ASSESSMENT TASK 1 – Develop a customer service plan
1. Customer service plan
Innovative Widgets Customer Service Charter |
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Our vision: To maintain all Australian business running without problems using safe, quality widgets. Mission: · Innovate new ways of manufacturing and testing widgets · Deliver consistently high-quality customer service internally and externally · Keep Australian businesses buying Australian widgets through quality products and second-to-none customer service · Have the best safety record of any widget company |
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Who are our customers? |
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Our internal customers are: · Production department; · Human resource department; · Sales department; · Marketing department; · Management. |
Our internal customers require: · To follow policies and procedures; · To keep the communication flow. |
Our external customers are: · Technology companies; · Mining companies; · Sole traders; · Individuals; · Medium and small business. |
Our external customers require: · Delivery in time; · Specifications of products. |
We’ll give you what you need … and more! We promise to deliver a widget that’s right for your needs: · Providing a clear description of the product features and specifications; · Tested products ensuring that every single widget follow the quality standards; · Under guaranteed quality even after the product being used. |
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We promise to support you: · Delivering our products within the time required, ensuring that you will receive them; · To sell the widgets with a fair price to keep your projects within your budget; · Whatever problems you have after receiving your purchase, we want to help you ensuring you are happy and well looked after. |
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We’ve support our people to support you! Innovative Widgets’ policies and procedures that support customer service include: · Customer support policy and procedure; · Customer complaints policy and procedure; · Recordkeeping policy and procedure; · Customer information and market research policy and procedure; · Customer feedback policy and procedure. |
2. Innovative Widgets
2.1 Customer support policy and procedure – collecting market research
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to set up best practices for helping customers with their inquiries regarding to our service or products.
Scope: The scope of this policy applies to any inquires/problems that customers may have regarding to our service or products to be handled by our team members.
Resources: Specific procedures for the implementation of this policy are available below and on the company intranet.
Relevant legislation: Anti-discrimination legislation; Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (VIC); Privacy Act 1998; Competition and Consumer Act 2010; Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (VIC).
Updated/ authorized: 11/2016 – Renata da Silva
Customer support process/es
2.2 Customer complaints policy and procedure
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to ensure the management of complaints runs transparently, fairly and consistently following the organization requirements.
Scope: The scope of this policy is related to the management of customer complaints by employees and contractors of Innovative Widgets.
Resources: Specific procedures for the implementation of this policy are available below and on the company intranet.
Relevant legislation: Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (VIC); Privacy Act 1998; Competition and Consumer Act 2010; Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (VIC).
Updated/ authorized: 11/2016 – Renata da Silva
Customer support process/es
2.3 Recordkeeping policy and procedure
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines to implement and to maintain the records management system meeting the organization needs as well as it legal and accountability requirements.
Scope: The scope of this policy is related to the management of recordkeeping by employees, management of Innovative Widgets.
Resources: Specific procedures for the implementation of this policy are available below and on the company intranet.
Relevant legislation: Privacy Act 1988; Anti-discrimination legislation; do Not Call Register Act 2006; Industry codes of practice; State Records Act 2000.
Updated/ authorized: 11/2016 – Renata da Silva
Recordkeeping process/es
2.3 Reflection on your development and design of a customer service plan
To develop and design the customer service plan for Innovative Widgets we had firstly considerate our mission and customer needs. In order to go for the right pathway, we also based the development of our customer service plan on others companies who have a high level of positive feedbacks in this department.
The second step it was to look at the successful experiences that customers had with our competitors and find out what was behind that positive feedback. Moving forward in gathering information, we had created a thorough analysis of our current operations, tracking all feedbacks, complaints we had received.
The third relevant topic it was the interaction of our employees with customers. We gathered data of the average customer experience from customers’ and employees’ points of view. We also had meetings with our employees to evaluate their performance and to listen what areas/tasks they had been struggling with.
The communication within the company is also very important. When designing a plan to manage any area, all staff member must be informed of the existence of that material. Anyone within the company have access to this information and they must know how to access. However, prior any employee start working training has to be provided to ensure that they understand their role and responsibilities, the policies and procedures and the company’s expectations in regarding to their performance.
After handling all this information it was possible to rate our current performance, identify which areas our customer service we are already excellent at, and which areas need improvement. Moreover, we could draw our strategies have a better flow of information within the team members, ensure that employees/ management have a better understanding of process which results in delivering a customer service that matches with our customer expectations.
The customer service plan must be revised every six months.
