CUSTOMER CARE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE TOOLS and APPROACHES

Key Tools, Approaches for establishing good customer care, customer service and ensuring sustainable Customer Satisfaction and delight.

1. CUSTOMER CARE TOOLS AND
APPROACHES
20/04/2025
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2. STUDY OBJECTIVE:
To enhance Participants’ Appreciation and
capacity to gainfully utilize:
•Key Tools, Approaches for establishing good
customer care, customer service and ensuring
sustainable Customer Satisfaction and delight.
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3. Brainstorming Group Work Exercise:
•Assuming you were a customer care manager
for a competitive firm, identify the measures
(Policies, structures & practices) you would
recommend for your organization to ensure
good customer care/service.
–(i.e. what are the strategies you would apply to
establish & sustain good customer care?)
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4. CUSTOMER CARE TOOLS &APPROACHES:
NB: Customer Care Special Tools & Programs are strategies
devoted to maximise the benefits a customer receives
within the operating constraints of the business. These
include:
•Ensuring Optimal quality (Product) i.e. technically,
quality is determined by the needs and wants of the
customer
•Charging Optimal prices
•Effective & efficient product delivery programmes
•The “Right” customer service providers (personnel)
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5. Elements influencing customer care
•The way the initial contact is handled
•The follow-up process
•Clear specification of product features, price,
payment terms and availability and after “sales”
service
•Simple ordering procedure
•Prompt order acknowledgement
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6. Elements influencing customer care
•Adherence to stated conditions/ Standards
•Advance notice of any necessary deviation from
conditions
•Assistance when product/Offer is delivered
•Clear invoicing – no hidden charges
•Easy access to supplier for assistance
•Occasional after “sales” activity
•Courteous staff (I.e. Polite, hospitable, Civil,
Approachable, helpful & Friendly)
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7. Vital Practices in Customer care
•Developing and publishing a statement of the Firm’s
(organisation’s) Vision, Mission, & Objectives
•Incorporating customer care/service as an integral
part of the Firm’s strategy
•Preparing detailed plans of how to satisfy and exceed
customers’ identified needs & wants
•Equipping staff with positive attitudes and
continuously improving their customer handling
skills.
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8. Continuous improvement of customer
care
•A clear understanding of what the
organisation/entity wants to achieve- (vision/
mission)
•Fluid/Two-way communication that is open
and runs through the organisation
•A commitment to constant feedback on the
effects of the products/improvements
•Tactical use of a smile & body posture
•Maintaining Client database
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Other Basic Necessities for Enhancing Customer
Care:
•Good relationship amongst employees (internal
customers) while serving external customers
•Excellent relationship between employees and
customers,
•Pleasant appearance of personnel,
•Excellent communication skills,
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Basic Necessities cont’d:
•Clear Information as provided by:
–Customer care office /desk.
–Customer care policy
–Customer care Motto: visible at the reception
– The mission statement of the organization- displayed
for all to read.
–Management of good feedback & suggestion schemes:
e.g. suggestion boxes & prodding questionnaires.
–The right use of telephone and other communication
tools.
–Existing Client database
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Extra Necessities for Enhancing Customer
Care: continued
•Special customer care promotion programs:
–Prizes to the best customer service
providers/worker.
–Giving out of regular & seasonal Tokens e.g.
Christmas gifts,& calendars, etc diaries bearing a
customer care message.
–Participatory approaches in formulating customer
care messages & services
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12. TOOLS/TIPS TO BOOST CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION
It is vital to focus on how to:
•CULTIVATE CUSTOMER SERVICE
•OBSERVE QUALITY
•CAPTIVATE YOUR CUSTOMERS
•ESTABLISH GOOD BUSINESS PROCESSES
•CRYSTALLIZE YOUR COMMUNICATION
•ENHANCE YOUR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
•IMPROVE YOUR IMAGE
•CREATE A CUSTOMER-FOCUSED COMPANY
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13. TIPS FOR CULTIVATING CUSTOMER
SERVICE:
• Be easy to find
•Don’t be closed when you should be open
•Answer the telephone promptly
•Don’t keep people waiting –explain delays
•Allow customers to do it their way
•Know your product
•Never be out of stock
•Get the order right
- 
                   
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14. TIPS FOR CULTIVATING CUSTOMER
SERVICE CONT’D
•Stay alter after you’ve clinched the deal
•Make it easy to pay
•Don’t overcharge for “trivial/silly” little extras
•Deliver on time
•Offer a guarantee that means something
•Be fast with refunds
•Give a reward for dealing with you
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15. TIPS FOR OBSERVING QUALITY:
•Produce a good product
•Make sure it works first time
•Always exceed expectations
•Constantly seek improvement
•Don’t tell yourself there’s nothing you can do
about it
•Never accept ‘It’s good enough, considering…’
•Respect your own products
•Worry if your employees won’t buy your product
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16. HOW TO CAPTIVATE YOUR
CUSTOMER RELATIONS:
•Listen to your customer
•Be helpful
•Make it easy to complain
•Respond to complaints
•Analyse complaints
•Respect existing customers
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17. HOW TO CAPTIVATE YOUR CUSTOMER
RELATIONS CONT’D
•Make customers your best ambassadors
•Encourage customer loyalty
•Allow/Make customers to feel cared for
•Don’t take your customer for granted
•When you lose a customer, find out why
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18. TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING GOOD BUSINESS
PROCESSES
•Be strategic
•Step outside the box
•Align the objectives of your functions
•Keep up with the times: innovate!
•Study and learn from best practice
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19. TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING GOOD BUSINESS
PROCESSES- cont’d
•You’re NOT the only game in town! Don’t relax!
•Monitor your competition
•Integrate your marketing activities
•Concentrate on the big picture-and worry about
details
•Be part of the solution, not the problem (Deal with
problems)
•Understand that people, not processes, deliver the
service
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20. TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING GOOD BUSINESS
PROCESSES- cont’d
•Admit mistakes (Don’t pass the buck/ Own up)
•Avoid Crisis- Be prepared (Remember Murphy’s Law)
•Do not Focus on your own needs, and those of your
colleagues
•Don’t just try to do it do it (Check, don’t assume, you
did it right)
•Treat your suppliers as business partners (I.e. Pay
your suppliers promptly)
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21. HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR EMPLOYEE
RELATIONS
•Treat your employees like adults
•Respect minorities
•Give your staff the powers of discretion
•Help your staff to be flexible
•Train your people properly
•Celebrate and reward excellence
•Get your incentives right-reward the right
things/ACTIONS/Efforts
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22. Conclusion
•Ensuring good customer care & customer service
calls for pragmatism, idiosyncrasy, and intuition.
•There are several measures/strategies for
establishing & sustaining good customer care &
customer service. However, application of each
identifiable measure may vary in accordance to
the situation, the customer being served and the
capacities of the customer service provider. ,
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23. THE END!
•Thank you for
participating
•Questions, issues &
Concerns are yet
welcome
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