Unit 11: Customer Relations in Business

P1: In this task of assignment I am going to describe three different types of customers and their needs and expectation

1. Loyal Customers: These types of customers are less in numbers but promote more sales and profit as compared to other customers as these are the ones that are completely satisfied. These customers revisit the organization/business over times hence it is crucial to interact and keep in touch with them on a regular basis and invest much time and effort with them. Loyal customers want individual attention and that demands polite and respectful responses from supplier. 

  2. Discount Customers: Discount customers are also frequent visitors but they are only a part of business when offered with discounts on regular products and brands or they buy only low cost products. More is the discount the more they tend towards buying. These customers are mostly related to small industries or the industries that focus on low or marginal investments on products. Focus on these types of customers is also important as they also promote distinguished part of profit into business.

  3. Impulsive Customers: These customers are difficult to convince, as they want to do the business in urge. They don’t have any specific item into their product list but urge to buy what they find good and productive at that point of time. Handling these customers is a challenge as they are not particularly looking for a product and want the supplier to display.

 P2: In this task of assignment I am going to identify the benefits of good customer service in a selected organisation

In general, all business organisations' aim is to meet customers' needs and expectations it is important to have a good customer service in an organisation because it benefits everyone; customers and the business because delivering good customer service to customers it helps the business to build relationship between the customer and the business that creates customer loyalty which is good for the business because of the positive word of mouth of customers that they share tot heir friends or relatives will help the business to have repeat and new customers which transforms into higher sales for the business and positive reputation in public.

When business gets higher sales it benefits all the staffs, they may get a reward or bonuses from the company which is doing well and getting better every year which means employees job are safe and secure. There is also a possibility that staffs may increase their salaries/wages, health benefits, more training.

It also benefits the staff who worked really hard to deliver great customer service and also to achieve the company goal. However, I am going to use an example to demonstrate what is this all about. For an example: if there's two company opened next to each other; one name A COMPANY and the other one is B COMPANY. A Company is only doing normal customer service and B Company is doing their best to deliver an excellent customer service. The company who only does "normal" customer service will close sooner.

P3: In this chapter of assignment I am going to demonstrate presentation, communication and interpersonal skills in different customer service situation. I am going to have a play role with Zainab Kah and we are going to cover 3 scenarios of customer services. (Phone, Face-to-Face and responding a complaint e-mail from customer).

This is an e-mail that I have made to respond a customer who complaint about A's Fashion Clothing customer service.

P4: In this task of assignment I am going to explain what contributes to consistent and reliable customer service.

Job role: It is important for staff to know what they can and cannot do as part of their job, they shouldn't overstep their limits by making promises that are outside authority.

Knowledge of product and service: it is important for staff to know about the product and service available in order to provide customers with right information or advice them about the best option to suit their needs.

Staff attitude: Customer service staff should behave in acceptable manners, always polite and willing to help. Positive attitude is very important because it has influences on others.

Meeting specific customer needs: Staff should be able identify specific customer needs by talking to them and then matching their needs to the range of products or service.

Working under pressure: Busy time in a store can be really difficult for staff due to the fact that they have to serve a lot of customers. It Is important for staff to know to deal with situations like this. There are four rules to follow:

-Stay calm and don't panic.

-Do one thing at once.

-Deal with the most urgent things first.

-Work as fast as you can.

Dealing with problems: Customers have different problems and staff should be prepared to deal with them in different situations. There are a few rules to follow whilst dealing with a customer.

-Let them talk without interrupting.

-Check that you have the facts right.

-Do your best to help.

-Refer the problem to a supervisor if it is serious.

P5: In this unit of assignment I am going to describe how customer service can be monitored and evaluated.

Businesses monitor and evaluate their customer service so that they can solve problems and make an improvement on them. This can be done in many ways. The methods used usually depend on the size and type of the business. 

I am going to choose 1 business to be able to explain more on how to monitor and evaluate customer service. I chose Petrichor Restaurant for Informal Feedback and Westminster Kingsway College for Questionnaires.

Informal Feedback: Staffs need to do satisfaction check with all customers during their meal; asking how was the food? if they would like more drinks? etc. If there's anything wrong with the food go to the chef straight away to be able to change it and will give new one but if there's anything wrong with the service you need to tell to the managers and they will be the one who will deal with it.

