Delivering Superior Customer Service - Essay Example

Developing employees Institution Name Date Evaluating how developing employees enables an organization to benefit customers through delivering superior customer service Introduction Customer service involves a series of activities designed for customer satisfaction delivery. The entire customer satisfaction provision process has its basis on an understanding of customer needs and wants (Stillwagon, 2015). An effective business will aim at anticipating and meeting or exceeding the customer needs. Customer service requires communication that is effective and effectual. A customer experience that is of high quality applies from initial contact all the way to after-sales care. This happens whether customers generate regular repeat businesses or one-off transactions (Kotler, et at., 2015). An increase in competition among companies, whether non-profit or for-profit, forces businesses to be keen in customer satisfaction. The difference between training and development Development and training programs have their basis on the idea of providing services that are excellent to customers (Bacal, 2013). They also involve the performance of every relevant task outside or inside the store in a manner that is professional. These programs and other orientations lead to business growth because proper customer care and professional activities are factors that are very essential in attracting customers. In business premises, customers constitute an essential entity. This is the reason the expectations of customers have the potential of changing the organizational strategy of a business. Employee training is an organized event, a workshop or seminar that has a beginning and ending date that has been specified. It is often an activity by the group. The word training, however, is used in reference to instructions that are specific and usually done one on one. Employee development, on the other hand, is a much inclusive and bigger issue. For instance, if a manager pairs up relatively new employees with more experienced employees to assist the new employee learn more concerning the job, that is development. If managers coach employees in a way that is on-going then that is developing the employee (Kotler, et at., 2015). An employee can as well rotate the job responsibilities so that he or she can learn and gain experience about the responsibilities of his or her colleague. Eventually, both of them can, therefore, have many promotion opportunities. That is therefore employee development. In a nut shell, employee development is broader. It comprises of training as one and training is just its one method to encourage employee learning. It is essential to note that to achieve different results, it is important to have different activities. For instance, if there is a desire of providing an employee with a good understanding of the operation of departments, job rotation is essential. Direct training is, for instance, more appropriate than job rotation if the employee is to be trained how to use a computer. To fulfill the expectations of customers, there is a need to train the staff and business target achievement as well (Bacal, 2013). The key purpose of development and training program is not only customer satisfaction but also supporting business growth. The benefits of training and development It is essential to remember that employee development that is effective has its basis on the progression of the benefits (Morris, 2013). It starts with the individual performance improvement that later transfer to the localized workplace. The process ultimately leads to an impact that is positive on the entire organization. The real employee training benefits ultimately rest upon the learning transfer into a workplace. Training and development help in increasing morale and satisfaction among employees. It increases the motivation of an employee and efficiencies in processes that ultimately result to financial gains. Training and development also boost the capacity of the employees to new methods and technologies. This is possible through the innovation in products and strategies. The two programs also reduce turnover by employees. Through the two programs, the company is in a position to enhance its image. This is possible, for instance, when ethics trainings are conducted. Training is seen to be a risk management strategy. For example, training employees about sexual harassment and other vices common at work places is a risk management strategy (Kotler, et at., 2015). Potential drawbacks of training and development Training and development face various challenges and limitations. Scheduling training and development in an organisation pose difficult challenges the department of human resource faces (Morris, 2013). A manager in any organisation tends to be reluctant in letting employees take too long away from their obligations and duties. Another challenge is the changes in technology that come rapidly. Programs and corporate initiatives make it difficult to adequately and effectively prepare materials for training and development and as well deliver the training before new skills and information are needed by the employees. Training and development also face challenges such as professional status, gender and age (Hogan, 2015). According to Kotler, et at., (2015), different regard is given by different cultures to gender, professional qualification and age. Younger employees, for instance, are seen to develop and understand the trainings faster than old employees. Time constrain is also a big challenge. As much as mentors are suggested by the organisation, some of the barely have the time to train due to other professional commitments. The High rate of turnout is the most essential constrain. The organization commits itself in training and developing a new employee and, unfortunately, the employee lefts before giving back to the organization as expected. Each employee is unique in their ways. Therefore being assured as an organization that each employee is mastering the training is difficult (Morris, 2013). The contribution that employees can make to the brand image of the organization A brand, to start with, refers to the sum all the information made available about a company, service or product (Hogan, 2015). It is the distinctive name or trademark that identifies a manufacturer or product. It sums up entire information about the service, company or product has. The employees play very fundamental roles in making the brand image of an organization. Employees most often are referred to as the most dedicated and the finest in various industries and are the actual source of the competitive advantage of the company. Each company recognizes the value of its employee. It acknowledges the difference that can be made by able, committed employees force. The key factor that organizations consider keeping existing customers comfortable and happy is the received service. And service provision squarely falls on the employees shoulders. Employees, therefore, play essential roles in the building of the brand image of any company (Hogan, 2015). Potential Performance Indicators that an Organization Could Use To Measure the Level of Customer Service Satisfaction improvement is one of the ways of measuring customer services this is through tracking charges in satisfaction of customers over time. The retention of customers is an essential element of measuring the customer service. A customer who is happy with the product or service provided is likely to stay around hence continue doing business with the organisation. Resolving issues is also part of great customer service provision, and it should always be done in a timely way. Another important factor when referring to customer service is the employee productivity. Different methods are used by different business types of measuring the productivity of the employee. For the needs of the customers to be dealt with in proper time and manner, each employee has to do his or her job effectively (Stillwagon, 2015). Relevant Examples Many companies are very keen on the manner in which they carry out their customer service operations. The main aim of the companies is to ensure customer satisfaction. This is as a result of stiff competition from other companies. For example, a study of the McDonald’s and Burger King in the UK indicates how both businesses have provided services of quality to customers. The fast-food businesses have depicted processes of the delivery of foods that are faster than any restaurant system. That has led to the satisfaction of the customers the businesses serve. Conclusion In conclusion, training and development have a common goal of improving the organizational strategies of service delivery. However, employee training is not as broad and lengthy as employee development and it takes a shorter period. Development is seen as having incorporated the training activities and hence it is an umbrella organizational approach. Both strategies help organizations competently compete in the market because employees are always made equipped and sharper. List of references Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Habib A. & Tobla A. (2015). Principle of Marketing, Arab World Edition. Presentation prepared by Annelie Moukaddem Baalbaki. Bacal, R. (2013). Is There A Difference Between Training & Development?. Retrieved April 4th, 2015 from Morris, A. (2013) The challenges of workforce training and development – are there any lessons the UK can learn? Retrieved April 4th, 2015 from < http://extra.shu.ac.uk/sbsblog/2013/09/the-challenges-of-workforce-training-and-development-are-there-any-lessons-the-uk-can-learn/> Hogan, S. (2015). Employees and Image: Bringing Brand Image to Life. Retrieved April 4th, 2015 from < http://www.lippincott.com/en/insights/employees-and-image-bringing-brand-image-to-life> Read More