ASSESSMENT TASK 2 – Manage and develop the team
1. Submit a customer service report
Write a brief report (no more than 1 page) to the board of Innovative Widgets to:
According to Innovative Widgets records our customer service has been decreasing the quality. The number of calls shown on our database from January reveals the increase of number calls with a variation of 14% from the previous year.
The table shows that in January and February the calls represented less 2% compared to the previous year. However, this number went to +3,5% in March, and the team member were the same. In June, July and September the variation in number of calls grown, achieving respectively, +4%, 4,5% and 7%.
On the last semester, the table reveals a significant change regarding to the team members:
The result of this transition had an impact of the calls per month, raising its number from 7% in September to 10% in October and 12% in November.
The possible causes of customer service shortfalls can be easily explained on the last semester of the year, with the absence of the supervisor and the addition of two new employees.
One of the new employees, Mary, has been showing an inappropriate behaviour with customers and has been noticed that she is not following company’s policies and procedures.
In order to address the problems the solutions are: training to the new employees (techniques for solving customer complaints, policies and procedures, how to access to information), coaching (experienced staff members helping the new employees). For Mary it is necessary a meeting to explain her company’s expectations with her performance as well as company’s mission.
2. Submit an email to resolve a customer complaint
Dear Customer Sir/ Madam,
Thank you for taking the time to communicate to us why our service did not meet your expectations. Please accept our sincerest apology for the inconvenience we have caused you and Yore Mine Co. We acknowledge our mistake with the much delayed delivery and also on the product specifications. We also apologise for our staff member, Mary, who was in contact with you. She had a misunderstanding on your order date, however, we don’t approve her behaviour and she is now under training.
We have every desire to address your needs and provide the best solution available to resolve your issue as soon as possible. I was personally looking after your order and we have already sent the widgets on the specifications requested. We also will collect the previous delivery, as they were in a wrong size.
Your order will definitely arrive today, between 2pm and 4pm.
Innovative Widgets will be in contact with you in the coming days to make our best attempt in regaining your confidence in our company. In addition, we have the compromise to prevent this problem from occurring again in the future. Is part of our mission as a company to deliver consistently high-quality customer service.
Thank you,
Kindest regards,
Renata da Silva – Customer service manager
Innovative Widgets
3. Participate in a coaching role-play observed by the assessor
Prepare to participate in a role-play with Mary (your assessor) to address her performance issues. You need to prepare to:
3.1 Role Play
Manager name |
Renata da Silva |
Employee name |
Mary |
Time |
10 am |
Date |
18/11/2016 |
Location |
UIT, level 4 , rom 6 |
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Current performance issues |
· On handling problems with customers (right behaviour); · To proceed on basic tasks such as track orders and reorder products; · Delivering a poor customer service, not following policies and procedures, not helping customers. |
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Questions asked to understand and clarify Mary’s perspective |
· If she is aware or have any doubts with Innovative Widgets’ policies and procedures; · If she knows the company’s expectations with her and if she understands her role in the position; · What points she has been struggling with. |
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Describe the policy and procedures for handling customer complaints |
To handle customer complaints ensuring that are followed the organisation requirements. It is important to emphasize the importance of being very polite and attentive to the customer complaint, making sure that all details are gathered. Never leave the customer without an answer for his complaint, whatever is not covered on policies and procedures must be directed to the manager of the department. |
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Outline techniques for dealing with different types of customers according to their needs |
Dealing with small customers: · Customer staff service can deal with them; · Email, calls; · Ask for feedback. Dealing with significant customers such as Yore Mine Co: · Invite them for a coffee; · Have a more personal relationship; · Promote events and invite them as VIP; · The Manager or the Company’s CEO call them sometimes to have a feedback; · Send samples for innovations. |
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Explain techniques for solving customer complaints |
· Listen; · Apologize; · Take them seriously; · Stay calm; · Identify and anticipate needs; · Suggest solutions; · Never say no; · Be available; · Get regular feedback. |
