Quality Customer Service Key Strategies For Organisational Performance 321f5k

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE KEY STRATEGIES FOR ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE

ANTHONY IKE CHUKWUMA

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2019 Anthony Ike Chukwuma. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 11/25/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9499-2 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-7283-9500-5 (hc) ISBN: 978-1-7283-9498-5 (e)

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the memory of my lovely parents Benedict and Veronica Chukwuma

CONTENTS

Introduction Why You Should Read This Book

Chapter 1 Service Quality - The Way Forward

Attributes Of Quality Service Techniques For The Enhancement Of Service Quality Purpose Ten (10) “R” Of Quality Customer Service Basic Attitudes.

Chapter 2 Enthronement Of Service Quality Culture

Service Culture Employment Of The Workforce Processes And Procedures Management Commitment To Service Culture Motivating The Workforce Interpersonal Relationship Using Communication To Enhance Service Culture Empowering The Employees

Teamwork Leadership Benchmarking

Chapter 3 Monitoring And Evaluation Of Customer Satisfaction

Service Audit Methodology Of Service Audit Techniques Of Increasing The Service Levels How To Find Out What The Customers Really Want

Chapter 4 Service Failure And Recovery For Effective Customer Satisfaction

Predictive Service Failure Unpredictive Service Failure Strategies For Handling Service Failures Factors Enhancing Service Recovery

Chapter 5 Time Management For Quality Service

Delivery

Techniques In Time Management For Quality Service Delivery Impediments To Efficient Time Management For Quality Service Delivery Efficient Time Management Success Impediments

Chapter 6 Trail Blaizing In Quality Service Delivering

Essential Techniques Of Quality Service Delivery As A Trail Blazer Customer Defection Management And Employees Resposibility To Customer Defection Causes Of Customer Defection Customer Defection Management

Chapter 7 Attitude Transformation And Culture Change For Quality Service Delivery

Attitude Transformation For Quality Service Delivery Fundamentals Quality Customer Service Techniques Customer Retention Customer Retention Strategies

Chapter 8 Corporate Communication And Impact On Service Delivery

Essentials Of Corporate Communication In Organisations Customer Service Delivery Basic Telephone Etiquette Principles Of Telephone Conversations Telephone Basic Etiquette Best Practice In Telephone Conversation/Call Centre Management Measurement Of Call Centre / Customer Service Performance

Chapter 9 Complaint Handling: Turning Angry Customers As Valueable Assets

Causes Of Customers Complaints Strategies To Resolve Customers Complaint Techniques Of Handling Complaints And Angry Customer

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is to express my profound appreciation and gratitude to God Almighty from whose fountain of knowledge the inspiration to write this book came from. Very special thanks to Nasir A. Mohammed who provided an important platform, in which this work was written, am eternally grateful. Special thanks to Chineze N. Eguabor (Mrs) and J.N. Anih, Idoreyin Attah, Patrick Ogbo, ThankGod Pinwa, Ekpeyong Edet for your objective analysis and critiques which shaped the thought of this book. I want to thank Adewale Odugbesan, Jane Eke (Mrs) and Cyril Ghomorai for their special assistance. And to a special friend Charles Nyamali who provided an important and encouragement towards the realisation of this work.

To A. N. Okechukwu and Amaka Udaya (Mrs) who took tremendous efforts in spite of their busy schedules to proof read and make necessary corrections of some aspect of the manuscript, I say a big thank you. My gratitude goes to Uchenna Chukwuma who provided his specialist IT experience. Am especially grateful to Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo and Pastor Femi Faseru for their insightful teachings and messages which empowered me as a champion to take territories. To other numerous people who provided one or another, your contributions will ever be cherished. Also I want to use this opportunity to express my appreciation to participants in my various lectures and sensitizations who are used to experiment most of the techniques and principles shared in this work.

Finally, my special thanks go to my dear wife Ihuoma and children for the important in seeing that this book which emanated from a mere idea becomes a reality.

INTRODUCTION

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

Businesses all around the world have been hindered by one critical factor which many managers and entrepreneurs are not very conscious of most times. It is strategic for the survival of enterprises, yet relegated to the background and mostly neglected in its entirety. This has often crippled the profitability and longevity of the organizations.

The only mystery that can jump – start the performance of business concerns is qualitative service delivery targeted to the satisfaction of customers. It is therefore a matter of deliberate policy that companies should take this fundamental element to the front burner in the formulation and implementation of the organizational goals. If you have been concerned with the performance of your business and wondering on the strategy to be adopted to enhance your turnover and returns on the shareholder’s investment, then this book is exactly meant for you.

The cardinal objective of this book is to enthrone service quality leaders and champions who are desirous as change agents to use knowledge and insight gained to transform their organisations to greater profitability and customer loyalty. The survival or otherwise of enterprises is dependent on the faithfulness and interest of the customer to products and services, so organisations should build a culture of efficiency, effectiveness and value for the customer. Show me a company that is out of business and I will show you a company that does not value the sensibility of its customers.

Organisations should institutionalise service culture and propagate it by way of training and re – training of all strata of employees, if the organization wishes to retain its esteemed customers and be a world-class service provider. Once a service culture is established and inculcated in the employee’s relationship in the work place, it becomes a catalyst for continuous improvement on the companies’ overall performance.

This book is written basically for all those who want to take the services of their organisation to the next higher levels and to optimally derive maximum returns on service excellence and customer’s loyalty.

HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANISED

It is comprehensively designed and structured into nine (9) chapters which covered a wider area in customer service delivery of organizations. My objective therefore is mainly to give expositions on methods to be applied by organisations and individuals to upscale the application of customer service through practical techniques that will enhance profitability of enterprises and creation of value on products and services. Chapter one of this book deals with Service Quality - the way forward and it is meant to provide a vivid roap and insight on what it takes to design services of organisations in an exceptional way to ensure customer acquisition and continuous patronage.

Chapter 2 presents Service Culture, processes and best practices to be incorporated in deg organisational strategy to guarantee the building of a strong corporate culture that will increase productivity and create in employees a sense of ownership of enterprises. In Chapter 3 service providers’ attention were focused on essential measures to be taken into consideration in the determination of customer satisfaction being the goose that lays the Golden Fleece. Attempt is made to provide a platform for executives to clearly understand how to increase service levels and to find out what the customers really want in order to gain the loyalty advantage that will position organisations to market dominance.

As a result of the fallibility of human nature, services of companies occasional are susceptible to defect and failure, Chapter 4 brings to fore different types of service failure and how to mitigate its occurrence. Where it is inevitable necessary factors to be equipped with to ensure service recovery is presented to build the needed competencies that will increase brands loyalty and returns on the shareholder’s value.

Customer service and time management is quite synonymous to qualitative service delivery, Chapter 5 provides readers with the capacity and knowledge on the application of invaluable techniques of time management to the organisational and individual advantage. It is important that business enterprises should expose their employees on the rudiments of effective and efficient time management to enhance overall success and optimal performance. Chapter 6 explores the basic essentials to trail blaze in quality service delivery. It shows CEOs’ and top executives the major causes of customer defection and the strategic measures that are to be instituted by management to ensure that customers’ continue to do business with their companies.

Considering the importance of employees in the realisation of organisational objectives, Chapter 7 gives information on attitudinal transformation and culture change for efficient service delivery. The chapter provides a guide on what is required to win the satisfaction and retention of customers in order to give companies competitive edge over and above its competitors.

Knowing the value of service strategy to the success of business enterprises, Chapter 8 introduces positive corporate communication as an essential part of service delivery. Realising how word of mouth through telephone conversation can create a negative perception in the mind of customers’, readers are provided with basic expositions on telephone etiquette which are targeted mainly to build necessary bond of relationship with individuals and customers respectively.

Customer service is the bedrock of successful enterprises. Complaints of customers and its resolution are therefore a veritable tool to re –engineer and refocus organisations towards providing delightful services. Chapter 9 which is the final part of this book deals with techniques that will turn customer’s complaint as an organisational asset. Business enterprises are therefore to see its performance through the customer perception of their services. Customer complaint should be seen as a welcome development rather than a disturbance and distractions.

The whole thought expressed in this book is to equip organisations to carve the needed niche that will position their brands as a market leader with the advantage of customer loyalty. Any short coming observed in this book is entirely mine, they are not deliberate. Individuals and indeed front line employees are to find this book a useful companion in fascinating customers with excellent services and superlative experience that will last a long time. The skills to be acquired from this book will be found useful to reader’s personally and mostly as organisational .

CHAPTER 1

SERVICE QUALITY - THE WAY FORWARD

M ost Organisations have applied all sorts of policies, injected capital to turn the fortunes of their business around but this has not yielded the desired results. One thing they have failed to recognize consciously or unconsciously is that service quality when applied in the right direction in the running of enterprises is the only essential factor that can re-enforce and attract the needed positive reputation which enhances the organisational turnover. It is a business strategy that companies must adopt and implement to the fullest in order to gain market dominance and enhancement of shareholders’ investment. For establishments to remain in business, it becomes imperative for a holistic buy – in to the concept of quality service which is to be an organisational spirit that should be imbibed by employees in order to give direction to the standard of service to be made available to the customers.

Service quality is when the customer’s expectations rather than the companies’ expectation are accomplished. It is the customers’ view of the value derivable from any transaction resulting from the output of a business concern. When a product is brought to the market, it is the satisfaction and acceptability of the customer that determines how long its promoters are to remain in business. The sustainability of an organisation therefore is dependent on the value attached to the customer or clients in meeting their needs and aspirations.

In the globalised competitive economy, so many organisations have closed shop or out rightly liquidated by one singular error of judgment which invariably is the beckon in which their survival depends - not paying attention to the provision of qualitative services to the customers has been a major obstacle to

the dwindling fortunes of enterprises. Qualitative service is not a choice but a vital necessity that triggers a multiplier effect in both the volume and value of customers and ultimately boosts the overall performance of organisations. Strategic policy of quality customer service with defined commitment of management in its implementation is the anti- dote to business failure. It is when service quality is incorporated within the corporate goals and seen as a way of life in the day-to-day operations that enterprises can indeed attract and retain customers. Customers do not come from the blues but only by doing the right thing at the right time with the right personnel that it can lead to their attraction which in the long run is bound to revolutionise the organisational profile.

An analogy of the under mentioned companies “A” “B” and “C” in this illustration will give a better understanding in what I called “the mystery of service quality”, these establishments are performing beautifully well and having returns on their investments by injecting quality as a standard of measurement of products and services but company “C” is averse to this important strategy therefore it is just struggling to find its feet. The company “C” has invested heavily in men and materials with the sole objective of enhancing business fortunes but sadly enough with little to show for its efforts and same results as obtainable earlier.

A cursory look in the downward performance of the organisation “C” reveals that one thing that has not been accorded priority in its operations is service quality and the recognition of the customer as the very essence of the growth and return on investment of businesses. The appreciation of the important role of customers / clients is the only panacea to success by organisations wishing to remain in business. Quality service is all that a customer desires but this all important factor have often been misplaced and ignored by most entrepreneurs.

Managers should continually build service quality ideals on the employees and as soon as the concept is accepted as an organisational norm, it is certain that the micro operating environment of the company will change favourably for the better. Customer satisfaction should be given the utmost priority it deserves,

once a feeling of dissatisfaction is experienced with the services being rendered, immediate attention and response should be made to provide the desired solution. Customers always feel honoured, fulfilled and above all appreciated when their complaints are looked into even if not solved in its entirety. The gained invariably helps the organisation to reposition itself by taking a critical assessment on the perception of customers to its services. Complacency and pride have been the bane of near total absence of service quality in most of the organisations. The general notion some employees erroneously have is that they have gotten enough customers which in itself is very deceptive.

Customers are never enough rather they should be pampered and nourished by way of service quality, which results into a boom and eventual customer acquisition to the brand. Taking customers for granted in the provision of qualitative services leads to no better way than to business failures.

Most employees in their naivety falsely believe that whether customers are treated fairly well or not, they must come back. They apply all sorts of negative traits in their relationship with the customers, who are treated shabbily, abused and often times dehumanized. An organization must have strived to establish a reputation of its brand, gladden the shareholders’ hearts by way of returns on investment but the action of what I termed bad employees in not dealing with the customers rightly and fairly has ruined so many enterprises.

Businesses succeed based on the patronage of the clients / customers respectively, this all important factor in the profitability of organisations should be served with humility, respect and cheerfulness if the overall objective of the organisation must be realized. In providing qualitative services, every action of the enterprises should be aimed and targeted towards the realization of the customer’s expectation and satisfaction.

Customers are always delighted when products and services are to be trusted. Service quality is therefore indispensable to organisations just as blood is to

human life. Its implementation in the service of companies should be pursued with all amounts of vigour and seriousness it deserves, if the enterprises goal to remain in business and to gladden the shareholder’s hearts is to be realized.

The similarity of every organisation whether in the area of manufacturing, banking, telecommunications, energy, maritime, aviation, health, oil and gas to mention a few is service but the only distinction among these establishments is service quality, the degree of application of quality service differs. Every organisation is differentiated and categorized by the type of service it renders to its various customers. As businesses are operated in a heterogeneous economy, your organisation should be distinguished by the type of service it provides to the customer. It is only service quality that gives companies the much desired competitive edge of being the best in any given economy, doing the right thing of serving the customers rightly, must be done right, on real time and as always.

Service quality is a relationship built on products and services between organisations and their customers, which are to conform to standards of best practice that is error proof and zero defects. Business relationship is purely based on trust developed over the years, a product or service that has consistently satisfied the customer’s needs, is bound to attract the patronage of customers. Aero Contractors, an organisation that specializes in logistics and aviation transportation shows high quality skills in the manner it nourishes its numerous customers that patronize its services. The company has shown over the years its unalloyed commitment to service excellence in the conduct of its operations.

As a regular of their services, I realized that service quality is their guiding principles. In one of my trips in which I flew in one of their Boeing 737 aircrafts, I was overwhelmed by the type of services being displayed right from the booking counters to checking in and boarding. From the departure at the terminal, the courteous manner the crew exhibited in communicating the guiding principles and code of conduct for the journey, this unequivocally shows that the company is customer focused. When the airline was airborne the ambience of service experienced by customers was equal to none and more also the friendly

manner the of the crew exhibited truly confirm its leadership position in the aviation industry in the sub region. On arriving at the destination, the air hostess gave an announcement firstly by showing appreciation to the delight of the engers for flying aero contractors. This exemplifies customer’s service at its best.

The airline being a service driven organisation has built a solid reputation among its numerous customers, the employees who as part of the customer service strategy of the airline beams with smiles and politeness under any situation or circumstance, this singular action is reassuring and boosts the confidence of customers. Aero as the company is popularly known has been very consistent in its determination to take the customers to the next level as their underlining principles are promptness of service, efficiency and safety first. This presupposes that flights are scheduled as planned in a more convenient way.

The point here is that organisations desirous to attract customer loyalty forever must be focused in providing excellent and qualitative services that meets the satisfaction of the customers. It is basically out of place for organisations to have all the beautiful strategies without putting the customers in the priority list in of devising plans on how to boost their commitment to the brand and better their lots.

As part of Aero’s innovative business strategy to make the customers have easy access to the services, the company operates internet booking system where booking and payment are made online simply with a reloadable travel card on real time.

Companies must adopt mechanisms to make their services accessible. Distant is longer a barrier in service delivery rather it is bad service that dissuade customers from patronage. It is not surprising that Aero operates to its billings as ‘the reliable way to fly’.

To effectively propagate the ideals of service quality within organisations and the customers, service providers must maximally meet the expectation and satisfaction of their clients. Companies should be conscious that they are in a competition business and every exceptional service by employees must be orchestrated within every available opportunity and rewarded accordingly, this is to give this vital organisational asset more impetus to do more or even sur the present standard of service. This is not playing to the gallery because good service in the long run benefits all particularly business establishments, employees and the customers in of the return on investment through customer loyalty and getting value from the money spent on products and services respectively.

Similarly, Associated Bus Company plc which is a transportation and cargo handling organisation is striving to entrench excellent service delivery in its dominant sector of operations. A travel with ABC Executive Express is a travel with peace of mind because you get what other operators in the industry do not give, that is ambience of service, comfort, serenity and guarantee to your destination. Indeed, the company is truly your port to service. In my several trips to the federal capital territory, I visited their terminal to inquire about the schedule of the buses to Lagos, to my amazement I was informed by the booking clerk that they are on the fifth bus.

An organisation that is fully dedicated to providing efficient, innovative and dependable services just like ABC Transport do not need to spend investible funds on advertising rather it is the qualitative services to the customers that latently market the company through word of mouth and referrals. Customer service is a good market that project itself. Institutionalisation of the ideals of customer service is a sure guarantee to success of any enterprises. Good customer service in all its ramifications is the sure guarantee to retain and attract potential customers. When a company is satisfying its customers by way of superlative provision of qualitative services, customers must definitely patronise its products and services.

Service quality is all about customer satisfaction of the good service made available by service providers. The overall performance of any given organisation within a financial year is a determinant factor of how the customers appreciate and value its products and services. There is no mystery in increasing performance of companies within a particular ing year than doing only the right thing of serving the customers well enough is the sure guarantee to adding value to shareholders’ investment.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc, an international banking group, is a house- hold brand in the provision of superlative services to its numerous customers. According to Segun Agbaje the Managing Director/CEO of GTB, “despite the complexities of today’s financial landscape, we continue to remain true to our founding values: Service excellence, Professionalism, Integrity and Innovation whilst ensuring we understand and meet the peculiar needs of our various stakeholders, every single time our employees imbibe this vision and that is why we are a successful financial institution today”. The organisation being conscious of the competition in the banking industry applies skill and speed in the servicing of customer’s s and provides better service quality to make a difference. Best practices when applied in the right direction distinguishes business establishment from its peers. The enviable status attained by GTB in the banking industry is an evidence of service excellence that is backed up with the application of innovation.

The volatility in the banking sector of the economy notwithstanding, the bank going by its name as one of the strong brands, has an obligation to secure the customers money and shareholders’ investment while they go to sleep without bordering of the safety of their funds. GTBank maintains its core values of dynamism without compromising its contemporary outlooks and adherence to traditional values.

The satisfaction of the customer’s expectation in the provision of qualitative services or otherwise manifests in companies’ performance in the balance sheet

which every shareholder or investor anticipates at the end of the financial year. One of the exceptional strategies to be adopted by a visionary management to realize its corporate objectives is service quality; it gives confidence to the customer for continuous patronage as evidenced in the GTBank’s annual report of year 2010 where it posted in Profit after Tax of ₦38, 35 billion naira with an increase of 37.31% over the previous year. The bank has consistently rewarded its shareholders bountifully with dividends and bonus shares thereby adding value to their investment, no wonder the bank priced its customers as proud orange.

The provision qualitative services with all intent and purpose is all that is required by organisations to turn customers into fans for a life time. Seamless experience is the necessary tunic to enhance the retention of customers and to reap tremendously from the loyalty advantage. I had one experience which is worthy to share for us to have a better understanding of the wonders of customer service and what individuals and business enterprises stand to gain by applying this innovative concept.

I was once travelling from Lagos to Geneva on Lufthansa airline with a stopover at Frankfurt to attend World Trade Organisation conference on trade facilitation, my luggage was duly checked – in and on getting to Frankfurt I missed my flight to my final destination as a result of circumstances beyond my control. I was a bit disturbed of incurring an extra cost to procure another flight ticket. I proceeded to the Customer Service office of the airline at Frankfurt to lay my complaint, to my surprise and without any delay I was immediately issued with flight ticket without hassles. The scenario above tells a lot of what quality customer service is meant to be, if you are in my position I sincerely believe that you will fall in love with Lufthansa airline services through continuous patronage. My expectation was indeed exceeded by the superlative services which I believe is the norm in the airline. Customer acquisition is quite simple, it only takes the doing of the right thing and they are there for the organisation for a life time. Now consider other numerous customers who might have gotten the type of positive experience similar to mine, they will create the necessary value for the organisation through their loyalty to the brand. The point I am trying to emphasize is that building bond of relationship through superior service to the

customer translates to high performing organization which in turn increases returns on the investment.

I finally boarded the connecting flight enroute to Geneva, on our arrival I discovered to my amazement at the baggage claim that my travelling bag had been torn with most of my personal effects badly damaged. I was totally stunned and disappointed with the development. Once again I proceeded to lodge my displeasure to the officials of the Geneva International Airport, to my utmost surprise the damaged bag was replaced with a brand new box within some few minutes. This is indeed positive experience in all its ramifications, I was quite delighted with the promptness and friendliness that my issue was treated and resolved. When customers encounter the display of quality service they know it as the experienced it first hand, the way and manner that I was attended to by the airport officials was service par excellence, my expectations were not only met but sured.

The provision of quality customer service is the direction organisations should follow in order to be positioned to derive the maximum benefits accruable to this essential business success factor. When customers are in difficult situation, it is always right to resolve the issues in a positive manner often times to the client’s advantage. Once customers are served exceptionally, it goes a long way for them to blow the trumpets by sharing their experience through word of mouth which of course is the most effective way of boosting referrals and increase in the bottom line of companies.

ATTRIBUTES OF QUALITY SERVICE

Essentially, organisations with the determination to turn their businesses around and be a service leader are to adopt service quality in the day- to- day operations of the establishment and watch the very fruits of qualitative service blossom which translates in enhanced returns on the investment. To achieve service quality therefore, this important factors should be taken into consideration;

RELIABILITY: -

Every product or service are to be made dependable and consistent with approved standards. Organisations must build positive reputation in the customer perception of brands in order to maintain the position of a market leader in their respective sector of business endeavour. It takes a lot of energy and huge budgetary provisions for customers that are lost to be regained. It is therefore absolutely necessary for companies to strive in minimizing incidences of service failure to enhance customers’ confidence and continuous patronage.

RESPONSIVENESS: -

Services as a matter of utmost priority are to be made available to meet the needs and aspirations of customers. Responsiveness is to provide immediate action to customers’ demand for services. It involves taking proactive measures to redesign products and services around the customers’ requirement.

The provision of product and services to the customers in a seamless manner gives distinctive competence to business establishments. It really costs nothing for reasonable explanations to be given to customer’s demand for services. To be responsive is to always make the services being provided available in a seamless manner and at the disposal of customers who of course must have the feeling of self-satisfaction and fulfilment for the quality of services being accessed from the establishment.

PROMPT DELIVERY OF SERVICE: -

Speed, commitment, efficiency and effectiveness are the hallmark of quality service delivery. These are the framework by which the services of organisations should revolve in order to give customers that great experience they much desired and cherished. When they are present in the services of business enterprises, it builds customers trust and loyalty to the brand.

Employees are to deliver services that are devoid of hiccups or encumbrances to create a long lasting impression on the customers. Every customer therefore deserves to be attended to speedily; it is the responsibility of the service providers to take an extraordinary action to satisfy their needs and wants. Essentially, provision of prompt service delivery is a strategy that companies have to adopt to guarantee the loyalty of customers and of course organisational sustainability.

A fundamental objective of business enterprises is to create value that will engender the attraction of customer’s patronage to the brand. To ensure the acquisition of customers for a long time, it is necessary for organisations to design the minimum time it will take employees to render the required services. Depending on the peculiarity of the products and services that is being provided by organisations, two (2), three (3) and maximum of five (5) minutes at most is acceptable and appropriate to avail customers with the expected services. This

indeed is achievable; it only requires diligence and commitment on the part of the service providers and employees to deliver the services within the acceptable time frame.

It is basically to the business enterprises disadvantage for customers to spend endless time waiting to be attended to in a transaction that can take only a few seconds or minutes to be concluded. The delay of employees or indeed service providers in giving customers the required services is bound to discourage them from patronage and into seeking for a much better alternative elsewhere. Delivering prompt services therefore is what delights the customers and this manifest in the loyalty to the brand.

FRIENDILESS: -

Customers feel valuable once they are appreciated by employees with a smile and attention; this in itself creates a bond of connection between the two parties which results in a continuous patronage. Customers will always find it unthinkable and unwarranted to show disloyalty to a brand they have always identified with as being of high standards in the quality of its products and services.

Organisations must therefore inculcate the culture of developing friendship among the customers in order to have their loyalty for life. This can be achieved and sustained as a business philosophy simply by creating value and adhering to set standards. Being friendly to customers is an important strategy to be adopted if organisations must have an edge over other competitors.

INNOVATION: -

The market place by its nature is ever changing; it is not static. Service delivery therefore being a continuous evolving requirement of customers has to be improved upon to meet with the market trends. There must be incremental changes or modifications in the quality of services and products that are being offered by business enterprises in order to effectively position brands for competitiveness. The sole aim is to actually satisfy the needs of customers and also to meet with the changing operating business environment which is critical for the survival of enterprises. It is innovation that gives vive and direction to businesses.

Absence of innovation retards growth and invariably results to stagnation which organisations will not contemplate to experience. Innovation is the dynamic force that turns the fortunes of every business around for the better. It is indeed a business strategy that must be embraced by organisations through careful planning, creativity and knowledge based ideas in order to carve a niche for improved performance and also to be able to compete effectively in the market place.

Mastering and implementing innovation as a business concept changes positively the overall face of enterprises as best practices is integrated into organisational objectives to provide satisfactory services that delight the customers. Innovation is basically to source for new ideas and methods which facilitate better ways and techniques of doing things in a cost effective manner. Innovation is a catalyst that drives improved performance to the satisfaction of customers. Indeed, it is an enabler to the achievement of organisational success and performance. Its application is indispensable in the day to day practices of organisations if continuous improvement in service delivery must be achieved.

Innovation emanates from proactive employees and thrives on the creation of a relaxed ambience that is conducive enough to propel goal directed behaviour. Management of companies should therefore be committed in championing innovative practices by recognising employees with exceptional ideas that

provides solution to organisational problems. The competitiveness of enterprises is dependent on the amount of innovation that is employed in the daily business operations.

The presence of innovation in the organisational processes guarantees sustainable quality service. It is vitally important for companies to apply this agent of change as part of the corporate culture to assuage customers’ quest for improved services.

Excellent service delivery no doubt is a bye product of innovative practices. Companies should continually apply new methods and ways of doing things if customers are to get the best of qualitative services. Innovation is the ability to anticipate changes and being able to apply the changes in refocusing the company to create positive value in the service of customers. In the global economy that is characterised with competitiveness, it is the conduct of innovative practices to processes and procedures that positions enterprises to higher altitude.

The application of innovation as a daily business routine distinguishes companies from competitors and it results in improved performance and enhancement of the bottom line. Companies will definitely lose greater portion of the market share for failure to innovate their products and services. Meeting the expectations of customers is indeed a bye product of innovative practices in the output of employees. Visionary managers therefore are to incorporate its inherent values as an organisational norm to drive their businesses to the next level.

Innovation brings new methods to make the desired changes in the work process in order to give satisfaction to the end s of product and services. It comes through deviation from the old ways of doing things that does not provide service to a new and better way that yields the desired results. Innovation is a skill that is acquired and developed, organisations are to ensure that the mind-set

of employees are re-oriented to imbibe this all important concept in the conduct of business practices.

The application of innovation is indispensable to customer service delivery. It should therefore be adapted by company executives as a business strategy which seeks to combine the product of creative thinking for the advancement of organisational aspirations and objectives. As an organisational strategy targeted towards gaining competitive advantage, companies should apply this important nugget in the operation of businesses as it ensures best practices which leads to all round growth and success of enterprises.

The sustainability of organisations is dependent on how it can innovate to surmount the present business challenges and problems to achieve excellence in products and services. As customers always desire the best of brands, it becomes imperative therefore for business enterprises to respond to these demands by offering better and improved quality of products and services.

Companies that aspire to be competitive in the market place must be forward looking to imbibe rational and creative thinking in tailoring their products to the customers requirement. It is important for CEO’s to apply innovative practices in directing their enterprises, this strategy no doubt will radically transform organisations as service centred where customers are served exceptionally as a normal business practice.

PROFESSIONALISM: -

Service quality thrives when employees exhibit high competence in the outcome of assigned responsibilities. Professionalism as a method which is applied in the pursuit of organisational goal, basically seeks to conform to the technical and ethical standards of an occupation in creating the desired value to end s of

products. It translates to how the services of organisations are to be delivered in an efficient and prompt manner without compromising the acceptable standards.

The level of quality service delivery and customer care of organisations are dependent on the skill exhibited by the employees in the discharge of their responsibilities, wrong selection of employees leads to poor service delivery; it is destination employers should not venture into because of its negative effect on productivity and profitability. Organisations should at all times recruit and deploy the right people with requisite qualifications to appropriately fit for the job.

Professionalism is what marks out every customer focused establishment for top performance, it is therefore indispensable for sustainable growth. Service providers should not compromise in inculcating the right skills and attitude on the employees to facilitate optimal performance and more so to ensure the satisfaction of customers and remarkable improvement in the bottom line.

COMION: -

Service delivery is enhanced when business enterprises ensured as part of their corporate culture that employees are courteous and helpful to the customers. Once a genuine feeling of help and concern is shown to the customer, it facilitates in boosting his or her self-worth which propel loyalty to the brand. It is to the advantage of organisations to be humane when dealing with customers as outrageous behaviour of some frontline employees tends to dissuade many customers from continuous patronage.

Customers are desirous of having positive experience in business transactions but when it is otherwise they are bound to switch their loyalty to other competitors. Service providers should therefore re-orient their employees to

serve with all sense of care and affection in order to build an enduring relationship that adds value for the enhancement of organisational fortunes.

DEDICATION: -

The achievement of service quality in business enterprises are to be realised when every employee is fully committed to their responsibilities, with the conviction that the success of the organisation translates to their own success. It lies basically in meeting and suring the needs and aspirations of clients. To be dedicated is to give ones all to the service of the establishment.

One spectacular thing of being devoted to an assignment is that it sets the individual up to higher altitude beyond one’s imaginations. It gives pleasure to the customer when services are rendered seamlessly. There is always a reward for great accomplishments which position employees for higher progression in life. To be dedicated is to unlock one’s potentials targeted of course to the service of customers.

SAFETY: -

Creating an enabling environment for customers to transact their businesses without hindrances guarantees loyalty to products and services. Service providers should not compromise on the importance of security and safety in their day-to-day operations.

By safety, it connotes protecting the customer as a person and his properties within the operational base of business enterprises. It gives the customers

confidence for continuous patronage and also it creates the desired attachment to the brand.

Safety of customers whether (internal or external customers) should not be taken for granted within the work or business environment as the retention and attraction of new customers and employees is dependent on the measures taken by organizations to safeguard this all important asset.

Companies desirous to secure market advantage should take the issues of safety as an organisational priority and adopt policies that will enhance best practices which are targeted in adding the desired value to the customers.

TRUSTWORTHINESS: -

Companies are to inculcate integrity as part of the organisational service culture. Integrity is all about brands being what it is said to be. Most service providers deviate from what they say a product is; this in the long run creates brand conflict which results in the negative perception of the company. To attract brand loyalty, organisations must say what they mean and act in accordance with what they say, that is the “brand truth”. This is an important way of building corporate reputation and identity which results in increasing the customer’s confidence on products and services.

The loyalty of customers to a brand depends to a large extent on how products and services are positioned by business enterprises. To gain market share therefore, there is absolute need to develop the capacities and capabilities of employees in service delivery in order to serve the customers well, the effect of this strategy results in the continuous patronage of products and services and significant growth in the bottom-line. The trust developed on brands is basically what guarantees the loyalty of customers.

INFORMATION: -

One of the factors that leads to service quality in organisations lies mainly in the provision of the required information to the customers in order to enable them make the necessary value judgement on products and services they intend to purchase. The provision of information as a business strategy gives customers the complete picture of the state of services, its availability and price and also how the services could be accessed seamlessly.

Organizations should avail customers with adequate information on products and services as it is a mandatory requirement to guarantee the overall success of business enterprises. Having the knowledge about products and services puts customers in a vantage position to be aware about its very unique attributes and what distinguishes it from other competing brands.

Service providers have to readily avail customers with the required information on products and services to give them the desired leeway to make that vital decision that will enhance their patronage. To be informed is to have knowledge based on facts, when customers are equipped with adequate information about products and services; it facilitates the making of decisions or conclusions based on verifiable proof. To have seamless transactions, customers should seek adequate information about products and services intended to be purchased. It is appropriate for companies to willingly give out such information without hesitation to facilitate the arrival of quality decisions that will ultimately lead to continuous patronage.

Inability of companies to provide the required information on the state of services that are obtainable has to a large extent culminated in wrong decisions by customers which are detrimental to the profitability of enterprises. Once

customers had bad experiences, it builds up into dissuading them from patronage of the brand. The enhancement of the competitiveness of products and services is dependent on the quantum of information at the disposal of the customers.

Customers who know about products and services are propelled by the information at their disposal to seek for such brands. It is therefore beneficial for companies to provide information about its activities, products and services to boost the confidence and loyalty of customers which of course will lead to the attraction of potential clients too.

ENTHUSIASM: -

Work environment are to be designed primarily by employers to elicit excitements among employees. This is to facilitate the creation of the needed drive and interest on employees to go the extra hog in the provision of qualitative services which are to translate into positive experience to customers. The accomplishment of this very objective comes through the enthronement of best practices as an organisational norm.

The enthusiasm to get things done appropriately and efficiently is mainly realised by the application of systems and processes that are motivating enough on the individual employees to achieve their potentials. Every employee has something special that needs just a little push and encouragement for it to manifest, executives have to tap into this to get the best from them.

Enthusiasm is the total commitment of an employee to give in everything within his or her disposal to ensure that the customer is satisfied. Organisations should make the work environment inspiring to obtain the best from the employees. Once the enthusiasm of employees is found lacking, companies should examine and fine-tune their strategies to prop up the employee in order to correct the

observed deficiencies. This is fundamental to the success or otherwise of business establishments.

Enthusiasm therefore is the necessary tunic that propels employees to deal with the customer in a more ive and productive manner which of course is beneficial to the organisation in the long run in of customer patronage and loyalty. Employees need to be interested in their responsibilities first and foremost and this reflects in the quality of services being rendered to the customers.

INTEGRITY: -

The basis of quality service delivery and the loyalty of customers depends to a large extent on the strong moral principles being carried out by companies in the conduct of business operations. Business relations are to be conducted in a fair manner that is devoid of double dealings and manipulations in order to gain the loyalty advantage. It is important to show honesty and transparency in all transactions because a customer that is fairly treated has something in return to offer which is his or her loyalty to the brand.

Organisations should be what they say they are and be consistent with excellent service delivery. This is the only sure way to remain in business in the midst of whatever operational challenges that may be experienced by other competitors in the industry. Most often, companies craft a beautiful and alluring vision and mission statements but becomes hesitant to ensure its full implementation, the result of course manifest negatively in the quality of service at the disposal of customers.

The application of integrity as a business strategy is the only panacea to ward off other operators from gaining advantage in the industry. To be a market leader,

CEO’s are to build credibility into the brands to engender the loyalty of customers. Essentially, companies are to enthrone integrity as part of the corporate core values in order to have a distinctive competence over other competitors.

Integrity is to show commitment in business relations by promising and suring the realisation of what is promised. It also involves being able to meet commitments and deadlines. It does not represent failure to keep promises and appointments. Customer focused organisations that really want to provide enduring experience in their services should over deliver rather than under deliver, this is an essential secret of winning the hearts and loyalty of customers.

The essence of customer service is basically to build the confidence of clients on products and services and this comes through the provision of exceptional services that are indeed delightful. The exhibition of integrity in customer relations opens windows of opportunities whose benefits are unquantifiable. It not only ensures that business establishments thrive in of acquisition of new customers and loyalty of existing ones but increases profitability. Adopting integrity as a business strategy is a roap to tremendous success which translates into higher returns on investments if and only if it is faithfully pursued and implemented to the later.

Service quality without any iota of doubt adds value to investments. Customer service as the basic ingredients to realise this noble objective should be entrenched as part of the corporate culture of enterprises. The advantage to be gained from embracing this all important nugget results in the enhancement of organisational performance. It is noteworthy that the practice of customer service should indeed be the business of every employee. All cadres of employees should exhibit the best of attitude and actually have a disposition for the care of the customer, the overall result manifest invariably in the growth and profitability of companies.

Organisations must ensure that its employees are oriented to service excellence, management of enterprises therefore has a singular responsibility to craft a vision and mission statements that are to provide the needed direction to work processes. It is important that the top echelon of the organisational structure must have the will and commitment to ensure its strict adherence and implementation in order to guarantee the realisation of its tremendous benefits. Customer service should be the guiding principles of business concerns and employees must see it being propagated and implemented to the later. By so doing, the employees will understand the seriousness that management attached to the promotion of the desired service culture, with this awareness in mind they are left with no other option than to key – in to its fruitful implementation.

Management of establishments should in words and deeds show its uncompromising stance to customer satisfaction and actually lead the way for its enthronement and sustenance. This is the only guarantee to achieve growth and ensure the increase in the shareholder’s value. Organisations should therefore establish a service quality management department headed by competent personnel with ion for service to ensure the full implementation of best practices and compliance to the ideals of service quality concepts.

TECHNIQUES FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY PURPOSE

Companies that are established be it public or private enterprises have an objective which the promoters intend to pursue and accomplish successfully. This is to be achieved with full determination and commitment in upholding the vision and values that are to guide its operations. Organisations must be purpose driven in order to harness the benefit of their vast potentials. It is the commitment shown by employees in the day to day operation of enterprises that translates into quality service which customers as the end s of products and services are to derive the required maximum satisfaction.

Purpose should be the guiding principles of business enterprises; it is purpose that dictates how organisational brands impart positively on customers. A life without purpose is definitely a life without direction and meaning, it is what drives organisations and individuals to greater accomplishments.

CONSISTENCY:

Products and services with all intents and purposes are to have minimum standards which can easily be identified and recognised by the end s. It is consistency to quality that determines the extent of product acceptability in the market. Customer’s confidence is lost when the value and faith attached to a particular product is not met in of its quality. The trust of customers on brands in its totality is therefore dependent on the standard of service maintained by service providers.

To enhance the quality of service delivery, the expectations of the customers must at all times be a top priority of front line employees and indeed the companies respectively. Strict adherence to quality as a standard of business operations, set brands apart from competitors; it gives products and services the unique characteristics that attract loyalty advantage.

INTEGRATION:

Organisational behaviour is to revolve around providing effective and efficient services geared towards meeting and suring the expectations of customers. Service culture as a behavioural pattern of an enterprise therefore has to form an integral part of the organisational norm that must be imbibed by all employees to really provide qualitative services that delights the customers.

Employees conscience must be continually re-awakened to see the customer as an indispensable personality without which the success of the business enterprises will be an illusion. Getting the employees to value customers and to strive under any circumstance to provide positive experience should be the foundation that determines the employee customer relations management. Building this sense of responsibility among the employees will no doubt guarantee an enduring commitments and loyalty to the brand.

PERFECTION:

Service is best delivered when it meets the expectation of the customers. Employees must put in everything within the capacity of the organisation to realise quality service. Services and products should be delivered without deficiency to enhance positive reputation of the establishment and to boost continuous customer patronage.

The whole idea behind the enthronement of perfection in business operations is to secure market dominance and competitive edge over other competitors. Organisations are to create brand identity that will give products and services positive perceptions in the eyes of clients.

Distinctive competency is what distinguishes brands from each other and it comes through the unique attributes that a product is known for. It is all about creating and sustaining brand identity that is backed up strictly with quality and standard of best practices. It is imperative that customer driven organisations should incorporate perfection and zero defect of brands in the business operation strategy to drive products to meet the expectation of the customers.

METICULOUS:

Paying particular attention to details energise the loyalty of customers. This is because in customer service, little things matter a lot. Sensitivity to customer’s demand for service should be given top priority by service windows to facilitate the creation of value that can attract the gain of loyalty advantage. It is reciprocal when customers’ experience product quality and satisfactory service, they feel and know it, this is often backed up by continuous patronage and turning customers into fan for a life time.

