Commitment to Serve the Customer - Essay Example

I do agree with Tracey here. Twenty minutes is a lot of time to just answer questions and i wonder if most people will have the patience given the time constraints in current times. Shot questions covering just one aspect of customer service with not more than five questions at a time, may be better in terms of eliciting meaningful answers.  If the report contains too many procedural details, then pertinent information is more likely to get lost or buried, in my assessment. Also, I think, if the reporter has not been able to understand the relevance of the details, or prioritize the order of importance then he/she may not be able present the report succinctly thus the report is ambiguous and relevant details get lost. This is a good example of thorough professionalism when both sound knowledge and commitment is there in the staff. Commitment to serve the customer is slightly more important in my assessment, since this will ensure that even if there is a slight deficiency in the knowledge aspect, it can be rectified by the informing the customer and getting back to the customer after the required knowledge has been acquired. However, if  knowledge is there and commitment is missing, there will still be a lacunae in the service.    I am not sure if it is exactly so simple. It may be simple when the questions are focused on analyzing a single point or maximum two points; linking the cause and effect relevantly, I think needs practicing... it may become simple once I understand it better, probably.   I searched the net as I was curious to find out more on this rule. I gathered this information " In the late 1940s, Dr. Joseph M. Juran inaccurately attributed the 80/20 Rule to Pareto, calling it Pareto's Principle. While it may be misnamed, Pareto's Principle or Pareto's Law as it is sometimes called, can be a very effective tool to help you manage effectively....The 80/20 Rule means that in anything a few (20 percent) are vital and many(80 percent) are trivial. In Pareto's case it meant 20 percent of the people owned 80 percent of the wealth. In Juran's initial work he identified 20 percent of the defects causing 80 percent of the problems." source : Pareto's Principle - The 80-20 Rule How the 80/20 rule can help you be more effective  By F. John Reh,  I agree. Also the figures should be presented in a relevant manner, with clear explanations,  if possible with picture representations and graphs. This will help the reader understand  the message better and importance of the information along with the context of its relevance. For example, the number of customers waiting to be served on an average working day morning may be 30. However, the number of customers may double on Sunday mornings to sixty, necessitating extra staff  to attend to the increased influx of customers. The link between Sundays and increased influx of customers and additional staff requirements are the relevant points here, and this should come out clearly in the report.   Politeness, warmth and empathy will always carry a special value. Even in the face of stiff competition, one can  carve a niche for oneself by practising these qualities.  However, today with e-bay and other online marketing and selling have reduced the direct interaction of customers and vendors; the impact of machines as interface between the buyer and the vendor  poses new challenges for some, while offering some advantages for some others, like people with special needs. For example, a person with special needs need not travel any more to the apparel shop to by shirts and pants. Knowing his/her size one can order online and pay online, since even the colours patterns and price tags are all there for the customer to see at the click of an electronic mouse, and the product reaches home.  Revolution is under way, however, whether it is good or bad, advantageous or disadvantageous, and the extent  to which the facilities are used varies from individual to individual. People in customer service must be aware of such changes and maximize on opportunities to use them where ever possible to serve customers with special needs.   Generally customer service in large outlets is by design minimum, with everything neatly arranged on shelves and boards directing you to what you need. My experiences are varied and i have been both at the receiving end as a customer, and as a service personnel - the service giver or provider. As a service provider i have always tried to be helpful and friendly, as stated in another post, i have even done my best to help people with special needs. At the same time, all customers are not equally polite or courteous; it largely depends on their personal outlook and events on that particular day. Sometimes when they are stressed elsewhere, they take it out on the people who serve them. Others are kind and friendly. It is all a part of our jobs. There have been some instances wherein customer have been irritated by a slight delay in service and been really curt to me. It happens especially on busy days when many customers clamour for service and demand to be served ahead of the others who are waiting.  Mostly I try to sort it out by apologising and sometimes giving prior information to the customer that there will be a slight delay due to prior orders. In my experience as a customer service personnel too, mostly a smile and a war approach works well to put customers at ease. I have had equally pleasant experiences as a customer too; particularly at a book store, wherein a book that I wanted was not there and a staff there not only informed me that they were out of stock, she also informed me that it was expected in two days time, and she would email me when she had the copy of the book. She promptly did as she promised and it was very helpful, as i need the book very much.  The book store has won my respect, and even though it is nowhere close by, i do not mind going a bit longer to reach the store, because I am sure of getting good service.   I agree with you Lyndell, in that eye-contact is important and goes a long way to put your customer at ease. A small smile will do the trick better. Positive body language carries an intangible value and is definitely capable of bringing back customers on a regular basis.  Read More