Marketing - Providing Excellent Customer Service - Essay Example

A satisfied customer is the main propelling force for every business. The crux of the business lies in proper service and care that wins a heart. A personal touch with the customer, understanding his need, proper courtesy, and a genuine smile is all that he longs for. It has something more to do with Max Weber's bureaucracy or organizational pyramid (2) where everyone points a finger at the other one. In the last two decades, the entire marketing scenario has gone through a paradigm shift and excellent customer service appears to be the deciding factor in this changing order.
The qualities needed for a good customer service
First of all, it is the sense of belonging, the proud ownership of the employees that literally change the face of the organization. The training of the employees that makes them serve the customer in a better manner plays a pivotal role. He should learn to communicate effectively, put a genuine smile on his face and be willing to serve his customer in every conceivable way. The staff should also know how to outmaneuver the customer without compromising the policies and ethics of the organization. Good customer service is the sum total of all these attributes that lead to better profitability for everyone.
Customer service in a supermarket store
It is observed that a typical grocery shop stores 30,000 products and the owner answers the same no of quarries. In the supermarket, the product listing may cross well past six-digit marks but the product information which needs to be volunteered is surprisingly absent. The profit surges upwards if some subtle changes can be taken care of. For instance, Wal-Mart has a concerted return policy and a podium in every store where anyone can put a question regarding any service (3). The resultant outcome is a satisfied customer who returns again and again – to contribute to the profit of the organization.
How to provide excellent customer service in supermarkets
There can be multi-pronged ways to provide better customer care in a supermarket. Firstly, the proper motivations of the employees that work wonder. “At IBM, everyone sells” as Buck Rodgers had put it in his bestseller ‘The IBM Way’ (4) which should be the anthem of every supermarket that aspires to make it big. From the doorman to the cashier, everyone needs to work in unison, compromising over everything except company ethics and profitability. The logistics management of both perishable and FMCG items is crucial as the retail sector demands flexibility and reliability in supplying the items to the shelves.

The role of a Store Manager
The store manager plays the all-important role of synchronization for the smooth sailing of the business. The KRA of a store manager includes good communication, facilitating training to the employees, sales and inventory management, and maintaining a favorable environment to help the nurturing of the employees of the store. In a nutshell, the store manager needs to be the profit center of the organization. He must possess in-depth knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) and Food Safety (5).

The person with this type of qualities can take the organization from strength to strength to attain nirvana- the numero uno status in the cluster of countless competitors that jostles for the same.