Chapter 9-
Customer service-
The internet has the capacity to increase customer expectations about service levels as well as vehicle capabilities to deliver the service that meets or exceeds those expectations. The internet is a rapidly growing place. It has much room for improvement and moving up is always necessary. The internet created new ways of delivering service to customers. The phone is the old-fashioned way, now customers can email and even live chat with representatives– webs based (channels) FAQs and video are automated channels. Telephone, and live chat are not the only ways. Customers want multi-channels to get service to them and they what it done in a fast and efficient way. Customers (online) want: 1) timely response 2) informative content 3) communication with a real person 4) product displayed clearly and prominently 5) 24-hour availability. Customers demand great service and they will make sure they get it or else they won’t be too happy. Lost sales or lost customers are not a good way to keep a customer happy.
Customer service capabilities- 1) manage large number of customer accounts 2) have effective customer service systems 3) identify customer problems and communicate resolution 4) leverage customer information from the service process 5) prevent customer problems via customer education.
Anticipatory customer service is when the company knows the issues at hand and repairs/fixes whatever the problem might be or is occuring before the customer has a chance to figure our the problem or even complain about it. They need to prevent problems even before they start and not only fix the current problem. Companies must anticipate problem areas before they become troublesome, develop solutions, and provide service that exceeds customer expectations.
3 things in order to implement anticipatory customer service: 1) build customer scenarios, using data from call center reports, e-mail logs, chat transcripts, and web site software reports Intervention can prevent problems such as common customer mistakes in placing orders. 2) make customer service pervasive by fulfilling common requests before the customer asks 3) design the service process of “seamless escalation,” meaning to guide customers to the service they need w/out having to move through a lot of information that is useless.
If the business recognizes their problems before the customers it will save them money and customers.
Human error can lead to ethical issues as well as providing personal information and spam. Call centers, email, live chat can all have its ethical issues…you have to make sure that you are non discriminatory and polite…addressing every issue the customer has.