed and improved.
3.5 Reporting service delivery
A service delivery status report is a document that can track the progress of projects, programs, or
operations. It includes information on how well the organization has performed in relation to its goals
and objectives, including key achievements and areas for improvement. All government departments,
municipalities and public entities that receive funds for a public purpose are required by law to report
on their actual performance against predetermined objectives. These reports are referred to as 'service
delivery reports.
62
In order for the customer feedback, you collect during research and monitoring activities to be
useful, it must be collated and stored to become data that can be analyzed and interpreted for the
purposes of planning. Record keeping and the development of databases form an important part of
this process. Electronic media has taken the storage and retrieval of information and data to new
heights and in today‘s global economy it is essential that managers are able to fully utilize current
technology. Maintaining records and reports in an efficient and accessible way will help you to
support service strategies, examples of which are outlined below.
 Adjustments and changes can be continually made in order to meet current customer needs
and market circumstances.
 Changes must be reported to your staff. Then they know of impending change and the
reasons for it, thereby ensuring smooth application of new methods and procedures
 Keeping records of various service improvement initiatives means that you can also keep
track of what has been tried and compare the success of different initiatives. For instance,
you may have implemented a system to track the time to complete a service interaction.
Comparing service times before and after you have streamlined service processes will help
you to work out if the new processes are working
 You can determine what information you need and obtain and keep only that information
that is appropriate for reliable decision-making. Essential information provides up-to-date
information on customer buying habits and the level of stock required to ensure regular,
reliable service where and when the customer needs it. It also avoids the inconvenience and
embarrassment of being overstocked or out of stock
 Organizations usually work well where a common base of information is available. Sharing
information means that all employees understand the goals they are working towards and
what is required of them.

The report should include the following:

 The deficiencies or errors you have identified within the quality management process
 The causes of those errors or deficiencies
 Your recommendations for rectifying the problems for the future

63
SELF-CHECK -UNIT THREE
PART-1 WRITE TRUE IF THE STATEMENTS ARE CORRECT AND WRITE FALSE
IF THE STATEMENTS ARE INCORRECT
------1. Reviewing customer satisfaction involves assessing customer perception and feedback
Regarding the quality of products or services.
-----2. Reviewing customer satisfaction involves assessing customer perception and feedback
regarding the quality of products or services.
-----3. Monitoring service delivery involves randomly assessing and evaluating the performance and
effectiveness of service providers.
-----4. Customer feedback refers to the information or opinions provided by customers based on their
experiences with a product or service.
------5. Reporting service delivery is not involves documenting and communicating information about
the provision of services to stakeholders.
PART-2 CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER FOR THE FOLLOWING
6.How can customer satisfaction be measured?
a) By counting the number of customers served b) By conducting surveys or interviews
c) By offering discounts or promotions d) By analyzing competitor performance
7. Enhancing Quality Services and Products: What is the purpose of quality enhancement?
a) To decrease customer satisfaction b) To maintain the status quo
c) To meet or exceed customer expectations d) To reduce costs and increase profits
8. Monitoring Service Delivery: What methods can be used to monitor service delivery?
a) Conducting customer surveys b) Implementing employee training programs
c) Analyzing sales data d) All of the above
9. Customer Feedback: Why is customer feedback important?
a) It helps improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
b) It provides an opportunity to ignore customer opinions.
c) It increases operational costs.
d) It has no impact on business performance.
10. Reporting Service Delivery: Who are the recipients of service delivery reports?
a) Competitors b) Shareholders c) Employees d) All of the above
PART-3 GIVE SHORT ANSWER:
11. Describe the process of reviewing customer satisfaction.
12. How can quality services and products be enhanced?
64
13. Explain the importance of monitoring service delivery.
14. Give an example of customer feedback and its impact on a business.
15. What information should be included in a service delivery report?

65
References
 Anderson, L. (2019). The role of technology in tracking and tracing logistics operations: A
literature synthesis. Journal of Transportation Management, 25(1), 18-32.
 Bagozzi, Richard (1986), Principles of Marketing Management. Chicago
 Brown, M., & Davis, R. (2020). Customer experience in delivery services: A review of the
literature. Journal of Service Management, 12(4), 75-89.
 Blithe ,J (2001) Essentials of Marketing 2nd bed, Ashe foldcolor press, Hampsire
 Chand raseker, K. (2010). Marketing Management: Text & Cases. New Delhi, USA: Tata
McGraw Hill Education Private Limted.
 Johnson, A., & Lee, S. (2021). Real-time monitoring systems in logistics: A comprehensive
review of the literature. International Journal of Operations and Logistics, 8(3), 112-128.
 Kotler, P. (2006). Principle of marketing. 11th edition. Hall of India PLC.
 Kotler, P. and G. Armstrong (2006). Principle of Marketing. New Delhi: MC Graw hill
publishing company.
 Smith, J. (2022). Enhancing last-mile delivery performance: A systematic literature review.
Journal of Supply Chain Management, 15(2), 45-60.

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The Experts/trainers who developed the curriculum and TTLM
No Name Qualification Region College Mobile E-mail
number
1 TADDESE BUSINESS A.A Lideta 0922934005 tadde.t21@gmail.com
TESFAYE GUTA ADMINISTRATION(MBA) Manufacturing
College
2 ENDALE MESFIN Marketing and Sales A.A Addis Ketema 0912054592 endalemesfin27@gmail.com
BERHE Management (BA) Industrial
Marketing Management College
(MA)
3 ADDISALEM BUSINESS A.A Lideta 0920522464 alemaddis821@gmail.com
MINUWEYELET ADMINISTRATION(MBA) Manufacturing
MEKONNEN College
4 ADMASIE Business Education(BA) AA Ministry of 0912 admasiemamuye@yahoo.com
MAMUYE Management of Vocational Labor and
Education (MA) Skills
5 WUBISHETABERA MBA AA Yeka 0916739378 toursajora@gmail.com
GICHAMO Industrial
College

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