4. Submit coaching documentation, e.g. coaching plan, notes, etc.
Purpose |
To bridge the gap on our customer service plan |
Determine organisational needs |
To make sure that customers are satisfy and employees know the policies and procedures |
Identify coaching/training needs of team member |
Have a customer mindset; how to stay cool under pressure; policies and procedures |
5. Plan coaching/training session
Topic to be taught |
Trailing Method |
How do we test participants |
Resource Required |
Outcome/Competency |
Policies and procedures |
Online, Directed Study |
Online tests |
Policies and procedures, online questionnaire |
At the end of this sessions employees will be aware of the policies and procedures, where to find them, the contents and how to proceed if information cannot be found on them. |
Anger management skills |
Coach, lecture |
Customer feedbacks, role play |
An external coach, room, tables, computers, chairs, screen |
At the end of these sessions employees will have the techniques to keep calm under pressure treating customers well following company’s procedures. |
Conflict resolution skills |
Coach, lecture |
Customer feedbacks, reports |
An external coach, room, tables, computers, chairs, screen |
At the end of this sessions employees will be able to solve customers’ problems, delivering a high quality customer service. |
Being assertive |
Mentoring program |
Online tests, role play |
Mentor |
Ate the end of this sessions employees will be able to give answers to customers being more assertive, confident, helping the customers, being more responsible for they role. |
ASSESSMENT TASK 3 – Monitor and improve customer service
1. Set of KPIs for customer service team members (4 KPI’s)
1.1 Call/enquiry/complaint handling time
Call:
Enquiry:
Complaint handling time;
1.2 Following organisational procedures
2. Plan or procedure for monitoring team members’ performance (based on 1 KPI)
Call
TASK/ TOPIC |
MONITOR |
STANDARD (OUTCOME) |
Call - Employee answers a call from a customer with a complaint |
Weekly report - feedback from customers with employees names |
To answer a call courtesy introducing himself |
To collect complaint details information |
Weekly report - does the employee collect all information and record them |
To listen fully the customer and after make questions to gather more information. Summarize, writing down and ask the customer if there is any more to add |
To address a solution for the complaint |
Weekly report - how long it takes to solve a problem and end a call with a satisfied customer |
Ask the customer how he would like to be resolved, purpose a solution within his level of authority |
Requesting feedback from Customer |
Weekly report - at the end of the call is the customer happy? |
Get a feedback from the customer |
3. Questionnaire to gather customer feedback
Develop a questionnaire to collect customer feedback related to KPIs and/or designed to uncover identifiable gaps between services provided (including the quality of service) and customer expectations.
10 questions in all, 8 close ended, 2 open ended using likert scale
QUESTIONS |
Strongly disagree |
Disagree |
Neutral |
Agree |
Strongly agree |
1. Innovative Widgets staff members are courteous and helpful. |
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2. As a customer I feel valued by Innovative Widgets. |
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3. The customer service department was easy to access and handled professionally my problems/needs. |
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4. My purchases were always delivered when promises and were free from defects. |
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5. Innovative Widgets care about my needs and complaints. |
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6. Innovative Widgets is very professional and organised as a company. |
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7. Overall, I am satisfied as a customer of Innovative Widgets. |
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8. I would recommend Innovative Widgets service/product to other people. |
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9. What areas do you think that we should improve? |
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10. Please tell us any good/bad (both) experience you have had with Innovative Widgets. |
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Thanks for your time! Your feedback help us to help you! |
4. Report containing recommendations for improvement of customer service.
Prepare a 1–2 page report for the management at Innovative Widgets containing recommendations for organisation-wide customer service improvement. The report should contain:
4.1Three or four recommendations. At least one recommendation should address how to improve public relations at Innovative Widgets.
4.2 Rationale for each recommendation based on your knowledge of:
This report is addressed to Innovative Widgets management team and contains recommendations for improvement of customer service.
Innovative Widgets is a company that provides components for machinery used by companies across industries. As its vision states: “To maintain all Australian business running without problems using safe, quality widgets”, Innovative widgets has a compromise in making life easier.
As a customer service manager in this company, my role is to assist my team members and ensure that we provide excellence in customer service maintaining our image in a high positive level with our clients.
Over the last few months we have been receiving negative feedbacks, which took as to an urgent plant for improvement of or service.
After collecting all the internal and external feedbacks, we came across frequent problems.
First of all, I would like to give some recommendations of how we should improve our customer service:
The reason why I am indicating these four recommendations is that by exploring them with details we can cover all/almost all our issues. Explanation for each recommendation:
When dealing with problems we have to address solutions for our customers. Is should be created policies and procedures for frequent problems in order to make customer service team life’s easier and to keep our standard.
As Innovative Widgets mission states, we are always seeking for innovate new ways of manufacturing and testing widgets, and this includes processes of delivering service. So it is time to search for new technology to help us to bridge the current gaps, such as: new software, automatize processes, etc.
The proposed Customer Service Improvement will lead the improvement of customer service across Innovative Widgets’ services over the next six months, when it should be revised after analysing the results.
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