Service providers have to pay adequate attention to details as an essential operational requirement. When every employee conscientiously provides service to the satisfaction of the customers, it ultimately enhances organisational growth and customer acquisition in the longer run.

SIMPLICITY:

Processes and procedures of service delivery should be made less cumbersome and stress free. In the design of service forms or receipts, it is vitally important that its content should be concise and precise with no ambiguity. The overall objective is for the customer to have a clear understanding of the intent of the service provider as expressed in the document. Once a customer understands the perception of the business enterprises, it makes transactions a lot much easier and both parties are happier for it.

Customers are always delighted when served speedily, efficiently and rightly too. It is very important for establishments to provide seamless services without artificial creation of bottle necks this are in order to retain and attract potential customers for patronage.

COOPERATION:

This is a vital force for the enhancement of service quality. Interpersonal harmony, cooperation among the employees and the customers helps to boost the drive for qualitative service delivery. To effectively achieve the needed success and organizational aspirations, team spirit should be built within the work place.

The encouragement of teamwork among the employees fosters solidarity as everyone within the team strives to achieve a common objective. In order to serve customers satisfactorily, issues that have the tendency to cause discordance and cracks within the teams should be jettisoned. Individuals working harmoniously within the team are in a better position to influence others positively to realise the organisational objectives. The cooperation of team tends to influence the quality of service to be rendered to the

customers.

It important therefore for organisations to encourage work groups and formation of teams to facilitate the building of solidarity among team . By this, companies develop an in – built capacity which have the prospect of positively affecting the quality of service delivery.

ACCESSIBILITY:

Customers are to be served right all the time. The quest for qualitative services by customers should be met by companies without impediments. The achievement of superior service quality requires that customers are to derive maximum benefits and optimal satisfaction from the services of business enterprises.

Service providers should make their products and services ready at all seasons in such a way that customers will not in any form be encumbered from gaining easy access to the brand. Organisations can attain loyalty advantage by simply ensuring that products and services are within reach and always available in the market. When customers’ desire for goods and services whose stock are scarce or completely exhausted without replenishment, it creates a perception problem in the inner mind of the customer which has a tendency of refocusing them to other alternatives.

There is hardly a product or service that has an exclusive dominance in the market place; it must at best have a near substitute from which customers can make a choice. The existence of this scenario can create loss of identity on a brand as customers are bound to seek for other available closer alternatives. In order to build loyalty on products and services, it is vitally important that organisations should make their brands easily accessible and visible all year

round to facilitate customer acquisition and continuous patronage.

CONVENIENCE:

Customer service strategy must be targeted in making the services of organisations less difficult, interesting and ive. Organisations are to tailor their services in such a way that it is simple, suitable and trouble – free on the customer. The joy of every customer is to be served without any hindrance. To win the loyalty of customers, service providers should devise mechanisms of deg its services around the customer in order to give the end s the necessary experience that are bound to last for a very long time.

TEN (10) “R” OF QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE BASIC ATTITUDES.

➢ RESPECTFULNESS:

Courteous service engenders satisfaction, pleasant experiences and expectations. It has the singular prospect of increasing the revenue of companies as customers no doubt reciprocate their positive experience with repeat purchase. An attitude that will facilitate the achievement of excellent service delivery must require employees to show respect, speak cordially and of course be friendly to the customers.

The effect of this very essential service strategy translates in the gaining of customer loyalty and continuous patronage. Rudeness or acting in a manner that is irrational is an enemy of service quality and must be jettisoned if the desired gain of continuous customer loyalty is to be achieved and sustained.

➢ RESPONSIVENESS:

Service quality is accomplished when brands actually meets the yearnings and aspirations of customers. Timely and prompt provision of service is one sure way to gain loyalty advantage. A customer that is delighted with the quality of services of a brand is bound to make repeat purchase. It is important that organisations should re- engineer the processes and procedures of conducting its businesses to facilitate the attraction of customers to products and services.

The competitiveness of companies in the market place is dependent on the value created and indeed derived by the end s of the products. Customers need for services should therefore be adequately attended to without hitches. Doing everything that needs to be done in the interest of the customer is a worthy

course that must be pursued vigorously by service providers in order to reap its desired benefits. This should indeed be adopted as a business strategy in order to be a market leader. Companies have to sincerely and genuinely provide customers with services within a very short time and to ensure that delays are put at a very minimal level.

Responding to the needs and wants of customers facilitates retention and attraction of potential clients to the brand. This of course engenders repeat patronage and market acceptability. Organisations have to make their products and services available in an efficient, effective and prompt manner in order to guarantee improved customer turnover.

➢ RE-INVENTION:

There is no end in the provision of quality service or the extent business enterprises can go to improve on the standard of products to attract the acceptability of customers. Organizations have to develop requisite capacity to design and invent new solutions to every challenge or service gap that tend to threaten the quest of customers from deriving maximum satisfaction from products and services. It is imperative that day - to - day services of companies must be continually improved upon to meet the basic expectations of the customers.

The evolving pattern of business environment requires that service providers must continually fine tune their services in line with the dictates of the market. Aligning the services of enterprises in accordance with customers’ requirements will no doubt guarantees returns on investments. Organisations have to ensure that in the performance of its daily operations, products and services should conform to what the customers really want.

➢ RESOURCEFULNESS:

As part of best practices expected by customers for organisations to perform optimally, employees need to apply ingenuity in all facets of their responsibilities and functions by providing services that actually meet with the expectations of customers. It is important for companies to go all out without reservations to provide qualitative services to the customers’ satisfaction. Building this essential nugget as part of the service culture equipped organisations to acquire necessary competences to outperform its competitors.

Challenges are to be experienced by companies which are a normal occurrence in the daily operations of businesses but it takes exceptional will power to cope and surmount the difficult situations. It is important therefore for companies to recognise that exceptional service to the customers is the bedrock for improved performance and success.

Adequate strategies should therefore be mapped out to resolve business challenges without undermining the importance of qualitative services to the customers. For organisations to overcome impediments that hinder the realisation of quality service delivery, it must be daring to confront such challenges to the full benefits of the customers.

➢ RECOGNITION:

To have a competitive advantage in the market place, organisations should empower and encourage employees to take every customer as important and deserved to be served right at all times. Management’s notice of employee’s contribution to service delivery is paramount in ensuring that customers have value for their money, such identified employees should be rewarded to

encourage others accordingly.

Appreciating the contributions of employees in delivering service to the customers enhances the profitability of companies, it gives the employees the necessary drive to sur the expectations of the customer.

Appropriate motivation by way of incentives and remunerations is all that is required to give the employees a sense of belonging to do everything possible in the overall interest of the organisation. Managers should see the employees’ contributions to the work process as indispensable to the growth of enterprises, and this must be duly acknowledged. This action as simple as it may look propels the employees with the needed drive to give positive experience which are bound to retain and attract potential customers.

➢ RESPONSIBILITY:

Businesses thrives, when employees are committed to providing qualitative services that delight the customers. Customer service in all sense of the word should be the duty of every employee and are to be driven with ion and excellence in all business relations. Every employee both front and back liners must be duty bound to do one best thing - that is to serve the customer well and satisfactorily too.

It must be the responsibility of every cadre of employees to ensure the satisfaction of customers at all times. Development of the culture of giving the customer the best of service not only enhances returns on investment but builds positive reputation that gives the establishment comparative advantage over other competitors.

➢ RE-ASSURANCE:

The achievement of customer loyalty requires that customers must be constantly assured of the standard of service available. Service providers have to ensure that customers are given adequate assurance of services even at the point of threat to service failure. By so doing, customers will develop the feeling of selfworth and care which engenders a closer attachment to the brand.

Consistency to excellent services should be what every service provider must aspire to attain. When customers are aware of minimum level of service, it gives him or her confidence to refer other customers and this no doubt enhances continuous patronage and organisational growth.

➢ RESOLUTE:

Companies that desires to carve a niche in the competitive business environment, must show determination to take service quality and customer care as a prerogative of the customer who must be served right as a matter of obligation. The application of this nugget distinguishes companies in of value creation to the customer and the result manifest in the overall increase in the bottom line of enterprises. The enthronement of a robust customer service culture is a necessary pre-requisite for the achievement of an efficient service delivery.

➢ RELATIONSHIP:

The creation of bond of friendship between the employees and customers brings about the needed attachment to organisations brand of products and services.

Building relationship with customers is one sure way of ensuring customer retention.

One of the ways of building an enduring relationship between service providers and customers lies in ensuring that every phone calls and emails of customers are answered and responded to without delay. In the case of missed calls, it is important to return such calls to the customers with an apology which are to be tendered in a courteous and friendly manner. This no doubt will facilitate a strong attachment and creation of the needed bond to products and services.

The secret of loyalty to brands most times is just simple, by establishing a robust relationship with customers serves as the magic wand that guarantees retention and their eventual acquisition. Companies should develop continuous business relationship with the employees and the customers to enhance organisational growth and improved performance.

➢ RELEVANCE:

Companies that aspire to achieve sustainable edge over other competitors must redesign their products and services around the customer in such a way that it is actually what they want. The desire and expectation of customers above any other considerations is to gain satisfaction and value for money and time spent.

Services and products should therefore be tailored to what the customer really needs. Consequently, deliberate efforts should be geared towards ensuring that creation of value on brands is fully accomplished in all facets of business relations. This is the simple mystery that underlines the attraction of customers to products and services.

CHAPTER 2

ENTHRONEMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY CULTURE

I n the global competitive business environment, organisations have to incorporate service quality strategy in the corporate culture as this is the only panacea that is capable of bringing robust solutions to the desire of companies to building customers’ confidence and loyalty to the brand.

The enthronement of service quality in enterprises guarantees maximum returns on investment as loyalty of customers’ impacts positively on the brand profitability. Companies desirous of improved turnover should therefore embrace this all important nugget that has the propensity of transforming the fortunes of organisations to higher pedestal.

SERVICE CULTURE

Organisations have to implement policies targeted in giving the customers’ maximum satisfaction in order to remain strong in business with other competitors. Service culture as a business strategy is a fundamental pre-requisite necessary for companies to have an edge in the global economy that is characterised with competitiveness of enterprises to one another. Service, succinctly put, is a business that involves the provision of what the customer really needs or wants; such services could be tangible or intangible. Service particularly is a skill exhibited by an organisation or employee towards the satisfaction of the customer to return for more business opportunities. Culture, simply put is a way of carrying out business operations generally acceptable as a norm to both the organisation and the customers.

Service culture is the inculcation and adaptability of the basic policies of the organisation and implemented by the employees to meet with the customer’s expectation and satisfaction. It is a belief system shared by every stratum of employees in the organisational hierarchy to deliver value added services that will ultimately enhance the satisfaction of customers. Every business concern should as a matter of top priority and necessity enunciate service policies to guide the employees in providing total quality service content to the customers.

The culture of service excellence holds the key to the overall success of enterprises. It is fundamental therefore that managers should strategize to be customer focused, the only factor capable of sustaining the profitability of organisations is nothing else than customer loyalty. The loyalty of customers therefore builds a positive reputation that attracts more customers thereby increasing to higher levels the customer’s profile of organizations.

In the implementation of service culture, customer service representatives and

employees should be energised to the fullest in order to actually undertake and respond to the needs of customers. Employees must be oriented to really appreciate the importance of customer care as a key element to the survival of businesses. Companies should as a deliberate effort of positioning itself for competitive advantage redesign the business service culture strategy to promote the satisfaction of not only the customer but the employees.

Like a chain reaction, a dis-satisfied employee transfers his aggression to the customer, this negative experience is conveyed to other potential customers, at the receiving end of this unhealthy development is the business enterprise that suffers defection of its customers and this culminates to eventual loss of revenue. No organisation would want to experience this ugly scenario in its operations. The only viable option to change this unpalatable trend is a refocus the employees on the customer by way of providing delightful and exceptional services.

Customers are most often treated with levity, hostility and often times ignored without any regard, this indeed is bad business practice, customers are to be appreciated at every service point and above all be handled with ion and care. Customers are as fragile as an egg, once they are treated harshly and poorly, just as an egg will break, they will also disperse and this definitely will prompt them to seek for better services elsewhere.

The human capital of organizations does not only constitute the employees but of course the customers, these two important partners have to be valued in its entirety in order to get the best of their loyalty which translates to improved performance and patronage respectively. Employees and customers are indispensable assets of organisations, their contributions and patronage significantly leads to success and improved business performance. Business enterprises have to be strategically positioned to gain competitive advantage by creating an inspiring environment that motivates, cares and shows concern for the workforce and customers respectively.

It is the employees and the customers that dictate the sustainability of companies; this is to the extent that the values accruable in of returns on investment are backed up by both the customer and employees’ loyalty. For service culture to thrive, employees and the customers being a vital resource base should be nourished by management doing of the right thing in its business practices, this will ultimately guarantee service quality and loyalty. Manager’s often times pay much attention to other factors of production at the detriment of human capital, which they consider as not too important, the resultant effect manifest in the weakness of the firms’ competitive strength and financial capability.

The combinations of employee and customer loyalties engenders brand advantage, business executives have to ensure as a matter of top priority the growth of organisations by according due recognition and to these all important assets. One of the greatest of all the factors of production is human capital and for the enthronement of service culture, this critical resource should be treated specially as an asset with value.

Most companies sadly do not value their employees and customers, they are perceived as a tool that could be used and discarded at will. In the formulation of company’s policies, due emphasis should be placed on these vital resource of organisations. Training and development in quality service are to be frequently organized for all categories of employees who have more direct with the customers.

Positive service culture thrives when the employees’ confidence is boosted with expositions on service quality training and seminars. The acquisition of new skills gives the employees the needed competence to deliver value added services that will turn the customers into fans. This invariably cultivates in them a sense of belonging in the management of the organisation.

Some employees most often are indifferent and not connected to the customers

they are meant to serve; this resulted to their not being bordered whether the customers are treated well nor derived satisfaction from products and services. Customer dissatisfaction and unfulfilled expectations retards business growth. Organisations should mitigate every identified source of dissatisfaction of customers in order to position their brands to sustainable growth.

Management and chief executives of organisations should appropriate adequate funds for skill acquisition in service quality delivering to customers, such funds voted into this type of training and development are to be considered as wise spending. As a footballer who did not receive enough training before a game suffers defeat for his team, so is an employee that was not exposed to the rudiments of service quality he or she generates poor or bad service which negatively affects the companies’ competitiveness in the market place.

For service excellence to metamorphose as a business culture, it requires regular orientation of the employees to quality service delivery and best practice skills. No amount of strategy can be enunciated to upscale the standard of service through any other source rather than by training and development of employee’s mind-set and attitude, to have a new perception of customers as an important partner whose patronage to products and services guarantees to the success and profitability of organizations. Once the direction of service quality strategy is set by management, it becomes something that must be mandatorily adapted by the employees in the conduct of company’s business.

Diamond Bank Plc which is now Access Bank, one of the leading brands in the banking industry with its diamond advantage has been committed in enhancing customer satisfaction through its strong attention to staff development in order to bring about the realization of the benefits of its growth. As observed by Emeka Onwuka, the banks Chief Executive Officer as he was then “while motivating the staff to give their best in customer service delivery, our bank has engaged in “mystery shopper” services in addition to customer mechanism to monitor the results and reinforce our culture of excellence in customer service delivery”.

Organisations that value employee’s development are always better for it because of the single reason that whatever knowledge gained in the programme trickles down to the performance of the employee on the job which is to the company’s advantage. As a visionary organisation, the bank has as its main thrust to create a unique international brand that is focused in providing creative solutions to customers’ business problems with an absolute commitment to quality. Quality service is the resultant effect of a robust service culture with staff development as a main focus.

The earnings of the bank in its balance sheet are as listed below:

Gross Earning Profit Before Tax 2006 N21, 730,220.00 N1, 110,521.00 2007 N38, 524,708.00 N8, 792,775.00 2008 N56, 612,235.00 N15, 059,114.00 Apr’09N101, 659, 260, 00 Apr’09N8, 343,738.00 2009 N64, 667,401.00 N9, 055,793.00

Courtesy Diamond Bank

As shown in the above financial statement, organisation that has training and development of its employees as a priority always have something positive in return in of its performance and profitability in the fiscal year.

EMPLOYMENT OF THE WORKFORCE

The quest of companies to build a strong service culture requires that employees on getting their appointment letter, no matter the level or category of such employees are to be given expositions on service quality delivery. This is to inculcate in them the uncompromising values of the organisation to its customers. The understanding and assimilation of service quality as a vision of establishments helps to fast track the implementation of a service culture. Customer service philosophy and vision is good in itself but it requires the commitment of management to drive the process to fruition.

The success of a robust service culture which is mandatory for the growth of organisations is dependent on the policies management adopted to ensure its actualisation. Employees have a responsibility to implement the quality service objectives while management provides the vision and needed for its attainment. Organizations with adequate succession plan should not compromise the orientation of its new entrants on service quality as it holds the key to future business success.

The cultures of service do not work in isolation of the employees who because of the peculiar nature of their responsibilities have direct dealings with the customers. Whatever it costs in of pecuniary value should be deployed to ensure that these vision bearers of service culture, at first hand understand the service quality norms and values of the company. As the employees’ key - in to service culture, the standard of customer expectation must be adequately publicised so that employees should be aware of the minimum level of acceptable service to be delivered to attract the satisfaction of the customers.

In the enthronement of service culture, there is absolutely no maximum level of customer satisfaction, as service improvement is a continuously evolving

process, once a level is attained, new standard should be set and pursued vigorously to achieve the intended objectives. A recent study of the psychological dispositions of employees reveals that new employees are always eager to give in everything at their disposal to learn the skill of the work and carry out responsibilities as compared to older employees.

The ideals of service culture therefore will be better to be impacted to the new employees at the very early stage of their career, this is to enable them appreciate that they are in employment basically for the customer. To this cadre of employees, ideals of excellence service become the very essence of living which will facilitate the deg of services around the customers’ requirements.

PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

Business enterprises have processes and procedures that are followed in carrying out statutory responsibilities. Most of these procedures are bureaucratic bottlenecks that constitute an obstacle in the realisation of corporate goals. Often times, organisation are not conscious of the fact that processes and procedures that are supposed to be used to service the customers’ retards growth and hinders the satisfaction of the very customers that it is meant to serve. Problems associated to the inability of organisations to enhance shareholders value are mainly attributed to the artificial creation of bureaucratic rules, which are outdated and not suitable in the modern day conduct of business practices.

Processes and procedures of companies must be tailored mainly to the satisfaction of the customers. Stringent policies and rules must be made flexible without jeopardising the service standards of the organisation. Some rules are really unnecessary and it does no good to companies rather it constitutes an impediment to the realisation of efficient service culture. One stop shops and the massive deployment of information technology should be adopted to provide an effective and efficient service to the customers whose only basic aspiration is qualitative services and nothing more. Some employers see ICT as a mere luxury in the performance of their services.

The globalisation of the world economy has made the deployment of Information Communication Technology as an indispensable tool in the management and retrieval of information. It is imperative therefore that management in redefining and strengthening its organisational processes and procedures should integrate ICT in the entire operations to enhance service delivery and to add impetus to the organisational service culture.

Companies have to take customer satisfaction as an important strategy to out -

perform competitors by streamlining its chains of command or authority to be more responsive to the needs of the customer. Processes and procedures have to be deliberately designed to provide delightful services that meet the satisfaction and expectations of the customers. Improvement in the design of processes and procedures should be inclusive rather than exclusive of other organisational plan of action. The culture of; it does not matter to deliver an efficient service should be deliberately isolated, it matters to deliver qualitative services and to ensure that customers satisfaction is guaranteed because of its enormous benefits which is of course to the company’s advantage.

MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO SERVICE CULTURE

The enthronement and sustenance of service culture in organisations is the managements’ responsibilities. Managements who are the owners of companies or are running the organisation on behalf of the shareholders must ensure leadership by example as service culture is a two-way philosophy; commitment of the management to drive the processes and of course the implementation by employees. Management’s commitment to the ideals of service culture by way of action and conduct holds the key to the actualization of service quality in organisations.

The owners of business as represented by the management must profess by actions and in deeds and to ensure that the principles of service quality guides the conduct of work processes of the organisations in its entirety. It is the values attached by management to service excellence that translate to the organisational behaviour. The responsibility of management is to create an enabling environment where business relations and transactions could thrive effectively.

Spearheading the culture of service excellence lies squarely in the domain of the leadership of companies. It is what is sown that can also be reaped, like a farmer who planted just a seed of corn, he tendered and nourished it and at harvest time, produced a multiplicity of corn.

A service culture that is well instituted by organisations has a twin result of service excellence that attracts customers and returns on the value of shareholders’ investment. Some management of business enterprises do not take service excellence and customer satisfaction as a top priority that deserves attention and in the companies’ strategic plan of action. Management should not only be a facilitator but a champion of service culture of excellence in order to gain the loyalty advantage which manifest in the balance sheet.

The then Managing Director/Chief Executive of the dependably dynamic institution Jacob M. Ajikigbe of First Bank Plc was at the leadership of a management that consistently pursues superior corporate performance and improvement in the service delivery levels by ensuring that the shareholders, employees and customers get the desired value of service excellence.

In the bank’s pursuit of organisational efficiency and improvement in service quality levels, he posited that “the fact that a significant proposition of the Nigerian banking public has business relationship with the bank attests to the enormous strength of our brand and success of our commitment over the years to building the industry and upscale our service culture to meet the needs of our customers, the strategy of growth and modernization provides a fulcrum of our efforts”. Entrenchment of service culture in companies guarantees the sustenance of growth and profitability as attested in the organisation’s annual reports which grew consistently over the years.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 N’m N’ m N’m N’m N’m

Gross Earning: 57,255 67,440 90,323 106,099 141,602 Profit after tax: 16,808 21,833 20,367 73,644 95,712

Courtesy First Bank Plc

Organisations that consciously promote the culture of excellence in service

delivery is like the sun that shines for everyone to see and appreciates the wonderful work of the creator, this is attested to the superior customer service that First Bank is widely known for which caught the recognition of International Organisation for Standardization. The bank won the certification ISO27001 from the globally acclaimed organisation in charge of standards in the area of security and protection of customer information. According to the bank Group Managing Director and CEO Bisi Onasanya, “the certification is an affirmation that the bank has adopted and complied with the highest known standards of information security in the world. The certification is a clear indication of the strength of our investments in people, process and technology for enhancing the customer experience by improving information security”.

First Banks ISO27001 certification is a product of purposefulness and continuous innovations by the management of the establishment aimed at sustaining its leadership position as a dynamic bank of different segments and generations of customers. Business enterprises that really focused on customers by providing delightful experiences reaps bountifully in return, no wonder the manifestation of the loyalty advantage in the amazing half year financial report in which the bank posted a huge sum of ₦31.7 billion profit before tax and profit after tax of ₦25.3 billion for the period ending June, 2010. Log on www.Firstbanknigeria.com for more information of their products and services.

Management commitment to up scaling service culture serves as a catalyst to the permeation of qualitative service delivery among employees. In order to boost service quality and indeed customer service, organisations must develop quality policy and objectives that must be adhered to by all employees and which must be targeted mainly in enhancing customer experience. Quality policies that are implemented to the fullest not only ensure customer loyalty but organisational growth in of returns on investment.

The enunciation and actual implementation of quality policies by establishments is a necessary anti- dote for business failures. Without equivocation, service quality is an indispensable strategy to outperform competitors and remain

dominance in the market place. It is vitally important that companies should establish service quality policies and objectives as a framework for a vibrant customer service. CEO’s should ensure total commitment and in the implementation of service quality principles of their organisation in order to build positive reputation and improved performance of the enterprises.

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) a leading international banking group in the determination to enthrone a strong service culture has a quality policy that serve as a springboard in the inculcation of customer service tenets among its employees. The following strategies are articulated by the bank to guide the employees;

• UBA is committed to providing high quality financial services of international standard that meets and sur our customers’ expectations at a cost and speed that represents value for the company,

• We will achieve this through the effective implementation of quality management systems and procedures,

• The development of robust and efficient business processes with ing documentation and controls,

• Regular review of our suits of products, processes and operational frameworks based on (internal and external) customer with a view to ensuring continuous improvements,

• To be customer focused in every of our operations, service delivery and products development,

• To implement quality management systems and processes that ensures compliance with customer, regulatory and statutory requirements’’.

Courtesy UBA Group

The development of quality policies by business establishments should not be cosmetic or something to be used for decoration of walls but have to be seen as an essential strategy that must be imbibed by all employees in ensuring total customer service and market dominance of the brand. Organisations should show commitment in the implementation of quality policies in order to enhance employees’ service delivery.

The importance and need for service culture must be orchestrated by word and in deed. For the culture of service to be inculcated by all and sundry within the work place, management must go a step further by using every available opportunity to preach the values of service quality to the employees. In sustaining the ideals of service culture, employees must see the customer as very important and whatever that should be done to enhance customers’ satisfaction must be the responsibility of every employee. The adoption of the culture of service as a shared value of organisations serves as a catalyst for superior service delivery that delights the customers at every point of service. Employees must appreciate that the customer being the very essence of their employment deserves to be given maximum attention and service that they truly deserve.

Retaining and attracting new customers should be every body’s business and not necessarily limited to employees at the customer service department. Companies must take their service to higher levels by deg appropriate strategy targeted specifically in ensuring that customer’s satisfaction is achieved and maintained always. Managements in executing its commitment to returning value to shareholders must understand and appreciate the realities of customer service

and the need to eliminate whatever obstacles that will hinder the enhancement of effective service quality delivery. Organisations have to build a reputation and creditability of service quality in their corporate culture to ensure maximum patronage of products and services.

MOTIVATING THE WORKFORCE

Motivation is processes used to stimulate employees towards the accomplishment of the organisational goals. It is applied by managers to induce the subordinates to perform in a desired manner. The sustainability of service culture in companies requires that management must be committed in implementing its aspect of the employment contract, employees’ productivity is actually enhanced when his satisfiers are met.

The achievement of service quality in organisations presupposes that management should take positive actions to encourage the employees to increase their productivity by instituting appropriate reward system to boost employees’ moral for improved performance. According to Bryan Dyson former CEO of Coca Cola group, “value has a value only if its value is valued”. Motivating the employees should be paramount for business concerns that are really determined in enthroning a strong service culture. An employee who is unhappy and dissatisfied renders bad service, which retards goal directed behaviour.

Improving his working conditions therefore removes impediments to positive work attitudes, which invariably enhances the overall performance of organisation. Service cultures do not thrive in isolation of motivators, for establishments to enhance shareholders value and achieve its corporate social responsibility; the employees should of course be motivated. Managers should as a matter of deliberate policy ensure that employees understand the actual purpose of what they are doing and to let them know that their contributions are vital and appreciated.

Recognition and praise of employees for work well done boost morale and actually encourages professional development, as the employees will desire to improve his or her capacity and knowledge to be properly fitted for the job in

order to serve better and contribute meaningfully in moving the enterprises forward. As a business strategy, CEO’s have to make employees feel as an important stake holders and to develop their interest for the overall success of the organisation.

A company that does not value its workforce gets in return bad service, a happy employee is a happy customer. In organizations where customers are truly appreciated, loved and given adequate attention, the underlining factors are motivated employees. A recent study conducted on why customers are not receiving services that meet their expectations in most organisations revealed that employees failed or deliver shabby services because of near absence of motivating factors in the work place. Viewed critically, motivation of the employees has a major correlation with an effective service delivery culture. When motivating factors are in place in the work place it enhances the employee’s status of self-esteem and accomplishment, which invariably contribute to the attainment of the organisational objectives.

The commitment of management to the promotion of service culture should not be by lip service but with full determination to inculcate the basic values of service quality among its employees. As customers are kings, employees should be treated well to get the best from them. Management should create positive service culture in their organisations as it results in yielding of higher turnover, profitability and market edge over and above its competitors.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

Promotion of an effective service culture in establishments requires an institutional development of interpersonal relationship among the employees. The feeling of solidarity and comradeship should be enhanced to inculcate in the employees the sense of oneness, team spirit and friendliness within the work environment and beyond. A harmonious working relationship generates increasing performance and returns on the investment because both the management and employees have a common purpose that is fused together to pursue a goal directed behaviour.

Effective management of diversity in the organisations is necessary to build a harmonious workforce. Employees that are fulfilled in spite of differences in race, ethnic, gender and beliefs systems translates this state of mind to the clients who derived the best of customer experience in business transactions. Coherent interpersonal relationship is a pre-requisite for achieving organisational objectives.

One of the ways to enhance the realisation of service quality in companies should therefore be anchored with the development of interpersonal relationship among the employees as productivity to large extent depends on it. Management have to devise appropriate strategy to foster cooperation among the workforce to achieve the desired results by bringing together their divergence to a common platform with definite aspirations.

It is important for service providers to create an enabling environment in the form of establishing recreational facilities where employees can relax after working hours to ease off stress, this facilitates the building of bond of friendship and perceived interest of management in the personal life of the workforce, the resultant effect is improved productivity in the work place. The

neglect of interpersonal relations and cooperation leads to organisational suicide that no company will ever tread with, if it wants to move forward in the service of the customers.

Social interaction among the employees and the management should be encouraged; it creates a positive impression on the workforce that it has at the top of the organisational ladder a team that cares for their wellbeing. The overall effect of this development is an improvement in the customer relations of which the organisation is better for it. When employees have a feeling of inner satisfaction there are tendencies that it will ultimately crystallize to great service that delight the customers.

In driving the service culture, organisations of all dimensions have to strategize in creating an environment that meets the customers’ needs through building cordiality among the employees. An organisation that radiates the ambiance of effective service quality is a by-product of interpersonal relationship among its employees.

USING COMMUNICATION TO ENHANCE SERVICE CULTURE

Communication is an essential strategy that should be applied in the quest of companies to realize its service culture action plan. Increasing the market value of brands and returns on shareholders’ investment is dependent on the improvement of the organizations communication style or pattern. Positive communication generally impacts on service quality, which generates increasing patronage and profitability. There must be a defined pattern of oral or written communication by organisations to serve the best interest of the employees and customers respectively. Management have to enthrone an appropriate and effective communication pattern as a corporate policy in order to enhance its service culture.

The inability of companies in achieving sustainable growth most times are traceable to ineffective communication which do not serve its intended purpose to both the employees and the customers respectively. An informed employee tends to be a transformed person ready to take the service to a much better level. Organisations have to design effective communication patterns to achieve its intended objectives and more also to get the best from the employees.

The sustainability of service culture in business enterprises requires that management should have a responsibility to keep the employees abreast with policies and issues that will enhance the service quality of enterprises. This minimizes the sourcing of information through grapevine and rumours which tend to distract the employees from performing their expected roles. Once employees are properly informed of the intended objectives of the management through appropriate official channels, it prepares and focuses the mind-set of organisational towards the full implementation of the policy direction.

The language of communication of every official correspondence should be well

crafted and carefully planned before presentation in order to realize its desired intention from the employees and customers respectively. Every business communication must be dependable and reliable to achieve increased customer satisfaction.

The official letter and telephone conversation to customers can result to an unfavourable attitude towards the company if not properly handled. Appropriate skills of employees should be developed on service quality to enhance their capability in improving the customer service strategy of business establishments. In the maintenance of customer service plan of action of organisations, the content of whatever communication patterns that are chosen; should by way of its presentation attributes focus on friendliness, courtesy and geniality to win customers satisfaction and loyalty of employees.

Service driven organisations have to take customer sensitivity into consideration in the deg of service strategy, corporate service culture of companies is to be made known to every strata of employees so that they will understand and be conscious of the minimum level of services expected of them to be delivered to the customers. All that the customer wants are qualitative service and nothing more. In order to achieve this, corporate communication should be targeted towards the enhancement of the value of quality service delivery as a vital tool for improved performance.

An aspect of organisational communication that is very indispensable in enhancing service culture is telephone conversation with customers. Service culture is given a boost with the desire and personal touch of employees to really serve the customers effectively. An employee who communicates poorly to customers may cause a negative reaction which may lead to customer defection and disloyalty; this of course is bound to be unfavourable to the companies’ turnover.

It is imperative that every inquiry concerning areas of business interest of

organization should be attended to in a more helpful, friendly and professional manner. Right communication is strategic to the entrenchment of service culture in every establishment. Customers feel valued and satisfied when communication policy of organizations is based on the respect for the customer.

EMPOWERING THE EMPLOYEES

Empowerment is the basis for implementing service culture in business concerns that actually focused in serving the customer’s right. In the contract of employment, when an employee is recruited, the first step of action by management on assumption of duties is that the new entrants is given responsibilities in other words job description which are commensurate to the designation of the employee. This is translated in the equation below:

Employment + Authority + Responsibility = Empowerment.

The empowerment of employees to really serve the customers and to achieve maximum satisfaction on products and services comes with the conveyance of discretional powers to actually do everything possible in the interest of the customer and the organisation. Empowerment comes with authority and responsibility to take action that can positively affect the customer and the company respectively. It actually involves giving the employees leeway to make decisions that will affect the progress of the organisation in of meeting the expectations of customers.

One spectacular thing empowerment does in the organisational service process is that it facilitates the responsiveness of employees to customer’s demand for services which translates to great service. Customers always crave for great service experience which when delivered gives confidence and loyalty to the brand. Empowering employees to make on the spot decisions in line with the acceptable best practices are business strategies that should be adopted by every proactive organisation that actually considered customers as a priority and desired to attract and retained them for a life time.

Nothing done for the sake of the customer should be seen as too much to give mainly if it is to ensure the sustenance of their patronage and repeat purchase. In order to engender employee’s sense of belonging and commitment, empowerment becomes the only viable option to turn organisations into high performance.

Business executives have to provide opportunities for employees to grow and achieve their potentials within the organisation; these have a long term effect of improved services to the customers. The entrenchment of service culture in organisations requires the empowerment of employees to facilitate the realisation of qualitative services that optimally benefit the customer and of course the organisation.

Every customer service plan of action needs the empowerment of the employees to achieve the desired goal. Essentially, business enterprises have to build confidence on the employees through empowerment to derive optimal value in the relationship with customers.

Hierarchical order of reporting, as it is known with organisations retards customer service objectives, because every empowered employee is duty bound to on the spot attend to the needs of the customer. Hierarchical reporting systems most times results in redtapism which is the reverse of empowerment, it actually slows down decision making thereby denying customers from deriving utmost satisfaction from products and services. It is important to bridge the reporting gap of organisations in order to maximally serve the customers effectively. Employees must champion the cause of providing solutions and services that actually meet the needs and satisfaction of the customer if adequately empowered.

In empowering employees, rules and policies must be made flexible to enable workers make creative and intelligent decisions that will not be at the detriment of the company and customer’s respectively. Organisational rules and regulations

are to give direction rather than to dissuade employees from acting in a reasonable manner towards providing the needed services to the customer. It does not amount to circumventing the official rules but by simply acting in an acceptable way to give customers the desired positive experience.

There must be an equilibrium level of satisfaction to the customer and the company respectively; an organisation firstly is to provide services and the customers are to derive maximum benefits from the services. When customers feel satisfied with the positive experience received in the course of business relations, it trickles down most favourably on the bottom line which is to organisations advantage.

The empowerment of employees to drive a service culture is basically to make services being offered to the customers better and satisfactory. Empowerment serves two functional purposes – for the employees and the customers respectively. On the aspect of the employees, management should incorporate job enrichment strategies to deal with the employees appropriately. Management’s institutionalisation of relevant reward mechanisms such as career advancement, commendations, recognition, incentives, incremental awards, company stock acquisition and use of discretional powers to act purposefully among others tend to boost the employees’ capacity for higher productivity.

Service culture thrives in an environment where employees are happy as happy employees culminate in the long run into a happy customer. An empowered employee makes positive decisions that satisfy the customer within the ambit of the organisational policy.

The bye product of absence of empowerment in companies is basically bad service because employees are always enthusiastic to put in the best of service when empowered. The direction towards the attainment of service quality for organizations that are determined to achieve sustainable growth and enhancement of shareholders’ value lies in having a deliberate policy directed

towards the empowerment of the employees.

It is therefore mandatory that companies should empower its employees to facilitate an effective customer service. As a long-term strategy in the enthronement of service culture in organisations, it is important that competency and skills of employees should be developed to achieve robust service quality content within the company framework.

Companies should basically recruit employees to achieve its objectives and to provide the type of services that has a lasting impression on the customer; this makes it inevitable for the employment of people with personality for service and drive for service excellence.

Exposing employees to training on skill acquisitions that are basically service quality incline will therefore empower the employees to be committed to the delivery of superior service. Empowerment of employees within the purview of their responsibilities and authority is to enable them handle problems mitigating the satisfaction of the customers directly without referring to superior officers, this should be ed and encouraged in order to reap its tremendous benefits. Organisations should see as very important anything that should be done to add value to the enhancement of service delivery.

TEAMWORK

Essentially, the achievement of service quality in organisations is synonymous to the team spirit exhibited by the employees. Service quality is not only employees’ responsibility but the collective responsibilities of every individual within the organisational structures who are to work together as a team to achieve the corporate aspirations.

For companies to realise its objectives and potentials and of cause gain market share, the adoption of teamwork as an organisational philosophy has to be given top priority. Every business enterprise was statutorily established to achieve a particular objective; it is the spirit of a team inherent on the employees that predetermine the realisation of the organisational goals. Employees should not necessarily see themselves as an individual but first of all as a team working harmoniously to accomplish a particular purpose.

The spirit of cooperation, and trust which guides a team facilitates the success of companies where organisational problems are seen as something that concerns all the employees. Management and employees should exhibit the spirit of understanding of one another; the absence of this very important factor negates the overall result of providing qualitative services to the customer which is detrimental to the realisation of the shareholders’ value.

The promotion of team spirit by management of organisations enhances the ability of employees to constructively solve problems leading to the satisfaction of the customers. Enthronements of team spirit in companies impacts positively on investment as employees exudes comradeship, solidarity, oneness and inter group relationship which does not give room for negative competitiveness over one another.

The time and energy exerted by companies in resolving conflicts and rivalries arising from absence of team spirit should be channelled into more productive areas that are beneficial in meeting with the customer’s expectations; this is only achieved through the encouragement of team work. The development of team spirit in organisations enhances service quality and customer service as employees concentrate in high yielding and meaningful ventures that are geared towards the satisfaction of the customer’s expectations.

A football team provides a vivid illustrations of the willingness of a team to collectively achieve a common purpose, with the diversity of its in of culture, beliefs and idiosyncrasies but in spite of this fundamental differences, it still remains coherent with a common vision just to accomplish its aspirations of defeating the opponent, the quest to succeed over and above challenges directs every action of the players working together as a team.

Employees should de-emphasise whatever divisive tendencies whether real or imagined and come together as partners with common aspirations to provide satisfactory services to the clients. Organisations have to adopt team spirit as its operational principles in other to maximally provide quality service delivery to the customers. Management are also to clearly communicate the motive of the adoption of team spirit as an organisational philosophy so that employees will see the importance attached to it and the overall benefit they stand to gain as individuals.

The benefit of teamwork in business establishments is to aggregate and appropriate the competence, creativity, professionalism and energy of individual employee into an organisational gain by working together as team to providing qualitative services that meets with the yearnings and aspirations of customers. This in itself is pivotal to the success of the enterprises. Team spirit is what drives business enterprises to improve turnover as employees are fully dedicated and committed to deliver superlative services that provide satisfaction to its customers.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is crucial in the quest of organisations to enthrone and realise quality service culture. The commitment or otherwise of the leader to issues concerning service delivery determines the level of success of customer relations and the entrenchment of service quality in the establishment. The leadership style of the chief executive in propagating the ideals of a vibrant service quality culture shows the kind of direction the employees will follow in their relationship with the customers. As visioners of organisations, leaders and managers should motivate and treat the employees fairly well so that they can impact positive values on the customer.