Any customers complaints will be noted in a log book. In this way, it will help the business to identify and try to solve all complaints/problems and which things are need to improve and which things are need to stop. The team will give suggestions or any ideas on how to make customers happy because their feed backs are very important because this is the common way to monitor customer satisfaction and customer service too.


Questionnaires: Questionnaires are the same as survey which means all students are going to answer the questions and they can also write their opinion about the college and what the things that you to change/improve and then all results will be collected by teachers and teachers will pass all of it to managers. In this way teachers and managers will help them identify if students are happy and if they are receiving a good teaching service.

Formal Customer Feedback: this is when customers are making comments with  especially mention a name of the staff who gave them an excellent customer service which customers appreciate.

Informal customer feedback: this is when for an example a waiter asks a customer how their meal is when they are eating. Which is to see what's customers reaction or comments.

Customer questionnaires/comment cards are normally issued by a lot of businesses such as restaurants; these give the business an idea of how effective their customer service is. 

Mystery customers: they are employed to visit stores to assess staff. They may also check competitor's stores to compare service levels. 

Complaints and compliment letters: encouraged by many organisations as a form of feedback; If several similar complaints are received, there is obviously a problem that needs immediate attention. This is why organisations record the complaints they receive and then check to see if there are any common factors.

P6: In this task of assignment I will identify the outline of how improvements to the customer service in an organization could be made.

There are many different easy ways to improve the customer service of each company business or an organization. These are the most common tips that company should do.

1.) Hire someone who will play the role as a "mystery shopper" and the send that person to visit the shop of your competitors to experience their customer service. In this way you can get new ideas that you can apply to your business to improve your customer service.

2.) Analyse customer feed backs (surveys, questionnaires etc.) use the chance to find out what customers think about the company/organisation and what customers want. Always be practical- provide them discounts to encourage them to help you to identify what you could do better for your company.

3.) Motivate the staff by setting up customer service awards. You can use this award to motivate the staff to work hard and deliver the high standard of customer service.

4.) Treat staff as you treat your customers. Make your staff feel valued because happy staffs lead to happy customers and get positive feedback from them.

5.) Set measurable objectives around improved customer service.

6.) Review and do individual performance of each staff regularly, weekly or monthly.

7.) Have regular customer service meeting with the staff to encourage them to create and use the creativity of the group to brainstorm for the company to provide the "wow factor".

M1: In this task of assignment I am going to identify and explain how different customers' need and expectation can differ.

Now a days, customers needs and expectations can be differ in many ways because different customers have got a lot of different needs and expectations from the business/organisations. Such as loyal customers, discount customers and impulsive customers.

•Loyal Customers: This is an example of external customers.These types of customers are less in numbers but promote more sales and profit as compared to other customers as these are the ones that are completely satisfied. These customers revisit the organization/business over times hence it is crucial to interact and keep in touch with them on a regular basis and invest much time and effort with them. Loyal customers want individual attention and that demands polite and respectful responses from supplier. 

Loyal customers have a lot of expectations and needs from the company because they are repeating business with you and your business. For an example: if you are selling electronics, customers will always expect that if they buy your product it will work properly and it will last which means people always expect a good quality based on the price that they are willing to pay for your product.Therefore, when it comes to customer service, loyal customers always expect the friendliness of the staffs and their patient to help them choose products that they are looking for. On the other hand when it comes to the company, customers expect that they may have discount for being loyal to you business, for an example: the business can give customers a card which can help them to gain points everytime they buy something in store and then can able to exchange those points to a product.

Loyal customers only need few basic things. For example in the restaurant. If customers go to a restaurant they need enough toilets for all customers "only", so they won't need to queue up. 

As a conclusion, it is important to always keep in touch with your loyal customers by sending them a catalog, sending e-mails/text messages, and others to show them how much you value your relationship with them. In this way it also helps your company to have a good image to public and you have the chance that they will recommend your business to others such as to their friends and relatives.

•Discount Customers: This is another example of an external customer. Discount customers are also frequent visitors but they are only a part of business when offered with discounts on regular products and brands or they buy only low cost products. More is the discount the more they tend towards buying. These customers are mostly related to small industries or the industries that focus on low or marginal investments on products. Focus on these types of customers is also important as they also promote distinguished part of profit into business.

Discount customers are the people who frequently go to the shop and always expect to see discounted products or any other offer to save money. They always  expect more sizes and more stocks of clothes on sale. When it comes to online shopping, discounted customers expect that they get free delivery for their purchased and received the parcel as soon as possible.

