Maya Mouawad and Brian H. Kleiner
In today’s volatile economy, providing excellent customer service can be the critical difference between a company’s success and failure. Customers today are better educated than…
Abstract
In today’s volatile economy, providing excellent customer service can be the critical difference between a company’s success and failure. Customers today are better educated than ever before. They are increasingly careful about purchases and the dollars they spend and want value for their money. Customers also want good service and are willing to pay for it. The level of courtesy and assistance required from a customer service representative has increased dramatically over the past decade as a result of the customer’s upgraded “acceptable” service standards; more skills are required, such as telephone courtesy and assistance, effective telemarketing skills, customer retention, problem‐solving capabilities, maintaining customer satisfaction, and effective use of available technology. As a result, companies in various industries are induced to provide distinguished customer service in order to remain competitive. Learning is taking on strategic importance. Demand for customer service training is higher than ever before. Such extraordinary commitment can be elicited only in the context of a corporate culture that emphasizes caring about employees and sharing of the service ethic by everyone in the organization ‐ starting with the CEO. A business which offers not just the bare‐bones basics but exceptional, value‐amplified service, which anticipates and caters to a whole range of customer needs and desires, sets itself far above the competition.
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Customer service representatives are no longer perceived as secretaries or telephone operators, nor considered as mere support staff for personnel working in the field. Rather…
Abstract
Customer service representatives are no longer perceived as secretaries or telephone operators, nor considered as mere support staff for personnel working in the field. Rather, they are increasingly viewed as carriers and guardians of the company’s image, and key players in the organization’s customer retention plan. Highlights how training for customer service staff is, therefore, taking on a new perspective.
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There are many different views and opinions held about the value of training. Some people, of course, reach the top without any formal training whatsoever and expect others to…
Abstract
There are many different views and opinions held about the value of training. Some people, of course, reach the top without any formal training whatsoever and expect others to do the same. This is all well and good if, presumably, you are able to train yourself. Most need the support of formally organized training courses or continuous learning, working on the assumption that there are always things to learn. It does not matter how old or experienced you are, there will always be a gap in your knowledge that requires attention. Beware the people who know it all as they will be the ones who have the blind spots and just cannot see trouble ahead. If these people are at the top of the organization and just happened to be in the right place at the right time, which could happen if an organization has been particluarly successful, then this could have disastrous consequences on the business. Business means change, and if you cannot cope or are not prepared to accept or adapt to this change, the end result is inevitable.
A couple of months ago I read the following sentence in Business Week, “Blink, and another billion‐$‐company may have disappeared. Step out for coffee, and an entire industry…
Abstract
A couple of months ago I read the following sentence in Business Week, “Blink, and another billion‐$‐company may have disappeared. Step out for coffee, and an entire industry could be transformed”. Indeed, 1995 will enter into history as the year of alliance building all over the world. All in all, alliance building (announced and realized) will have been $400‐billion business, spread all over the industrialized West. An amazing figure if we remember the fact that investment in new fixed assets will not have grown by more than 3‐4 per cent. The question is: does all this make sense, economically and entrepreneurially?