In enthroning best practices and quality service, leaders have to be facilitators, part finders, role models, inspirational, ers, comionate, champion of excellence, change agents and above all, the light that shines for others to emulate. A leadership that does not care for its employees will definitely not get the best from the workforce. Leaders and indeed business executives are to build emotional connection between the employees and customers in order to get the best of service and patronage from these two vital resources to enhance organisational success.

Essentially, the qualities of the leader translate into the organisational behaviour, chief executives and managers should transform their establishments as embodiment of service excellence, driven by ion and commitment in raising the standard of quality of service for the adaptation of the employees.

The entrenchment of values of service qualities in organisations is complementary to both management and employees as what is sown is exactly the product to be harvested. Great service that delights the customer is easily

achievable; it only requires strategy and sustainable effort of organisational leaders to translate plans and intentions into real actions and outcomes.

Superior service is what marks out organisations for customer patronage, increased turnover and competitive edge in the globalised world. There must be first and foremost the desire and by the leadership for the entrenchment of a robust service strategy targeted towards the enhancement of customer satisfaction before reaping the benefits accruable from it. Leaders and managers should be genuinely interested in the success of the employees as these will positively affect the customers. An employee that is shown value and appreciation will definitely transmit that which he has benefitted to the customer; this leads to the achievement of organisational goals in of profitability and returns on investment.

A successful employee radiates the willingness to create an ambiance of service that is satisfying this results in building a reputation for the organisation, which in the long run delights the customer and serve as an encouragement for more patronage. Leadership of organisations should show commitment by word and action to service excellence in order to engender the followership that is driven by ion to really provide optimal service that meets the satisfaction of customers.

When issues of service qualities are taken for granted the result is of course bad service, which is detrimental to the company’s profitability, growth and enhancement of shareholders’ investment. Every organisation desires to survive in the competitive business environment but the secret is simple for a discerning manager, just doing the right thing by inculcating the ideals and values of service qualities have a tendency of giving an organisation a distinctive competitive advantage. Quality customer service and in deed best practices in the work place guarantees the customer and employees loyalty to the brand which invariably affects the companies’ bottom line positively.

Business enterprises and service providers that are not breaking even should re – examine their service strategy and introduce service quality re-engineering processes to facilitate the companies return to profitability. Leadership commitment to drive the service quality processes becomes the only solution in enthroning a quality conscious organisation that considers the overall interest of its customers as paramount in the business relations.

Every organisation has the inherent potential for an all-round success and returns on investment, it is by deliberate policies and actions of the leadership in taking a course of action that places customer service as a priority, that those desires can be actualised into gain and improved turnover. A leadership that is focused on good customer service combined with other symbolic actions should be the direction in which business enterprises must synergise its drive to enhance brand loyalty and improved performance.

The disposition of the leader to service delivery and customer service determines the commitment of its employees in giving customers favourable service experience. It requires therefore that management and managers alike must avail themselves of every forum to re- echo its unflinching to positive work culture that promotes customer satisfaction, efficiency and best practices.

BENCHMARKING

There is no doubt that the enthronement of quality service delivery and best practices guarantees superior performance of organisations. The realisation of the objectives of business enterprises requires the adoption of benchmarking as a technique to get the best from the employees. It is basically the setting of standards to serve as a catalyst in the accomplishment of assigned responsibilities. When yardsticks are given, the provide ample opportunities for continuous improvement in the quality of service at the disposal of the customer.

Organisations desirous in having leverage over their competitors must benchmark the employees as a necessary strategy geared towards quality improvement and increased productivity. It gives the employees impetus to sur customer expectation by providing a platform for excellent service delivery which is measurable in tangible .

The transformation of business enterprises depends on the employees drive to positively contribute to the implementation of its programmes. Benchmarking is the necessary tunic that propels organisational performance. Its introduction in the operational processes and procedures enhances qualitative services as it gives the employees synergy to strive towards the accomplishment of a given responsibility and assignment.

The idea of benchmarking is to enhance effectiveness, efficiency and speedy provision of services that really satisfy the customer. It is to the overall interest of organisations to apply a defined standard of measurement on the employees in order to serve as a framework in their provision of services. The implementation should not be rigid rather as tasks are accomplished, new standards are to be set, monitored and reviewed periodically.

Benchmarking is all about target setting which is necessary to get the best from the employees. To give positive customer experience, it becomes imperative that organisations have to set minimum standard of performance as employees will go all out to render services that will ultimately satisfy the customers. Business establishments that are desirous to continually add value to their investments must use the strategy to propel employees to productivity which leads to the attraction of new customers and have the benefits of increasing fortunes. Commitment, enthusiasm and drive are the benefits which the process entrust on the employees.

Is your organisation in need of improved performance and qualitative services, then this is the appropriate time to re- invigorate through benchmarking the employees to realise the fundamental objectives and of course be repositioned for greater accomplishments.

CHAPTER 3

MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

T he whole essence of evaluation is to examine in concrete the operations of organisations in relation to its performance in meeting with the customer’s expectation and returns on the shareholders’ investment. It is necessary that business enterprises should constantly take a surgical look into its processes and procedures to enable it fine tune grey areas that needed adjustments.

SERVICE AUDIT

Qualitative services are critical to the success of organisations and the entrenchment of sustainable competitive advantage. It is the quality of service provided by companies that really distinguish business concerns within a particular sector of the industry. Companies need to strive to add value to the service delivery content in order to gain competitive edge and build customers confidence. Business establishments require constant improvements in the provision of services to meet with customers’ expectations and satisfaction. It is imperative therefore that organisations should adopt mechanisms and processes that will serve as checks and balances to the services it provides.

Service audit is the vital method used to determine the standard of service in organisations. It is important that companies should constantly examine the level of service it renders to the customers to ascertain whether to raise the standard or maintain the status quo as the case may be. Service audit therefore is the evaluation and monitoring of the standard of service as performed by the service provider.

The fundamental factor that is necessary for companies to retain their customers and have them loyal for life lies in the institutionalization of service audit or work study as part of the organisational culture transformation to ensure the overall improvement in products and services. The application of service audit in the conduct of work in business enterprises is targeted to identify processes and procedures that constitute obstacle to the realisation of efficient service delivery. The result obtained in the study refocuses management attention for improved and better performance and gives the organisation impetus to guarantee quality service delivery to the customers.

Essentially, the whole idea of evaluating the services provided by organisations

is to establish that companies are actually satisfying the needs and aspirations of customers who are in the first instance the very essence of the business. As rightly put by Socrates “An unexamined life is not worth living” Companies should go all out to periodically re-evaluate its services and products to ensure that the minimum standards of best practices are adhered to by the employees.

Service evaluation and monitoring reinvigorates the operational capabilities of business enterprises and provide the needed drive to deal with challenges towards improved performance in the work process. In the global economy with its attendant risk and competitiveness, the only process of attainment of superior performance in the midst of the vagaries of the market forces is the adoption of service audit to improve the care of customers and the services provided.

The guarantee to profitability and returns on the shareholder’s investment is the application of service audit as a mechanism of sustaining the standard of services provided to meet with the customer’s expectations. Customers deserve prompt and efficient services delivered in a qualitative manner. Most organisations have suffered business failures, unprofitability and eventual liquidation because of the outright neglect of service monitoring and evaluation, which are meant to sustain and improve the level of service provided.

The objective of service audit or work study is essentially to redesign the services provided by enterprises around the needs of the customers in order to maximize their satisfaction at all times. Service audit projects what ought to be as to what is presently obtainable. The areas of concern of service audit is the actual business operations as against the minimum standard of operations expected and remedial actions is taken on the occurrence of identified short coming by ensuring that the actual operation is developed in conformity with expected standard of performance. Service audit takes into considerations the following elements and among others;

▪ Adoption and implementation of best standard of practices

▪ Examine strategy necessary to enhance service improvement.

▪ Monitor processes and procedures for business operation to guarantee qualitative services

▪ Examine the extant service culture with a view to fine tuning critical areas that needs improvement

▪ Measures conformity to set service standards

▪ Carries surveys on customers’ satisfaction of service provided

▪ Ensure that the value of services is designed around the customers’ requirement.

▪ Ensure the compliance of quality assurance among employees in the organisation.

▪ Identify challenges and processes of mitigating them

▪ Reinvigorate customer service consciousness among employees.

▪ Examine the potential causes of customer defection and to proffer workable solutions

The whole idea of service evaluation is to build bridges against service leakages, which has a tendency to undermine the accomplishment of organisational vision and mission. It involves the identification, creation and sustenance of standards of performance to enhance service delivery. To build customer loyalty, service audit becomes a safety valve that controls the overall improvement in the service and product quality of companies. The impact of service audit helps organizations to strategize and make necessary adjustments to redirect its customer service for effective service quality delivery.

Companies with desire to increase profitability have to embrace service monitoring and evaluation to discover impediments to customer satisfaction. Most organisations have suffered from dwindling performance and poor returns on investment as a result of absence of institutional framework to effectively monitor and measure the level of customer satisfaction. Service delivery is a dynamic venture; there is absolutely no end in itself. It becomes important that services provided by companies should be continually improved upon to meet with the aspirations and expectations of customers.

The overall objective of service audit is to uplift the standard of services, enthrone the culture of service excellence and of course enhance returns on investment. The evaluation of services has a resultant effect in keeping business establishments more focused and on its toe to ensure continuous service improvement and to attract new customers. Companies are to achieve customer loyalty by always doing the right thing and repositioning the services delivered in the best possible way for the customer to derive satisfaction.

METHODOLOGY OF SERVICE AUDIT

The realization of service quality requires the periodic evaluation and monitoring of service content so as to have a mutually beneficially impact to the organisations and customers respectively. The following methods should be adopted in the application of service audit in companies to get the desired results.

ACCESSMENT OF REPORTS

To determine the effectiveness in achieving its desired objectives, reports and documents bordering on work processes are to be examined with a view to identifying critical areas that needs to be reviewed in order to serve the overall interest of customers. The outcome of service audit goes a long way in establishing whether a company is actually meeting with the expectations of the customers and shareholders or not and to devise appropriate strategies that will add value and enhance the loyalty benefits.

ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES

Service audit must take care of details of service processes and procedures to be able to make a judgmental decision of areas that constitute impediments to effective service delivery and recommend acceptable measures to boost customer satisfaction. Through analytical procedure the whole structure of service delivery is X-rayed with a view to bringing out to the fore, the identified obstacles that needs to be improved upon. Here the service auditor has to work with the cooperation of internal employees and customers to facilitate the much

desired outcome.

REVIEW OF RECORDS

Scrutinizing the available records is vitally important to determine the effectiveness or otherwise of operational procedures adopted by the organization in achieving customer satisfaction. One of the advantages of this process is that it gives the exact picture of the state of service to the customer, the time frame it took to conclude actions and the number of clients that were given services is to be determined and taken into considerations in assessing the impact of services to the customers.

OBSERVANCE OF OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

Direct observation is an essential tool in the application of service evaluation. The service auditor as an unbiased umpire have to empirically examine the service frontlines and come up with realistic action plan targeted towards the improvement of service content of the organisation. To give impetus to service evaluation, auditors should have an unfettered access to the organizational reports to facilitate conclusive judgmental assessment of the company’s service profile.

CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION OF SERVICE

Service evaluators should in their investigation ascertain the direct feelings of customers to products and services. The acceptability of products and services in the market place is tied to the value customers derived from its consumptions.

Perception of service is the satisfaction expressed by customers which indicates that the desired positive experience was realised from the usage of a particular products.

Customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction plays a critically factor to the sustainability of organizations or otherwise. Customers’ value for products and services should therefore determine the direction of company’s policy initiative on customer service.

MARKET IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES

This essential strategy for service and product evaluation facilitates the determination of the reception of customers to the services being provided by organizations. The application of the strategy helps to examine how the company’s products meet with the expectations and satisfaction of customers. Market impact assessment determines the permeation of the products and services and of course its acceptability in of patronage by the customers who are the end s.

The result of the evaluation establishes whether the organisation is doing well or not, as satisfaction is only seen in the eyes of the customer. If it is not doing well, it is time for the company to re-strategize, adjust and innovate to give the services and products the desired acceptability.

MEASUREMENT OF SERVICE LEVELS

Business enterprises that are desirous of high returns on investment must in conjunction with quality service consultants, continuously put appropriate mechanisms in place to ascertain the level of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of customers to products and services. Finding out the appropriate service levels should be considered a top priority by organisations in order to ascertain the desired quality, availability of products and services to the consumers and of course the performance of employees in meeting up with the production and delivery request. This is particularly important as it guides the organisation in determining its levels of profitability and customer loyalty. The assessment of service levels of organisations assists in establishing the existence of service gaps and leakages and the provision of solutions to remedy the observed deficiency.

Overall, evaluation of service levels should be seen as a way forward in the sustainability of organisations to actually meet with the aspirations of customers. To remain in business and impact positively on customers, service evaluation should be conducted on a continuous basis rather than a one off thing. The measurement of service levels should encom the following essentials, staff attitude, professionalism, timeliness of service, service quality content, standard of products and services, the flexibility of processes and procedures to meet the ever increasing needs of customers, responsiveness to customers demands for service and of course how knowledgeable are customers and employees about services being provided, these among other essential factors are to be taken into consideration in the evaluation process.

The attainment of the status of superior brands is a function of the level of service and the acceptability of products and services being provided by companies to its customers. The following are therefore critical indicators to be applied in the evaluation of service profiles of organisations;

LEVEL OF SATISFACTION

The determination of the level of satisfaction of a particular brand of products and its acceptability to the customers indeed facilitates whether the product should be improved upon, repackaged or re-branded in its entirety. Customers’ level of satisfaction plays a paramount role in measuring service levels. In the competitive business environment, continuous patronage or otherwise of customers even in obvious cases of alternatives is a proof that there are a level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the products and services.

AVAILABILITY OF SERVICE

Services and products availability is a major indicator in the assessment of service levels whether the customer for whom the service is being provided can really walk in seamlessly to the service front lines and access the required services. In most cases, services or products that seem to be available are not readily at the disposable of the customer this may be as a result of artificial impediments created consciously or unconsciously by some frontline employees.

Organisations are to ensure continuous product and service supply chain and guaranteed that they are accessed effortlessly by customers. A major strategy to enthrone a hitch-free service supply chain is to train and retrain the entire workforce on quality customer service delivery culture. This will enable the employees imbibe the culture of service and right attitude as something to be done with delight and cheerfulness to the ultimate satisfaction of the customer.

SERVICE STANDARD

The measurement of service levels must take into consideration the standard and reliability of products and services provided. One of the strategic means of ascertaining the standard of services is by sampling the satisfaction and

dissatisfaction levels of the customer to products and services. Also the extent of the bottom line of an establishment goes to show whether the standard of service is consistent to the what the customers really want, if it is in the positive of course the level of patronage of the brand will definitely increases but if it is in the negative, it is time for the organisation to re-adjust and re-strategize in order to meet with the satisfaction of customers.

It is most appropriate to maintain a definite standard of service so as to increase customer’s loyalty and the level of returns on the investment which more importantly is to enhance the shareholders’ value. Maintenance of higher standard of service should not be a choice but a necessity for organisations to remain in business and attract the confidence of the customers.

EFFICIENCY

The level of efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery are important in the determination of how services are being rendered to the customer. Both symbolises doing it right and doing it the right way to achieve the intended objectives. Employees must work intelligently and smartly in order to be productive and achieve the level efficiency required to impact positively on the customers. It shows the competency and mastering of the job exhibited by the employees in serving the customer and achieving the desired results.

In the measurement of service levels, efficiency presupposes the overall achievement of organisational goals with available resources within the limited time. The satisfaction of the customer and judicious utilization of resources is very fundamental in arriving at the efficiency of the business enterprises. There should be optimal application of efficiency in brands of companies to an acceptable level in order to satisfy the customers.

INNOVATIVENESS OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

There is absolutely no end to the level of standard of services, as standards are attained, new ideas and methods of doing things should be evolved to reflect the dynamism and trends in the competitive business environment. How organisations are positioned in this direction are to be considered important in order to be able to ascertain the relevance of its products and services in meeting with the aspirations of customers.

Companies should frequently align its products and services in conformity with the actual needs of the customers. The level of adaptation of products and services to the changing business environment is very critical in the measurement of service positions and this should be a strategic business decision to be taken by management if enterprises are to continually satisfy the ever increasing needs of customers.

RESPONSE TIMES

It is important to reflect how front line employees and indeed organisations attend to its numerous customers. The sensibilities of customers are most often not considered as something to be valued and cherished, this indeed is bad business practice. Customers who have a feeling of satisfaction must definitely establish business relationship and of course ensure continuous patronage.

Employees should give reasonable and acceptable explanations to every demand of service by the customer; this comes by doing everything necessary for the customers’ sake. The interest of customers should always be considered important if organisations are to withstand the massive competitiveness prevailing in the market place. In establishing service levels, the response time

of the employees in providing prompt services to the customers and the customer’s level of patronage is to be given prominence in the assessment.

TECHNIQUES OF INCREASING THE SERVICE LEVELS

Companies and business establishments need to constantly raise their service levels to a minimum acceptable standard to enhance the customers’ patronage and loyalty. By increasing the service levels to higher dimension, organisations stand to gain customers confidence which ultimately boosts the shareholders’ value and returns on investment. For organisations to become active players in the competitive business environment, it becomes absolutely necessary that service levels should be regularly reviewed and energised to ensure that customers get value of money spent at all times on a particular products and services.

Loyalty of customers to a brand is dependent on the satisfaction derivable from the product, it is necessary therefore that establishments should skilfully devise mechanisms to do things that will satisfy the customer so as to gain market advantage.

The following are essential strategies to be applied in raising the services of organisations to higher levels;

LEVEL OF PATRONAGE

Ascertaining the level of patronage of products and services is very strategic in the quest of organisations to increase its service levels and to remain as a going concern. The number of customers patronising a particular products and services gives an indication on the performance of the brand and its general acceptability in the market place. As part of customer service programmes, companies should

regularly review its customer turnover to ensure that its product is meeting the actual satisfaction of customers and if the result is not favourable, it is then time for enterprises to be re-engineered in order to get it right through instituting appropriate measures targeted to improving the service content of brands.

PRODUCT WARRANTY

Granting customer’s warrantee is not only necessary to satisfy the customer but to improve the overall quality of the products and services of the organisation. It is basically to provide and for business enterprises to know exactly how its products is doing in the market. The quantity of products returned and replaced provides accurate information on the standard of the company’s services.

It gives the organisation ample opportunity to re- strategize in order to improve the quality of the product and to reduce minimally incidents of defects. Elizade and Globe motors acclaimed authorised dealers of brands of Toyota vehicles respectively are reputed in giving satisfaction to customers for every product purchased from their sales/ workshop depot.

They offer customers ample opportunity of three (3) years manufacturer’s warranty or coverage of mileage of 100,000km for its brand of Toyota vehicles. Moreover, it offers a fabulous free 10,000km Toyota service or one (1) year service whichever comes first. No wonder at Elizade it prides itself as the ̋ Partnership that keeps you driving̏. Coscharis motors Ltd also a leading sole dealer in BMW vehicles also provides to customers the original BMW experience by offering to customers two (2) years warranty or 66,000km for every BMW five (5) series purchased from its numerous sales outlets

Giving warranty on products, serves significantly as an incentive to building the

confidence of customers that a deficient product can be returned and replaced at no extra cost. Warranting a product or services not only builds credibility for service providers, it also attracts new customers who want to share in the positive experience of existing clients. It is necessary that organisations should warranty their products to facilitate the determination of its service levels and to assist in raising the quality standards of the brand. Product warrantee is the magic wands that attracts the loyalty of customers and keep the existing ones completely acquired for a life time.

DEGREE OF TURNOVER

This is very fundamental for the survival of businesses; the bottom line of an organisation conveys a message in which proactive managers capitalize in turning the fortunes of their companies around. The degree of turnover is one way of determining service levels of business enterprises, when the bottom line is in the affirmative; efforts are still needed for the sustenance of the performance. The negative is of course time to readjust and to ensure consistent improvement in standard of service delivery of the enterprise. The quality of services provided by establishments impacts on the turnover, it is a choice to be made by organisations to improve their turnover by using service level matrix.

AFTER SALES SERVICE

The institutionalization of after sales service or customer forum is a veritable technique in taking the services of organisations to the next level. It enhances ion and loyalty to the brand by retaining and attracting potential customers to the companies’ products who are not only convinced by that singular action but the commitment of the organization in ensuring that its valuable customers derive the best of standard of service and satisfaction. LG Electronics keeps faith in the implementation of after sales service to its customers, for every of its product which ranges from plasma, LED, LCD, flat screen television and air

conditioners, laundry machines among other numerous products, LG avail the customers an opportunity of maintenance even after purchase.

For every deficiency or malfunctions that are within a specified period, LG guarantees free repairs or outright replacement at no extra cost to the customer. The company in showing commitment to the customers undertakes after sales service of its products, this strategy not only assist in boosting confidence on products and services but induces customers for a repeat patronage.

It is to the organizations advantage to establish after sales service or customer forum as the case may be, this is as a result of the enormous gain it stands to garner in of customers’ which assists organizations to restrategize in meeting the customers’ needs and also facilitate in the application of best practices to gain the desired competitive edge over and above other competitors. After sales service is customer retention strategy in which every proactive organisation should adopt to ensure market dominance of its brands. It enables business enterprises to attract the customers’ loyalty advantage.

HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CUSTOMERS REALLY WANT

o DEDICATED PHONELINES

To impact positively on customers, organisations should have dedicated phone lines at least a minimum of five (5) lines to facilitate the entertainment of customer’s request and complaints. The establishment of the phone lines enhances unrestricted customers access to the organisation.

In driving the customer service programme, organisations should use the lines to ascertain from the customers how they are faring with the services. A call put across to the customer gives a sense of belonging and self-worth and above all it engenders more patronage and loyalty. As part of customer relations strategy, the phone lines are to be used to facilitate customers’ access to the organisation and serves as a veritable tool to pacify an angry customer.

The services of the dedicated phone lines are of immense benefits apart of its usage to entertain the customers’ complaint and determining service levels, it creates an unfettered assess of customers to the organisation which is very important in a competitive business environment. As a business strategy, organisations need to create open assess of customers to products and services and remove the envisaged impediments that militates against effective service delivery.

MTN, AIRTEL, GLOBACOM, 9mobile telecommunication networks have toll free dedicated lines, which are functional 24hours, 7days a week as part of customer service strategy; this is used to drive the brand for greater market

penetration and maximal customers’ satisfaction. It is therefore imperative that service driven organisations should have dedicated lines to enable customers’ voice to be heard and to assist in determining service gabs and the permeation of services to the end s.

o CUSTOMER SERVICE QUESTIONAIRE

In the determination of what the customer wants by way of ensuring that he or she derives maximum satisfaction from the brand, questionnaires are to be used as a veritable tool to get the desired information on service levels. It is istered on the customers to establish their perception and reception of the services and products at their disposal. This type of questionnaire is indispensable for the success and growth of organisations as its findings assist in re-engineering enterprises for future challenges and to solve the identified problems in order to attract the loyalty of customers to the brand. It focuses mainly on the following matrix; reliability, timeliness, effectiveness and efficiency, fairness, accessibility, responsiveness, quality of service and product of the enterprises.

Customer service assessment is a very important tool for gathering service levels data, as customer’s responses are unrestricted in the way and manner they make vital information available. In fact, he or she goes to say it the way it is without wavering. Service providers should not see customer service questionnaire as a dogma that has be to done just for its sake but rather as an important tool to ascertain from the customers’ perspective, how the organisation has performed in satisfying the yearnings and aspirations of the customers.

The whole essence of the questionnaire is for no other purpose but mainly to serve the customers better. When organisations improve its customer service strategy, the desirable benefit reflects in the increase in the bottom line which every business enterprise is favourably disposed to in order enhance the

shareholders’ investment.

o EMPLOYEE QUESTIONAIRE

One of the methods of finding out the customers’ satisfaction of the service provided is by surveying the employees who mostly have first-hand with the customers. To ensure the overall success of business enterprises, employees should be carried along in order for them to have a feeling of being part and parcel of management in of policy formulation and implementation.

The isolation of employees in the formulation of organisational strategies retards the growth of enterprises as their alienation results in the dysfunctional implementation processes. Opinions of employees when galvanized appropriately assist in the repositioning of companies for more business opportunities. It is popularly said that ‘’ he who wears the shoe knows where it pinches him’’, employees by the very nature and of their employment deals directly with the customers, they are more aware of the problems and expectations of the customers.

By surveying them and sampling their opinions, they bring to the front burner areas which may hitherto be ignored in the decision making process. Employees surveying assist in the determination of service levels of organisation as their interaction with customers gives a first-hand knowledge of product and service performance and acceptability. It is of strategic importance that organisations should periodically sample the employees’ opinions and views because the survival or otherwise of enterprises to large extent may depend on this indispensable group.

o STAKEHOLDERS/CUSTOMER INTERACTIVE FORUM

This is an interactive platform where organisations, customers/clients and stakeholders converge to discuss critical issues bordering on how and what areas of services that needs to be improved upon to facilitate greater value and satisfaction to all interested parties. Issues ranging from progress made to serve the customers in an effective and efficient manner, obstacles/ impediments to quality service delivery, solutions to remedy the observed problems are identified and discussed with a view to providing services that actually give customers the much deserved satisfactory experience.

Stakeholder’s interactive forum is a veritable tool to be used by service providers to ascertain the customer’s perception of brands’ performance and if adjudged as unfavourable, it provides a which facilitates the adjustment of services to meet with the expectations of customers. The customers whom the organisations are meant to serve uses the platform to avail themselves of the opportunity to ask questions directly and also to get necessary from the Chief Executives and other principal officers whose areas of responsibility and operations affects the customers directly.

It is an open forum where questions on effective quality service delivery are asked, brain stormed and answers and solutions proffered to address specific identified problem areas. Companies should tap into this very important method of self-examination which has a potential of yielding tremendous advantage in positioning brands for market dominance.

Organisations like Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Airspace Management Authority, Nigerian Maritime and Safety Authority, Nigerian Communication Commission to mention a few, have adopted the use of this all important techniques to find out the feelings of customers and how the services being provided really meet with their satisfaction and expectations. Stakeholder’s forum is vitally important as it assist organisations to effectively assess its performance and to re-strategize in order to render qualitative and superior services.

o SUGGESTION/COMPLAINT BOXES AND ONLINE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

This serves as a gateway for customers to ventilate opinions and grievances on the state of service delivery existing in organisations. It provides a platform for which service providers’ access information on the state of its services and products from the perception of customers. The channel provides ample opportunities for customers to express their experience of satisfaction or dissatisfaction to appropriate authorities for necessary positive action. The suggestion boxes and online customer satisfaction surveys serves as the voice of the voiceless and it gives customers impetus to complain directly without any encumbrances of the poor service quality of the organisations.

The establishment of complaint/ suggestion boxes and online customer satisfaction surveys plays a fundamental role in assisting business enterprises in strategizing to serve the customers well and to build a robust brand. This is vitally important as information obtained are analysed to facilitate proper planning in knowing exactly what the customers want. It is appropriate to create the needed awareness among employees of the importance organisations attached to suggestions and complaints made by the customers, these will enable them to open up the more in contributing to service improvements knowing fully well that suggestions and thoughts put forth are to form part of management decision making process.

Service providers should as matter of necessity establish complaint/suggestion boxes and online customer satisfaction platforms which are to serve as an effective tool in service level monitoring. The usage of suggestion boxes and online customer satisfaction surveys by customers particularly conveys a message of the clients’ readiness to continue doing business with the organisation. This relationship is symbiotic as it allows the customers to make his complaints and the organisation to be responsive by taking positive action,

which invariably is to facilitate improved performance that is of advantage to both parties. The boxes and online customer satisfaction surveys should be strategically located and deployed in real time by emails to give customers unhindered access in making suggestions and complaints which will enable the organisation to re-strategize in ensuring that the customers have value for their money.

o CUSTOMERS WRITTEN PETITION

In finding out what the customers want, it is strategically important to have firsthand information from the customers whom the services are being provided for and as a follow up action to devise remedial measures to enhance service improvement. The expected outcome is targeted towards building a stronger brand.

Written petitions from customers when galvanized appropriately enable the organisation to know when its standard of services has been compromised and to facilitate proper planning to remedy the observed anomaly. This should not be seen as an avenue of raising sentiments but provides an opportunity for management to take a second look at issues raised and how things should be done differently.

Business enterprises are to institutionalise processes and procedures which facilitate timely response to customer’s grievances. Given customers reliable and prompt attention encourages them to bring to fore areas of poor performance to the knowledge of the organisation who in turn devises solutions to deal with the observed deficiency.

Customers’ petitions and complaints should not be seen as a means of sabotaging the company’s business operations but rather they are to serve as partners in

progress towards bringing to the attention of the organisation grey areas that needed to be improved upon. The essence is to provide real satisfaction to the customers who are actually the very reason of the establishment remaining in the market place.

Grievances of customers in the form of petitions when articulated are a mirror in which the enterprises assess itself correctly and by this it poised to make necessary adjustments for better results. The more an organisation is flooded with petitions the better for it, for it vividly convey the perception of the customers on the products and services and facilitates its repositioning to really provide satisfactory services to the benefit of the customers.

Organisations are to see the prospect of their business potentials through the clients’ perception. Customers’ complaint are the expressions of discontent of a particular product or brand and it is fundamental that companies should articulate and ventilate such issues in order to effectively provide qualitative services that optimally meet the aspiration of clients.

o INTERVIEW

This is a more practical means of finding out the direction of customer service of organisations. Approaching customer’s directly to ascertain how they appreciate the services being offered, conveys on them the feeling of self-worth and the conviction that the company is customer focused. The interviewing of customers should be conducted basically through direct interaction by telephone or face to face.

It is important for business enterprises that indeed desire to retain its customers for a long time to once in a while put up a call to find out how the clients are faring or value the products or services. This singular action as insignificant as it

may look, serves as a momentous point of change which have a tendency to boosts the organisations reputations, attracting potential customers and also enhances the loyalty of the retained customers.

Customers, who are aware that their views will be required on the services of the company, feel more satisfied and ready for more patronage. It is necessary that organisations should occasionally seek the opinion of customers to determine their satisfaction, the perception and acceptability of the services that are being provided. Interviewing the customers directly assist in ascertaining the service levels of business enterprises and in redefining service profiles which helps to improve the entire products and services.

CHAPTER 4

SERVICE FAILURE AND RECOVERY FOR EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

C ompanies are statutorily established to provide products and services that specifically meet the needs and satisfaction of customers. But as organisations are not created as a perfect being, they are occasionally susceptible to business malfunctions or errors, which occurred in the ordinary course of operation or business engagement. It is incumbent on managers therefore to devise mechanisms to nip to the bud the incidences of service failure and actually respond speedily in ameliorating its effect on the customer where such occurrence is inevitable.

It is mandatory that business establishments should forecast periodically that their standards of services are bound to fail or that the expected service parameters may likely drop or be reduced minimally. When such projections are consciously made, it serves as a guide to service leakages and provided avenue for the organisation to meet the expectations of customers by putting appropriate structures in place to devise solutions in the event of occurrence of service malfunction.

Customers as always, expects qualitative and excellent service delivery but when service failures or threat to it occurs, organisations have to deliberately and proactively adopt ways and means to curb the incidents of service failure or at best reduced the occurrence to the minimum levels. The extent of dominance of the market by companies is determined to a greater percentage with the consistency of products and services to quality. Unalloyed commitment to products quality standards and service excellence translates to a strong brand which gives organisations competitive edge over its competitors.

Innoson Group of Companies is an organisation that is highly reputed to excellence and quality which is the hallmark of its wide range of products and services. The product that comes from different subsidiaries of the Group is made of international standards; this is confirmed with the meritorious award of MANCAP quality certification from the Standard Organisation of Nigeria on its brands. The organisation adheres strictly to global standards and ensures zero defects in all its products and services.

Commitment of companies to quality and excellence no doubt manifest in the quantum of customers that is attracted to brands, these are mainly to organisational advantage. It is important therefore that service providers should make a wise choice by ensuring that they are guided at all times in increasing and maintaining service standards.

Customers of the various products of the Group have absolute confidence on the high quality standards associated with its products; the organisations IVM automobiles are not only rugged but reliable and durable. Indeed, the company has positioned itself with distinctive edge over its competitors.

Customers and indeed consumers of products and services never compromise on the expected quality to be derived from a brand, the inability of companies to meet up with the minimum standard of service, results to low patronage and most times causes customers to switch to other competitive products which has propensity for higher value.

A fundamental problem with most organisations is that they cannot immediately realize its failure and responsibility to provide services that are in accordance with acceptable standards in order to meet with the yearnings and aspirations of customers. The fact is that most businesses are not conscious of the negative effect of service defects to brand image and of course its impact on the

customers. Often times they are not even aware that such failure to provide services to the customers even exists in the first instance.

The inability to respond to service malfunctions has posed a serious threat to the realisation of the fortunes and potentials of business enterprises. To have a competitive edge and greater market share is very simple as A B C and is achievable only if companies could be consistent with the quality of products and services and constantly monitor their performance to determine areas that needs to be fine-tuned and improved upon.

Service driven organizations should play greater emphasis on excellence as a business strategy and ensure not to compromise with the satisfaction of the customers, these actions no matter how insignificant it may appear to be facilitates in laying a solid foundation for company’s future and equally enhances returns on investment which is highly dependent on the loyalty of the customers. It is noteworthy that customers are the very essence of the survival of enterprises and everything that are be done to keep and make them happy is a worthwhile venture that needs to be pursued with vigour to ensure its sustenance. The long term benefit far outweighed whatever it might cost to ensure that customers are optimally satisfied.

High cost of bad service delivery has a possibility of causing a major misfortune to businesses. Dissatisfied customers are like potential bomb waiting to explode. To prevent this occurrence requires commitment and strategic action which will facilitate the turning of this essential resource into organisational gain and ensuring that they get value of their monies worth at each point of service delivery.

The negative consequences arising from dissatisfaction in products and services is that the customers the experience to as many people as possible, the resultant effect leads to defection and eventual loss of business opportunities to other competitors, which of cause is detrimental to the growth and profitability

of organizations.

Bad service does no company any good, negative experience derived from a particular brand goes a long way to determine the survival or otherwise of the company. Once this happens it becomes like an indelible ink that is difficult to wipe out from their service experience. that every customer has a brand experience that could be positive or negative as the case may be, either way the effect on the brand could lead to loyalty or defection. Consistency of companies to good service guarantees patronage and higher turnover, deliberate policy measures should therefore be adopted to ensure a hitch-free service chain that will give customers value for their time and money.

Companies really do not need to spend billions advertising, conscious efforts should be made towards deg minimum acceptable standard for products and services and once this is achieved it paints a positive picture in the mind of customers thereby leading to brand loyalty advantage. Qualitative service builds organisational reputation and eliminates negative brands identity. Good service as the saying goes sells itself; it has the singular advantage of enhancing the profitability of brands. This results to customer gain at a much lower cost to organisations and the possibility of continuous improvement on products and services.

Business enterprises are to ensure zero error defects in products and services in order to acquire and retain loyal customers. There is need therefore for companies to break away from the culture of “I don’t care posture” so as to sustain and achieve service quality, which ultimately gives the much needed edge over competitors. These negative attitudes most times are expressed by the employees at the service frontline even though this might not be heard it otherwise show in their body language and actions. The perception of customers to this very expression of employees is scornful and reveals the inadequacies in which the services of enterprises are built on.

Once organisations have effective and efficient qualitative services with minimal absence of impediments or obstacles to service line, it enhances greater confidence of customers. Empowering frontline employees to deal swiftly to issues concerning service failures and to proffer solutions and , ultimately gives a sense of self-esteem and willingness of the customer to return for more business relationship.

One exceptional strategy to win the hearts of customers is to attend positively and timely to their complaints of not accessing services satisfactorily. Satisfied customers are the secret of the tremendous success of most enterprises, delivering quality services and care for the customers provides answer to organisational quest to return value on shareholders’ investment. The enthronement of superior customer service builds brands market share. Qualitative service is the expectation of every customer and potential ones too, companies have to go all out to sur these cherished expectations in order to attract and retain the loyalty of its valued customers.

PREDICTIVE SERVICE FAILURE

Like anything made by man, Organisations services are once in a while bound to experience malfunction or outright failure, the issue in most cases is not actually the failure, but the ability to manage the perceived failure.

Predictive service failure is the systematic projection of non-accessibility of service by the customers who are the ultimate beneficiary of the service and to devise appropriate solutions to bring up the service level to the original status. Companies have to make deliberate plan to forecast when its services are not to be optimally utilized by the customers, this will enable the organisation to effectively institute appropriate strategy to deal with its eventual occurrence.

Absence of predictive service failure in company’s service plan has caused enormous discontent and dissatisfaction to the customers who are the end s of the services provided. Incorporating predictive service failure in the service strategy, position business enterprises to be ready at all times in proffering immediate solutions to service malfunctions and at best to provide remedial measures in order to give succour to the customers.

As John C. Maxwell puts it, “being unprepared puts you out of position”, to be unprepared in dealing and proffering answers to incidences of service failure relegates service providers from the position to institute appropriate recovery measures that will bring value and satisfaction to the customers. Predictive service failure puts companies at alert to tackle emergencies resulting in service disruptions and to bring back positive experience to the customers.

Organisations should equip themselves to handle failure in service, this will put

the company in a state of preparedness to face the challenges squarely when they eventually occur and be able to devise workable solutions to ameliorate the problems encountered by the customers. Service driven organisations are to constantly predict when its product is to experience malfunction and to restrategize the business plan in order to curb the impact on the customers and consumers alike. The creation of access to companies’ brand of products and services without hiccups is a sure way to higher patronage and loyalty of the customers.

The only guaranteed of achieving success in customer service delivery is to anticipate service failure and be prepared to solve the associated problems before the manifest. Service champions do not wait for service malfunctions to occur, they put structures in place to deal and mitigate its likely occurrence. Ensuring continuous follow of service chain not only secure the returns on investment but creates customers for life who are won by the satisfaction derivable from the quality of products and service experience respectively.

Products and services are to be made available to the customers without hitches. It is absolutely necessary that organisations should incorporate this all important strategies in its corporate service plan and actually to forestall the occurrence of the malfunction of the services provided. When companies make accommodation in its service plan for incidences of service failures, it gives room for proper planning and appropriate management.

Companies have a responsibility on the customers which is to give at all times the full benefit and value of products he or she is paying for and also to ensure that they derive maximum satisfaction from such services.

Customers ordinarily do not need to hear at all about product or service failure, it behoves on companies to always actualize its own obligation by consistently seeing that the customers have value for their money’s worth.

By positively bridging the gap of service failures without its impact on the customers, organisations cultivate product and service reputations which guarantee customer confidence and loyalty to the brand. The overall effect of predictive service failure if properly harnessed and implemented, gives competitive advantage and greater dominance of the market which invariably yields increasing returns on investment of the organisation.

UNPREDICTIVE SERVICE FAILURE

Unpredictive service failure is the situational occurrence of business malfunction, which are beyond the control of organisations. This type of occurrence took companies unaware and unprepared as a result of its suddenness. Companies operations are at times vulnerable to occasional failures caused by constraints beyond the organisation’s immediate ability and capacity to effectively handle.

Business enterprises are to be more proactive in handling threats to its services or product failure without the customer having the impact of such occurrence. For companies to really meet the expectations and satisfaction of customers there must be contingency measures put in place to mitigate the incidents of service malfunctions.

To reduce the effect of unpredicted service failure, service driven organisations should develop alternative products and solutions that are possible in ameliorating the negative consequences of its non-performance. Customers desire quality and excellent service at every business transaction. It is only when customers are satisfied that the future of organisations can be guaranteed. It becomes imperative therefore that everything that is needed to be done is implemented in the overall interest of the establishment and the customers respectively. A satisfied customer is a happy organisation as it radiates on the individual which leads to the attraction of other customers and invariably culminate in more business opportunities and increase in the bottom line.

