Transcript GFG – Unicor - nationalcia.org

Track B: Sales, Marketing & Business
Development
Workshop B-2: Customer Service: It’s About
More Than Just Answering the Phone
What does Customer Service mean to you?
• How is this different from the private sector?
• What is their role?
• What should they be responsible for?
• How should they deal with customer complaints?
• How much information should they provide to a customer?
• Should after sales service be covered by them?
Customer Service? How was it in the 80’s and 90’s?
•
Basic service was provided as business was booming and lots of
customers to sell and service. No rush to resolve issues, respond to
inquiries.
• Customers got used to having to rely on voice mail, fax and if they could get
through an automated phone system – usually leave a message and wait
for a reply.
• Having a person answering the phone was deemed adequate.
• Was considered a cost center and not deemed as important to company as
other areas of the organization.
Customer Service? How is it view today?
•
Customer Service now renamed to Customer Care. The new term means a lot.
• Primary Nerve center of the organization. First area of contact for new and
existing customers if now aware who to contact for information.
• Fast and accurate communications with customer essential via phone, fax, email,
Skype etc.
• Key responsibility is to look after the customer quickly and satisfy their needs/
inquiry.
• Customer Care integrated into sales and marketing. Now viewed as a profit
center.
• Encouraged to develop a relationship with the customer – its not just answer their
question.
How Important is Customer Service to Government Agencies?
• Private sector must provide good customer service in all markets to
ensure long term success in today’s tough market environment. Key to
success today.
• CI is interested in creating inmate empolyment through selling goods
and services – The customer experience with CI’s must always be
positve. CI has a more limited base of customers which to call upon.
How to provide good Customer Care?
•
You must believe in the product or service that you are selling and
the features and benefits.
• Customer Care is the primary nerve center in the organization and must
always have a positive attitude towards all customers.
• Must be knowledgeable about all products, services and who to transfer
calls to or where to get information from.
• Show customer that you care and will support them through after sales
service by following up to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Listen to what your customers say. They will tell you their needs if you
ask the question. Show empathy to their needs.
Continuous Training of Customer Care
•
Most people only retain 20% of information from each training session.
Keep it short and simple.
• Conduct training monthly – Have vendors conduct annual training on
products/ services they supply.
• Review benefits, features and application of product, services, policies and
procedures. Knowledge is powerful!
• Discuss successes with sales and marketing staff because of Customer
Care support. Everyone wants to be a part of a successful team and it will
encourage others to try.
Cross Selling – Customer Care can make customers aware of other
products and services
•
Customer Care becomes an extension of sales with proper training.
• Easier to sell more to an existing customer that you have good relations with
than try to get a new one.
• Do not assume that customers know all you have to offer. Never assume
anything.
• Imbed a list of products and services into email signature from all Customer
Care representatives.
• .Encourage Customer Care to reference customer to organization web site for
information on other products and services.
Customer Care– A Resource for Sales
•
Can provide good info to sales regarding sales leads, opportunities,
history.
• Customer Care can help all departments improve if supported fully by
all departments.
• Customer Care may be the first and last touch point for a customer.
May be the last opportunity to retain a customer.
• Pass on from Customer Service all contact info to sales and
marketing to build a database of contacts
• Losing a current customer = 20 cold calls. More cost effective to
retain your existing customers than try to get new ones.
• Going Forward
•
Include Customer Care in trade shows, meeting customers at facility, put
a human element into picture.
• Involve Customer Care into the decision making of how to improve an
organization, adding products, services, policies.
• If people are involved in the process they will support the changes.
• Customer Care is more able to identify problems in organization from a
customer perspective by listening and observing feedback from them.
Do a survey of your customers
•
Ask customers on an annual basis through a simple survey what they
think of Customer Care experience they had with your organization.
• Use free services such as Survey Monkey to make it a simple 2 minutes or
less exercise for the customer. Ask 10 questions or less.
• Look at this as a performance review of the Customer Care department.
The response will be reflective of the organization and how customers
perceive it to be.
Office Seating Market
•
Highly competitive.
• Industry average lifespan for an office chair is 6-7 years.
• Mature market. Its not getting bigger. Technology is reducing the number of
workers in the office.
• Projects involved architecture and design firms heavily
• influenced by major furniture manufacturers. Go for the every day sale – its
easier!
Customer Care can help with this!
Questions?