On the other hand, discount customers need enough fitting room in store to avoid long queue and to save more time.

As a conclusion, discount customers have also a big impact in the business because they help the business to ensure the business' stock are turning over and it could be the key contributor to cash flow but it can also affects the business because of the customers who return the product.

•Impulsive Customers: This is another example of an external customer. These customers are difficult to convince, as they want to do the business in urge. They don’t have any specific item into their product list but urge to buy what they find good and productive at that point of time. Handling these customers is a challenge as they are not particularly looking for a product and want the supplier to display.

Impulsive customers don't expect too much and don't have specific needs because they don't have specific items to purchase in short, they  do have "To Do" list, but they go to the shop and just buy whatever they like without thinking the price.

As a conclusion, In business society, impulsive customers are the people who are everyone's like to serve and value. Helping and assisting an impulsive shopper is one of the challenging things to do. This is also the the best specific target for the clothing business because they are willing to spend high amount of money just to get what they want to buy.

M2: In this task of assignment I am going to produce a role play to be able to show my confident presentation, communication and interpersonal skills when demonstrating customer service in different customer service situations. 1 is face-to-face, 2nd is phone call and the 3rd is responding to customer's complaint.

M3: In this task of assignment I am going to analyse the importance of customer service to different businesses (In store and an online business). I am also going to explain the good and bad benefits of customer service. 

Each business has different way on how they promote or on how they introduce their products to customers. Some people decided to open their own store in the high street and some of them decided to open their business online. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of in store business and online business these are:

In store Businesses (Clothing)

-Advantages for customers: 

1) Customers can see all the products personally.
2) Customers can ask the staff some questions about the products that they are selling.
3) Customers can try the clothes that they like to see if they are suitable to them

-Disadvantages:

1) If the shop is busy, it is hard to find staffs to ask for help.
2) Sometimes you need to queue to pay for your things.
3) Prices are higher than online.

Online Businesses (Clothing)

-Advantages

1) Save Time: Customers don’t have to go to the shop, they can just relax at home and go to the company's website where they can make order and within 3-5 working days it will get delivered in their house. This is very convenient for everyone especially for all disabled customers because they do not need to carry heavy shopping bags. All they need to do is to make order through online and wait.

2) Able to order anytime: Online shopping are available 24/7 which means you can make orders anytime and anywhere. You do not need to wait in a long queue and waste your time. All you need to do is choose your things that you want to buy and when you checked out you all you need to do is enter your card details and it is done.

3) Different type of payment methods: Customers can choose different type of payment methods they can choose paying through Credit/Debit Cards, Payslips, Paypal, etc. It is also  keep your details safe and confidential  especially when you register at online website.

4) Discounts: Online websites offer massive discounts. It can be much cheaper buying things online instead of in store products.

-Disadvantages:

1) You cannot try the clothes that you want to purchase.
2) You have to wait 3-5 working days to receive your order.
3) You cannot easily return the product that you purchased online.

I have already identified the advantages and disadvantages of each different business (in store and online business. Therefore, both of the business has the same goal this is to deliver high standard of customer service. I am going to identify what are the benefits of good customer service and what are the effects of bad customer service. These are:

Benefits of good customer service: The benefits that you and your business may receive from delivering high standard of customer are:

-The chance to increased sales which means they may try and buy your other products or service.

-The chance to get customers' loyalty which means you have the possibility to make a deal with them again or they may also suggest your business to other people such as their family, friends and relatives.

-It helps you to create your own brand which helps you to stay secure from slip-up in customer service.

-If customers are happy with your service it helps you to build up relationships with customers and it also helps your business to create positive relationship with other staffs.

The points that I have used are related to the following benefits of customer service. These are:

• If customers are happy and satisfied of your customer service this will help the business to sell more products from repeat customers and from the new customers because of repeat customers' recommendations.

• A positive reputation of the business will help the business to increase more sales by encouraging and persuading new customers.

•The staff who provide an excellent customer service will receive their customer's appreciation reward to motivate other staffs to do the same.

Effects of bad customer service: Delivering poor customer service can have a big impact in business especially to all small businesses which they only rely on their repeat customers and positive word-of-mouth advertising which helps their business to survive and keep on trading. Therefore, poor customer service can:

-Loss their current and future customers: If their current customers have experienced a poor quality of customer service they will never come back to your store and they may spread the bad experienced to other people which other people will never try to go to your store.