Appropriate management of this type of service failure because of its unpredictability is essential in determining the effectiveness of an organisation. Right measures adopted to deal with service failures definitely increases sales and turnover and of course customer’s confidence and loyalty to the brand.

Customers always expect to be served right and satisfactorily too, it is not proper for organisations the beneficiary of the services provided to be given excuses for service failure rather they must be ready to proffer solutions and actually make its services readily available to give customers the desired delightfully experiences.

Organisations should be prepared at all times to tackle problems associated with unpredicted service failure without causing any negative impact on the customer. The provision of services to the customer without impediments is the only sure way to gain brand loyalty, increase profitability and market dominance. When customers have seamless access to products and services on continual bases, it creates an affinity which other competitors will find extremely difficulty to dislodge.

Business enterprises should adequately respond to incidences of service malfunction and provide care for the customers in order to retain them for life. Companies desirous for survival must constantly maintain its services and be alert to detect any dysfunctions affecting smooth operations of its product. When companies made exigency plan for incidences of service failures beforehand, it gives room for proper planning and appropriate management. It is the right of the customer to have the full benefit of the products he is paying for and to derive maximum satisfaction from such services.

Customers ordinarily need not to hear about product failure, it is the responsibility of companies to actualise its own obligation by consistently seeing that the customers have full value for their money and time. By positively bridging the gap of failure to deliver services without its impact on the customers, organisations cultivate reputations, which guarantee customer confidence and loyalty. The overall effect of predictive service failure if properly harnessed and implemented gives competitive advantage and greater dominance of the market, which invariably yields increasing returns on the investment of organisations.

STRATEGIES FOR HANDLING SERVICE FAILURES

It is vitally important that organisations should develop strategies and capacity to effectively solve problems arising from the inability of customers to get the desired value of products and services. Appropriate handling of service failure goes a long way in showcasing the direction of the establishment vis-a vis increased turnover and the consequences of not paying attention to this critical factor leads to business failure and outright liquidation. Delivering qualitative services is panacea for business growth and profitability. The moment organisations got it right in preventing and dealing with cases concerning service failure, the better the outcome which manifest in having a successful business enterprise that grows in leaps and bounds.

The following are therefore some identified means of providing solutions to incidents of service failure;

✓ EMPOWERMENT

This is the basis of dealing with service malfunctions. Empowerment of frontline employees to respond immediately to incidences of service failure guarantees an effective customer service. It is for the employees to on the spot provide solutions without referring to higher authorities. An empowered employee impacts positively on customers, which is to the overall interest of the organisation.

It is important to convey authority on the employees to solve immediate problems hindering customers demand for services and militating against them

from deriving maximum satisfaction. Empowerment does not only translate materially but shows the value service providers have for the employees. An empowered employee feels a sense of belonging and self-worth which translates to improved service delivery to the customers.

✓ ACT PROMPTLY

One of the strategies of ameliorating service malfunctions and impediments to an efficient service delivery lies in employees to deal without delay to factors that has the potential of hindering the realization of qualitative services. Once a customer is convinced that his perception of poor services is speedily resolved to a considerable extent, it enhances loyalty to the brand.

It is more appropriate for organisations to devise minimum time that it could take customers to access services, these could be in seconds, minutes or hours as the case may be, what this strategy does is that it creates the consciousness on the part of the employees to deliver services in a prompt and efficient manner. A customer that is attended to speedily has a possibility of returning for continuous patronage and also through word of mouth can refer other potential customers for more business relations.

✓ BE EXTRAORDINARY

In the global competitive business, only the extraordinary employees have the prospect of building the confidence of customers to a particular brand. Organisations should adopt best practices that meet the expectations of the customers; it is the extraordinary employees that can go all out to provide excellent services that actually satisfy the aspirations of the customer.

To be extraordinary in service delivery is to be exceptional and remarkable in providing services that gives the customers positive experience. It is the ability to overcome obstacles and stimulate efforts geared towards delighting the customers with satisfactory services.

Extraordinary employees dare limitations to give the best of services that really satisfy the customer which ultimately promote the reputation of the company. The success of any organisation is dependent on the experience customers go out with in business transactions. Companies must therefore ensure the commitment of employees by refocusing them to customer service delivery through performance measurement assessment.

✓ COMPENSATION

Service driven organisations are to initiate strategies to compensate customers for their inability to get the desired services. It must not necessarily be in monetary but by bonuses, discounts and giving out souvenirs etc. The benefits to be derived by business enterprises in compensating customers far outweigh whatever cost that might seem to have been incurred.

When customers are compensated for service failure, it provides a check on the employees to go the extra mile in meeting with the expectations of the customer. Compensations to the customers that are actually implemented give a signal of the presence of service failure that needs to be solved.

The money paid is not a wasted fund but is meant to placate the customer that somebody out there is interested in his satisfaction and wellbeing. One spectacular thing compensation does is to ensure customer retention.

Compensating the customer for failure of service, guarantees continuous quality service delivery as it keeps the service providers at alert to keep such a repeat occurrence at a minimal and controllable level. What compensation does is that it assuages customers and restores their confidence to the brand.

MTN one of the telecommunication giants has through its Y’ellow advantage built positive reputation by being customer focused as a normal business culture. The organisation is reputed in adopting this all important customer service strategy in placating its subscribers,

MTN knowing fully well the importance of customers in the competitive business of telecommunication apply this strategy best by apologising to its subscribers for every difficulty experienced in accessing its services due to network congestion.

The company being a customer centred organisation understands the invaluable importance of subscribers to the overall success of the business. It offers bonus credits to its numerous customers as a token to ameliorate service inconvenience.

Companies desirous of winning the loyalty of customers must adopt as a business practice, the payment of compensation no matter how insignificant it may be in order to build brand identity and to attract the gain of loyalty advantage. Paying compensation for every service defect does one thing, it particularly position organisations to service excellence as every money paid conveys a message to bridge the service gab and forestall its reoccurrence.

✓ SERVICE GUARANTEE

Organisations are to develop service guarantee strategies to attract the needed loyalty of customers. Service guarantee is an assurance made to the customers on the quality of service to be expected. What this does is that it continually keeps business establishment to its responsibility of ensuring excellence in the brand quality. Every customer is interested in a product that is consistent with higher standards and their patronage is of course dependent on the confidence attached to the company’s products and services.

A service that is guaranteed ensures seamless transactions of customers and induces continuous patronage. Every customer is concerned of where services can be obtained without hitches. Companies should incorporate service guarantee as part of its customer service strategy, as satisfaction derived from products and services motivates clients for more patronage.

Customer retention is basically an outcome of how best practices are enthroned as an operational service culture. In order to optimally meet the expectations of customers, organisations have to adopt measures targeted in giving maximum assurance to products and services and to back it up with the actual customer experience.

✓ PROVISION OF ALTERNATIVES

The solution to service malfunction of establishments lies in having backups to a particular brand. In the case of service failure, this becomes handy to alleviate the impact of malfunction on the customers. The sensitivity of business enterprises to defects in services requires that everything that needs to be done to assuage the customer should indeed be carried out in order to retain the loyalty of the customer.

When organisations are consistent with providing customers with immediate

alternatives at no extra cost, it brings in more customers who are attracted by the referrals from the acquired ones and are eager to experience the positive reputations that is known of the brand which are built on a hitch - free service delivery.

✓ EMPATHIZE

As organisations are faced with the challenges of service failure and how to devise solutions towards resolving and ameliorating the problems, employees should be made to understand the importance of being courteous, friendly and helpful to the customers. Once the needed attention is given to the customer, it enhances his or her sense of belonging and engenders total commitment to the brand.

✓ COMMUNICATE SERVICE DEFECTS

Most service providers keep customers in the dark about the very occurrence of service failure, this often times results in customers to be very agitating on the situation. The major consequence of not communicating service defects is that it breeds distrust and suspicion which results to the defection of customers to other brands.

The customer has a feeling of self-worth and of being carried along, when service defects are communicated to him or her as the case may be, this enable him or her to make the necessary adjustments to cope with the inability to access such services. When service failures are communicated the way it should be, it not only placates but solves myriad of psychological conditioning of the customers who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the services that is being provided.

SERVICE RECOVERY

It is vitally important that organisations should initiate processes of service recovery when they encounter malfunction or defects in their services. Service recovery is very essential to the overall success of business enterprises; it is basically the restoration of services to its original form. Service defects that are immediately recovered have a multiplier effect of not only guaranteeing the confidence and loyalty of the customers but increases significantly the balance sheet of establishments.

Service failure provides ample opportunities for organisations to learn from errors of omission or commission and to be able to quickly institute recovery strategies that will improve the way and manner of carrying out its processes to the satisfaction of the employees and customers respectively. Service Recovery impacts positively on companies’ turnover and profitability as a satisfied customer increases his patronage and es the delightful experience to other potential customers. A recent study reveals that a customer who is dissatisfied conveys his observation to ten (10) more people about his experience. The negative effect of this development results in loss of revenue of companies due to low patronage.

One of the cardinal objectives of service recovery is mainly to resolve problems faced by customers that prevent them from accessing services that meets their expectations and satisfaction. It is imperative that organisations as part of the corporate culture should devise mechanisms towards its implementation and giving adequate value to the customers. A business concern that puts the customers first by ensuring that every bad experience was amicably resolved promptly, will definitely gain the loyalty of customers.

Service Recovery therefore is the totality of best practices as put forth by

organizations towards resolving service defects and creating value that optimally maximizes the satisfaction of the customer. It is an operational responsibility of companies which encomes negotiation and winning a dis-satisfied customer. Organisations should institutionalise processes of service recovery in their corporate culture as it offers a tremendous benefit that increases the companies’ profitability and increase in market share.

The practice of service recovery holds the key to organisational performance in the sense that once a customer is provided with the required services, it will guarantee their acquisition and increases his or her patronage to the brand. A customer who receives a superlative service not only informs colleagues and associates about his positive experience but provides a platform for the word of mouth marketing and ment of the company’s product and services. This is an effective way of attracting the patronage of potential customers.

Business enterprises should be concerned about quality service and customer recovery because the annual turnover is significantly dependent on how many customers that are recovered and retained. The possibility of regaining a lost customer back is very high; it lies mainly on instituting appropriate service recovery measures that stabilizes the service levels. Loyalty to brands shows to a large extent how problems associated with a particular product can be resolved adequately to gain the confidence of customers.

The resolution of service defects in favour of the customer is a credit to the company’s reputation as it attracts more and more customers which invariably boost profitability and revenue. Organisations should adopt measures to effectively implement service recovery practices, which are vital necessities for customers’ retention. In the implementation of customer loyalty programmes, emphasis must be placed on service recovery that facilitates exceptional performance of companies and commitment of employees to the delivering of superlative services.

One sure way to retain customers is to go beyond rhetoric and actually resolve cases of service failures and malfunctions. In the business environment, organisations should take the sensibility of the customers into consideration through building their confidence on products and services as it particularly enhances market dominance and shareholders value. Service recovery put smiles on the faces of the customers and enhances their commitment to the brand. You win customers heart only by putting in place measures that will guarantee the quality of services and doing those things that will enhance seamless transactions.

FACTORS ENHANCING SERVICE RECOVERY

The following factors are necessary for the enthronement of a robust service recovery processes in organisations:

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

Organisations should boost the authority and responsibilities of the employees to be able to deal appropriately to cases of service failures. Effective recovery of services requires that front line employees must have the capacity and capability to respond promptly without recourse to superior officers in dealing with issues of product or service defects.

Empowering employees with authority enhances their ability to respond in a positive manner in ameliorating the inconveniences faced by the customers. It should be clearly understood that empowerment does not amount to usurpation of powers and functions but merely conveying the ability to act in a certain desired manner that will be in the overall interest of the organisation and its customers.

Quick intervention in matters of service failure facilitates the maintenance of customer relations to gain the much needed competitive advantage. When an employee is responsible to a particular schedule, it gives him or her the needed drive to ensure that the system does not collapse within the area of competency and encourages the overall chain of service flow.

TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES IN RECOVERY PROCESSES

It is vitally important that service driven organisations should as part of the efforts to have a strong corporate culture train the employees on the intricacies involved in handling of service recovery. The sustenance of customer service practices requires the training and retraining of employees so as to refresh their minds on the modern trends that will facilitate the enhancement of loyalty of the customers. Capacity building on service recovery strategies energises the employees to effectively implement the vision and direction of the organisation by ensuring that customers derived the maximum satisfaction from products and services.

There is no budget earmarked for training that should be considered enough if it is with the intention to get the best from the employees in of their performance. The exposition of employees on the company’s philosophy in ensuring satisfaction of customers gives the much needed edge over other competitors as it positioned organisations to attract potential customers. Companies can get the type of employees it deserves by building the capacity of the workforce to a desirable standard or otherwise.

According to Aristotle, Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. Service excellence is achieved through continually training and development. You can be what you want to be through the quest for information and knowledge. Service excellence is the direction every organisation should go in order to remain in business and be a market leader.

To get optimal performance from the workforce, it is important just as blood is to human existence to expose the employees to service quality programmes. A habit once formed and imbibed at the early stage is difficult or near impossible to erase, no matter the extent of socialisation of the employees. The

enthronement of service culture is achieved through deliberate efforts of making excellence service as a basic norm in which employees must be acculturated.

For effective service recovery systems, organisations should focus on training and development and to ensure that employees easily assimilates the learning points which later on are to become part and parcel of the workforce basic attitude. Companies are to be better off if the benefits derived from training are adequately put into practise.

SERVICE RECOVERY FRONTLINE TEAM

The establishment of service recovery teams or groups as the case may be is essential to the survival or otherwise of business enterprises. Every customeroriented organisation must constitute a service or business recovery teams or unit not in an adhoc manner but on a permanent basis, whose mandate is to ensure a hitch –free product or service supply chain. But in the event of service failure, it is the responsibility of the team to ensure that the company recovers as quickly as possible in order to really serve the customer well. The team as a catalyst for service recovery requires total management to nose dive into any of the organisation service front lines and to remove immediately impediments that hinders the effective service delivery system.

It is the responsibility of the recovery group to design and implement best practices that will guarantee the satisfaction of the customers and to facilitate the return of dissatisfied customers. Service recovery teams should focus mainly in meeting with the needs and expectations of the customers by ensuring that services are delivered to the customers regularly in a seamless manner.

The promotion of quality assurance and deg of strategies for continuous service and product improvements should as a matter of fact be a top priority of

the recovery teams. The overall objective of the recovery team is to ensure zero tolerance of service failure in the operations of business enterprises so as to guarantee to the customers the value for their monies worth.

KEEPING THE EMPLOYEES INFORMED

One of the essential strategies of guaranteeing service recovery in companies is the commitment of employees on the service quality culture of their organisations. The philosophy and direction of every service driven organisations should be communicated to the employees so as to acquaint them of their individual /collective roles and responsibilities in ensuring that customers optimally benefit from the services and products of the enterprise.

Companies should develop guidelines for service recovery and translates it to employees on the role each and every one of them is expected to play in order to ensure a quick and efficient service improvement. When employees are adequately informed of the importance of service recovery to the success and profitability of the organisation, it gives effective preparation to deal with the occurrence of service failure and to remedy the resultant effects to the satisfaction of the customer.

Some of the methods to be designed in making the employees acquainted with the organisation non - compromising posture of ensuring speedy service recovery in the event of malfunctions is through capacity building where employees are to be tutored and exposed on its inherent advantages. To enthrone a strong culture of effective service recovery, organisations must through its internal memorandum and bulletins re-enforce management commitments in actions and deeds to issues of excellent service delivery as a basic operational norm. Employees who are adequately informed on the road map of entrenching service recovery in the companies’ service philosophy tend to be more proactive to do everything within their capabilities and limitations to ensure that the

customers’ expectation and satisfaction are adequately enhanced.

SERVICE FAULT PREVENTION PROGRAMME

The development of the service fault prevention programmes is very important in the sustainability of the quality of service or product to be accessed by the customer. Service fault mitigation programmes ensures that companies have an all-round availability and delivery of services to the end s who are indeed the consumers of services. The importance of service fault prevention programmes in organisations is to guarantee consistency of the brand to quality, enhances its market dominance and customer loyalty. Organisations should fashion out a deliberate policy to curb or minimize incidences of service default in order to boost customer’s patronage and loyalty.

Building of superior brands, no doubt requires continuous improvement and standardization of products and services to meet with international best practices. Mitigation programmes should be tailored in accordance with specific needs and aspiration of organisations and the customers respectively in order to have competitive advantage and returns on investment. The attraction of customers to products and services is mainly as a result of the goodwill and consistency to quality services of companies, which are most times error proof and zero defects. It is absolutely necessary that business enterprises should adopt service fault prevention programmes to ensure product and service availability particularly to meet the satisfaction of the customers, which is critical to the overall success and profitability of organisations.

ESTABLISHMENT OF SERVICE DISRRUPTION TIME RANGE

Customers ordinarily are to be provided with seamless services that are devoid of any hitches. But as service interruptions are bound to occur occasionally in the business of organisations, it becomes the responsibility of managers to devise appropriate mechanisms where customers are to have minimal effect of such occurrences. Consistency in the quality of services provided by business enterprises enhances customer loyalty and attraction of potential customers for patronage. Organisations should ensure zero tolerance to service interruptions in order to effectively boost the loyalty of customers to the brand.

It is imperative that every customer focused establishment should enunciate strategies of handling business service interruptions and to within a given time range restore services to its original status where customers will have the full effect of service flow, this ultimately guarantees the patronage of customers to the brand of products. The fundamental secret of success of enterprises is not in taking the customers for granted, as they are the very essence of business which are to be preserved, nourished and respected at all times.

Customers as a matter of policy should be adequately notified of the impending service interruptions, this singular action gives the customers the feeling of selfworth and honour that indeed the service provider is sensitive to its position in the companies scheme of things, this singular action no doubt enhances customers’ loyalty and consequently serves as an attraction to other potential ones too.

This vital strategy is the tonic that can revolutionise the fortunes of organisations if properly harnessed and managed. Most organisations consciously or unconsciously fail to carry the customers along in the event of service disruptions. The negative consequences of this action are enormous as it invariably erodes the customer’s loyalty to the brand and the company’s bottom line respectively. Providing the customers with reasonable information of business service interruption on real time will enable the customers to make necessary adjustments and if possible seek for alternatives where it exists.

The overall benefit of companies putting the customers on notice of service disruptions is tremendous as it facilitates trust on the product and equally enhances the enterprises reputation in service quality delivery standards. As a result of the unpredictability of service interruptions and to make the customers have absolute confidence on the brand, it is appropriate for business enterprises to compensate the customers not necessarily with money but with other service inducements which to a large extent will placate the customer for whatever inconveniences they must have suffered as a result of the occurrence of the interruption.

CHAPTER 5

TIME MANAGEMENT FOR QUALITY SERVICE

DELIVERY

T ime management is essential for the success or otherwise of business enterprises. Its implementation to the later has tendency to revolutionise organisational performance. Effective time management determines how far an organisation, its employees and individuals can go in the quest to make the most of bountiful opportunities around. When time management is taken for granted, it becomes a platform for business failure. The operations of organisations have to revolve around appropriate timing in service delivery to propel employees for improved performance. In order for companies to impact positively on customers in the day-to-day conduct of business operations, service timing should be considered a top priority.

Time is of essence in business management, it is of immense value to quality service delivery. When it is misused, it can never be regained. What therefore must be done should be done right and on real time too. In consideration to things of life, what is not permanent is time, it does not wait for any one rather it continually changes second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day, moving uninterrupted to one direction and destination.

Customers, consumers, businesses and indeed organisations alike appreciate appropriate time management strategy in business relations. Its effective application in the work process forms an essential part of the totality of quality service delivery. Time management expresses the dynamism, competency and readiness of organisations to effectively manage the processes leading to the final consumption of products and services to the satisfaction of the customers. The fundamental key to market dominance and success of companies lies in the appropriate utilization and application of time management principles in providing services to the customers. Appropriate usage of time by employees of business establishments facilitates greater efficiency and productivity.

For organisations to have competitive edge in the global business environment, basic inculcation of the principles of time management should form part and parcel of the customer service strategy. Bringing these essentials to the conscience of the employees through training and re- training shows the commitment and importance attached by management on qualitative usage of time, which employees are to imbibe in the performance of their duties.

To ensure the loyalty of customers, effective time management should form the nucleus of organisational culture, which must be propagated in words and action by organisational leaders for compliance of all and sundry within the establishment. An average customer desires to be served promptly and once this is accomplished to his iration and satisfaction, it has a multiplier effect which leads to the generation of more business opportunities in of attracting and retaining potential and old customers respectively. Company’s efficiency and performance in of service delivery and the enhancement of shareholders’ value is dependent on the effective application of time management in the conduct of business operations.

Right usage of time drives organisation and its employees to improved performance, which ultimately is the desire of customers who are the end s of products of establishments. Business enterprises should re– invigorate the ability of its employees to provide qualitative services within a given and appropriate time limits to ensure that the customer have the full effect of quality service delivery at all times. Quality service delivery is achieved when it encomes speed, accuracy and timeliness, organisations should do everything within its powers to have these three essentials as part of its service delivery strategy to facilitate the satisfaction of the customer.

Time management is an indispensable tool to be used by service driven organisations to maintain market leadership positions and to create brand awareness among customers. This is to the fact that a customer that is once satisfied with prompt service delivery goes ahead to tell other numerous potential customers about his positive experience.

The resultant effect of this development is the loyalty of the customer and the dominance of the market by the establishment as more customers will be attracted for continuous patronage. Successful management of time therefore is the ability to qualitatively undertake and accomplish a given responsibility within a specified time frame in order to meet the intended objectives.

It is doing what is expected to be done rightly to better the lots of the customer. To attract the loyalty of customers, service providers and employees alike should strive to optimally serve the clients in a timely and effective manner. This is actually the secret of successful organisations that have an edge over its competitors.

Providing seamless and timely services endear business enterprises to the customers. The very manifestation of improved service delivery through effective application of time management principles culminates in the increasing patronage of services of companies, which ultimately enhance the bottom line. Organisations desirous of building a successful brand and ensuring the return on shareholders’ investment should adopt prompt, efficient and timely services as a cardinal point in the service delivery culture. Customers are always delighted when services are provided to them in a speedily manner without any experience of difficulty.

The application of time management principles as an organisational norm redirects the day-to-day operational responsibilities towards efficiency and productivity. Management of enterprises should be guided by this all important tonic that guarantees effective quality service delivery by ensuring that its frontline staff and every cadre of employees are exposed to the rudiments of time management principles. Compliance to the ideals of quality time management is the only sure way of raising organisations from doldrums and enthroning a boom in the customer patronage.

Efficient implementations of time management principles are a panacea in achieving quality service delivery and enhancement of returns on investment. Most employees and business executives often times cannot effectively manage the limited time at their disposals in order to make a difference in providing quality service delivery to the customers. The reason is quite obvious as every individual has a wrong notion to a particular technique that is assumed workable in achieving the goal of the organisation. This might be an illusion, as what is being applied often times tend to work against the intended objectives.

TECHNIQUES IN TIME MANAGEMENT FOR QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY

Time management without equivocation is actually managing personal self with the sole aim of enhancing individual productivity to achieve the corporate goal. This principle is timely more than ever before to improve the much desired skills of planning, managing, supervising, delegating, directing and controlling personal actions and responsibilities.

The following are therefore essential time management techniques for quality service delivery.

DEFINITION OF OBJECTIVES

In the realisation of efficient time management for quality service delivery, it is imperative that objectives must be clearly defined and streamlined from the very beginning to the end of projects and responsibilities. Definition of goals facilitates one to stay focused and be guided in the right cause of action. Planning the course of action is very important in the execution of any project because it enhances adequate preparation ahead of time. Setting of objectives and planning in a timely manner is the secret of achievement by managers of successful organisations.

Goals should be clearly articulated, written and frequently reviewed to meet with the daily accomplishments. With the dynamism of operating business environments, goals are to be made flexible in accordance with changing developments and needs. It is a matter of priority that objectives have to be set

before hand for one to be properly guided and be on top of situations individually and professionally without nose – diving to the other side of the divide.

WORK PLAN PRIORITIZATION

To ensure qualitative service delivery, daily work plan of executives and other categories of employees should be properly streamlined to facilitate maximal allocation of time. When one does not adequately manage available time effectively, one ultimately is planning to fail. Orderly planning is synonymous with quality service; it facilitates the achievement of the desired objectives in the work place. Good managers are to carefully rank daily engagements in order of importance, this is to ensure that matters that needs urgent attention is given prompt consideration without necessarily overlooking other equally pressing issues. Goals can only be attained by careful prioritization of day-to-day official responsibilities

Most business executives often times ran into avoidable stressful moments because of absence of careful prioritization of their daily work load which impedes the quality of service to delivered to the customers. This negatively affects their productivity and the performance of the business enterprises in general. It is absolutely needful for employees to deal with sensitive and pressing responsibilities in order to reduce to the barest minimum incidences of on-the- job stress which obviously impinges on efficient service delivery to the customer. The greatest enemy of quality service delivery is the absence of an organised work schedule, which serves as a framework in the realisation of the individual objectives.

The success or failure of business enterprises revolves around the inability of the employees who are the engine room of establishments to prioritize their various responsibilities. Employees should therefore plan their work ahead of execution

in order to ensure proper implementation and successful output.

ALLOCATION OF TIME

The achievement of quality services delivery presupposes that time should be apportioned to every work, projects and responsibilities to ensure the optimal utilization of available time. As time is in a continuous motion without waiting for anybody, it becomes absolutely important that visionary managers should make the most of time at their disposal in other to effectively realize a satisfactory outcome.

The application of this principles facilitates equitable use of resources in a more efficient and productive manner. A question that should be asked often therefore is what amount of time am I spending or do I require to spend in the realisation of responsibilities, the answer will bring into consciousness how best to maximise the time at our disposal to produce the desired results. This is more of self – help therapy rather than prescriptive, whose results will redirect the individual to focus on the pressing needs that deserves immediate attention in order to achieve the intended objectives. Allocating time to projects and jobs ensures that less consideration is paid to unimportant tasks and issues that do not deserve urgent attention and implementation; this ensures the realisation of the overall objectives in general.

ANALYSIS OF WORK ACTION PLAN

To achieve effective quality time management in accomplishing different challenges that are encountered by employees and managers respectively, it becomes imperative that action plan should be developed in the first place to serve as a guide in providing remedy to the identified problems. Analysis of

action plan gives impetus to the realisation of any goal.

The application of action plan facilitates in keeping managers on top of priorities and equips them to handle matters effectively and efficiently without derailing from the very course of action that is intended to be achieved to give customers the needed positive experience. It is important to measure the probable outcome of responsibilities ahead of time to assist in the determination of appropriate strategies to be adopted in achieving beneficial results.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

One of the important techniques of achieving time management for quality service delivery lies in ensuring that the office environment is conducive, safe and most favourable to employees to optimise their potentials in order to engender improved performance. To achieve the best in providing quality services that delights the customers, the physical structures and environment should radiate beauty and comfort to enhance maximum contribution from the workforce.

Making the work environment reasonably comfortable enhances efficiency and performance of the individual employees and ultimately boosts the loyalty of the customers. An employee that really cherishes and appreciates his or her work environment es that experience to the customer and this reflects on their patronage which positively affects the bottom line of enterprises. Business executives should as a matter of priority design the environments from which its operations are based to create an influence that is capable of not only energising employees to productivity but attracts and retains customers.

NATURAL INCLINATION

It is not surprising at all that nature has its own contribution to the realisation of qualitative service delivery. This comes especially when the employees are able and willing to put up the best performance in their responsibilities. Managers should explore the exact time of day in which employee’s works best that is - the period of the day their energy levels and productivity are at its peak. Every individual has a unique time when they can be at the optimum; managers should explore this to the organisational advantage.

The identification of this all important factor helps to ensure the appropriate time of the day to approach a particular task in order to achieve its intended objectives. Natural inclination should be utilised to its fullest by service providers and employees alike in the determination of appropriate time that is best suited to realise a particular objective. The success of this technique fundamentally lies on the effective deployment of individuals to assignments in accordance with their natural inclinations when performance will be at its zenith. It is absolutely necessary that vital jobs should be done at a particular time of the day depending on the inclination of the job holder in order to achieve improved performance. Managers should tap in to this nugget and watch how the productivity of their enterprises will be revolutionised.

IMPEDIMENTS TO EFFICIENT TIME MANAGEMENT FOR QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY

The following factors constitute an impediment to the realisation of individual and organisational goals of delivering efficient quality service.

The identified factors no doubt are avoidable and can indeed be effectively managed to guarantee the delivering of quality services that actually meets the satisfaction of customers.

• PROCRASTINATION

This is an adversary of time management in work places.

One of the negative effects of this evil of time and quality service is that it dissuades individuals from delivering timely and prompt services to the delight of the customers. Procrastination is the deliberate postponement of taking action or decision on matters and issues that need to be attended upon instantaneously. It portends lack of initiative and willingness to provide services at the required and expected time. This singular enemy of service delivery has adversely affected many organisations and individuals alike, by not doing what they are supposed to do at a particular time; the resultant effect of inaction when it is needed in most cases has ruined many businesses.

Mastering the art of not indulging in procrastination is one critical thing that facilitates effective service delivery and the achievement of goals. The only

escape route to an efficient time management is taking immediate action on matters that required to be attended to without the contemplation of postponement; this indeed engenders the provision of qualitative services that meets the satisfaction of the customers.

Development of the enthusiasm to work at all times by employees is the only solution to effective curtailment of the habit of deferring action on matters that requires immediate attention. By making whatever that is required to be done interesting, reduces the amount of “I will do it later spirit” that characterised inactions or postponement of what is supposed to be done at a particular time. This has been a norm that characterised inefficiency in organisations and in the lives of individuals, the reversal of this cankerworm will definitely leads to improved performance.

• ACCEPTING ALL

Appropriate scheduling of duties is a vital factor towards the enhancement of efficient time management. Inadequate division of schedules and duties can necessitate fellow employees to shift their responsibilities or difficulties to other colleague’s desk. Accepting all duties beyond one’s capabilities eventually leads to stress which ultimately serves as impediments in the realisation of efficient quality service delivery. Most people are prone from not saying ‘No’ to situations beyond their capacity for simple reasons not to offend the other person. They may prefer to accede to every kind of request even when it is obvious that they cannot meet up. This constitutes an obstacle to service delivery as the individual employees most times will definitely fail to accomplish a given assignment.

Inability to streamline employees schedule so that each person should be able and responsible to an assigned job is an impediment to efficient time management and of course the customer who is supposed to be served right are

most often at the receiving end of this unwholesome practice. When official responsibilities are scheduled, it facilitates ability and timely delivery of service to the customer. Managers should ensure that employees have a defined schedule of duty that he or she should be held able in the event of poor performance. What this does is that it gives individual employees a sense of belonging as an organisational member and enhances the drive for improved performance.

• DISORDERLINESS

Service quality thrives when there is order in the work place. When this is entrenched in an office environment it gives rise towards speedy accomplishment of goals. Very often many managers operate from offices and tables that are indeed congested and disorderly, filled with unwanted materials that are of no value, it goes to the extent of creating a false impression that the employee in question is hard working and the busiest person but when checked critically, the employee may not actually be working at all. That employee may be efficient if he is to work normally but definitely he cannot be said to be effective in the real sense of the word.

The pseudo work practice affects the services that are to be delivered to the customers and negatively impacts on the overall performance of organisations.

A disordered man cannot produce the desired result because one cannot give what he or she does not have, what you get mostly is a disordered output that adds no value to the organisational performance. It serves the best interest of employees to operate from an organised desk as most stress attributable to office situations are related to disorderliness. The realisation of efficient time management in work places is best accomplished in a situation of order where things are streamlined to achieve the intended objectives.

• INAPPROPRIATE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

Most business enterprises cannot adequately manage the limited time at their disposal as result of near absence of delegating a modicum of authority to the subordinates. Managers and superior officers should build – in trust as an organisational culture in delegating responsibilities and authorities to their subordinates. Most business enterprises have suffered a lot of setbacks and poor customer service as a result of near absence of delegation in their organisational structure. Time in its self means money and something to be valued, when a manager wants to do it all, he might succeed in doing it but definitely not in a timely manner that is beneficial to the overall interest of the organisation and the customer respectively.

Unnecessary workloads are enemies to the realisation of efficient service delivery, to really achieve the goals of establishments, employees of all strata should see themselves as partners working together as a team to get the best for the organisations in of returns on shareholder’s investment. It is vitally important that superior officers should jettison suspicion and the feeling of undoing by their subordinates which might be real or imagined and should rather strive to build team spirit among the employees in order to achieve the organisational objectives. As a team with particular objectives, delegation of responsibilities among the team becomes something unavoidable in so far as the individual partner are competent by all standards to achieve the overall objectives.

Proactive managers’ delegates responsibilities to achieve efficiency and better results. To build cohesive teams requires therefore that leaders, CEO’s and managers are to delegate some aspect of their responsibilities to reduce the workload, pressure and to ensure that the job is done appropriately in a timely manner. Vilfredo Pareto’s discovery of the 80/20 rule popularly known as the Principle of Least Effort is a right step in addressing the problem of efficiency

and lack of improvement in the customer service delivery of organisations. The application of the general standard rule is that an employee who can perform maximally up to 80% to the very level of the superior officer is good enough to be reposed with confidence in of delegation.

Managers should build the capacity of their subordinates through knowledge transfer, training, re-training, appropriate ive behaviour and of cause learning on the job, these will of course facilitate effectiveness and the ability of employees to qualitatively accomplish a given assignment in a record time.

• LACK OF TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW

One of the factors that constitute obstacles to efficient quality service delivery and customer service in general is that most often, those employees who are supposed to have knowledge of responsibilities do not necessarily have the capacity towards resolving organisational problems which in itself is the very reason of its very existence which is to provide solution to the particular needs of customers. Some business enterprises have been wrongly managed by employees who lacked adequate technical knowledge, depths and insight to deal with day- to- day challenges confronting their establishment. Such employees if at all they assume to have the much needed capability, most times rather unconsciously prefer a very cumbersome process of dealing with a simple task that requires more direct means of handling and resolving, they will rather go round, round and round in proffering a given solution, this indeed leads to lack appropriate and inefficient utilization of available time.

Having a technical know – how, willingness and commitment to do a job saves time that would ordinarily be wasted in checking out irrelevance and it gives the employees confidence to approach a job with more precision. Employees should seek knowledge of a given job rather than assuming that they know, which might be wrong after all and this ultimately leads to not carrying out the

responsibilities to achieve the expected results.

Overall, the only panacea for having effective and efficient employees is through continuous development of the workforce on service quality programmes, customised mainly to meet the individual organisational requirements. It is the one best way towards enhancing the skills of the human capital of companies which leads to the enthronement of the ideals of qualitative services in the mindset of employees, which is the desire of every customer.

• VAGUE COMMUNICATION

Essentially, official communication is targeted to achieve an objective which is to serve the very interest of the organisation but lack of clear communication often times hinders the realisation of the intended objectives which the message is meant to convey. Most employees have acted beyond their scope or rather with incomplete information about what is required of them. Acting on wrong information or assumptions leads to poor results, which is an impediment to efficient quality service delivery.

Official communications are often times misrepresented and misinterpreted as a result of the confusion in understanding the real intentions of the content of the message. Time that should have been used qualitatively and profitably is rather devoted in the search for a clearer picture of the intended objectives or idea that the message is trying to convey.

Most business enterprises have lost unquantifiable man-hour and resources as a result of lack of clarity in their official communication. In order for organisations to achieve efficient time management in their operations, official communications whether for internal or external audience should be made simple, plain and concise devoid of ambiguity to facilitate the easy

accomplishments of goals. Information that is clearly comprehended promotes service delivery as the recipients direct their action on what is required of them which adds value to the customers.

The enthronement of service culture in the work process of companies requires that employees should be put in the know of developments that concerns them in a plain and simple language to mitigate grapevine information which oftentimes occur as a result of distortion from the original intent of the message. Effective communication is achieved when the message is implemented in accordance with the original intentions. Service quality thrives when the employees are equipped with appropriate information that is targeted to give the customers a life time experience.

EFFICIENT TIME MANAGEMENT SUCCESS IMPEDIMENTS

The adoption of corrective measures and best practices within the organisational culture is the only solution towards the achievement of prompt service delivery and delightful customer service experience. Business enterprises are hindered from the realization of the gains of efficient and qualitative time management by some factors which most employees take for granted.

To build strong brands of products and services that are easily acceptable by the customers, the following enemies of time management are identified obstacles militating against the attainment of efficient quality service delivery.

• INDIFFERENCE

This a major stumbling block for business enterprises to realise their quest to secure market leadership for their products and services. When employees are not keying-in to the vision and mission of their organisations by showing interest, concern and commitment to the culture of the establishment right from the inception of their engagement to assigned responsibilities, it tends to limit the establishment from achieving its goals and potentials.

The capacity of the employees should be built by exposing them to developmental programmes prior to the full assumption of duties, this is because whatever culture that is imbibed at that very early stage will remain evergreen in their memory for a long time. One best way of curbing apathy and indifference of employees towards the affairs of organisations is through management adoption of strategies of showing personal interest in matters that pertain to

individual employees. This spectacular style of management has seen proactive service driven organisations outperform other competitors. Employees who feels that employers have personal concern for their wellbeing definitely goes all out to reciprocate the good gestures by increasing his or her output, thus leading to the overall productivity of the organisation.

• WANDERING

One fundamental factor that prevents organisations from achieving the goals of efficient time management and providing seamless services that meets customers’ satisfaction is the perpetual habit of some employees in abandoning their duty post to pursue some unproductive ventures that are not beneficial to the interest of the employers. These employees should rather prefer moving from one office floor to the other instead of using the limited time available to qualitatively attend to official matters. Some employees specialise in deliberate idling without being mindful of the primary purpose for which they are employed in the first instance.

Wandering is an attitudinal problem that must be dealt with by organisations, ‘’one of my colleagues back then once confessed that he cannot just stay in one place for a long time’’ this is a mind-set problem which I believe was formed over the years, it requires constant reorientation by management in the form of seminars, sensitisations and workshops targeted in enhancing positive work culture and efficient service delivery.

Another method of dealing with issues of this nature is through regular management communication of its corporate values to enable employees abreast themselves with the vision and mission of the organisation. The purpose of management communication which comes through direct briefings and memos is to reorient the employees towards pursuing goal directed behaviour that has the prospect of changing the fortunes of enterprises.

It is surprising and bizarre that most employees are not even aware of their organisations corporate objectives, just like an individual with visual impairment cannot easily reach the destinations such employees are unconsciously impaired and will definitely derail the enterprises from realising its goals and aspirations. It is important that companies should entrench a corporate culture in which employees are required to key- in; this will provide the necessary impetus for these vital organisational to align with in order to provide the necessary platform to refocus them to the ideals of the enterprises.

• INFLOW OF VISITORS

Work place or an office is virtually a place where business activities of organisations are carried out in order to achieve specific identified objectives. Most times, the situation is that our offices have influx of unwanted visitors whose purposes are not to transact any official business but mainly on a private visit which possibly could best be at home. Private or personal visitors in most occasions mitigate the realisation of efficient time management for quality services delivery. The reason is quite obvious; their very presence causes distraction and lack of concentration which could have been utilised more productively. Uncontrolled influx of visitors leads to loss of man-hour and decline in the quality of services that should have been provided to the customers.

It is absolutely necessary that business enterprises should in a friendly and polite manner restricts the number of visitors that daily throng its premises. These unsolicited individuals who visits establishments are not for any official engagement but for their personal matters which often times are treated by employees at the detriment of organisational interest. To be a market leader, it is imperative that organisations should adopt measures that can proactively focus the attention of employees into pursuing goal directed activities targeted towards creating value addition to the services being rendered to the customers. It is only

on this platform that business enterprises can indeed out perform its other numerous competitors.

• INTERUPTIONS

One of the fundamental factors that cause impediments to the desire of business establishments from accomplishing its goals of really serving the customers is the frequency of interruptions employees experience in their daily work schedule. An interruption that comes in the form of telephone calls, systems malfunction, interjections, disruptions, power failures of course results in loss of thought pattern and direction. The overall effect on productivity is in effectiveness, inability to meet set targets and standards.

To enhance efficient time management and reduce to the barest minimum its occurrence, frequency of interruptions to the service of organisations should be adequately managed to a point that its effect does not impinge on the exact purpose of what the vision and mission of the organisation stands.

• PSYCHOLOGICAL DISPOSITION

The frame of mind of employees affects the quality of service to be delivered. It could be positive or negative as the case may be, when it is to the later it leads to lack of productivity and under performance in the sense that not much could be expected from such employee. The golden rule is that a better employee is the one that is the master of situations and does not allow circumstances or challenges to overwhelm him.

Storms of life and unpleasant moments are bound to occur once in a while but a good employee should develop shock absorbing mechanism that will not in any way dislocate the expectations of the customer. When such negative experiences manifest; the caveat is never treat the customer unpleasantly, transferring aggression to the customer does no good to anybody rather the consequences results in loss of market share and the customer seeking for better alternatives elsewhere which is a gain to other competitors.

The emotions of the service providers or the employees counts a lot in the relationship with the customer, once it is at its best, the better for the customer because ultimately his or her expectations of deriving maximum satisfaction from the transactions will be accomplished. It is the dispositions of the employees at the service frontlines that determine how superlative or otherwise the expected services will be made available to the customers. A delightful service comes from the inner mind of the employee who at the point of delivering the service has a proper psychological conditioning that exudes the aura of service excellence.

An employee with a negative psychological baggage tends to undermine the service quality strength of the organisation in the sense that the particular responsibility expected of him or her might be jeopardised which affects the overall interest of the organisation in of adding value to the customer. Management and the employees definitely have a crucial role to play in ensuring that customers are really delighted and satisfied when accessing services. These are to come through providing enabling environment for businesses to thrive and to ensure that customers are served well enough under any circumstances or threat to it.

• STRESS AND FATIGUE

These are impediments which militate against the quest of business enterprises

to realise its goals of putting smiles on the faces of customers. This is actually a situation when the worker or the employee is mentally, emotionally and physically fagged out; it is one of the greatest enemies of efficient time management for quality service delivery. When an employee is stressed up, it leads to non-performance and unproductivity. Traces of stress manifest itself in the disposition of an employee to the customer, most times this are at the detriment of the client. An employee who is stressed up definitely will not render the best of services that can give the customers the required positive experience. Every employee therefore has to identify its stressor in order to be able to devise solutions that can mitigate it.

What constitutes a stress factor in a particular person basically may differ from another, it is therefore imperative that individuals should apply modifications on how official responsibilities are carried out so that customers can get the best of services. Most organisations benchmark their employees to achieve their set objectives; employees when aware of the mechanisms in managing stress can conveniently accomplish those targets without necessarily putting oneself under any form of inconvenience or burn out.

The effect of stress is not beneficial to the organisation as customer’s desire services with the intention to derive maximum satisfaction. Continuous stress on an employee does not add value to business enterprises performance in of returns on investment as it minimizes productivity. When employees are fatigued it rather results to dwindling fortunes of companies. If the occurrence of stress is inevitable due to the need to meet deadlines, then it becomes ideal for the employee to slow down a bit in order to get oneself refreshed and face the assignment squarely to realise the intended objectives.

TIMELINESS

The whole essence of time management for quality service delivery lies

basically in the application of prompt service delivery in business relation with the customer. Employees should be made to know by way of capacity building the indispensability of quality customer service in the continuous existence of the establishment.

Majority of the workforce unconsciously do not realise the importance of the customer that he is the king who must be treated right, everything therefore should be done to ensure that his satisfaction is guaranteed. Customers must be attended – to in a prompt manner which invariably is to the organisational interest in achieving higher turnover and customer loyalty. A customer that is attended to promptly is sure to return for future businesses. Timeliness of service should therefore be built into the business relationship between the employee and customer respectively.

The era of the lackadaisical attitude to the customer is gone as there are alternatives in the form of other competitors who are ready to accommodate the deferring client with superlative services that he or she desires. Service providers must strive to sur the expectation of customers in order to retain them for life. Very little and insignificant things attract customers and once they are satisfied with the quality of services, they are there for you. Companies should endeavour to nourish customers with attention and timely service; the multiplier effect results in the blossoming of the business regardless of other competitors.

The application of timeliness in the way services are delivered to the customers is critical to revolutionising the fortunes of business enterprises. It is the magic wand which when applied in the right direction has a potential of attracting customers and ultimately enhances their satisfaction. Every customer indeed wants to be attended to promptly. Management of business enterprises should bring to the consciousness of employees its desirability in driving the process to its advantage. The application of timeliness in organisations service culture therefore requires a lot of expositions and re – orientation targeted basically in changing the mind-set of employees. The imbibement of this positive tool in the service culture tends to reposition business enterprises towards getting things

done in real time.

In the quest to serving the customers optimally, efficient time management should therefore revolve around the institutionalisation of the culture of timeliness as an organisational norm. In every business relation, customers indeed desire and want to be served in a prompt manner. Actualizing this all important strategy puts enterprises ahead into building a more enduring relationship with the customers and it translates in the provision of superior service and improved performance to the organisation advantage.

CHAPTER 6

TRAIL BLAIZING IN QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERING

I n the contemporary competitive economy, it is the enthronement of best practices and positive service culture that distinguishes organisations and guarantees the survival and returns on shareholder’s investment. To be a service leader, companies should be customer focused in every word and action. It is qualitative service and nothing short of good service that boosts the reputation of business enterprises and attracts the loyalty of customers.

All over the world, businesses that do well in of profitability and market dominance are driven by the culture of service which is in place and the level of the commitment of employees in ensuring its full implementation. Companies that are desirous of being relevant in the competitive business environment should champion the course of excellent service delivery where the sensibilities of customers are to be considered uppermost in the scheme of things. When this is given a top priority, companies without doubt reaps the tremendous benefit attached to the creation of value that delights the customers. Services of organisations in the present day business relationship are technology based; transactions are entered with a touch of the button, no matter ones’ geographical locations. It required therefore that organisations should be committed in providing excellent services in its operations that is devoid of poor performance and none accessibility to the customers.

It is vitally important that companies should aspire to be a world class service provider where the defined standards of performance are in accordance with international best practices. Good services do not know borders, gender or race, if it is good service, it is good service anywhere no matter one’s geographical location. Companies have to adapt its services to meet with customers’ needs and

acceptability. It is by tailoring services to the needs of customers and meeting their satisfaction that business enterprises can jump-start its overall performance. One best way of achieving organisational success and excellence in service delivery is by deliberate perception of the customer as an indispensable person that must be treated rightly under any guise. The employees and of course the individual customer are to be seen as a vital factor in the sustainability of every establishment.

They are to be treated as an important resource of value and respect, what is respected and valued, always has a way of attracting enormous yield. The overall benefits manifest greatly not only in the bottom line of companies but on the customer turnover. Seeing employees as a mechanical object that can be used and dumped, unavoidably spells doom for which no business enterprises will dare to contemplate the second time.

Adopting the best customer service strategy without developing and taking care of the employees who provide such services is like driving an automobile without diesel or petrol, the required services expected of the vehicle will not be delivered. Once the right attitude is developed by organisations for both the employees and customers, it will definitely trickle down to the overall performance and increase in the turnover and level of patronage of the companies’ brand of product and services.

To be a trail blazer in the provision of qualitative services to the customers, require organisations to develop the culture of taking the interest of the employees into consideration, an employee that is treated unfairly will definitely the negative experience to the customer who of course is at the receiving end, This is psychological and of course natural because most often, some people do not have the capacity to bear things all alone, they tend to transfer whatever positive experience or otherwise to the next person who may come in with them. If it is the former, the better for the organisation who has customers that comes out from business transactions smiling all the way which is of course to the advantage of the company in of loyalty to the brand. It

conveys one message that a customer has just derived satisfaction in a business relationship. This should not be seen as a one off something but what should be sustained as part of the organisations corporate culture.

The negative perception of the customers’ experience definitely affects the company’s turnover as it becomes a gain to other competitors who values and does not compromise the overall interest of its employees as the customers are bound to switch to other business enterprises that appreciate them.

For organisations to be in the forefront of providing excellent and qualitative services to the delight and satisfaction of customers, the employees must be considered as an important factor that should be treated well by management. It is basically what one puts in that one gets, whatever that is planted is definitely what should be harvested, this is one fundamental law of nature which applies universally.

Dealing with the employees in a fair and transparent manner transcends to the customers who are nourished with the best of customer service experience that enhances the overall performance of the organisation in the long run. When the employees are happy and pleasant then the company have gotten happy customers who must be loyal and committed to the brand.

The wonders of a robust customer service are in the proper accommodation of the basic interest of the employees which lies with management sensitivity to matters that concern them. The type of customer service prevalent in establishments reflects on the quality of the employees. Organisations must do the right thing always and all the time by recruiting the right people. Flexible conditions of service, good and strong leadership, capacity building, good remuneration, enabling work environment are essential factors that facilitates the enthronement of qualitative services as a trail blazer.

ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES OF QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY AS A TRAIL BLAZER

The hallmark of service quality is excellence, which should revolve around every brands and products of organisations. Business establishments have to do all that is necessary to enthrone quality service as an organisational norm. It requires commitment of management in developing the mind set of employees to deliver exceptional services that satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the customers.

The adoption of service quality and excellence, as a style of business relationship with customers guarantees higher patronage and volume of turnover. For organisations to really attract the loyalty of customers, they have to be extraordinary in the way and manner services are delivered which optimally is to meet the expectations of the clients.

The following are therefore essential techniques that will position companies to be in the forefront of providing qualitative services as a trail blazer;

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY

It is a necessary pre- requisite for organisations to exhibit expert knowledge in the specialised area of business interest. This presupposes therefore that the right calibre of employees with skill, training and expertise must be recruited to drive the needed services of the enterprises. The type of employee in the payroll of organisations reflects to a great deal on the quality of service being rendered by any given enterprises. To trail blaze in quality service delivery, organisations

must look out for personnel with high level of intelligence and competency necessary to provide superb services that meets the satisfaction of clients.

The level of intelligence of an employee determines to a great extent the type of quality service to be expected at any given time. For clients to have the necessary positive customer experience that has the propensity of staying for a long time requires employees with appropriate capacity, skill and training which is to distinguish organisations from other competitors.

The competency of employees determines the extent organisations can go in the journey of providing seamless and qualitative services that meets the satisfaction of customers. It is imperative that service driven organisations should be mindful in recruiting the right calibre of employees as the future and performance of the business is dependent on the quality of the workforce that make up the entire establishment. It is absolutely important to note that the quality of business enterprises is determined to a large extent by the minds that makes it up.

A skilled employee performs efficiently with minimum supervision and responds to customers more speedily and promptly too.

To carve a niche in the market, proactive organisations should look out for employees who will add value and provide the necessary competencies which organisations are in dear need of. In order to be an industry leader and the best in providing excellent services that will ultimately facilitate increasing returns on investment, it requires therefore the employment of highly skilled personnel with ion for customer service.

SERVICE FLAWLESSNESS

The minimisation of flaws, defects, errors and poor quality service marks out organisations as customer focused. One of the vital factors that business enterprises must ensure compliance is the satisfaction of the customers at all times. A dissatisfied and frustrated customer tends to look for a better and more fulfilling service elsewhere. This action is mostly ignored by organisations and the resultant effect is the gradual depletion of the customer base which invariably shows on the annual financial positions of companies. Organisations that are not doing well should re-examine their customer service strategy and adopt more customer friendly policies that can retain and attract potential customers.

The maintenance and satisfaction of existing customers is more advantageous than the development of new customers in of ment which adds immensely to the running cost of establishments. It is imperative for companies to get its services to the customer’s right in the first instance in order to derive maximum benefits accruable from the steady patronage of loyal customers and of course new customers who got hooked on through referrals and word of mouth .

To have the benefit of quality service delivery as a trail blazer, companies must institutionalise flawless service as part of its service culture, this singular practice gives companies comparative advantage over other competitors. Absence of encumbrances to the smooth follow of services of a brand, positions organisations to attract new customers and the acquisition of existing customers which saves the enormous funds that ordinarily would have been put into ment to woo potential customers.

To mitigate service flaws, establishments should prepare the mind-set of employees for service excellence through management actions and commitment to provide every operational requirement needed to have a hitch – free service to the satisfaction of the customer.

CORRECTNESS

The enthronement of quality service as an organisational culture presupposes that operational practices must be in accordance with set standards devoid of poor performance. In the business relationship, it is the conformity to best practices that restores customer’s confidence for patronage. Short changing the customer to gain momentary advantage does no one any good, rather the longtime effect retards organisational growth and decline in the customer loyalty which invariably shows in the companies’ balance sheet.

To have a competitive edge in the world of business, emphasises should be in serving the customers rightly with fairness, justice and equity as the guiding principles. Business establishment should enthrone perfection as a norm which is to guide the employees in their daily operational responsibilities to the customer. Imbibing perfection as a key to service saves enormous cost that would have been channelled into the management of customer defection and its resultant effects.

Globally, the secret of most successful companies lies in the development of an orientation of treating the customer as a property with value that must be served rightly in a most transparent and honest manner. This is just an attitude and not a strategy that companies must inculcate among the employees. It is important for business enterprises to have the consciousness of driving service excellence in the daily operational routine which are to form part of the overall cardinal objectives of establishments in order to meet the needs of customers and as a necessary strategy for winning the customers for life.

Basically, to build a reputation of excellence to brands of products and services, service providers must ensure compliance to due process, zero tolerance to service defects, errors and seamless flow of service to the customers. When an organisation is reputed for higher operational standards, it trickles down to

higher customer base and turnover which equip the establishment on a pedestal to face squarely future business challenges among its competitors. As a business strategy, companies have to ensure continuous improvement on the brands identity to facilitate the attraction of customers.

DEPENDABILITY

An essential characteristic of a service leader lies in the institutionalisation of the culture of gladdening the hearts of customers through reliability to quality standards that brands is known for and are widely associated with the products. Services of establishments should be taken to the next higher levels to ultimately guarantee the satisfaction of the customers. What customers want and need from brands is basically trust and reliability of products and services. Once that confidence is built the better it is for enterprises in of customer patronage and repeat purchases that it will attract. One of the valuable strategies to be adopted by service providers to maintain the loyalty of its valuable customers is to develop products and brands to the highest standards in order to reduce to the barest minimum incidences of failure to meet the expectations of clients.

Consistency to the highest standard of service distinguishes organisations for excellence thereby increasing the customer’s confidence to the brand. This also gives companies distinctive competency from among other numerous competitors. Business enterprises are to adopt in their service strategy this allinclusive culture of valuing customers in order to act as the necessary tunic that will propel the tailoring of products and services to the expectation of clients. It is important that companies should build their capacity to streamline to the appropriate level the minimum quality of service that can be at the disposal of the customers.

The reward for service excellence is tremendous; its multiplier effect translates to the growth of the business enterprises both in turnover and volume of

customer patronage. It is to the overall interest of service providers to have minimum standard of performance in their service quality programme where customers can reject services that fall below expectation and actually be compensated for such flaws. Companies should re –strategize and re- engineer their customer service to enable clients access services seamlessly.

Organisations aspiring to be world class in their business relationship should ensure that products and services are made dependable and of high quality to the extent that clients have to repose absolute confidence and trust on the brand. When products and services are designed to meet the customer’s satisfaction in of reliability and accessibility, it enhances organisational capacity to grow in leaps and bounds in of adding value to investment.

ION

In implementing customer service strategy of companies, emphasis should be to really give customers the best of deserved service. To actualise the quest of customers to get excellent services requires the development of ion as an organisational behaviour. If every category of employees is ionate about their responsibilities, the clients will be better for it. ion is the expression of interest and determination to realise a given objective. It drives organisations to higher altitude in of qualitative customer service delivery and growth in market share.

ion to serve, ultimately guarantees the satisfaction of customers as the service provider goes the extra mile to ensure that clients gets value for every money spent on the brand. To be ionate is to have innate desire to cause positive changes that will translate into efficient service delivery. It is vitally necessary, that business establishments should initiate policies that will motivate its work force and provide a harmonious working environment that is devoid of dictatorial tendencies. Organisational leaders and indeed managers should

develop team and leaders who are to be partners in the work process providing ive behaviour within the teams to give the desired impetus for increased performance.

To trail blaze in quality service delivery requires business establishments to enunciate plan of action that will energise and re-orientate the mind-set of employees into building values which are to translate in providing satisfactory services. The essential requirements needed by management of organisations to drive ion and inspire employees as high flyers lies basically through a simple show of appreciation, concern to issues that pertain to employees’ welfare and reasonable remunerations which are to translate in the provision of superior customer service delivery. An employee that is reasonably motivated and rewarded has a tendency to provide exceptional services to the delight of clients.

In the competitive business environment, the only panacea necessary to be on top in providing customers with delightful experience is the imbibement of ion for service by all strata of employees as a guiding principle in the conduct of daily operational responsibilities. It engenders the ability for excellent behaviour on the part of service providers and employees to act in a positive manner targeted mainly to the satisfaction of the customers.

For companies to excel in their quest to meet the expectations of the customers, it is imperative that appropriate policies should be developed to propel the employees into carrying out their duties and responsibilities in an enthusiastic manner with the sole purpose of delivering satisfactory services that will ultimately meet the yearnings and aspirations of customers.

MEETING CUSTOMERS EXPECTATIONS

Building a successful brand requires companies to meet the expectations of

customers. Goods and services must be designed to suite what the customers actually need and wants. To trail blaze in quality service delivery, organisations should be customer focused in every word and deed – this have to be underscored by providing satisfactory services that actually sures the expectations of customers. One spectacular thing business enterprises must take into considerations to attract and retain the loyalty of customers’ lies in the consistency to quality standards which develops client’s confidence to the brands.

An unsatisfactory customer is susceptible to seeking for other better alternatives which are bound to manifest in the withdrawal of his resources from the patronage of products and services. It is therefore imperative for organisations to institute actionable plans of providing excellent and qualitative services as part of deliberate measures to building a strong service culture that will exceed the desire of customers. To be a market leader, organisations must define and streamline its customer service strategies by doing always the right things that puts smiles on the face of customers.

The survival of organisations as a going concern is dependent on the institutionalisation of customer care as the foremost strategies upon which the foundation of every company activities stands. Superior services that are inculcated in the operations of business enterprises stand as a major livewire that translates into enhanced growth and customer turnover. It is therefore to the interest of companies to scale up the quality of products and services in order to be competitive and maximally satisfied the ever increasing demands for customers.

BRAND DEVELOPMENT

The loyalty of customers is predicated on the innovativeness and value attached by companies to products and services. Indeed, there are no ends in the expected

standard of service to be provided by organisations, as the achievement of service improvement is only a step towards the enthronement of operational excellence. Product and service development must be an integral part of the overall strategy of companies to enhance its performance.

To devise strategy of re-branding is to attract life and competitiveness to the operation of the businesses in consonance with market demands. It is basically changing the way things are done to a more productive and better method. Companies have to continuously re-brand their products and services to attract and retain the loyalty of the clients.

Customer service no doubt is basically an encoming phenomenon, which entails the provision of qualitative and satisfactory services that are designed specifically to satisfy the needs and aspirations of the customer. In order to have a competitive advantage of brands, companies must consistently embark on continuous improvement and re – inventing of products and services mainly to give customers the desired positive experience.

Branding basically entails re- engineering and revitalising products and services, processes and procedures, service culture and organisational commitments which together form a brand identity. Positive brand reputation is the needed attraction to the customer, what really motivate clients for patronage is the integration of best practices into the customer service strategy of companies.

Branding of organisations is not limited on how its ment is structured but includes the superior experience of customers in accessing services in a prompt, courteous, friendly, consistent and reliable manner. To build a robust brand, companies must have a vision of where they are going, means of attainment of the goal and of course be fully committed in words and action towards the accomplishment of the objectives.

The enthronement of best practices and excellent service delivery must be on a continuous basis in order to reposition organisations for global competitiveness. Nigerian Ports Authority under the management of Omar Suleiman has enunciated strategic action towards building the organisation as a superior brand that are to lead the rest of Africa as a maritime giant. This is targeted to be achieved through building a robust customer friendly port system that is characterised with efficiency and quick turnaround of vessels.

The overall essence of the development of NPA as a national brand asset is to provide self-identity through qualitative services, development of ports basic infrastructure to provide optimal use by port s, building values that are goal oriented among the employees, attraction of customers and to curb the diversion of vessels that are supposedly meant for the Authority into ports of the neighbouring countries.

The redeg of product and service content is basically to add value to every money and time spent by customers. Service providers should consciously evolve new methods that will make their services unique and attractive. The requirement for building superior brands is to go beyond the norm to act in an extra- ordinary manner targeted in providing services that sures the expectations of the customers and stakeholders respectively. Product development is indispensable for the continuous survival of business establishments. It is important that attention and due considerations is given in nurturing and enhancing brand content, which ultimately increases the patronage of customers and building of enormous capacity to generate revenue.

SPEED

For organisations to be positioned as service champions, is predicated on the inculcation of the basic values of speed concept in every facet of the business operations. Service providers should buy- in to the idea of speed as an

organisational spirit which emphasises timeliness of service and prompt service delivery under any circumstance. In the contemporary business environment, speed in service delivery is of utmost importance in ensuring effectiveness and efficiency of products and services.

Customer’s desires to be attended to on real time without any impediments, companies should therefore treat every client as important by ensuring that their access to service is done seamlessly. Speed marked out organisations for service excellence and the customers are always delighted if served in a prompt manner, this is reciprocated through repeat purchases and referral of other potential customers for patronage.

When commitments are made in relation to delivery time, it is important to adhere to such promises or even sur it, if possible. What attracts customers to a brand most times is the ability of the service provider to render efficient and timely services but the reverse acts as discouraging factor that dissuades them to seek for alternatives from other competitors. One cannot apply speed and remain in one place; it is the engine that drives business establishments to higher levels in of gain in the market share.

An organisation that does not emphasise speed as part of its service culture is limited in the propensity of growth. It is the essence of customer service which adds value to the customer and the organisation respectively and generally repositions the later for efficiency. Acting promptly on customer’s demand for products and services gives the needed positive experience which increases brand loyalty and profitability.

Application of speed should be seen in every activity of companies as the loyalties of customers are built on the happiness shown in the business relationship. Speed in service delivery delights customers and it should reflect on the disposition of the employees to serve in a friendlier and courteous manner. Most establishments have not been able to adequately enhance their bottom line

as a result of the nature of operational processes that de-emphasise rapidity in customer relations.

Adoption of speed concept as an organisational spirit should be clearly propagated and disseminated to the employees by way of capacity building to facilitate its internalisation. The performance of organisations and dominant in the market place is mainly dependent on the entrenchment of speed as operational requirements. Companies should use its application to revolutionise its fortunes as the basis of customer service revolves around creating happiness and satisfaction which comes from timely and efficient service delivery.

CUSTOMER DEFECTION

Customers are really those people who enter constantly into business relationship with a particular organisation while defection is a change of loyalty to somewhere else. Customer defection is basically transferring one’s patronage to other alternatives with the expectation of deriving maximum satisfaction.

The occurrence of customer defection in business enterprises is as a result of the inability to optimally meet the expectations of the customers. When there are bad business habits which is not favourable to customer’s idiosyncrasy, it triggers considerations for alternatives which can at best provide succour in of value derivatives. Superior customer service is all that is required to keep customers and even attract new ones. Once a wrong step is taken in not satisfying the customers, the resultant effect is the desire to look for a more satisfying relationship elsewhere.

In order to build an enduring business patronage, organisations should take service quality and of course customer service to the front burner by ensuring that customers get value in of deriving satisfaction for every transaction made. Employees are important in the scalar chain of customer defection that occurs, as every dissatisfaction experience is a signal that a customer might drop his or her patronage. Some employees are unaware of the problem the defection of customers can cause to the company’s turnover which are basically tied to the level of loyalty of customers.

Defections are negative indications that a company is not meeting up with the customers’ requirements and the loss of every customer results in a marginal decrease in the expected revenue. It connotes an inherent failure in the system of service delivery which propels the reactionary effect on the brands patronage. Companies should not take customer defection for granted as something that

must occur in the ordinary cause of business.

The survival of business enterprises is a function of how best practices are institutionalised to minimally reduce the incidences of service failure which most times induce defection. It is vitally important for companies to proactively mitigate customer defection by enthroning service excellence as an organisational culture. When value is added in of the quality of service provided, it gives the customer the leverage for continuous patronage and loyalty. Service providers should at all times put smiles on the face of customers by enhancing the quality of the brand in order to attract and retained customers.

MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES RESPOSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER DEFECTION

Taking cognizance of factors that necessitate customer defection is inevitable in the quest of establishments to remain in business and ensure market dominance of its brands. It becomes imperative that management should initiate strategies to effectively manage incidences of customer defection and employees are to be made to take responsibility in seeing that the action plans are implemented to the fullest.

Like in a popular parlance which says that prevention is better than cure, management have to do everything within its capability to nourish customers with good and satisfactory services in order to prevent defection because its very effect has a tendency of dislocating the very foundation of the establishment.

Basically, the cost of customer acquisition is an expensive venture than what it takes to maintain and retain the existing customers. What is involved in maintaining the customer base of organisations is simply the institutionalisation of customer care and excellent services as a corporate value that must be adhered to by every employee. Once a customer is served rightly to the extent that maximum satisfaction is derived, it provides necessary impetus to boost the loyalty to the brand.

But when defection occurs, it is important to examine its causes to forestall its effect on the growth of companies. The loyalty of customers to products and services has positive consequences on the revenue generation which of course triggers considerably the increase in the bottom line. The impact of customer defection is therefore something that should give management of organisations and employees great concern as the future of enterprises is dependent on the degree of faithfulness and satisfaction shown by customers.

Defection is a reactionary effect of dissatisfaction which every customer focused organisation have to respond urgently with a view to providing immediate solutions. Every positive action taken to ameliorate the impact of dissatisfaction is an indication that customers are valued and that their patronage counts in the companies’ scheme of things.

CAUSES OF CUSTOMER DEFECTION

• Transferring loyalty to other brands never happened by chance or accident but by continuous neglect of organisations to the issues of creating value addition to the customers. Switching of patronage to somewhere else is a consequent of inaction which could have been curtailed by the doing of right thing targeted mainly to providing satisfaction to the customers. It is imperative for companies to identify possible causes of customer defection in order to devise appropriate strategies to remedy the situation.

The following are some of the factors that may propel a customer to change loyalty to other competing alternatives;

POOR QUALITY SERVICE

Quality of service is fundamental in determining the loyalty or otherwise of customers. Organisations desirous of reaping the benefit of brand loyalty must step- up the standard of services at the disposal of the customer, as service excellence holds the key to improved performance. Poor quality service provides a platform for business failures, customers only responds negatively to experiences which did not add value to their expectations. The mitigation of service failures to the barest minimum enhances trust and confidence of customers to products and services. It is vitally important for organisations to consistently improve on services in order to ensure market dominance of brands.

Business establishments should consciously enthrone increase in service levels in their operations which is the acceptable minimum quality of product and

services that can be made available to the customers. Guaranteeing excellence in the quality of products and services enhances positive reputation for organisation which translates into increased patronage as customers only show conviction in one thing that is - improvement in the standard of service and expected satisfaction to be derived.

Building the capacity of employees on service quality culture should be the direction every proactive management of business establishments must embrace in order to gain the advantage which far outweighed the option of poor service content.

The survival of organisations in the competitive business environment is predicated on the quality of services and products that customers are availed with. It is incumbent on service providers therefore to ensure at all times that products and services are available at the right quality and more importantly that customers are maximally satisfied with every of its output. To attract the loyalty of customers forever, companies are to devise strategies that will ameliorate the frequency of occurrence of poor service delivery as quality service is the only anti-dote to market dominance and significant increase in accruable revenue.

EMPLOYEES ATTITUDES

The orientation of employees to quality service is a determinant factor to the attainment of organisational success. Achievement of excellent customer service that provides the desired results depends to a large extent on the disposition of employees to the customers. In the management of customer service, first impression matters a lot; employees should be trained to put up a smiling and cheering face at every moment or encounter with customers no matter the circumstances. On a number of times I have personally encountered front-line employees whose dispositions are very repulsive which can result in the discouragement of would- be customers from patronage.

Putting up cheerful looks boost the self-esteem of the customer which serves a particular purpose that the client is most welcomed, wanted and appreciated, it does not demean or make the frontline employee cheap rather it propels the customer for continuous loyalty to the brand.

Customer’s negative experience triggers off reactions which switch patronage to competitors who are better equipped in meeting their expectations. It is obviously to the companies disadvantage if the attitude of employees results to customer defection which cost enormously to acquire and maintain. Simple basic inculcation of the tenets of customer service at the early stages of employment and the continuous exposition of employees on the stance of management to issues of best practices in the work place becomes the necessary ingredient that can propels the needed positive changes.

An enduring service culture operates in an ambience of friendliness devoid of hostility and aggression. Customers are to be served in a polite and courteous manner if the expectation of his return for more business relationship is to be realised. Employees’ attitude is indispensable towards the accomplishment of a robust customer service culture that provides seamless service delivery to the customer’s satisfaction. The way and manner employees are treated is definitely how customers will also be treated in the delivering of service.

To get the best from the workforce, it is imperative that favourable conditions of employment should be enshrined as an organisational policy. For the full realisation of optimal customer service, it is important that management of organisations should motivate, and recognise the contributions of employees. This develops the capacity of employees to serve above the expectations of the customers.

SERVICE COST

The cost of service of organisations determines the rate of customer defection. Generally, customers are more concerned about the value derivable from brands. When the cost of service is high, every customer centred establishment has to restrategize to adopt measures that will maximally reduce the effect of the increase on the customers. Customers respond more to the quality of products and services than to cost, as increase in price most times does not translate to reduction in patronage if the quality of the product is guaranteed.

Customers will always want to continue their patronage with a brand only when service cost is commensurate with the quality of service or products. But when service cost is at variance with the quality of service which is below the expectations of the customer, the resultant effect is of course the switching of loyalty to other alternatives.

It is important that companies should entrench the culture of service excellence in the day- to - day operations in order to keep, maintain and attract the patronage of their valued customers. Service providers should do everything within their capability to ensure at all times that the cost of services is consistent with the quality of the brands. Quality and quality is all that matters for organisations to really create a superior brand. It is important for business enterprises to ensure that the cost of their product is in accordance with the quality of service at the disposal of the customers.

RESPONSE TO SERVICE DEFECTS

One of the major causes of defection is the failure of organisations to respond swiftly to customer’s complaints about service defects. Basically, there is nothing wrong with complaints of customers as it is a mirror in which company’s looks at itself. Customers complaint about service defects is to

convey information which management in the ordinarily cause of business might not take notice of easily. Service defects connotes operational malfunction that is below set standards. When there are defects in the operations of companies, it is important that immediate intervention is made to restore services to its original status in order to boost the confidence of customers.

Customer centred organisations should see response to service defects as indispensable towards its survival and in having comparative advantage over its competitors. Response to service defects is a signal that the customer is wanted and appreciated. When customers have this feeling of importance, they are hooked on to the brand forever; imagine the attendant benefits that can be accruable to this development.

TIMELINESS OF SERVICE

Customer defection is basically a reaction to service failure which falls below the expectations of clients. A vital strategy of winning the hearts of customers and attracting new ones is timely delivery of services. Lack of timeliness in service delivery may look negligible, but it has caused tremendous setback for organisations in realising their potentials. Is your organisation not meeting up with set targets in of returns on investment, this then is the right time to refocus and apply this nugget which will change the performance of your establishment for the better.

Timeliness presupposes that every organisational activity must be implemented on schedule; let your time be your time. Commitment to timely and prompt delivery of services is a vital necessity in the customer service delivery. Effectiveness and efficiency of service providers is a product of appropriate maximisation of time in which customers optimally access services promptly without impediments. Most organisations customer base has depleted, which negatively affects the bottom- line as a result of the inability to effectively

provide services in a timely manner.

Positive customer experience is inevitable to the attainment of profitability; customer satisfaction therefore is a reflection that the organisation has accomplished its responsibilities of meeting the expectations of the customers. Business establishments should strive to provide timely services that will give the customers positive experience.

CUSTOMER DEFECTION MANAGEMENT

The success of organisations to large extent is determined as a result of the commitment shown by customers in patronising available products and services. It is important that companies should pay adequate attention to the provision of services that actually adds value to the expectations of the customers. Once business establishments realise that customers are very important for their survival, it becomes less cumbersome to introduce measures that will enhance customer satisfaction and retention respectively.

Defection of customers to other competitors is basically as a result of negative experience on the quality of products and services of companies that do not give the customers real value for their money. Customer centred organisations should be proactive in adopting measures that will boost the satisfaction of customers as customer service requires continual improvements. Organisations have to devise strategies to provide qualitative services to the customer’s delight as a solution to curb the incidences of dissatisfactions to the barest minimum.

The provision of services that meets the standard of best practices should be a daily operational requirement that has to be sustained in order to attract the loyalty of customers to the brand. Service providers should take customer defection management to the front burner in their corporate strategy to facilitate early identification of probable causes of defection, proffer solutions and to manage the actual occurrence.

The following are necessary techniques that should be adopted to effectively ameliorate the occurrence of customer defection;

• GIVE THE CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT

Good quality service without any doubt is the number one priority of customers. To win the loyalty of customers therefore requires service nourishment which makes the customers better off than worse off. Companies should set high operational standards and ensure that customers derive maximum satisfaction from every transaction made. The fulfilment of customers in the services provided enhances competitive advantage which is to the benefit of organisations as it attracts more customers who expresses confidence to the brand of products and services.

The inability to give customers what they want is conveying a message to service providers to raise their service levels to the next dimension to facilitate the attainment of positive customer experience. It is the responsibility of service providers to attend to the customer’s request optimally within the ambit of the companies’ policy or even go beyond that as the case may be. This may come with the application of discretional powers which must be tailored to sur the expectations of the customer.

Serving the customer to the satisfaction level does not compromise the standard of service but is a venture that is worthwhile to keep the customers loyal for life. There is absolutely no customer that wants bad service, every customer desires to access services that will give value for money spent. It is therefore imperative that organisations should entrench quality standards which employees must imbibe and adhere strictly to in order to ensure the loyalty and attractions of potential customers. Organisations stand to benefit immensely if the customer retention strategies are appropriately managed, as the outcome manifest in the companies’ profitability.

• COMMITMENT

Business relations thrive based on the faithfulness of managers to comply with every promises made. To be committed is to match words with actions without wavering. Customers will continue to maintain patronage when the quality of service is guaranteed. It is the commitment to customer service that moves companies to the direction of improved performance.

Excellence service delivery gives a competitive edge to business establishments in the volume of customers’ loyalty and accrued revenue. When quality of service becomes a norm, it gives confidence and drive for the customer to return for more business transactions. Organisational reputations are built on the obligations to the customers that are fulfilled in of meeting contractual dealings on the actual time.

Defections and the quest to seek for better alternatives, gives an indication that customers are not deriving value from the standard of service at their disposal. To enthrone a strong customer service culture requires service providers to ensure that quality of service at any given time is not compromised. It is necessary to sur promises made beyond the expectations of the customer than to under deliver which presupposes that services are delivered below the initial of agreements. Ultimately, when business enterprises sur expectations which are backed up with quality services they provide delightful services which engenders the needed drive for customer retention.

Effective management and prevention of customer defection requires service providers to continually entrench and promote operational excellence as an organisational norm. There shall be a clearly articulated expression of the minimum service levels to be attained by employees in order to enthrone the culture of excellence that will pervade the entire business relation

• ASK THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE

This is one of the essential strategies of managing customer defection. Service providers should inquire from the customers about their experience through personal s or by telephone, this give the customers the feeling of selfworth and care for hearing from a service provider about his or her wellbeing with the products and services purchased. As simple as this may be, it is very important for building customer maintenance which triggers their loyalty forever.

A direct with the customer provides opportunity to get accurate information about the service levels and the required necessary improvements to be added to products and services. The adoption of this technique is a prerequisite to endear the brand to the customers which facilitate the attraction of potential ones.

Getting in touch with the customers is an essential part of customer relations which organisations should incorporate in their customer service strategy. The derived from the exercise should be implemented to the later to enable the customers have significant value from the services. To be a market leader requires the alignment of the operations of enterprises to the care of the customer and enthroning best practices as a business plan targeted mainly to the satisfaction of clients. Business establishments have to incorporate customer relations in the overall corporate strategy to ensure the sustainability of their brands.

• MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In order to have a competitive edge in of gaining market share, service providers should make a difference in the quality of products and services to attract the patronage of customers. Development of brands requires organisations

to build strong reputations through quality that they should be known for and be distinguished from other competitors. Business enterprises should create a brand reputation that is unique and easily identifiable with their products and services. This requires doing the right thing as a business practice and basically aimed to satisfy the customer which invariably comes with advantages that is beneficial to organisations. To make a difference in the quality of products and services enhances customer loyalty to the brand.

Companies should adopt standard operational measures to give the customers the best of services and to curb the incidences of defection. Making a difference by providing excellence service delivery is a sure guarantee for building loyalty advantage which comes with the profitability of the enterprise. It is to go beyond the norm and delight the customers with positive experience. To be a market leader is dependent on delivering exceptional services, organisations should therefore do everything to ensure that customers derive maximum satisfaction from products and services. The solution to curb customer defection is for service providers to develop the quality of products and services to the highest level. It also requires building the competences of employees to serve professionally.

Customers are hooked forever if employees adopt best practices as an organisational culture rather than the selective application of standard of services to different segment of clients. The application of this type of service conveys a feeling of discrimination and disrespect and more also create an impression that some customers are unwanted; the resultant effect is the desire to look for other alternatives which reduces the customer turnover and leads to loss of revenue. Companies should make every customer happier by treating them equally and adding real value to the services at the disposal of clients which is a necessary remedy to curb to the barest minimum incidences of defections.

• HAVE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE EMPLOYEES

This is an important strategy of managing customer defection. For organisations to achieve the desired result, it has to periodically have consultations with the employees where issues militating against the realisation of efficient service delivery will be freely discussed without inhibitions. Front line employees have personal s with the customers and by virtue of their responsibilities they know the feelings of clients better than anyone else. Service providers should apply this technique in the determination of service levels and the satisfaction of customers.

Offering this opportunity for interaction conveys a feeling to the employees that they have stake on the issues concerning the company and their view contributes in shaping the future of the establishment for the better. Consultations with the employees provide alternative views to the management which when aggregated gives direction in meeting the expectations of the customers. In order to get the best of customer service, the interest of employees should be considered uppermost because a happy employee transcends to a happier customer.

Open forum with the employees provides a platform to x-ray service leakages and to proffer appropriate solution to mitigate its eventual occurrence. In managing customer defection, it is a requirement that the employees who deal directly with clients should be given a voice to be heard in order to ascertain the operational deficiencies that needed immediate attention with a view to providing the needed solution. The identification of procedures that do not add value to the customer satisfaction will be collectively resolved in a partner type relationship rather than the boss - employee relationship to raise the standard of service to the desirable levels.

• DESIGN THE SERVICE AROUND THE CUSTOMER

One of the essential factors every customer focused organisation should ensure implementation to the fullest is to design products and services around the

customer’s requirements to prevent defection to other competitors. Customers anticipate deriving satisfaction, quality and value from services, for business enterprises to attract the loyalty of customers and remain on top, they must be guided by these three fundamental elements.