-Bad Reputation: If your business is having a bad image to the public it has a big impact to you and to your business because people will think that if customers are treated poorly, then maybe employees are treated badly which can be the reason of why staffs are not delivering high quality of customer service.

-Loss of Profits: If your staffs are not delivering an excellent customer service customers will move to another business to receive a good customer service where they feel more appreciated, this situation translates into lower sales which means no enough profit for your business. If the business is not gaining enough profit the business will close down.

M4/D2: In this task of assignment I am going to explain how monitoring and evaluating can improve customer service for the customer, business organisation and for all the employee. 

Firstly, I am going to link the value of monitoring and evaluating to the improvements that organisations might make to customer service. The business can survive and can be successful by monitoring and evaluating the business which helps the business to make changes for better and make improvements to meet customers' needs and expectations which they can experience high standard of customer service and buy the products that are suitable/match to their needs.

These are the things that business can change:

• Provide the proper and high standard of customer service training for all the staffs.
• Prices should be appropriate depending on the quality of the products/service that they offer/provide.
• Different products to sell and services to offer/provide to increase sales.
• Get the right equipment for staffs to make their duties easy and convenient.
• Staffs behavior is very important, they should not bring their personal problem at work. They must be professional.
• Benefit Packages for all the staffs to motivated them to work hard and meet the business goal.
• The most important thing is that the business should always monitor and evaluate the products that they sell, update information through online websites, return policy and more. 

Secondly, I am going to explain on how an organisation can make improvements to customer service for customers. 

There's a lot of things to do to make customers' happy and contented. All you have to do is to deal with the customers, make them feel that they are important and that you are willing to help them with anything which is to deliver high standard of customer service. If they are satisfied from your service, they are willing to recommend your service to their other family member, relatives and friends.

There's a few that customers can change. These are:

-The quality of products/service and reliability.
-Prices
-Packaging
-Different products
-Speed of shipping

Thirdly, I am going to explain on how an organisation can make improvements to customer service for employees. I am going to use Frederick Herzberg's management theory to achieve employee job satisfaction.

In business, Frederick Herzberg's management theory is the right example to use to help the staffs to achieve success and job satisfaction because he made a list in order of importance that can do satisfaction and dissatisfaction of staffs. These are:

Determination (leading to satisfaction)

-Responsibility: It is very important in business that each and everyone know their own responsibility to meet the aim.
-Achievement: It is important that all the staffs clearly understand their goal to achieve success.
-Growth
-Recognition
-Advancement

Other Factors (leading to dissatisfaction):

-Salary/Wages
-Company Policies
-Work Rules and Regulations
-Relationship with Peers

If staffs are determined and motivates with their jobs they may feel the happiness of achieving things such as closing a deal with customers, if they love what they are doing which means it recognizes the things that they have done properly. There is also a possibility that they may receive because of the advancement and growth, staffs may get promoted or get a higher salary/wage.

Managers should also listen to their staffs suggestions, ideas or problems because if there is something that staffs don't like or something wrong with anything. Both side need to talk and compromise to fix the problem and staffs will have a better relation with their managers. Having a good relationship with people who you work with is one of the best way to reduce the number of turnover. 

Lastly, I am going to explain on how an organisation can make improvements to customer service to benefit the business. (Improve the way they train their employees).

There's a lot of things that the business can improve such as proper training for staffs on how to handle customers' compalaint, on how to deliver high standard of customer service.

Having a good relationship of employers to employees is important in business because if both of them are open to each other that means it is easy for the both side to solve the problem if there's any.

If all the staffs are doing their job properly and customers are satisfied the business will benefit from their staffs which means customers will talk to others about their experience from your business this means that the word of mouth of peopler are powerful it also helps the business to promote and advertise the company by providing an excellent customer service. It also help the company to increase sales and get feed backs froms customers to make changes to make the business better and to improve the products and service and also the way on how to run a business to be succesful

D1: In this task of assignment I am going to anticipate and meet the needs and expectations of different customers in three contrasting situations(face-to-face, phone call and responding to a customer complaint. 

This task of assignment is also part of the role play that I have done with my partner Zainab Kah. In the video I demonstrate how confident I am to meet my customer's needs and expectations from my business.