Service providers should strive to build a powerful brand by ensuring as a matter of priority to meet the expectations of the clients in of standard of products and services. The rule is that the more customers are satisfied the more likely they are to return for more business relations, it is to the companies’ advantage to enthrone best practices that will guarantee and induce customers to come back for continuous patronage, this invariably enhances profitability and market dominance.

When services are designed around the customer, it shows that the organisation understands the importance of the customer to its future survival. Companies should consider the sensibilities of customers as a pre - requisite to enhance the brands performance in the market. Business establishments are to give pleasant customer experience to clients as part of the service culture in order to have competitive edge and the gain of market leadership of the brand.

• REWARDS AND INCENTIVES

Employees and customers need to be motivated through rewards and incentives in order to enhance superior performance and continuous patronage to the brand. Basically, the application of rewards and incentives as a business practice is what increases the quality of work life to the individual and boost the volume of customers to organisational advantage. Employees are empirically known to provide superlative services when rewards are institutionalised into the work environment. Service providers should ensure that employees are appropriately remunerated in order to provide necessary impetus for satisfactory services to the customers. When employees are appropriately rewarded genuinely based on

merit, it reflects on their quality of work because the right frame of mind produces excellent results which are beneficial to the organisation and customers respectively.

Excellent performance is a by-product of management recognition of the contributions of the employees in the realisation of the organisational goals. Rewarding of employees as a result of their productivity, determines what they give to the customers in of services because you cannot give what you don’t have. The management of customer defections should take into consideration how employees are rewarded in the formulation of their customer service strategy.

Organisations should indeed be caring enough by rewarding employees with bonus payments, grants, stock acquisitions particularly company’s stocks, group personnel insurance, medical facilities, benefits from companies’ products and services, commissions, raises etc., the implementation of these measures gives the workforce a great feeling of belonging and loyalty to the establishment which translates to strong customer relations. Rewards may not necessarily be monetary but by simple word of praise and appreciation of the employee’s performance can drive the enhancement of high quality service delivery.

As part of the process of managing customer defection, it is important that companies should introduce incentives as part of the overall processes of promoting sales and restoring customers’ confidence to the brand. What incentive does is that it brings the customer closer to the products and services by increasing patronage and reducing the desire to seek for alternatives elsewhere. Incentives drive businesses to higher altitudes as they serve as an encouragement to valued customers for their positive contributions and for the attraction and retention of customers. Globacom, MTN, Airtel, 9mobile in the telecommunication industry, Access Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and UBA are best known in using incentives to drive their customer loyalty strategy.

When customers are developing apathy to products and services or companies experience low sales, the strategy to be adopted by organisations is to introduce incentives to induce customers for repeat business relations and loyalty to the brands. To be a market leader, service providers have to adopt measures that will guarantee the loyalty of the employees and customers respectively by adding value to each of their areas of interest.

• CUSTOMER POSITIVE IMPRESSION

Companies should create a lasting impression of quality service in the minds of the customers. Positive customer impression is to enthrone best practices as an organisational principles and culture. It gives the customer the feeling of selfesteem, dignity, respect, friendliness, courtesy, importance and above all it ensures that clients derive maximum satisfaction from products and services. Positive impression should be an integral part of customer service strategy of business establishments targeted mainly to winning the hearts of customers. It provides favourable customer relations which encourages the continuous patronage of customers.

Organisations should build positive customer impression as the essence of business relationship with the clients. A positive impression created, enhances customer loyalty to the brands. Positive impression is to pay attention and to listen to the customers first, treat him or her fairly well, provide services promptly, be helpful, friendly and polite to the needs and wants of clients.

The loyalty of customers to the company adds value to the organisational profitability which translates into the employees pay packets by way of remunerations. Companies that have higher returns on investment definitely it on to the workforce. It is to the interest of employees to deliver superior customer service to the customers in order to attract continuous patronage which in the long run guarantees their wellbeing.

Creation of positive impression allows for retention of customers, facilitates the acquisition of new ones who are attracted by the reputation built on the brand. The benefit of this singular nugget is that it lowers the cost of ment to the barest minimum as customers are simply attracted by the brands identity. It requires service providers to always show customers the best side of their organisation.

In the competitive business environment, effective management of customer defection is sine qua non and one of the essential pre- requisites for companies to drive their enterprises to success and profitability. As a survival strategy, it is important that business establishments should see the customers as precious and the capacity of the employees should be built to internalise the values of rendering satisfactory customer service.

Positive customer experience is all that is required to keep the clients from defecting. To have your customers loyal for life, just nourish them with superlative services and the resultant effect is favourable increase in the bottom line.

CHAPTER 7

ATTITUDE TRANSFORMATION AND CULTURE CHANGE FOR QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY

O rganisations have strong desires to be a market leader, ensure profitability and have good returns on the shareholders’ investment, but one fundamental factor that holds the key to the realisation of these objectives is the attitude and culture of employees and service providers which do not really facilitate the service of the customers to the optimal level. It is the intention of every customer to derive maximum satisfaction from products and services but some attitudes and cultures in the work place are inhibitions to effective accomplishment of seamless transactions that gives the customer a sense of fulfilment and innermost comfort.

There are processes and procedures that constitute obstacles in giving the customer the best of services. The conception of these processes and procedures might have the best of intentions towards building a superior brand but consciously or unconsciously its implementations are negated which gives the customers a negative experience.

Some of these impediments are artificial creations and basically attitudinal in nature which prevents the successful customer service delivery. Service providers have to develop core values which are to guide in building a superb service culture to facilitate the enhancement of market dominance of products and services. The reorientation of the employees through capacity building are to serve as a major driver of customer service strategies of companies and should be given top priorities to make them adapt to essential values that will change their perception of customers positively.

Changing the mind-set of employees must be paramount in the re-engineering process of organisations as positive transformation of employees’ mind-set places business establishments at an advantage of increasing fortunes. Development of service skills of employees should form part and parcel of the entire customer service initiative of companies. Customers play indispensable role in the repositioning of organisations for greater profitability. It is therefore imperative to put necessary strategies in place to sustain their retention and loyalty.

It is absolutely important for business enterprises to enthrone best practices that will guarantee positive customer experience, as the care of one customer translates into making other numerous customers happy which have the tendency of building their confidence on the brand.

Customers’ aspirations as it has always been should be targeted to get the best of services that is of world class standard in order to guarantee their continuous patronage and loyalty. Serving the customers right and well gives the needed impetus for a comeback for repeat business opportunities. Organisations have to create necessary machinery to be the best in customer service delivery in order to ensure that customers derived optimal service. This is because one gives what he or she has which is a very important fundamental law of nature. No one gives what he or she doesn’t possess, most employees render delightful service experience because it is in them and they radiate it through their outward appearance.

Positive attitudes revolutionise organisational fortunes for continuous growth and all round success. It is the platform for higher altitude in business. Companies should not maintain the same level which negatively affects its operations but must institute transformational processes and strategies that will change the face of customer service delivery. When attitudes of employees are favourably disposed to the customers, it conveys a feeling of appreciation and self-worth and that the customers are wanted for more business relations.

Positive attitude of employees is basically what gives the customers encouragement for more patronage. Service providers should ensure that customers are adequately cared for and that employees exhibit the right attitudes that will influence customer loyalty to the brand.

Negative attitude is an enemy of efficient service delivery of companies; it stands against organisational performance, growth and returns on shareholders’ investment. The effect of negative attitude on organisations is that it retards customer’s patronage and invariably hinders to considerable level its revenue generation. Negative attitude stunt and kill business potentials as it does not give the customers the desired drive for a repeat business.

The success of business establishments is dependent on how fast it can go in reorienting the attitudes of employees in favour of customers. Complaint of dissatisfaction of customers mostly borders on employee’s attitudes, companies should let employees be aware of how invaluable they are to the overall success of enterprises. Employees holds the key for unlocking the vast potentials of organisations and are indeed the last resort of turning around their fortunes for the better. But this can be achieved only by instituting appropriate measures that will build the capacity of the workforce for improved performance.

Positive attitude transformation is a call for a change of mind set in the way and manner the service of organisations is being rendered to the customers, it is about a change for the better in the overall customer relations strategy. It is insightful and timely to reposition business enterprises to operational efficiency through a robust customer service strategy that is not only at the conception level but is implemented to the fullest to give the customers the needed satisfaction.

Attitude transformation is absolutely necessary at the present state of service delivery of organisations because what you don’t change by transformations tend to conform as a business practice. Companies must aspire to be a market leader and have a competitive edge in their line of business by instituting appropriate

mechanisms for continuous improvement in their service delivery content to the customers.

The cardinal objective of companies to remain in business should be to provide qualitative services and appropriate pricing to increase revenue generation. To achieve these noble intentions, there must be a change from the bad business habits to a new and better way of doing things to enhance customer satisfaction. Service providers have to re-orient the employees to adapt positive values and attitudes to serve excellently. In the contemporary economy, one has to be amenable to changes which are the norm in customer service delivery to enhance improved performance.

To be averse to customer service is to retard the propensity of growth of organisations. Giving the customers a pride of place in service delivery of organisations is to make the best of service available to the end s of products and services in order to ensure continuous patronage.

Positive attitude transformation and culture change should be a continuous process targeted in repositioning the employees for productivity and the establishment into becoming service leaders and champions. Most employees have a mind-set that is stereotyped with its resultant effect of not giving value to the customers no matter what; they feel less concerned about providing services to the customer even though he is to be treated as a king of which he is.

Basically, the mind-set of frontline employees is a major problem leading to poor customer service delivery; not until this mind-set is transformed the problem associated with organisational growth and profitability and of course the inability to add value to the customers will persist.

Negative attitudes in the work place have scared most potential customers from

patronage which is detrimental to the reputation of organisations. I have had a personal encounter with frontline employees whose appearance and attitude are enough signals to dissuade a potential customer from patronage. Appearance and dispositions of employees should be paramount for customer-centred organisations to facilitate easy access to service by the customers.

In customer service delivery, emphasis should be for employees of all strata to put smiles on the faces of the customer under any circumstance or guise. Treating the customers fairly enough builds their self-worth and drive for a repeat patronage. There is absolutely no point to be cynical with the customers rather they should be respected and ed at all times.

Right dispositions of service providers in providing excellent and qualitative services are what really endeared customers to a particular brand. Business establishments should institute a long lasting relationship with customers by positively affecting their experience. The mystery of customer turnover is simply to transform your establishment as rendezvous of best practices and superlative services.

Companies can embark on massive ment and brand development to promote the patronage of their goods and services but failure to change the orientations of the employees will definitely rub off on the intended objectives. Attitude transformation and culture change requires total commitment of management to drive the process leading to the institutionalisation of positive changes that will revolutionise the entire business operations. These changes must come in two dimensions namely, management adoption of best practices in the conduct of work process and employees’ dedication to quality service delivery to impact positively on the customers.

Changing the attitude and mind-sets of employees for quality customer service demands that management must take the employees as an important part of the organisation without which the organisation is incomplete just as the head is to

the body. Employees should be seen as an important resource and asset whose contributions are indispensable to the growth of the enterprise. As the individual components of a chain are important to the parent body, each employee is important to the success of the organisation in its entirety.

Employees must be given value because what is attached with value comes out with optimal performance. Value is what is attached with considerable importance and worth. When employees are valued and respected, they feel it and know it and it translates in their performance and quality of work. To get the best of customer service delivery from employees, it is imperative that management should create conducive work environment for business to thrive, remunerate employees appropriately and reward high performance. Like a seed of corn or maize sown, what will come out in harvest season is multiplicity of seeds better than what was planted initially. When a robust service culture is enthroned it will result in excellent services delivery.

The desired changes on the part of the employees must be directed into the perception of the customer as indispensable to the realisation of the objectives of the enterprises. Employees have to see the customers first of all as the reason of their employment and as the very essence of the organisation being in business. The customers must therefore be served in a humane and friendly manner in order to keep them loyal for life.

Transformation of employee’s mind-set as part of business strategy does one thing, it leads mainly to the redeg of the services around the customer through the provision of seamless and satisfactorily services which have to be made more convenient and valuable to the customer’s expectations. Services of organisations therefore have to be made to really satisfy the customer rather than to cause frustrations, rancour and bitterness. To satisfy the customer is to prepare him for a repeat patronage. Service providers should aspire to add value to customers by enthroning best practices and the orientation of the employees to the organisational culture and philosophy.

Part of the strategy of the transformation of organisations for excellent customer service delivery is that business enterprises should be proactive in the choice of their employees. Without absorbing the management of the short comings associated with the desire of the customers to get the best of value added services, the quality of the employee is paramount in the determination of the type of service they provide. The quality of the organisation is determined entirely by the minds that made up the entire system. Companies should project the future in taking decisions as mistake of today will definitely affect their performance and profitability of tomorrow in of recruitment of employees.

Problems of quality service delivery mostly lie in giving the right job to the wrong person. Some people have natural inclination for service, others requires capacity building in the form of training and re training to get the best from them while some are not just right for the job. They are basically not trainable and ready to learn skills and values. The right employee gives the right service but the wrong employee definitely gives bad service.

Companies should strive to employ people driven with ion to cause positive changes that will ultimately give satisfaction to the customers. Service quality and customer service are people driven. To derive the best of service, this all important factor should be given adequate consideration, priority and attention it deserves. The objective here is to get optimum performance from the employees in of giving customers value and the desired positive experience.

Service providers should be mindful of recruiting employees that can readily align their values to what the brand stands for, positive behaviour or attitude should be the essential requirements in arriving at the choice of the right candidate. Attitude transformation and culture change in organisations lie in the customer getting the required services which facilitates higher returns on investment. Transformation brings positive changes to the company in the form of customer loyalty, increase in revenue base and to the employees, it results to improvement in remunerations and service delivery.

Attitude transformation usher’s companies to have competitive edge over other competitors and increasing returns on investment, it facilitates the enhancement of retention and attraction of potential customers. The overall benefit of transformation process is that it helps companies to improve on the quality of the products and services to meet the expectations of the customers, by making the brands to be unique in of standard of service and product availability. Attitude transformation basically changes the mind-set of employees to productivity and increase in customer turnover.

Transformation re- engineering facilitates the building of organisational reputation and commitment of the customers to the brand which attracts more business opportunities. When customers are perceived as valued and special, it creates a positive reputation for the business establishment to thrive which attracts other customers and retain the loyalty of existing ones.

Building organisational reputation is essential for business survival and growth in the competitive business environment. Successful businesses are based mainly on turnover; companies should design robust strategies that will enhance brands reputation in order to improve customer turnover which directly gives the organisation the much needed competitive advantages.

The desirability of repeat business by business enterprises lies in the fine tuning of the operational processes to facilitate seamless transactions and positive experience of customers. A good business relationship considers the interest of its clients in the service strategy as customers prefer to patronise companies where they are properly and adequately served. Organisations should have vision and mission that gives direction on how to accomplish its goals; it is right attitude to the customer that drives service providers to the realisation of its potentials.

Service to the customer does not diminish one’s status, ego or social standing rather it brings the desired changes to the fortunes of enterprises which in the

long run is beneficial to both the employer and employees respectively.

Being of service to the customer is all that is required to transform enterprises to improved performance, all round success and stability. The magic wand to redirect organisations to competitiveness is to see the customer as the very foundation in which the company stands, it is therefore vitally important for business establishments to initiate policies that attracts and retains the customer.

ATTITUDE TRANSFORMATION FOR QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY FUNDAMENTALS

DEVELOP SERVICE CHARACTER

Customer- centred organisations must develop a reputation of quality services to the customers in order to remain competitive. It is important that companies should be known positively about its culture of service excellence which will make compromise to set standards near impossible. As the great philosopher Aristotle rightly posits “we are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”. What can be more true than this statement which comes from the master of ideas himself, the practice of excellence is a habit that occurs by performing an art more frequently.

Habit is nothing more than a combination of knowledge, skill and desire, when organisations and individual employees have the three basic functional elements; it translates to effectiveness and excellence which directly impacts positively on the customers. Service character is the development of qualities that are distinguishable to a service provider in meeting to the obligations of the customers. It is all about giving quality service in a more standardized, timely, friendly, polite, reliable, and in a transparent, efficient and effective manner.

Business establishments should have a service philosophy that will serve as a guide into the conduct of their operations. This presupposes that employees of all strata have to adapt to the culture of best practices and quality service delivery to the customer. Organisations must take customer service to the front burner in order to build a reputation for themselves. Positive reputation that is built as a brand identity becomes the tunic that gives impetus to customers’ loyalty and continuous patronage; this ultimately leads to improved

performance.

Service plan should be crafted and adopted and seen as a business strategy tailored to meet the expectations of the customer in order to enhance the profitability of enterprises. It is important that every organisation should develop a service plan and be willingly and committed to ensure its full implementation. The pre-requisite to gain market share lies in building customer’s confidence in the quality and standard of products and services. This will without any equivocation takes deliberate actions of companies to translate plans into reality.

HAVE A CONVICTION

There are tremendous benefits to be derived in the entrenchment of excellent service delivery as an organisational culture, apart from the enhancement of market share of brands; it builds confidence of customers for continuous patronage which translates to increased revenue. Service providers should be aware and convinced of what they stand to gain by the institutionalisation of excellent customer service delivery as an alternative to bad service. Excellent customer service is always a gain rather than a loss but when organisations ignore the fundamentals of quality service as part of its business culture, it pays dearly for it which results in low customer turnover and of course a downward trend in the bottom line.

Companies should be aware of the direction they are going and their stance on building a robust service culture in order to impact its positive ideals on the employees. When business establishments have strong customer service principles, the employees will have no other choice than to key-in or be kickedout. The survival of organisations in of performance and success is dependent on the commitment shown in the pursuit of best practices.

Business enterprises and the employees must be dedicated in serving the customers optimally as the quality of service at their disposal reflects in the overall organisational performance. Customers should be the central focus of business plan and the totality of what the company stands for. In serving the customer, it is important that the office environment should radiate friendliness, courteousness and of course the readiness to help at all times. ive behaviour of employees to the customers helps to build brand identity.

Organisations should aspire to service excellence by ensuring quick response to the customer’s needs. As a service provider, the consciousness of the importance of the customer must be developed and the principle of service imbibed by every strata of employees. When it grew as a culture, the company becomes better for it. The perception of the customer as the very essence of business success is the solution to quality customer service delivery.

DESIRE TO MAKE POSITIVE IMPACT

Business enterprises should make positive impact with the services they provide to the customers. One singular thing that marked organisations out for service excellence is to institute customer service strategy that sures the customer’s expectations. It is important to recreate and renew the services that are at the disposal of customers to be a lot much better than what other competitors have to offer.

Making positive impact on customer service delivery distinguishes organisations into having a competitive edge and builds continuous growth capacity of the enterprises. It requires being different in the service of the customer by basically incorporating value addition in the service strategy as a daily operational routine.

Companies should be service driven in order to reap the enormous benefits

attached to customer satisfaction which far out- weighed whatever excuses one may have for not paying attention to customer service. Organisations have to develop the orientations of quality service to the customers by words and actions and to ensure that employees imbibe the culture of giving the best of service to the customers first.

Service providers should first and foremost be conscious of providing quality service to the customers than making profits, as the enthronement of best practices is like the power engine that generates the light while service quality guarantees the success of enterprises. Businesses are to be built around the loyalty of customers and this is majorly achieved through creating an identity of service excellence and best practices of the brand.

Products and services no doubt are to be designed at all times to be unique in quality and standards in order to give customers the positive experience they deserve. Positive impact of service on the customers is the direction every customer centred organisations must go if she has to reap the desired outcomes which are grow in leaps and bounds. This basically can be achieved by building the enthusiasm of employees as part of everyday business practice which is to translate in an exceptional service to the customers.

When there are strong commitments by service providers for positive customer experience as part of the organisational core values, the employees have no choice than to align in giving the customers satisfactory services. For companies to remain in business and be competitive, they must necessarily provide visionary leadership targeted in rendering extraordinary services that are beneficial to the customers.

BE SERVICE CONSCIOUS

One of the quality service delivery fundamentals is the development of a deliberate action plan by organisations for continual service improvement. Some service providers pride themselves out of business by not considering the sensibilities of customers in the standard of products and services. The pride actually lies in not paying attention to the quality of products and services and the desires of the customer which is basically superlative services.

In the globalised competitive economy, no business is monopolistic. There are choices everywhere, failure to provide value and customer satisfaction drives customers to other alternatives. A loss in customer turnover becomes gain to other competitors ready to absorb the defecting customers. Leading companies are made out of conscious efforts to provide customer friendly and innovative services that are value driven.

The key to unlocking the potentials of organisations is to focus on the service of the customer. Pursuing the goal of a strong service culture is to ensure that the satisfaction of the customer is considered uppermost in the service strategy which results in the attraction of loyalty of the customers and leads organisations to the dimension of growth and market dominance.

Companies have to be conscious of the quality of products and services presented to the market as new customers are acquired through best practices and excellent service delivery. The acquisition of new customers has a high cost implications and they are very fragile to maintain in of continuous patronage, it requires therefore the provision of services that can translate to real sense of satisfaction to guarantee their loyalty.

FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMER

The favourable annual financial results churned out by business enterprises are

basically achieved when companies are built around the customers. It requires the concentration on customer satisfaction above every other thing to guarantee the repositioning of business establishments into buoyancy and profitability. Organisations have to engender the reliability of their products and services to the customers because confidence built on brands guarantees customers for life. To reposition companies for improved performance, executives and indeed managers must consciously be on top of customer dissatisfaction and bad service and to proffer workable and satisfactory solutions with safety valves that are built with value added services.

In the competitive business environment, it is imperative for organisations to anchor its brands on excellence with seamless transactions by the customers; this is the only panacea for winning the hearts of clients. Companies are to develop their products and services to meet the expected standards by doing those things that will make the customers better than he was and not worse off. A prompt, qualitative and timely service gives excitement to customers, this have to continuously be part of the service culture of organisations.

The contemporary world economy is driven by service fully ed by the people, process and technology. To have competitive edge over other competitors therefore requires customer service with the three essentials as the back bone of the enterprises. Organisations should not take customer patronage for granted, the secret for staying in business lies in providing opportunities for continual service improvement.

As a matter of business strategy, it is absolutely important for companies to enunciate vision and mission that is practicable and implementable which management should be able to drive seamlessly through commitment to standards of best practices and qualitative customer service. Employees of all strata must therefore buy-in to this very concept to ensure its full implementation. What really drives employees to the delivery of superior service above all other factors, is the management commitment to promoting the ideals of service quality and customer service programmes which are to be orchestrated

in every fora and are to indeed manifest in words and actions of business executives.

Purposeful leadership drives an enduring customer service strategy but when it lacks the political – will and commitment, the result definitely shows up in the type of service being delivered by the enterprise which often is to the detriment of the customers. Delivering world class service is not service for its sake but the type of services that sures what other competitors have to offer and which have the potential of placing the business in a pedestal of all round success. It is vitally essential for service providers to be value driven and to ensure that customers receive services at every point of business transactions.

Transparency is the basis for high performance of business establishments. Enterprises must be guided by integrity and full disclosure as a basic norm. When companies are not open to the customers in meeting obligations and commitments, it builds suspicion on customers which kills the potentials of the organisation. Services must be provided to the satisfaction of end s in order to get the reward of excellent service.

To get the attraction of customers and enhance their patronage, it is imperative that enterprises should over deliver on their promises, this builds trust and confidence on the customer. Paying attention to the requirements of the customers is not only to the immediate advantages of the service takers but it pays the company by the volume of customer turnover that are to be attracted which have a tendency of growing in leaps and bounds and of course its benefits trickles down to the accruable revenue.

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE TECHNIQUES

The following techniques are essential in building a strong customer service base that will really give organisations the desired distinctive competence to out – perform other competitors.

BE CHEERFUL

The strategy for winning the loyalty of customers is for service providers to steer up the employees to be in good spirit at all times and to do things that will induce customers for a repeat business. Getting the best of service from employees’ lies in the disposition of organisations to issues of motivating the workforce, it is like the biblical injunction of what you sow is what you reap. Companies get the type of employees they want by the type of policies in place. Employees that are taken care of will definitely render services that give the customers positive experience.

Most often, employees transfer aggression to the customers simply because of failure of management to institute appropriate remuneration strategies. The loser in the long run is the business enterprises rather than the customer who has at her disposal other numerous alternatives. Every aggression shown has the propensity of turning off the customer and dissuades potential clients from patronage. Managers and indeed business executives should appreciate the contribution of employees and openly compliment them for their achievements through organisational memos and journals; this will serve as a magic wand that propels high performance.

Being cheerful to the customer does not compromise one’s standards or beliefs but radiates ambience of service which improves the overall customer turnover. To be happy does not change or reduce the status of the service provider rather it provides an aura that the customer is most welcomed and wanted. This feeling conveys self-esteem and encourages the retention and attraction of new customers. It is a simple customer relations strategy which organisations have to adapt and inculcate in the employees to achieve the corporate goals.

PUT A SMILE

Some customers no doubt have not been associated with people that show affection to them for a long time, having a disposition of friendliness and smiles as a normal business practise, placates and serves as a soothing balm to the customer. This important business strategy has a way of leaving a lasting impression and spur customers to become fans that are to be retained for life.

Frontline employees are to be continuously re-oriented on the application of best practices that will add value to the customers in their relationship with the organisation. Putting up a smile to the customer has a tendency of dousing tension and calms frayed nerves. It is in itself therapeutic and engenders the needed cooperation and understanding by both parties in the service relationship. It should therefore be seen as an essential strategy targeted mainly towards building a lasting relationship with the customer.

Smiling, no matter how cosmetic it may appear, should be incorporated in the customer service strategy of organisations. Customer focused companies have to encourage to the fullest its application as part of the service culture as it enhances the attraction and loyalty of customers. Giving the deserved attention to the customers not only retain them for life but leads organisations to profitability and improve customer turnover.

SHOWER CUSTOMERS/EMPLOYEES WITH APPRECIATION

The general notion that the customer is the King and is always right is absolutely correct and should be given a pride of place in the service plan of business enterprises. Companies have to pay priority attention to the needs and satisfaction of clients. This is because organisations definitely cannot survive beyond the patronage shown by the internal and external customers. Employees and customers indeed hold the key to the success or otherwise of companies, without their positive contributions which comes in the form of loyalty and patronage, it will be practically impossible to achieve the goals that organisations set out for it selves.

Thanking customers for showing interest in the patronage of products and services is an essential strategy of customer service, this have to be encouraged by managers as part of the service culture. The fortune of organisations definitely improves over and over again with superior customer service; it is therefore to the advantage of service providers to compliment the customers and employees respectively.

The appreciation should also come in the form of rewards, bonuses, home delivery, price slashes, rebates or discounts, corporate gifts, increased remunerations etc. It is apparent to note that when customers and employees are appreciated it definitely enhances their self-worth and allegiance to the company. The loyalties of these two essential groups of people are a major facilitator to organisational performance. Business executives and indeed managers should ensure that customers and employees are sincerely appreciated and given a word of thanks in recognition of their patronage and commitments. This singular action may look insignificant but its outcome results to a repeat business and superior performance.

SERVE PROMPTLY

Customers desire to be served speedily and in a timely manner, companies aspiring to attain the status of best practice should consider the sensibility of customers in the service strategy. A customer that is appropriately served to his satisfaction will definitely the company through word of mouth which is more effective in the customer acquisition process. It is to the advantage of organisations to attract customers through this form of ment which has no cost implications.

The secret of winning the hearts of customer’s lies in building a brand that emphasises quality service in an efficient and effective manner. Developing organisations as a supper brand is the totality of positive reputations acquired in the provision of excellent services to the customer’s delight. Prompt service delivery should be integrated as part of the organisational service culture as it enhances customer turnover. The requirement needed in having customers as fans for life lies in rendering an enduring service that meets the expectations of clients. Business enterprises are therefore to incorporate serving the customers promptly and rightly as part of the service techniques to minimally reduce the defection rates of loyal clients.

BE HUMANE

The overall performance of organisations in the market place is determined essentially by the level of customer relations in place. Business is basically a relationship and how far a company goes in the global economy that is characterised with competitiveness is dependent on the type of service available to the customer. When customers are accessing service from an organisation, they are entering into an affinity bound by service. Such relationship should be

conducted in a friendly, courteous, comionate, efficient, and above all to the satisfaction of the customer. It is a win - win situation in which both the customer and the service providers stands to benefit immensely.

Organisations should develop the consciousness of customer first approach among the employees, this takes whatever that concerns the customer to the front burner and as a basic priority to be attended to in order to meet their expectations. To gain market dominance of brands requires companies not take customer patronage as something whose benefits is temporary rather as what to be derived continuously.

Customers no doubt are important to the survival of enterprises, how enterprises are to perform in the ever changing business environment is dependent considerably on the allegiance of clients to products and services. Customer patronage should never be taken for granted but essentially they are to be nourished with superior service as every positive experience received from products and services crystallised to an inducement for a repeat business.

Best practices should be entrenched as a culture in the service delivery strategy of organisations. The basic requirement therefore for acquiring customers for life lies in treating every client with respect, provision of prompt, reliable and accessible services, paying attention to the customer needs and wants, quality products and services etc. Bringing human sensibility in the conduct of operation of companies are to be encouraged, it is important that adequate systems should therefore be truly entrenched by service providers to protect the interest of customers and employees respectively. The only requirement to outperform competitors is to exceed customers’ expectations and to nourish them continually with superlative services.

SHOW CONCERN TO THE CUSTOMERS

If you are interested in growing your company to greater heights, improved market shares and performance, then showing concern to the needs and wants of customers should be given a top priority in the service plan of organisations. Protecting the interest of customers at every service is an essential strategy of building customer loyalty, this specifically should manifest in enunciating policies that are geared ultimately towards the satisfaction of customers. It basically entails doing things for the sake of customers, business owners have to be mindful that the happiness of customers leads to organisational success.

The secret of market dominance of brands is dependent in the institutionalisation of a strong customer service strategy that really takes care of the interest of the customers before any other considerations; this enhances the reputation of business enterprises and attracts customers with minimal acquisition cost to the company. The performance of organisations in the market place lies in the entrenchment of best practices that are backed up with exceptional services to the customer. This has to be an important action plan to be embraced by service providers to carve a niche that will facilitate their survival in the competitive business environment.

Managers and business executives have to ensure that frontline employees are particularly concerned with the interest of the customers and the satisfaction of the clients should basically be considered uppermost in their schedules and responsibilities. This should reflect in meeting with the expectations, needs and comfort of the customers. It is absolutely important for service providers to always consider the service levels and the customer perception of standard of products and services as part of the deliberate efforts to enhance positive experience of clients.

To show concern to the customers is to go beyond the norm in order to let the impact of quality service to be felt by end s all the times. It is more of a right to serve the customers exceptionally rather than a favour because the

consequences of business enterprises ignoring this important fact has a possibility of leading to an unpleasant situation which are bound to affect the bottom line negatively. Providing customers with satisfactory services helps organisations to acquire market share of their brands and enhances competitive advantage.

STAY PROACTIVE

The performance of brands in the market place is mostly characterised by the extent of competitiveness of alternative substitutes, this lay credence to the fact that organisations must be mindful of their future prospect in the relationship with customers particularly in deg of the quality content of products and services. In meeting with the expectations of clients, companies must be prepared to anticipate the needs of customers and to put processes in place to achieve the objectives of providing satisfactory services to the clients’ delight.

It is basically to take positive actions to forestall service degeneration. To be proactive is not to be ive but to be positively reactive in taking strategic actions that adds value to the customers. Client service is the service that pays attention to meeting the needs and expectations of customers, service providers must be prepared to be amenable to the dynamics of changes that provides expectation reality to the customers.

Companies desirous of attracting the loyalty of customers to products and services have to be innovative as it is the golden egg that propels organisations to market dominance and success. Organisations must therefore adapt to market trends and changes to reap the benefit of customer service rather than being static in responding to customer requirements, the later choice is to sink into oblivion with its attendant consequences. One fundamental advantage of adopting proactiveness as a business practice is that it determines from the customer’s point of view, the standard and quality of service they desire and

prepares organisations to meet up with those expectations.

To have an edge over other competitors is to provide services that sur what is obtainable elsewhere; this presupposes going the extra mile to give the customers seamless and satisfactory services which leads companies to higher customer turnover and profitability.

INCORPORATE LOYALTY STRATEGIES

The incorporation of loyalty strategies in the customer service delivery programmes positioned business establishment to excellence and enhancement of value on shareholder’s investment. Companies need to devise mechanism of adopting this essential nugget to enhance acquisition and retention of customers.

The importance of making loyalty strategies part and parcel of brands is that it builds trust and confidence of customers for continuous patronage. One spectacular thing it does is that it induces customer’s loyalty to products and services as if no other substitutes exist. To ensure profitability in business relations, companies must implement loyalty techniques as part of the customer service to make the brands more attractive from other competitors.

The following loyalty measures should be adopted as part of customer service strategy;

▪ Do the right thing to the customer as an organisational character

▪ Be a dependable and reliable brand

▪ Provide services that meet the needs and expectations of customers

▪ Deliver products and services as promised

▪ Provide services in an efficient, prompt and speedy manner

▪ Be known as a high performing company

▪ Facilitate easy access of customers to the services of the organisation

▪ Show customers that you really care and build their self-worth

▪ Enhance the quality and standard of products and services

▪ Build frontline employees with capacity to be polite and friendly

▪ Take care of dissatisfied customers

▪ Ensure quick recovery from service malfunction and failure

▪ Let the customers have adequate information on products and services

▪ Service providers should perceive service levels from the customer’s point of view

▪ Be responsive to customer’s complaints and inject new ways of improvement in products and services

▪ Focus on creating customers with positive experience

▪ Do not over promise and under deliver.

Loyalty programmes are indispensable in positioning business enterprises into buoyancy and ensures continuous increase in the bottom line. Its implementation as an organisational practice translates to satisfied customers who are attracted for life. To be a best practice company is basically to inject the service culture with loyalty techniques that will ultimately lead to delivering of superior customer service. Superior service more than anything else is what guarantees competitive advantage over other competitors. It gives brands a unique identity that attracts the patronage of customers.

PERSONAL SERVICE

In the competitive business environment, personal services really distinguish

organisations from its peers, the volume of customer turnover is a resultant effect of how personalised its services are perceived by the customers. The key that unlock the potentials of organisations for competitiveness and market dominance lies basically in tailoring products and services around the customer’s requirements so as to enable the end s derive the optimum best. In business relations, companies are represented by individuals; personal service is therefore to see the organisation or the individual establish an enduring relationship with customers that are backed up with exceptional service. It is to design the service around the customer with the sole aim of providing satisfactory experience.

Personal service engenders the service providers to have adequate information about the customer such as name, phone number, email address, date of birth and other necessary personal information. Through this, customers are related with in an informal manner rather than formal. Personal service is a relationship with customers built around products and services that transcend mere transaction with a company.

Companies have to develop the culture of making a thank you calls or sending messages to customers for their loyalty and patronage, this singular action conveys feelings of honour, self-worth and builds a bond of relationship. Conveying greetings to the customers induces a repeat patronage and drives innermost attachment to the brand.

Service providers should as a matter of routine have personal with customers as part of the service culture in order to ascertain how satisfied or dissatisfied they feel with products and services and if otherwise take positive actions to bridge the observed service gap with apologies.

Personal service is to treat customers with respect, courtesy and to do things that will enhance the right customer experience. The key to growing companies to success and market share is to shower customers with love and appreciation which are of course without any cost implications and the long term effect

results in their allegiance which certainly metamorphosed to increasing returns on investment.

Frontline employees are to adapt the strategy of providing prompt services and thanking the customers with a smile for making a choice of the service of the organisation from other numerous products in the market. Companies therefore needs to make customers feel very comfortable and at home with products and services, home delivery, aftersales service, how are doing calls to clients, giving customers balance at a press of the button are techniques that facilitates the enhancement of customer service delivery.

Being hostile, not paying attention to the customer’s wants and needs should be jettisoned and a deliberate choice made to be of service to the customer. Delivering personal service motivates customers to be loyal for life and its benefits results in the enhancement of organisational growth and revenue. Personalised service should be provided to customers at every service to forestall organisations from being competitively disadvantaged. Business enterprises have to incorporate personal service as part of the customer service strategy to enhance the longevity of the establishment as a going concern.

INJECT VALUE TO PRODUCT AND SERVICES

Customers are always impressed when they derive maximum value from money spent on products and services. One of the strategies of attracting and retaining customers is by consistently ensuring that value is added to brands which are to give clients the much needed positive experience. Companies must first of all provide services that will induce the loyalty of customers before the expectations of returns on the investment. The benefits of providing value that delights the customers are tremendous; apart from the expected increase in turnover it positions organisations into having an advantage over other competitors.

Incorporating value to products and services creates brands reputations which are alluring to the customer. What really induce customers for patronage are the standard and quality of products and services and not necessarily the price. The creation of value in brands therefore is a customer service strategy that should be embraced by every business enterprise to enhance the retention and acquisition of new customers.

The success of business establishments no doubt depends on the number of customers that repeat their patronage. Most companies are not doing well or at near extinction as a result of the inability to be driven by value. To turn customers into fans that are loyal for life, companies must incorporate best practices as a norm in their customer service plan of action. Best practices typify excellent culture of service delivery and nothing short of it.

In the ever dynamic market that is characterised by competitiveness, the provision of innovative, convenient, value added and excellent services is no longer a choice but a necessity that will ultimately drive organisations to superior performance. It becomes therefore a preferred destination for service providers that are proactive to deliberately choose the option of providing satisfactory services in order to attract the needed loyalty of customers.

In the competitive global economy, it is absolutely necessary and important for service providers to increase their brands worth in order to enhance market share. The attainment of superior service or brand is to distinguish the organisation from other competitors which comes by providing services that have high value content and capacity to exceed the expectation of customers.

To improve the performance of organisations in of profitability and returns on investment requires companies to include creation of value as part of the customer service strategies. When customers have a perception of something

extraordinary in products and services which really enhances their satisfaction it leverages on their patronage and loyalty. Implementing value added services, positions organisations for competitiveness and builds customers’ confidence on the brand.

CUSTOMER RETENTION

In the modern competitive economy, service providers have to develop the act of retaining customers who are indispensable for the survival of business enterprises. The importance of customer retention as a business strategy therefore cannot be overemphasised. Organisations have to initiate retention strategies in their processes and procedures to facilitate customer’s loyalty. Customer retention basically should be propelled by companies to facilitate employees buy - in when this is champion by management, it has a prospect of conditioning their behavioural pattern in favour of the customers.

When business establishments are driven by ion for best practices and excellent services they are better for it as customers are attracted for continuous patronage. Customer retention in essence is a relationship that is built on exceptional and delightful services in which the service provider institutionalises a robust service culture whose outcome results in a positive experience to the customer. The resultant effect is repeat businesses which give rise to brand allegiance. One of the basic strategies of customer retention is to offer qualitative brand promotions with fabulous prizes to induce customers’ patronage. Promotions redefine customer behaviour just like carrots motivate employees for goal directed behaviour; it propels clients to enhance their patronage.

Brand promotion is an action /reaction strategy in which companies do something positive that triggers response from customers. MTN. Globacom, United Bank for Africa, First Bank, Coca-Cola, 9mobile, Airtel, Fidelity Bank is reputed in applying this technique to boost sales and customer loyalty. Companies should use promotions as a customer service strategy to attract potential customers, acquire and retain the existing ones.

Advertising attracts customers no doubt but it does not just stop there,

companies have to go the extra mile to devise loyalty strategies to retain the acquired customers. Word of mouth referral is significant as it practically tells a story that a client has just been satisfied. One person that is given such an experience will definitely go and tell ten (10) others more, imagine the magnitude of the customers that are to be acquired by this means and the reverse is also applicable in this regard.

Organisations actually devote huge sums of money in their annual expenditure pattern to entice customers through ment but are most often apathetic or reluctant on how to keep the acquired customers loyal. Providing quality services and giving the customers positive experience is one best and sure way to retain them.

Employees who interact mostly with customers are to be trained and re-trained on best practices in order to build a strong service culture. Continuous capacity building of employees on quality service techniques should be encouraged if one is to reap the much desired benefit of customer retention.

Paying attention to the needs and wants of customers with a view to meeting their expectations should be given top priority in the service strategy of organisations to engender the acquisition of clients that are to be loyal for a long period. Companies have to institute positive changes in the customer relationship management targeted mainly in providing satisfactory services that will ultimately keep customers from defecting to other competitors. It is equally important for business enterprises to build their brand reputation through quality service to the people to enhance the retention of customers.

Customer retention is like gold that organisations must work very hard to secure and sustain. When this is achieved, it put business enterprises in a vantage position for growth and continuous increase in the bottom line.

Most business enterprises instead of devising strong strategies to attract and retain their customers rather repudiate clients by putting negative clauses in receipts and invoices. Indeed, enterprises and individuals that indulge in this act might believe or think that this is a clever way of curtailing customers from returning defective products but this after all is a wrong assumption which are bound to make customers think twice before putting their money down for any transactions.

Customers are comfortably attracted to patronise brand of products and services that are guaranteed. Putting these clauses in official receipts and invoices are anti customer service in which individuals that delights in this act will soon witness low patronage or outright defection to other numerous competitors that actually value customers’ worth. Some of these clauses are as follows;

▪ Customers are advised to check their goods before acceptance as we take no responsibility of accepting returned goods

▪ Tested OK. No refund of money after payment. No Guarantee. No exchange. No claim will be considered after payment or Delivery. Thanks and call again

▪ Received the above goods in good condition, No refund of money after payment

▪ Luggage are carried without inspection and at owner’s risk

▪ Goods sold in good condition are not returnable. No refund of money after payment, Thanks for your patronage, Call again.

With these conditions, can the customer ever be willingly to call again? Will he not look for better alternatives where the and conditions are more favourable and customer - friendly? Certain processes and procedures which are developed unconsciously overtime have a tendency of giving customers a wrong signal and are bound to dissuade them from patronage.

The and conditions as shown above has a potential of keeping customers away, business enterprises should re -strategize their operations to accept responsibilities. It costs really little or nothing to guarantee products and services with warranties and to pay compensations where necessary, they are all targeted to keeping your customers and making them loyal for life.

Business enterprises have to pay attention to customer’s needs and wants, accept return of products within a minimum of four (4) weeks and offer replacements or outright refund of money as the case may be. It pays a service provider to be at loss than to lose a customer. It is absolutely cheap to maintain a customer than to acquire new ones, the secret to customer retention is simple; just be helpful and caring and the benefit of a strong customer service will manifest to your advantage. The application of this technique is essentially targeted in winning and retaining customers.

T.M. Lewin a popular shirt brand has a way of ensuring that its customers are loyal, every product purchased from their shop is guaranteed with the following statement, “If you are not completely satisfied with this shirt you can return it to us anytime within three months with your receipt of purchase for a full refund or exchange”. What a better way of building a strong business relationship, there is no customer that experiences this type of dealings that will hesitate not making a repeat patronage. Companies and indeed business enterprises should be proactive on the immense benefits they stand to gain by being fair and just with the customers.

The strategy of sustaining a business is not basically to earn profit but by doing those things that will make a dissatisfied customer to be satisfied and attract him for a continuous patronage. The benefits of this customer service strategy far out - weighed their cost implications. Best practice companies like KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa airlines utilise this singular opportunity by paying their customers for service delays and loss of cargo. It is when customers are served in a more professional manner that it can result to higher customer turnover. There is absolutely no difficult customer, it only requires pampering and nourishing them with good services and they will definitely turn to your fans and become loyal for life.

Customer retention is as easy as A B C, when organisations develop personal relationship and the culture of doing things that will provide satisfaction to the clients at every service points, they build positive reputation and experience for the customer which facilitates repeat business. The best way to attract and retain customers is for service providers to be considerate with clients and take their interest as uppermost in the scheme of things.

Institutionalisation of best practices in companies and paying particular attention to the needs of customers has a resultant effect of inducing clients for patronage. Customers are like babies the more you pamper them, the more they are attracted to you. To enhance the retention of customers, it is important that service windows should be committed in meeting the needs and wants of customers.

There is absolutely no sacrifice for business enterprises to make that is too much to facilitate the retention and attraction of new customers. Every customercentric organisation is dependent on the loyalty of its customers to remain in business, so what must be done to ensure that this very indispensable partner derives maximum value for his money is indeed a worthy venture.

It is imperative that companies have to reflect efficiency, effectiveness, innovativeness, dependability and quality in products and services to influence

customers for a repeat patronage. Customers will definitely turn their back on companies when their satisfaction is not met and this is a wrong signal which is detrimental to the overall performance of business enterprises.

Organisations have to propagate the importance of customer retention to the employees and make it the concern of all, when employees are aware that the company’s philosophy lies in delivering excellent services to the customer, it gingers them to give customers an experience that will be very memorable for a long time. The achievement of customer retention requires that service providers are to act differently in the overall interest of customers; it is therefore an essential route to success and growth of enterprises.

The benefit of instituting customer retention strategies is tremendous for both the organisation and the employees; this is to the extent that if the services provided are good for the customers it will definitely trickle down to enhancing the profit margin of companies and lead to the overall improvement in the remunerations of employees. Service providers should initiate retention action plans in their customer service programmes and ensure its implementation to the fullest in order to be repositioned for greater patronage.

CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGIES

Customer retention revolves around the following strategic actions which are essential for organisations to build a superb brand; produce product and services, create demand and provide . These are systemic in nature as they are interrelated and highly interdependent, the three goes together in having a brand that gives customers and companies value and growth respectively. Organisations that really desire to have a market share of their brands should strategize products and services in accordance with the three essentials. Until companies begin to design brands in this order, business potentials will be unattainable in meeting the objectives of its shareholders.

PRODUCE PRODUCT AND SERVICES

A critical factor that motivate customers in maintaining loyalty to products and services lies mainly in ensuring that quality content of brands is standardised and followed consistently. Before products are lunched into the market, it is important for organisations to create quality control and product guarantee, this is what will attract and propel customers for continuous patronage and retention.

Companies are to enthrone excellence as a norm and this mainly is to guide in the daily operations of businesses. The touch of excellence as embodied in products and services is what distinguished organisations in the market place and ensures competitive edge over other brands. This is not surprising, as companies like Honeywell Flour Mills Plc is reputed for top quality products to make the lives of its numerous customers more enriching. This flour mill giant has carved a niche in the market place for its wide range of products in of high quality standards that is associated to its brands. No wonder its flour products are pride as more than just a meal.

Products and services right from conceptualisation should be created to satisfy and meet the needs and aspirations of customers. This forms the basis of introduction of easy life post-paid package by Etisalat which is an innovation created mainly to lower customers cost tariffs to all networks and to make life really easy with affordable and high quality calls. The telecommunication company as household name in the industry has a firm belief in giving customers value as a matter of corporate objectives.

Uncompromising commitment to quality is an edge which distinguishes organisations from its peers. This should be a long term strategy targeted mainly to the acquisition and retention of existing customers. Creating top quality in

brands is to be one of the core values of organisations and it must come with commitment and willingness to serve customers exceptionally without wavering.

Products should be exactly what it is said to be, this will give impetus for the loyalty of customers. It is important for business executives to proactively craft service strategies with innovative ideas to effectively position brands in the dynamic business environment. Having foresight of what the customer really wants and making conceited effort to deliver quality services is what endears organisations to the customers.

Producing qualitative products and ensuring its availability at all times enhances customer retention. When business enterprises are in the out of stock syndrome and that service is not readily available or that they are not rendering the desired services that gives customers the expected positive experience, this of course retards customer morale for continuous patronage. Shortages in products and services supply chain convey a message to customers to seek for alternatives elsewhere.

The occurrence of this development results in the reduction in the market share and loss of revenue to the business enterprise. Companies therefore have to enunciate strategies that will make products and services readily available with appropriate quality and at the disposal of the customer.

CREATION OF DEMAND

It is to the organisational advantage to make products and services in such a way that it will attract the continuous patronage of customers. Value addition is a necessary pre- requisite for customer retention and acquisition.

Great service or product is borne out of consistency with standards which are tailored mainly to meet the satisfaction of customers. Products and services are to be packaged to create distinctive brand identity and should be designed in such a way that it will be alluring to the customers. Nigerian Breweries Plc has been in the forefront of deg and repackaging its brand of products to be in conformity with the ever increasing demands of the lovers of this scintillating and alluring brew.

As an acclaimed leader in the brewing industry, the company has applied both innovation and quality to make its brands the customers preferred choice. What holds the attention of the customer will necessarily produce a demand, it behoves therefore on organisations to sustain product quality in order to have a fair share of the market.

The creation of demand for products and services have to be implemented holistically, it must be characterised with high quality, excellence and innovation which must be in accordance with the dynamic nature of the business environment. Cogipar group, a civil engineering and construction company has created a name for itself that is more precious than gold. This giant in the construction industry has ensured over years that the quality of its projects are durable and of high standards. It ensures that the project specifications are adhered strictly and quality are maintained beyond the expectations of project owners. At Cogipar, it is quality, quality and nothing short of quality. It not surprising therefore that the company and its subsidiaries are a household name in the construction industry.

Legendary service is delivered when brands consistently sures the expectation of customers. As a business strategy, organisations are to design products and services in a unique manner so as to have a competitive edge over other competitors. This comes through the creation of a mark of excellence in brands by which business enterprises are to be identified with.

Treating customers fairly well with quality products and services and more also with respect builds self-esteem, it is important that organisations should sustain this positive relationship as a business culture in order to attract brand loyalty which translates to higher turnover.

Products and services are to be developed to an acceptable standards and quality and with continual improvement to sustain the confidence of customers. Products should be properly designed, packaged and labelled to give an identity to the brand, the resultant effect is that it attracts customers and boosts the overall sales and profitability of companies. Customer defections can only occur when there are inconsistencies in product quality standards. The panacea therefore lies in guaranteeing the quality of products and services, so that brands could reflect what it is said to be without deviation.

PROVIDE

The quest of business enterprises to gain competitive edge lies in providing to the customers. Customers that patronized products and services for the first time and returns for continuous business relationship has been given positive experience that is definitely spectacular which of course becomes the pre-condition for the gain of their loyalty. Customers are life time partners of every organisation; the sustenance of this partnership is by being responsive to their ever changing and increasing demands.

Companies who shun giving customers great service is voluntarily committing business suicide at the detriment of the shareholders. Focusing on the customer needs and taking positive action to meet their desired experience is a vital strategy to sustain the loyalty advantage which is more to the organisational interest. No excuse is good enough to deny the right of customers to qualitative services.

Customer behaviour whether negative or positive depends mainly on the type of service made available to them. For organisations to gain market share of their brands, there must be total commitment to the provision of exceptional services targeted in meeting the needs of both the company and customers respectively. Sea Petroleum and Gas Limited popularly known as SPG has carved a niche for itself in the marketing of petroleum and allied products. As a major player in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, the company have distinctive competency in its services which is tailored to the needs of valued customers. In a bid to serve its numerous customers exceptionally, SPG has a unique platform where services that are offered to clients is customized through supplying of products at a single or multiple locations to suit their lifting patterns.

Customer maintenance is a principle which is found in delivering exceptional service which facilitates the winning formula for customer acquisition. One thing organisations can do to prevent the occurrence of product defect and service failure is to ensure commitment to quality standards. When it is inevitable to forestall this from happening, reinforcement strategies have to be adopted to ensure that customers derive the best possible experience. For organisations to maintain steady growth and loyalty of customers, it is important that business enterprises must recognise the need to continually encourage product and service improvements.

Employees play prominent role in the successful performance of organisations, to get the best of service from this vital resource, business executives have to listen to their suggestions and provide whatever possible assistance that will be needed to increase the service levels. The performance of employees is directly related to customer satisfaction, these two important factors work together, employees are therefore to be encouraged to enhance their productivity which has direct impact on the customers.

REASONS FOR CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGIES IN

ORGANISATIONS

In the competitive business environment, Customer retention is indispensable for survival of organisations. It is important that companies have to devise strategies to retain their customers for life. Organisations are in a customer business, everything should therefore be done in the interest of the customer as they give direction to the success and growth of enterprises. Once service providers are able to attract the customers with good and quality services, the business is sure to blossom in lips and bounds.

The only way to get referrals and continual patronage is to treat the customers well and with respect whether he or she is in a business relationship or not, that person could be a potential big customer that can make a whole lot of difference.

The following are therefore essential factors for customer retention;

ATTRACTION OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Business establishments should institutionalise best practices as part of the service culture in every day operations; it is only the provision of superlative services that really adds value to the customers that can have the potential to attract new ones. Customers will definitely be attracted or repeat their patronage only by doing those things that provide seamless transactions which results in giving the customers that delightful experience they most cherished.

Companies should build trust and confidence in products and services so that the quality can to a large extent be guaranteed - that is for the product to meet the satisfaction and expectation of customers and should indeed be nothing short of

this. Every customer has an overwhelming desire for value and when organisations create this very essential requirement, it becomes the lubricant that energises the enterprises to loyalty advantage and overwhelming success.

Customers’ desires to enter into business relationship that they can derive maximum satisfaction and not obstacles or stress, the moment the service provider guarantees its products and be committed to established and acceptable standards, that expected customer has already been won and can be kept for life by simply abiding with the ethics of service excellence.

It is therefore imperative that service providers should at all times render services that are commensurate or even sures the worth of money the customer is paying for accessing such services or products. When satisfactory services are provided by companies, it does not only ensure customer retention but entice potential customers too who are motivated by the positive experience gained by the existing customers. A proverb which says that a good market sells itself conveys a vivid description of what is to be derived from a good customer retention strategy that not only ensures the acquisition of existing customers but attracts the patronage of potential customers. Business establishments should therefore go the extra mile to really put into practice the innovative techniques that will change the face of service delivery to fascinate customers into patronage.

IMPROVED TURNOVER

The implementation of customer retention strategies is basically to the advantage of organisations as its benefits reflects in both the volume of customer and revenue respectively. Each time customers are before a service front line, it is important that companies give them positive experience as a right and not a favour. Incorporating best practices as organisational culture builds a relationship that are bound to last for a very long time between the service

provider and the customer which manifest tremendously in the company’s turnover.

Basically, the satisfaction of customers should be paramount in business relations as a client who is happy speaks favourably about the experience with the company, this of course facilitate in creating positive reputation and increase in the bottom line which is occasioned by the patronage of more customers.

Customer retention strategies are indispensable for improved performance as it holds the key for the enhancement of maximum capacity for organisational growth in all dimensions. Companies should see customer retention as an essential practice geared towards the satisfaction of clients and to having a competitive advantage over other competitors. Customer retention as a business strategy should be pursued with all amount of vigour and commitment to create customers that are always satisfied with product and services.

The benefit of excellent customer service delivery to companies far outweighed whatever cost to be incurred in its incorporation as a service culture. The enhancement of shareholders return on investments therefore requires business establishments to enunciate service values that will ultimately propel customers for continuous patronage.

REDUCTION IN THE COST OF ACQUIRING NEW CUSTOMERS

The inculcation of basic culture of best practices leads to customer retention and reduces to the barest minimum the cost of acquiring new customers as the fund that would ordinarily be used in sourcing for these customers can best be utilized into other pressing needs. It is important for business establishments to institute

strategies that will manifest into customer retention as it offers tremendous advantage which position organisations into greater dominance in the market place.

When companies create an identity of excellent service, it makes the cost of acquiring new customers cheap and easy as customers will be attracted basically through word of mouth referrals. The effectiveness of attracting customers by this means is dependent on the volume of clients who have been touched by the positive experience derived from the consumption of products and services. A happy customer will definitely tell others who will be attracted by that singular experience.

The provision of value added services is to the overall interest of companies than to customers as it reduces maximally the cost of running the business in of ment and promotions. When business establishments are reputed for excellence, it entices customers effortlessly as they always seek for a place to derive satisfactory services. The enthronement of customer retention strategies as a service culture therefore distinguishes organisations from other competitors as it facilitates growth which results in the increase in the market share and the bottom line.

ADJUSTMENT TO CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

The objective of every business establishment to attract and retain customers have to naturally translate into rendering services in a more professional manner and in accordance with international standard of best practices. Companies are to take their businesses to higher dimension by incorporating excellence in products and services as a basic norm to be imbibed by employees in carrying out their assigned responsibilities. This ultimately is what will distinguish organisations from other competitors in the market place in of the unique features that brands can easily be identified with. Essentially, service providers

should take first and foremost the satisfaction of customers as a priority in the overall business strategy by deg products and services to meet with their expectations.

Customers indeed desires and appreciate best of services which give them value of their monies worth, this is without exception to the class or category of the customer. It is a matter of strategy for companies to tailor their brands to what the customers really want rather than what they will prefer. Adjustment to the culture of excellence therefore, is to deliver personalised services that is timely with product guarantee and the quality which gets better and better every day, this is being consistence with service improvements rather than delivering services that is characterised with defects and of no value at all.

It is important to develop clients’ confidence to the brand by making extra effort to inject value to products and services as a matter of daily operational routine; this will enhance the winning of the hearts of customers for a longer period if not for life. A smiling customer is the one that gets better and satisfactory services, organisations should continually devise strategies to provide services that sur the expectations of customers. Positive experience is what motivates a customer for a repeat patronage; it is imperative that organisations should establish an enduring relationship with customers by delivering superior services that gives a life time experience.

The enthronement of culture of excellence as a norm in the operations of enterprises is the back bone that impacts positively on customers which results in their continuous patronage and has the potential to drive organisations to stupendous growth and profitability. Service providers should therefore ensure the delivering of exceptional services as a long term measure to facilitate customer retention. What separate organisations from others in the competitive business environment lies in the institutionalisation of culture of best practices targeted to the attraction and retention of customers. Companies should therefore develop the character of excellence as a business practice in every word and deed in order to position their brands into market dominance and competitive

edge over firms in the industry.

CHAPTER 8

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION AND IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY

I t is not an understatement to state categorically that corporate communication has great impact on the performance of organisations. The effect could be negative or positive on the bottom line of business enterprises. The way and manner service providers relate with clients either through memos, telephone, web sites or email conversations determines the quality of customers that will be attracted to the business of organisations.

It is a deliberate choice that establishment have to make if they must be relevant in the competitive business environment. Companies that desire to derive maximum returns from its business potentials must communicate well with the customers. Right Communication with customers is essential for the survival of enterprises as it provides an opportunity to ascertain the satisfaction and expectations or otherwise of the customer.

Corporate communication is essentially the expression of the feelings, intentions, concepts and information of an organisation to the customers and other stakeholders in order to facilitate the accomplishment of the desired objectives. Its application could be in the internal or external relations of companies. The transformation of enterprises as a market leader in the competitive business environment is solely determined on the extent organisations relates with customers. Every interaction with customers should be considered as important to the survival of companies. Right communication to clients position establishments to retain its customers and attract potential ones too.

It is absolutely necessary for organisations as a matter of business strategy to define and refocus its communication pattern to best serve the interest of customers and other numerous stakeholders. Innovation on products, job specifications, delivery time, quality of service, documentations, contract awards, available services etc of business enterprises must be communicated to the customers in the right perspective. The direction is to keep the customers informed and to get the best business relationship from them.

Appropriate communication with the customers builds positive reputation because a client that has a good conversation with an employee goes with the inner feeling of self-worth and accomplishment, definitely such a customer will repeat his or her patronage and will go to the extent of promoting the organisation through word of mouth to other potential customers. In the customer relationship management, it is a mandatory requirement that companies have to render services that will give the customers memorable experience. This kind of service leaves a lasting impression on clients. Negative communication portrays the service provider as unprepared to be of service to the customer, it dissuades customers from being loyal and create an unfavourable reputation which will definitely prove difficult to erase in the long run.

There is no one business that is a monopoly, all are in competition with one another, therefore how far an organisation can go is determined on how well and right it communicates with the customers. Right communication is a soothing balm that calms the nerves of customers, even when is obvious that he or she is not happy the language style determines the reaction to be received. The positive and negative electrical cable cannot be connected together when it does the outcome will be disastrous or outright electrocution. Negative communication retards business potentials and dissuades customers from patronage which is not beneficial to the pursuit of organisational objectives.

Employees are to note that every with the customers must be conducted in a polite, courteous and friendly manner all of which is to result in the desired

outcome that is beneficial to every organisational member.

The strategy of attracting repeat business requires that customers must be treated fairly and with respect. Customer’s interest whether real or imagined therefore should be considered as a priority. In order to reap from the loyalty advantage, employees should communicate right to get in customers and not to get them out, when companies begin to relate well with clients, it position the organisation right in the eyes of the customer which leads to higher turnover. Negative communication is the exact opposite of quality service delivery, service windows are to be of service to the customers rather than being repulsive, it pays organisations tremendously to always be helpful to the customer rather than to the contrary.

ESSENTIALS OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION IN ORGANISATIONS

SALUTATION

This is an important aspect of corporate communication targeted in building affinity between the service providers and the customers respectively. Communications whether in the form of oral or written must come with the exchange of pleasantries. What salutation does is that it engenders self-worth and friendship between the sender and receiver. A customer that is greeted warmly, feel appreciated and have a sense of fulfilment that he or she is being recognised and welcomed. Salutation be it to a fellow employee or the customer conveys a message of respect which is good in growing business potentials. Greetings to the clients are to be incorporated as part of the personal service that is directed in giving the customers a delightful and beneficial experience.

Organisations should promote this noble idea among the employees because clients who are respected with due regards and superb services are ready to show their loyalty to the brand. Offering salutations to customers are indispensable to a good customer service. Treating the customer well is an encouragement for a repeat business. It is the responsibility of the service providers as represented by the employees to offer greetings to the customer because the essence of business is to be of service to the customer and not thing more. This essential nugget does not reduce the service provider or the employee but rather it exalts them in the form of customer loyalty.

Some employees are so bossy that oftentimes they consider offering greetings to the customer a herculean task; this in itself is anti-customer service. There have to be a change of attitude for the better if organisations and indeed the

employees must reap the tremendous benefits that are attached in being of service to the customer. In the globalised competitive business environment, emphasis is placed on quality customer service targeted mainly in focusing the patronage of customers to a brand rather than on other numerous competitors.

Good customer service is the basis of keeping clients for life, the starting point of positive customer experience is to begin at the entrance to the service window (the reception area or customer service desk as may be called differently by organisations) where greetings and pleasantries are exchanged with the customers. Companies desiring to have an edge over and above its competitors should inculcate greeting culture as part of the customer service strategy to win the loyalty of its valued customers.

PERSUASION

The interaction between service providers and the customers in the official correspondence be it memos, email, telephone or normal conversations in the ordinary course of business should be persuasive, humane rather than confrontational. The overall objective of corporate communication is to build a relationship that promotes efficient service delivery.

Most times, communications to customers sends a wrong signal which retards to the fullest the overall goal of the organisation. To be persuasive is to give cogent reasons for actions and inactions. Customers need to be given information at all times and it is only the power of persuasion that can attract clients into patronage. Persuasion should be imbibed as an organisational culture to give the customers leverage and conviction on a particular products and services.

The absence of persuasive culture as an organisational practice is an obstacle in the quest of business enterprises to influence consumer behaviour. Development

of persuasive skills among the employees engenders confidence on the customers on the ultimate value to be derived from products and services. It is not meant to be deceptive but to present the facts as they are in convincing manner. My personal experience with the act of persuasion was when I went to shop for an Hp printer, I wanted to just buy a printer but I was made to see reasons why Hp photomart printer with three options of printer, scanner, and copier will best serve my purpose. I was convinced on the efficiency of the product and we struck a deal which lead to my purchasing the product.

Persuasion drives a customer who hitherto has not made up his mind to procure a particular product to change into buying the item. Its application as a business practice will be of immense benefits to companies simply as it stimulates clients into patronage.

The acquisition of persuasive skills by employees is a powerful instrument which is to positively change the fortunes of business enterprises. Persuasion must be incorporated with transparency to enable customers have a clear thought and understanding of items that form the subject of the transaction. Absolutely, it is the power of persuasion that distinguishes companies from its competitors and manifest greatly in the customers’ turnover which leads to higher revenue of enterprises.

PERSONALISATION

This is the process of deg official communication specifically to meet the needs and wants of the customer. Organisations must understand the expectations and personal idiosyncrasies of customers when dealing with them in order to achieve the most desired objectives. Corporate communication is incomplete when the receiver does not comprehend the intent of the message, it brings distortion in the analysis of the intended plan of action, the negative effect of this, is that it hinders efficient service delivery. Corporate communication

must be precise, clear and direct to the message that is being conveyed and of course targeted to meet a particular need.

Corporate communication to an organisation or individual customers must be personalised to give a semblance of direct dealing with a person. Personalisation of corporate communication is essential for improved performance of companies, it established a relationship with the customer which facilitates the bringing to management attention the obstacles that impinges on superior customer service that needed to be changed which ordinarily should not have been known or utterly ignored.

What personalisation of corporate communication does is that it creates the needed awareness for sustaining a strong customer relationship that will ultimately lead to business growth and success. It is absolutely necessary for business enterprises to determine the satisfaction levels of customers and their expectations through the personalisation of the very means of reaching out to them.

The whole essence of corporate communication is to improve the relationship between customers, employees and service providers. Business success lies on how this very important element is fine tuned into the organisational practice and culture. Personalisation of corporate communication boosts sales, turnover and productivity. Communicating with customers and employees in a friendly and courteous manner engenders confidence and self-worth which are bound to change the fortunes of enterprises. For business communications to achieve its intended objectives, it is important for organisations to buy into the concept of personalisation of services to ensure the realisation of its benefits.

BE GENUINE

Corporate communication thrives when the sender - that is the person or body transmitting the message or information is transparent and sincere without reservation in of being economical with the exact position of things. One of the obstacles to efficient service delivery is insincerity and the moment this is dealt with, it engenders trust and confidence which facilitate continuous business relationship.

Positive customer experience translates in the service provider not only behaving as expected but doing as promised. When the expectations are fulfilled, it boosts customer’s confidence on products and services and ultimately enhances loyalty to the brand. One spectacular thing transparency does to the growth of business enterprises is that it helps to improve the experience of customers and propel them to continue their patronage with the organisation. Insincerity in business relationships is an enemy of best practices because every customer desires to have an experience just as promised. The consequence of this unethical behaviour is antithetical to what the organisation and customers stands to gain in their relationship with one another.

Organisations should strive to enthrone best practices as a culture because its tremendous benefits translate into customer acquisition and retention. Service providers must develop the consciousness that they are in a business relationship with customers and when this is based on exceptional service that is devoid of short cuts, it builds brands reputation and identity which in the long run facilitates the overall performance of companies.

TIMELINESS IN COMMUNICATION

The beacon that drives businesses to success and market dominance lies in the swift response to the customers’ demand for service. What builds the confidence of clients to brands is the ability to be extra ordinary in dealing with issues that affects customers. Timely communication enhances organisational reputation.

Tell me an organisation that cannot break even and have returns on its investment and I will show you an organisation that does not value the sensibility of its customers in of when and how they are communicated to.

There is power in communication, the effect of communication could be positive or negative as the case may be. Every official communication in business relations opens doors for potential customers. The positive effect of communication culminates into customer attraction and retention, while the negative effect of poor handling of official communication invariably leads to disloyalty to the brand and customer defection.

Negative communication has retards the potential for growth of organisations, this occurs daily in the conduct of businesses. Corporate image of companies has most times been influenced negatively as a result of poor handling of official communication. The point is that bad communication conduct of a bad employee dissuades customers from patronage. When it affects one customer, like a contagious disease it has a multiplier effect on other numerous client of the enterprise. The nature of business environment requires managers to expose the employees on the rudiments of communication to have a comparative advantage over its competitors.

Business enterprises can only change its corporate culture by refocusing the employees to the acceptable standard of communication. Customers are always delighted when responded to in a timely and prompt manner. It can come either way by making the services available to customers in a more convenient form or attending to official documents speedily. Timely communication to customer’s needs and wants re-enforces corporate identity, image and performance of organisations. Customers that are effectively responded to, not only returns for more transactions but ensure confidence building on products and services which ultimately leads to brand loyalty.

The strategy to forestall the defection of customers which is the reactionary

effect of poor handling of official communication is simply to keep the customers adequately informed on product development, service failures or delays, confirmation order, contract award or other information that has the potential of facilitating seamless business transactions. Organisations that do not communicate to the customers or its employees are sitting on a gun powder waiting to explode- it manifest in poor customer turnover and dissatisfaction of employees which negatively affect the productivity of companies.

Timely response to official communication creates positive change particularly on the perception of the customer to the business enterprises and it engenders goals attainment to the organisation and the customer respectively. Timely communication facilitates continuous business relations which position organisations to the pedestal of market leadership.

The advantage of timely response to official enquiries ensures prompt business decisions and encourages brand loyalty and repeat business of customers. Companies should therefore refocus its communications strategies to ensure that customers are adequately informed and responded to their needs in a timely manner. The achievement of industry leadership and returns on investment lies basically on how companies are able to utilise its power of communication to the customers’ advantage.

BE EXPLICIT

Corporate communication should be targeted towards having positive impact on customers. When employees understand the intent of official communication, it helps them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. The essence of business transactions is profit and value maximization to both the service provider and the customers respectively. To the company, it is in of returns on capital invested and to the customers it is basically the satisfaction derived from consumption and usage of products and services. Service is not service

until the customer is optimally satisfied.

Companies in their dealings with clients must convey information in a plain, precise, detailed, open and candid form and of course without prejudice. When meanings are made from information provided it helps the customer to make an informed business decision. The advantage of explicit communication is found in the official relationship with customers that are devoid of ambiguity or misrepresentation of facts. It provides direction to where both the organisation and indeed the customers are going to realise their objectives. Explicit communication pattern is a deliberate action intended specifically to influence the behaviour and reaction of parties in the business relations.

To succeed in conveying information to end s, it is vitally important to take into consideration the position of the receiver of the message who is to make the value decision. Customers take delight when issues on service delivery are presented exactly the way they are without colouration. When information is not clear and to the point, customers are left to subjective interpretation which at the long run might not serve the actual objectives. Service providers should endeavour to present official communication in a clear direction and allow the customers the opportunity to make informed judgement.

PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS

In the conduct of corporate communications, the application of principle of fairness should be of utmost priority to organisations. The enthronement of fairness in the communication culture of establishments provides ample opportunity for establishments to increase their market share and be more competitive. Customers that are communicated in a fair and honest manner have the potential of repeat business and this of course engenders brand loyalty which guarantees the profitability of companies. Fairness in corporate communication presupposes being sincere, equitable, balanced and ive to the customer.

Organisations should create a platform that gives room for customers to be heard, this are bound to build confidence and continuous improvement in products and services. Businesses without equivocation blossoms base on patronage and commitment to products and services. For the retention of customers to be more effective, it is important to give each one of them equal and valuable services that meets their expectations.

CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY BASIC TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

Companies are basically in a formal relationship with customers and employees are to achieve the objectives which define the overall interest of the parties, one of the methods of facilitating these relationships is conversation through the means of telephone. It is important that business enterprises should explore the ways and means of communicating values to the customers in order to secure market leadership of their products and services. Service providers that relates well with customers by way of interaction through telephone calls engenders bond of attachment to the brand as result of the direct personal .

Calls put up to customers as simple as it may seem to be, does one thing spectacular, it enhances self-esteem, personal worth and loyalty to products and services. Every telephone interaction has the tendency of consolidating a long lasting business relationship and ultimately enhances the loyalty of the customer. Positive or right telephone conversation conveys inner satisfaction and delightful experience which creates tremendous impact on the competitive advantage of companies.

Organisations essentially relates with their customers and employees for a particular purpose which is fundamental to the continuous existence and success of the enterprises. Conversation through telephone is an important factor in corporate communication. Right telephone conversation ultimately attracts the right people who through their patronage and loyalty to the brand ensures that the organisation continually dominate the market place. Business establishments therefore exist in the first instance because of the faithfulness of the customers, to attract and retain this vital resource, the underlining factor lies in instituting appropriate telephone communication that is characterised with the right language and mannerism.

It is absolutely necessary that business executives should expose the workforce on the basic skills of telephone etiquettes through training and retraining. The overall impact of this singular decision will result definitely in building positive reputation for the organisation by directly positioning its products and services as a market leader. The point to note is that most employees lack the appropriate skill of engaging customers through telephone conversation, the consequences of bad telephone experience leads to customer defection which is detrimental to the overall objectives of organisations and of course the negative experience becomes a gain to other competitors who are ready to engage customers more meaningfully.

Customers essentially are very delicate, when there is absence of basic method of relating with them, they are bound to seek alternatives elsewhere, a drop of one customer signals the reaction of others which might take millions from the companies’ budget to acquire them.

Companies are essentially in a peoples’ business and the overall objective is to provide services which are to bring revenue through the patronage given by the customers. Products and services mainly are offered in the market with the people in mind who are to purchase the items for usage and their loyalty to the brand generally leads to improvement in the organisational performance. It becomes imperative to devise appropriate mechanism of communicating to the customers, knowing fully well that customers and the manner of interacting with them are important for the survival of enterprises.

No company will deliberately want to lose its customers but inadvertently this do occur in the daily operations of organisations by the application of wrong approach in responding to enquiries sought by customers. Front line employees might have actually provided the needed information as required by the customer, how good or bad this information were delivered remain to be answered. By not applying the basic principles and ethics of telephone conversation is a challenge which customer centric organisation should solve to position their enterprises into market dominance.

PRINCIPLES OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS

Like anything good, there are basic underlining principles to be followed and applied to get the best result in telephone conversation. With the advent of globalisation; effective use of telephone is therefore indispensable for the success of business enterprises. It is vitally important that service centred organisations should incorporate this nugget in their service strategy in order to give the customers a delightful experience. the issue is on service delivery and how customers can benefit maximally from every products or services at their disposal. The principles of telephone conversation if conducted in the right direction are a guarantee of winning the hearts of the customers.

The reasons for low customer turnover of brands are essentially dependent on how the customer representatives or frontline employees respond and handle issues put before them by the customers. These issues if properly articulated and sorted out serves as a soothing balm to the nerves of the customer who might have been aggravated by the reasons of unsatisfactory services.

Customer representatives must be knowledgeable of the company they represent. They are also to be aware of product information, quality standards and also be accommodating enough to be able to give the desired positive experience to clients. When the frontline employees have these basic facts at their fingertips, it becomes much easier to deal with every enquiries of the customer. Knowing these facts and applying the principles of telephone conversation effectively prepares the employees to solve whatever problem in the overall interest of the organisation and the customers respectively.

Every telephone call put through serves a particular purpose either for the service provider or the customer, but basically such calls should be treated in a prompt manner by the person who is to receive it. A caller has not succeeded

until the intention of making the calls has been achieved. Having the capability to institute a robust telephone culture is a milestone in the quest of organisations to attract and retain customers. It is important therefore that frontline employees in their daily routine should focus mainly on issues that have the potential in placating the customers.

The following are therefore essential principles of telephone etiquette that will change for the better the face of customer service delivery of organisations;

BE PREPARED

Preparation is the bedrock of any successful venture. A man who fails to prepare is preparing to fail. Customer service representatives must be versatile and wellgrounded with the business of their organisation in order to effectively respond to the enquiries of customers. Every customer who put a call through has intentions and issues to sort out.

Frontline employees have to be conscious of these objectives in dealing with the customer’s complaint. An employee who is not mentally and psychologically prepared will never be a solution to any problem. Customer service agents or representatives are solution providing desk. It is important for agents to have a firm grip of processes and procedures prevalent in the organisation to be able to respond appropriately to the customer satisfaction.

The success of the customer in finding lasting solutions arising from products and service defects depends to a large extent on the help provided by the frontline employees. Customers want their issues to be attended to promptly; preparation on the part of the agent is the rule of the game. An individual who is adequately prepared will go far in the race of life than the one who never prepare for anything. To effectively address the main purpose of the customers’

telephone calls, it is absolutely important for the customer service agents to be conversant with product information and issues concerning the organisation they work for.

It is anti-customer service for an agent who cannot fix a problem to a complaint to put a customer on hold for another colleague to address the problem. Customers’ desires swift action to every complaint made than delay in response times. Preparation therefore is the strategy customer service representatives have to adapt at all times to be able to provide satisfactory services to the customer’s delight.

SOURCING OF INFORMATION

Frontline employees whose responsibilities are to receive calls should be able to introduce the name of the company followed with greetings so that the caller will be sure that he or she is at right place. The agent will then seek for the caller’s name, address and telephone number if it is not known or shown on the screen. It is necessary at this point for the agent to go straight to main purpose of the call by asking questions on issues laid by the customer.

The representatives have to ask fundamental question to confirm that the product that formed the basis of the customer’s complaint emanate from the company. It is also important to ascertain the time and date of purchase of the product to be doubly sure that the product is covered by warranty in which the company is to take full responsibility for the defects.

Information sourcing is a basic principle of telephone etiquette. Without sourcing for product information, it will be difficult to know where the pendulum is to swing whether the company or the customer is to bear the cost of the product defects. How the agent manages the information at his disposal,

determines the value judgement that he or she is to take in of how the problem are to be fixed and who does what.

Empirically, customers that have unfettered access to the organisation in sorting out issues pertaining to products and services are more easily satisfied than the one that cannot reach the company to resolve their complaints. It is absolutely necessary that customer service representatives should equip themselves adequately with information pertaining to the companies’ products and services in order to give customers the needed positive experience with whatever issues they want to be settled.

LISTENING

This is a vital principle of telephone etiquette. Communication thrives when the caller is able to his message across in a seamless manner. There is a popular saying that when everybody is talking at the same time no one is talking, this is because information dissemination will be hindered as a result of noncomprehension of the intent of the message by both parties.

The basic rule of telephone etiquette is the ability to effectively listen to the caller – that is the customer. When the customer is ing a message or making enquiry about a product, the expectation from the customer service agent is to respond when the caller has finished putting his message across. Interjections like “Yes”, “No”, “I see”, “Is that so”, “okay”, “really”, “tell me something”, “Is that true” etc should be applied intermittently in the course of the conversation. This is necessary to show the caller that you are following and indeed paying attention to the issues at stake. Above all, the occasional interjections are required to open the caller up for more information.

The under listed question could be put up to the caller to show that the sequence

of the discussion is being followed, “How exactly is it”, “when will the consignment arrive”, “what is the shipping code “,” is it necessary for us to effect payment?”, “what exactly is the problem”, these questions propel the caller or the customer to offer more explanations.

The inability to listen to telephone calls of customers has a negative effect on the company’s bottom line. A customer that is satisfactorily attended to has a potential of remaining and doing more business with the organisation. Customers that are not attended to appropriately because of ineffective listening skills, takes his or her business elsewhere thereby defecting to other competitors. Apparently a loss of one customer is a loss of more ten (10) potential customers which results in the loss of revenue accruable to the company.

Customers that are given due attention in their quest for product information and complaint generally develops loyalty which leads to continuous patronage. Giving customers positive experience is to put control to reactions that will precipitate to defections to order competing brands. Companies should inculcate in their employees the culture of providing satisfaction to clients at all times. The strategy of building a super brand lies in tailoring businesses to serve first and foremost the interest of the customers.

It is important that frontline customer service agents should be exposed to listening techniques in order to serve the customers better. Without developing these potentials of the agents, the organisations will not be better for it.

The following are essential skills that customer service agents should develop effectively to facilitate the provision of exceptional services to the client’s delight.

➢ Assemble the facts of the matter

➢ Be calm ➢ Explain thoroughly ➢ Listen and pay attention to the customer ➢ Be knowledgeable with product and service information ➢ Minimize your interjections ➢ Placate the customer ➢ Be ready to be of help ➢ Speak with moderate tone ➢ Take action ➢ Take responsibility if the customer has a genuine case ➢ Offer apologies

TELEPHONE BASIC ETIQUETTE

With the increasing number of clients who desires to do good business with organisations notwithstanding the geographical proximity or distance, telephone becomes a valuable tool to reach out to the customers. The way and manner customers are communicated with has a tendency to affect their dispositions. When dispositions of the customers are positively or negatively affected, it manifests on the success or otherwise of the company. It is vitally necessary for customer service representatives to develop a telephone skill that will ultimately translate into the establishment and maintenance of excellent relationship with clients. Customers want solution to their complaints; these complaints no doubt could be real or imagined. It behoves on agents to establish the true position of customer complaints and to go all the way to provide remedial measures that will resolve the issues amicably.

It is the skill of customer service agents which are developed through training and retraining that are best utilized to solve a perceived problem either to the customer or the organisations advantage. Customers can have an exciting interaction with an agent even though the complaint might turn to his or her disadvantage. Companies should provide the needed to develop the skills of agents because a developed customer service representative is an invaluable asset capable of boosting the dominance of the brand.

Business executives have to be conscious of the fact that customer service is a friendly and helpful profession. In the recruitment of customer service representatives, it is vital to sought for employees that have client service skills. Reps must have natural ability to serve and be courteous to people both in body language and speaking. It is mandatory that customer service representatives must possess the right attitude, personality and aptitude to perform the relationship roles effectively. This is the basic attribute of a customer service agent that worth his or her onus.

The strategy to outperform competitors and win the loyalty of customers is to tailor services to meet their needs and satisfaction. Organisations cannot achieve its immeasurable potentials by retaining in its employment frontline employees who hate customers. These types of employees no matter how they strive to perform, it is practically impossible for them to give satisfaction to the customers because they lack the flair and it has not been natural to them.

The following are essential telephone techniques that will position organisations effectively in dealing with customers in order to enhance market share and profitability.

GETTING STARTED

This is part of the deliberate effort towards building a sustainable business or personal relationships. Telephone interactions should key - start with an exchange of greetings. It is a major technique of welcoming customers. Callers who were given warm and sincere greetings are bound to be retained. It helps to establish a more resounding relationship. When callers put a call through, the first step to be taken by a customer service agent is to exchange pleasantries with the caller. Followed immediately is the introduction of your name and subsequently ask the caller of his or her name. The benefit of this action is to create a bond of familiarity and relationship which gives the caller the feeling of self-worth.

The next step is to introduce the company; this is basically to ensure that the customers call is routed to the right place, it could be either way of the above but the best of the two is to introduce the company followed by the name of the person receiving the call. The third essential step is to ask the customer “How may I help you”. This is important because the caller has a purpose in mind for

making the call in the first instance.

The customer service agent as a matter of courtesy must ensure that the caller has fully exhausted the issues that formed the basis of the call. This should be followed with an expression of appreciation to the customer or the caller. It is important to make sure that the caller has dropped the receiver before hanging up the telephone.

Customers that are appropriately and satisfactorily attended to, certainly will stay with the brand. Brand loyalty is created by the extent of attention shown on the customer. Customer acquisition is like an omelette that takes little effort to break and quickly turn to its final state before actual consumption. The enthronement of customer service culture takes hard work and commitment to nurture. Once it reaches its maturity its dividends begin to manifest to the overall benefit of the company.

POLITENESS

Customers want to be treated nicely and in a fair manner. An obstacle to service delivering is when the customer service representative or a frontline employee becomes repulsive by the type of conduct exhibited in the interaction with the customer. Whether the actions are not intentional or deliberate, it will definitely result in hindering the customer from continuous patronage. Business executives have to consider the exhibition of politeness by agents and employees as a strategy towards enhancing the satisfaction of customers.

Clients that are cared for and treated well in business relations are already acquired. It does not need much advertising to attract these types of customers. Simply being courteous and friendly are enough inducements of customers to products and services. Every negative experience given to a customer translates

into loss of other potential clients to the brand and will consequently leads to decline in the market share.

To be polite is to show good manners and respect to the customers. Agents and indeed employees must understand the sensibilities of customers and to know how to maximize it to the advantage of the organisation. A customer is king goes a common saying, but indeed they are in the actual sense of the word. This is basically as a result of the fact that they are critical to the success or otherwise of organisations. To get the most of customers, the underlining principle therefore is to show affection and treat them as nice as possible. This does not in way make the employee to be cheap or not be the very person he or she is.

Companies should be aware that they are in business that is driven by people and everything should be done to ensure that these essential resources are pampered in order to acquire them for life. Customer service in the true sense of the word is indispensable to organisational growth, success and profitability. The ability to attract customers with good and qualitative services is a sure way for businesses to flourish in lips and bounds. Employees must in their business relationship ensure that customers leave with satisfaction rather than being dissatisfied.

The secret of customer acquisition and attraction of referrals is to make extra effort in giving superlative services to customers at a very point of . By simply treating customers well has a potential of turning him or her on into becoming the organisational partner for a long time. It is a natural law that what is given value and attention is bound to be attracted, customers are equally the same when appreciated with good service they know it and are sure to show their loyalty to the brand.

The exhibition of politeness by customer service agents in the course of business relationship is a skill which has to be developed and nurtured in order to provide qualitative services. For organisations to flourish and get value in their investment, they have to first and foremost re-strategize by focusing the service

culture to be more customer friendly. To be polite in customer service delivery is not to speak rudely but to address complaints in a calm and subtle tone devoid of insult or aggression. We become a better person when we treat others much better than they treat us. When agents are polite they create positive relationship which retain and attract more customers to the business. Customer service representative profession is a helpful business which requires employees with natural disposition to solving problems of other people.

Many frontline employees lack the requisite aptitude to relate with customers. The manifestation of this leads to frustration and subsequent defection of customers to other competitors. A problem known is already half solved. Companies experiencing both decline on productivity and returns on investment need to re- examine the method used in delivering services to the customers. Once this is corrected by re- orienting the mind-set of employees on the imperativeness of rendering improved and qualitative services to the customers, the organisation will become better for it.

BE ENTHUSIATIC

Employees and indeed customer service representatives have to apply enthusiasm in the ordinary course of business relations more as a strategy to elicit the interest of customers to products and services. Customer service representatives in their daily interaction with clients have to be interested in the customers who are the very essence of their business. It is to be restated that what you are interested in are the things that get attracted to you. As agents are interested in customers, it therefore becomes a responsibility to take positive action to attract and retain them. This does not come by chance but by a deliberate choice in doing the right thing towards positioning the organisation into having greater market share of products and services. It takes calculated action to make customers have a feeling of inner satisfaction for their business experience.

Customer service agents that worth’s its onus must indeed understand how to relate with the customers because that is the basis of the profession. Many business relationships have been truncated by the inability of mastering the art of giving customers positive impressions. Customers who are interacted in an enthusiastic manner are easily satisfied than the ones who are not. The feelings exhibited by the customer for any single transactions determines the success or otherwise of the brand. This is to the extent that every positive or negative feeling of employees and customers has a tremendous impact on the performance of the business.

To be enthusiastic in customer service delivery is to convey the feeling of excitement and interest to the customers this gives impetus for a return patronage. Front line employees have to strive to do something special in the overall interest of the clients. Customers are indispensable partners; they should as such be specially treated with all sense of respect and dignity. Customer service representatives are to foster an enduring relationship with clients in order to acquire them for a life time but this is only releasable as far as the status quo is not altered.

Every customer that is well treated has a potential of returning for more business relations. To give customers the desired positive experience, employees should first and foremost be interested in resolving customer’s complaints. Whether through direct s or telephone, representatives are to show commitment and fairness in dealing with all issues pertaining to the customer. It is good to be pleasant with customers, the overall benefits no doubt have to manifest in the continuous patronage and increase in profitability of enterprises.

In order to ensure competitive advantage of organisations, managers have to create an enabling environment targeted to boosting the interest and desires of frontline employees. These cadres of workforce by the nature of their responsibility have direct s with clients and just little incentives can propel them to render qualitative services that are capable of giving customers satisfactory experience.

CREDIBILITY

Customer service representative profession is a desk where frontline employees are to show a modicum of integrity to every business relation. In handling calls from the customers, agents have to desist from being economical with the true positions of things. When answering calls, one enters into a relationship which has to be built up and sustained by creating a reputation of sincerity, trust and honesty and if it is to the contrary it mars whatever gain that are to be derived by the relationship.

Businesses thrives by the amount of confidence customers can repose to the brand, this of course does not come by playing games but by constantly given value to the customers. It is therefore important to build products and services that give satisfaction to customers. One gains absolutely nothing by not being straightforward in business relations.

Service providers have to be above board in building their brands, products and services should be exactly what it is said to be and nothing short of that. By not adding value to customers whether consciously or unconsciously is a boomerang that is waiting to happen which has to result in disloyalty and subsequent defection to other competitors. There is no company that want to deliberately close shops but by not meeting the expectations of the customer the inevitable are bound to occur.

Customers that are presented with the exact picture of things is better informed to make the right business decisions and are sure to be hooked up for continuous relationship. Agents and frontline employees must strive to give customers the best of service as a right and as something that is worthwhile. This is essentially what customers expect and when you give it, you are sure to acquire them and

their loyalty becomes glued to the brand.

BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP

Telephone interactions are basically a platform for creating and building relationships just like physical interactions is for other relationships. It is geared towards building and sustaining a business and personal relationship. Customer service representatives in attending to the needs of clients have to take the interest of customers as a priority. It is important for front line employees to give customers positive and satisfactory experience in so far as it is in tandem to the overall goal of the organisation.

Frontline employees are to show value to the customers in order to build a long lasting relationship which is to manifest in the continuous patronage of products and services. Loyalty of customers to the brand is something every proactive business enterprise should treasure and pursue vigorously. It gives life to organisations, instituting loyalty strategies propel customers to be acquired and retained for a life time.

The loyalty of customers to the brand shows in the company’s turnover which is what every business executive cherishes and desires to accomplish. Building a business relationship is dependent in meeting the customers’ expectations and delivering efficient services. Mastering the art of building a relationship therefore is what customer service agents and frontline employees must strive to imbibe to be able to provide satisfactory services.

In building a relationship with customers, frontline employees have to provide solutions and other alternatives that will meet the expectations of customers. Every problem has a solution and alternatives; it is the responsibility of employees to provide answers to whatever issues that are presented before them

by the customers. Every expectation meet, indirectly conveys a message to the customers of the functionality of the company’s service culture. Problem solving is the core functions of customer service agents and if representatives can sincerely and readily solve every question raised by customers the better it will be but if it is beyond their capacity it becomes vitally important to refer such issues to the attention of superior executives.

Empowerment is an important factor for every customer service representative; an empowered employee has the capability of resolving customers’ problems within the ambit of the organisational objectives. Companies should therefore provide the needed tools for the customer service agents to function effectively. Part of the strategy of building a strong relationship with the customers is to provide honest, sincere and helpful services which organisations are to . When services are provided in a positive and impressionable manner to the customer’s delight, it not only induces loyalty to the brand but enables the company to flourish and experience an unprecedented growth.

EMPATHY

Customer service agents in their interaction should apply empathy to facilitate giving the customers positive and delightful experience. It is the ability to comprehend the feelings and situations of clients and to actually provide solutions to the customer’s questions. Service representatives have to show concern to issues brought before them by the customers.

When a call is put through, the tone of the receiver will convey an impression to the customer; this will of cause determine the extent of the business transactions. If the tone is positive, it will lead to increased patronage and retention of the customer but when it is harsh or negative the customers are bound to defect to other competitors who know how to give customers better treatment in order to acquire and retain them.

There is basically know easy way to building a brand, it comes through deliberate and conscious effort backed with commitment to deliver superior services that meets the expectations of customers. Customer service representatives should apply this all important nugget in their daily interactions with clients. The conditions of customer service delivery of organisations determine its position in the market place. When services are tailored to provide satisfaction to the customers, it puts companies in a vantage position to profitability and market dominance.

The secret of winning the loyalty of customers’ lies in providing superlative services that are value driven. Frontline employees must value and appreciate their customers in order to reap the tremendous benefit of their patronage. This comes with the type of services rendered to the customers that should be devoid of rigidity and harsh words which is basically unnecessary.

Wrong treatment of customers results indirectly in scaring the customers away from patronage which has unpleasant consequences to business enterprises. To ensure the retention of customers, agents should build a relationship based on friendship and mutual respect. It is strategic to the survival of organisations and equally important for customer service representatives to be solution providers focusing attention in providing improved services on real time.

BEST PRACTICE IN TELEPHONE CONVERSATION/CALL CENTRE MANAGEMENT

To get the best in telephone conversation and management of call centres, there are basic facts that must be known and applied by front line employees and customer service representatives to move the organisation into benefitting from the loyalty advantage. Customer acquisition and retention gives life to business enterprises and this comes through creating positive experience that are derived from products and services.

The greatest challenge faced by companies lies in devising appropriate strategies to attract and retain customers. As simple as this may be, good human relations targeted in placing value and satisfaction to the customers provokes the much needed behaviour that improves turnover and growth of organisations. Giving customers great experience is an indirect way of providing a platform that the client is wanted for a repeat patronage.

The following are essential telephone conversation and call centre management best practices that frontline employees must apply in rendering services to the customers.

ENSURE MINIMAL PHONE RING

Incoming calls from customers should be monitored so that it does not ring for a long time. Allowing customers calls to ring persistently unanswered is a signal of dysfunctional business enterprises. Under normal circumstances a call is not supposed to ring more than two or three times before it is picked up by the

customer service representative. I have heard course to put a call to a telecommunication service provider about my inability to receive sms message and recharge on my cell phone, I was actually transferred to an agent but the phone rang uncountable times with nobody talking to me. I drop the call in frustration. Consider a number of customers who through this type of experience.

The above scenario gives negative reputation which is detrimental to the brands attainment of competitive advantage. Answering customers call on real time conveys an impression that shows that companies are ready to do business with clients. Putting customers on an endless waiting on phone without necessary attention is an inconvenience and disservice of not only the customer but to the organisation in the long run. This is because a defection of one customer to competitors is a loss in turnover which can trigger so many other things to the companies’ disadvantage. Customer service representatives should strive to provide excellent customer service as a panacea for customer retention and growth in the prosperity of business enterprises.

SEEK CUSTOMERS OPINION

As a best practice in telephone conversation and management of call centres, customers should not be put on hold notwithstanding that the cost of the call is being borne by the client or even when the service provider is bearing the call cost. By putting customers on hold, is an indication that there is no ready service to be given to the customer. Giving customers an explanation on why they are put on hold is vitally necessary but nevertheless the best option but the whole essence is to show professionalism and the priority placed on the customer.

It is not the best of customer service to put customers on hold but when is beyond the control of the agent, it becomes extremely important to seek the opinion of the customer with statements like ‘’Would you mind if we put you on

hold’’ “Our lines are busy, can you give us a few minutes to attend to you” “Can you please hold for a moment we will be back with you” or “can you wait a few seconds while we connect you to our representatives”. These statements are like a soothing balm to the customer and it conveys an impression on the value being placed on customers by the organisation.

It is equally important that when these options are given to the customer, the appropriate thing is for the agent to hold on for a moment in order for the customer to give his or her consent. The customer’s response which is mostly in the positive is an affirmation for the representative to proceed with the request. When these options are made, it gives a feeling of self-esteem and importance on the customer which invariably triggers continuous patronage and loyalty to the brand.

QUITE BACKGROUND

Telephone conversations have to be conducted in a serene environment devoid of distractions. Talking with a customer with noisy background dose one thing, it prevents the realisation of the full effect of the discussion or issues at hand. This results in divided attention on the part of the agent and of course the customer. Its consequences manifest in the agent not communicating as there are basically no from the customer. Absence of not getting from customers presupposes that the intended information has not actually reached the targeted audience. The effectiveness of call centres and telephone conversation lies on how customers can send and receive whatever information that is being communicated to them seamlessly.

Noisy background on telephone conversation has a tendency of providing distorted information beyond what was originally intended. It is important for frontline employees to maintain the serenity of the work environment in order for customer service delivery to thrive. When information is ed, it is

expected that the recipients must act in a certain predictable manner but when it is in the reverse, it means therefore that something has gone wrong somewhere that needs to be corrected.

The inability to translate messages into actionable plans has led to loss of market share by organisations. To ensure optimal use of telephone in the conduct of businesses, it is vitally essential for managers to design and situate customer service representative’s desk in a strategic location where customer’s complaints can be addressed promptly with all amount of concentration and serenity.

BANGING OF PHONE

Customer service schedule is a highly professional job, it is not just any bodies business it is also neither a vocation for every tom, dick and harry but for the few people who have ion for the profession. It is actually meant for the selected few who are desirous to make a difference in the work process. A customer service agent by being a solution provider must therefore see the work differently. When a representative is having a conversation with a customer, it is unethical to drop the phone on the caller under any guise.

This negative attitude invariably presupposes that the customer is not wanted. If the drop in call is caused by network problems as it is usually the reason adduced most often, it becomes appropriate and deserving for the customer service representative to initiate a return call to the customer with apologies.

It absolutely a misnomer for an agent to bang phones on the customer no matter the extent of provocation. A customer is always right and must be treated in the like manner. The best practise in telephone conversation is for the caller or the customer who is making a representation to drop the call first and the agent must be doubly sure that the customer is no longer on the line before hanging up the

phone. This is what it should be in the conduct of business among individuals and employees in general.

DON’T POST THE CUSTOMER

Integrity is the hallmark of customer service delivery. It is important that front line employees should be above board in resolving complaint of customers that arise as a result of their patronage and transactions on products and services. Customer service agents are to be mindful of the importance of customers to the overall success of the organisations business. It is imperative therefore to devise strategies that will always ensure the retention of customers. Being ready to address issues raised by customers has consequential effect, it leads to the loyalty of customers and the reverse of course is customer defection which is detrimental to the overall growth of organisations.

Every problem has a solution and an opportunity imbedded it, customer service agents should have the capacity and capability of providing solutions to the complaint of customers. Solving questions or issues raised by customers creates a platform of knowing him or her much better and provides an opportunity to acquire the customer which invariably leads to the enhancement of the companies’ bottom line.

The enthronement of best practices in the management of call centres requires customer service representatives to be sincere in words and actions in their relationship with clients. Agents have to be careful in choosing the choice of words in their responses to the customer’s enquiries as every commitment entered by them counts.

Customer service agents as a link between the customers and organisations should be empowered so that whatever solution they proffered in resolving

customers’ issues will be implementable without wavering. When an agent renege on a commitment that is consciously entered it sends a wrong signal which ultimately culminates in the defection of customers.

BE A MASTER OF YOUR MOOD

Customer service is a profession that provides succour to the clients. The responsibility attached to the schedule offers a great deal of expectations from customers. It is not an all comers job but rather a profession for only the few who are disposed to the people and also for those who have the ability to master their emotions no matter the circumstance or situation.

The management of call centres and the day to day performance of customer service functions presuppose that agents must possess natural inclination of calmness in their dispositions with customers. It is vitally important that customer service representatives should modulate their voice to optimally serve the customer effectively and efficiently. Two wrongs can never make a right, when a customer’s voice is high what is expected of the agent is not to be provoked in going the same direction of the customer.

What is right, required and best suited in this scenario is for agents to be calm in order to placate the customer. When the engine of a vehicle that is in motion goes hot, the driver certainly does not go hot with the engine rather it is only the engine that goes hot. Why go hot with the customer when one is to control the situation to one’s advantage, be a master of your mood, global business is centred and survived on people.

Customer service is a people business, directed towards building organisational relationship with clients. It is basically the channel of interaction which focuses in addressing client’s issues and complaints which are given personal attention

with a view to providing the desired solution.

The strategy of customer acquisition is to be persuasive, diplomatic and to give a thorough explanation in all circumstances in the relationship with the customer. Low customer turnover being experienced by most businesses is as a result of bad customer service disposition of frontline employees which dissuade them from patronage. It is imperative that frontline employees should be conscious of their responsibilities and not to be negatively influenced by one’s personal mood which may result in entering into wrong judgement.

The best practice in customer service delivery requires that customers should be given the best of service at all times, the mood of agents should not be the yardstick for rendering bad service to customers. A good customer service representative is the one that controls his actions and emotions in order to provide delightful and satisfactory services.

DIVERSION OF ATTENTION

In the management of call centres and of cause in general telephone discussions, it is important to ensure minimal diversion of attention when at the top of conversations. When attention is diverted in the interaction with the customer, it conveys a message which portrays that the customer is not esteemed and valued. When a customer has a feeling of not being wanted, it leads to defection to other competing alternatives which is not palatable for the brand reputation.

The break in communication or information flow as result of diversion of attention is unethical and shows lack of interest and sensitivity to the person on the other end of the line. The resultant effect of this action, manifest in the noncomprehension of the issues that forms the discussion and inability to provide appropriate solution to the customer’s request. Customer service agents as matter

of daily operational requirements must pay particular attention to the content of discussions as well as the overall intent of the customer. When agents behave in this particular manner, it provides solution towards resolving the customer’s question.

EATING WHILE ON PHONE

This is an attitude problem that must be jettisoned by customer service representatives and indeed frontline employees. Eating while answering phone or having a business meeting shows bad mannerism and rudeness, this does not project the company in good image. The ultimate desire of every service provider is to build the products or services as a brand, being unprofessional in the conduct of business relations robs the product of its positive brand identity. Ordinarily as a best practice, one is not supposed to eat and answering call simultaneously, it conveys a message of unseriousness and unethical conduct which negates the organisational reputation.

When interfacing with the customers, agents should not eat or chew in any form, doing otherwise will definitely portray the organisation in bad light to the customers; above all it shows lack of concern for the image and interest of the organisation. When an agent is eating or chewing gum, it typifies lack of courtesy, respect and sincerity to the customer who is indispensable for the sustainability of enterprises. One bad attitude of an agent or front line employees can send a wrong signal leading to defection to other competing alternatives.

Customer service agent must strive to leave lasting and positive impression in order to attract the loyalty of customers. Eating while on phone or duty might seem unimportant or does not matter so much but it matters a lot, it is something service centred companies must prevent the employees from indulging, if it is committed in building a strong corporate culture.

MEASUREMENT OF CALL CENTRE / CUSTOMER SERVICE PERFORMANCE

In the management of call centres, it is important to measure the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the services being provided to the customers in order to ascertain the areas that needs to be fine – tuned to give the customers the desired positive experience. Measurement of services provided by call centres gives direction to the overall target of improving services that are to meet with the expectations of customers. As strategies to ensure business survival, it is necessary as an operational requirement for companies to determine the satisfaction level of customers with products and services this is basically to guarantee continuous patronage.

The overall performance of organisations is conditioned to the loyalty of customers to the brand. Service providers are to measure the perception of customers with a view to redeg the products and services to enhance customer retention, this is vitally important for the sustenance of business enterprises. The objective of determining customer satisfaction is to add value to the services being offered to the customers, ensures profitability, and guarantees the gaining of market share and competitive advantage. One thing also that results from this particular action is that it ensures continuous business improvement and ultimately redefines the overall perception of unhappy customers.

The following methods should be applied to determine the satisfaction of customers.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

In the measurement of call centres and customer service performance, it is important to determine how satisfied the customers are with products and services. Establishing whether the customers are really satisfied or dissatisfied gives direction on the method to be adopted to improve and invigorate the brand. Customer satisfaction should be paramount to the overall business strategy of organisations. It is basically the tool in which an organisation accesses the acceptability of products and services from the customers’ perspective. StanbicIBTC, MTN, Airtel and 9mobile are accustomed to putting up calls to their valued customers to ascertain the quality of their services. This shows the high placed by these organisations on the customers who are the very essence of their business.

Finding service levels from customers’ perspective assist companies to be repositioned for future challenges and be better prepared to improvise on the perceived challenges. Organisations desirous of gaining market share of their brands should imbibe these all important strategy to attract and retain customers.

Customer dissatisfaction ultimately leads to defection to competitive products and services. Considering the enormous cost of acquiring customers, it becomes important for companies to proactively forestall measures that will result to poor quality service delivery. Customer satisfaction impacts positively on the bottom line of companies the reverse otherwise leads to business failure.

ABANDONMENT OF CALLS

Answering customer’s calls gives impetus to the daily schedule of customer service. Organisations can really know what the customers’ needs and wants not by call abandonment but by actually receiving the calls and resolving whatever issues that are brought by the customer. Customer service is an indispensable

tool in ensuring organisational relationship with clients. Essentially, service centred companies should have a customer service department to act as a liaison between it and the customers.

Customer service functions should be manned 24/7 to answer calls and entertain enquires from customers. It is important that agents should answer these calls personally instead of putting customers on answering machines that is stereotyped and does not provide the needed solution to the customer issues. It is only at the instance of the customer if indeed it is practicable that an agent can transfer the call to an automated service. In order to give customers positive experience more channels of interaction should be made available to facilitate clients in getting through to an agent easily.

Organisations have to dedicate functional phone lines solely for the operation of customer service representatives. Most companies cannot be reached by customers as a result of “dead” customer service lines. I have personally been unable to reach some organisations just to enquire about their services simply because specific functional lines are not dedicated for customer service or do not exist at all. This of cause can result in the loss of valued customers to order competing brands. Every call put up by customers to service providers is for a purpose, it is therefore vitally necessary that these calls are answered and solutions provided. When calls are not answered for one reason or another in so far as the call is recorded, it behoves on the agent to put up a return call to the customer.

CALL QUALITY

Call quality is very important in the measurement of call centre and customer service performance, without voice clarity from the clients and customer service representative, it will be near impossible to really provide solutions to problems that may be associated with products and services. Voice clarity gives credence

to communication.

Communication is not actually complete without the sender getting the needed which goes to show that the receiver understands both the intent and content of the message. A customer may have a different view and actually take a wrong decision based on the inability to get the true picture of the exact intention of the customer service representatives this occurs mainly as a result of breakdown in communication. This resultant effect can of cause go either way. When there is poor information flow occasioned by distortion, the outcome cannot easily be predictable. Call quality facilitates easy and early resolution of questions on products and services.

In ascertaining the performance of call centres, call quality should be given prominence in estimating the perception of customers to products and services. It determines the efficiency of the organisation and provides a roap on how services can be improved upon to meet the satisfaction of customers. Loyalty of customers does not come instantaneously but by conscious effort to continually improve and add value to brands. Call quality assessment is important for effective operation and growth of organisations.

RESOLUTION OF CUSTOMERS ENQUIRIES

One of the ways of establishing the effectiveness of call centres and performance of customer service representatives is to determine the number of enquiries and complaints received, interventions and resolutions provided that really results in giving the customers the desired positive experience. Resolution of customer issues is a major function of customer service, every resolution of a customer question gives inner satisfaction and self-worth to the customer who goes around narrating to other numerous clients about the experience.

Telling others through word of mouth expression is the greatest way of advertising a company because an experience once shared goes a long way in influencing the desired behaviour of customers to the brand. Many organisations fortunes have changed to profitability while others have indeed nosed dived and suffered a tremendous setback as a result of strong and poor customer service relationship respectively.

Managers of call centres should ensure that customer’s calls are resolved as fast as possible; this builds confidence on the brand and engenders continuous patronage and loyalty. The quality of time spent by an agent on a customer is an important parameter in determining the call resolution rate. A customer enquiries or complaints that are not resolved or takes much time before resolutions are reached creates a dissatisfaction which if not properly handled has a prospect of leading to defection to other competing brands. Once defection occurs, it takes time and resources to rebuild the organisational reputation and regain of customer’s confidence to what it supposes to be. Every defection leads to the quest to seek for other better alternatives elsewhere that can engender the realisation of expected satisfaction of customers.

Organisations should build a robust resolution mechanism in the service delivery process which is to translate into high quality customer satisfaction and experience. Every positive experience of the customer creates a brand identity that positioned the company in the market place. In other to have a competitive advantage, resolution of customers enquires should be a priority in the overall business strategy of organisations.

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

Employees’ satisfaction is an indication of the outcome of measuring call centres and customer service performance. A satisfied employee has a tendency of rendering the best of service to the customers. What one has is definitely what he

or she gives; this is a vivid law of nature that is immutable. An employee that is dissatisfied will definitely transfer the negative experience to any person that he or she has with. It is a chain reaction that does no organisation any good. Business enterprises aspiring to remain competitive must give employees satisfaction a pride of place in its corporate culture.

The idea of customer service should not be limited to the category of employees at the front desk rather every organisational person must imbibe the philosophy of providing quality service in order to give the customers the desired positive experience. It is therefore imperative that managers must ensure that employee’s satisfaction is enthroned in the work place in order to guarantee substantial increase in the company’s bottom line.

The provision of working environment that is conducive, appropriate remunerations, rewards and general job enrichment are some of the factors that can induce employees to identify with the organisation in delivering extra ordinary services that delights the customers.

Business executives have to employ the use of reward and satisfaction strategies to induce employees to act in a desired manner to achieve the overall objectives of the organisation. In the management of call centres and of cause the general performance of customer service responsibilities, it is absolutely necessary that employees are motivated not only by the application of pecuniary measures but simply by engaging employees to participate in decision making, sincere compliments and expression of appreciation goes a long way to act as a satisfier that propels employees to transfer their experience to the customer. Experience gained is an experience transferred; managers should provide at least a modicum of satisfaction in the work place in order to expect the best of service from employees.

CHAPTER 9

COMPLAINT HANDLING: TURNING ANGRY CUSTOMERS AS VALUEABLE ASSETS

C ompanies in the course of daily business operations receive complaints concerning products and services in one form or the other. It is basically a normal phenomenon rather than an aberration for customers to express their feelings and expectations on a brand. Complaint from customers in itself should be seen as good and a welcome development, it is a mirror in which organisations sees and assesses itself. Every complaint received is a signal of the perception of customers on the standard of products and services and it is an indication that the quality of services is below the optimal levels.

Service providers should see complaints from customers as a necessary to restrategize for continuous improvement on products and services targeted to provide the needed satisfaction to the customers. Complaints actually received, analysed and implemented positioned business enterprises for growth and competitive advantage in the market place. Business executives should not vilify customers for expressing their feelings on products and services or see complaints as a mere disturbance that should not be taken seriously rather it focuses organisations to redirect its efforts to provide value added services that attracts and acquire more customers to the brand.

Complaints do not just happen, it occurs as a result of service and products defects and mainly to bring to fore specific areas that needs improvement. A customer that brings to the attention of management of products and service weak points really want to stay and to continue doing business with the organisation. There are numerous competitors that customers can easily switch

their patronage to, but it takes interest and loyalty to the brand for a customer to express his feeling of dissatisfaction about products and services. For a proactive organisation, this presents an opportunity to re-examine the standard of service and gives impetus to provide satisfactory services that will turn an aggrieved customer to start sharing the positive experience to other potential customers.

Things don’t just happen not until somebody, somewhere consciously takes a positive action. Customer complaints are meant for managers to take a second look at the service levels and proffer enduring solutions that will strengthen the quality of products and services. This ultimately is meant to provide the needed satisfaction to the customers. Complaints from customers, directs service provider’s attention to areas in the service delivery that would have ordinarily been ignored and provides the needed platform for redress.

Resolving customers’ complaints basically has a multiplier effect on the entire business operations. It enhances the satisfaction of clients, builds loyalty, increases the volume of patronage and returns on investment. Companies should welcome complains on products and services with open arms because every complaint of the customer provides a platform for an organisation to improve on the service levels. An improved service as a result of customers’ complaint is not necessarily for the sake of the customers only but it gives the organisation positive identity and competitive advantage which manifest on the company’s bottom line.

As a business strategy, it becomes important for organisations to open its flood gate to receive the complaints from customers in order to discover and establish the performance of products and services in the market place. Companies have to make its complaints procedures easy, accessible and flexible in order to encourage customers to come up with their complaints. Some business enterprises consciously or unconsciously short their door against customers’ complaints and this invariably means blocking their future business opportunities. Such organisations have a tendency of not surviving in the market place for a long time before it is forced out of business.

The application of best practices in the business relationships with customers is what sustained organisations in the competitive business environment. Customers should be seen as a king with the right to be served satisfactorily. There is basically no easy way or short cut to this, rather it is what keeps and sustains organisations to improved performance.

The value of entertaining and resolving customers’ complaints far outweighed whatever bottle necks that tends to be placed to discourage complaints from the customers. Employees in some service oriented organisations perceive complaints from customers as a mere ranting of an ant which is insignificant by its very nature but they got it all wrong.

Encouraging and treating customers’ complaints has a tremendous benefit, it increases the customers’ turnover and profitability which ultimately enhances the companies’ liquidity. Resolving customer’s complaints whether to their advantage or not improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. The issue here is the commitment and enthusiasm shown first by service providers in resolving the customers’ issues that will after all results to the interest shown on the brand.

A customer, whose complaints are resolved, spreads the good news which has the potential of attracting more customers. When the patronage of a brand grows significantly, it manifests on the company’s balance sheet which triggers an improved remunerations of the employees. It is important that employees should show great interest and concern in the resolution of customers’ complaints.

An organisation that reaps the tremendous benefits accrued from the resolution of customer issues es this on to the employees who are better for it. Business executives have to partner with the employees to render services that really provide satisfaction to the customers.

Business enterprises must at all times ensure that products and services measure up to quality standards. When brands are of high quality, it reduces to the barest minimum the number of complaints to be received from customers. To guarantee continuous patronage, complaints have to be promptly and speedily resolved; this action propels customers to show interest on products and services. On the part of the organisation, it reveals the responsiveness and value placed on the customers.

Whatever that is of value has a tendency of being preserved for a special purpose, the placed on customers and quality of services is to ensure the sustainability of organisations in of profitability. Complaints handling is central to the function of customer service departments, it is vitally important that issues raised by customers on products and services should be critically evaluated and the needed solutions provided.

CAUSES OF CUSTOMERS COMPLAINTS

Complaints do not just occur; there are real reasons that necessitated every customer’s complaints. These complaints arise mainly as a result of the inability to provide satisfactory services that delights the customer. When services are efficiently delivered, it builds loyalty and prevents complaint from customers. The following are some of the causes of customers’ complaints;

• Bad employee’s relations • Lack of standard of service • Defects in products and services • Failure to meet commitments • Poor quality services • Inability to meet customer’s expectations • Issues of integrity and transparency

STRATEGIES TO RESOLVE CUSTOMERS COMPLAINT

Resolving customers’ complaints is not to be implemented in a willy – nilly manner but through deliberate and conscious effort targeted mainly at giving the customers an excellent and realisable experience. Essentially, businesses thrive based on the patronage of customers. Companies must therefore develop the skills of employees to provide the best solutions to complaints on products and services in order to retain and attract more customers. The acquisition of customers is first and foremost as a result of the positive experience gained on a brand of products and services, these are spread through word of mouth and it becomes a platform in which other potential customers are attracted for patronage.

In resolving complaints, the attitude and disposition of the service providers is vitally important to the type of outcome that would be expected. When the dispositions of the frontline employees are not favourable, it of course manifests physically in the body language, these are involuntary actions that are bound to occur, the result in of relationship with the customer will definitely be negative. To gain the most of customer service, transfer aggression should be out of place in business relations in order to deliver an exceptional service that really delights the customers.

Front line employees are to be in control of their emotions all the time in order to deliver satisfactory services that delights the customers. Inability of employees to master their emotions has a tendency of negatively affecting whatever services that is being rendered, as tempers rise it definitely leads to breakdown in communication which ultimately results in the customer not getting the value of the services.

The following are strategies to be applied in the resolution of customers’

complaints;

SHOW INTEREST IN THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT

Customer centric companies have to show great interest in every complaint or suggestions that is brought to the fore in order to guarantee the loyalty of customers. Quality service holds the key to improved performance. Organisations that are interested in resolving issues raised by customers’ shows indication of the high placed on this all important factor that ensures continuous patronage and increase in the bottom line.

Responsiveness to suggestions not only builds self-esteem on the customers but signifies that their views matters and are taken into consideration in the formulation of company’s overall business strategy. In bid to measure StanbicIBTC service levels, I personally received a call from the banks customer service representative on my perception of their services. As an holder of the banks’ pension retirement savings (RSA), I made a suggestion on the need to furnish clients to the scheme their saving balance through SMS alert, to my amazement, a month’s latter this advice was actually implemented, I felt satisfied that the company actually respond and uses customer’s in their business decisions. This goes to show the importance and value placed on the customer’s suggestion by the organisation. By this singular action, it not only shows that StanbicIBTC is committed to service excellence but responsive to the aspirations of the customers.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Service providers should take responsibility of product and service defects rather than ing it on to the customer. To take responsibility is to be duty bound to

an action or inaction. It is actually to accept liability for products or services that come from a company’s stable whether it comes in a good and bad state respectively. I have once been on a trip and the coach we were travelling with developed a mechanical fault that will take some time to rectify for our journey to continue, the company took a responsibility and have to transfer the engers to another of their coach. Also from another transport company, their vehicle heard a break down that took almost the whole day to resolve, the officials felt less concern to the plight of engers neither do they offer an explanation to the problem. They commuters were all stranded and each one of them was on their own making personal effort to get an alternative bus that will convey them to their respective destinations.

These two scenarios were basically the same problem but differ on the role and attitude exhibited by the management of these two companies. The later did not resolve the problem or provide any remedial alternatives rather the first company in our case study took responsibility of the problem and provided solution.

The loyalty of customers and returns on investment depends on the commitment of a brand in resolving product or service malfunction. From the picture painted in our analysis, it is evident that the company that provided the expected solution to their product malfunction will have higher customer turnover and increase in the bottom line. Taking responsibility of action or in action in the services that are provided is critical for survival of organisations as it builds goodwill which customers have to show by identifying with the brand. Resolving customers’ complaints by taking full responsibility of legitimate actions has a possibility of jump - starting the profitability of organisations as it attracts customers’ loyalty.

BE COMIONATE

Complaints arise as a result of the inability of customers to assess services that are provided by companies in a satisfactory manner. When products and services

are at acceptable standards, it not only minimizes the justification for complaints but it discourages the quest for customers to seek for other alternatives which may affect the overall performance of business enterprises in the market place. It is important that service providers should use the opportunity provided with the complaints from customers to correct service defects and to institute remedial measures that will upscale the quality of products.

In handling complaints, managers of business enterprises have to ensure that services are delivered in a kind hearted manner at all times. To be comionate is to understand the feelings of the customer whenever service is being assessed. These are to manifest not only in the way customers are addressed but also in the body language of the employees. Words are indeed very powerful; it could send both positive and negative signals. When the way customers are related with becomes negative, it hurts to the extent that it could lead to the feeling of not being valued. There is a general saying that action speaks louder than voice, body language of front employees can send a wrong message which has a tendency of dissuading the customers from patronage.

When communication is entered with the customer, employees should be mindful with the choice of words and show moderation with the way they gesticulate in emphasising their points. Frowning and moving one’s hand in a forceful manner, might be interpreted by most customers in a different form. It reveals aggressive tendencies, disrespect and the feeling that the customer is not valued. Service providers should appreciate the customers for who they are in order to provide the type of service that will give them the desired experience.

AVOID ING ISSUES WITH THE CUSTOMER

The customer has the right to be served rightly; these customers could be internal or external as the case may be. Service malfunction can occasional occur but when it becomes more frequent it presents an opportunity for an expression

of displeasure. Customers have an obligation to complain when it borders on issues where their expectations are not met. A problem known is a problem half solved, complaints that are brought before the attention of management has a possibility of being rectified amicably. When product or service defects are known, it becomes extremely difficult not to provide immediate solution.

There is a general saying that he who wears the shoe knows exactly where it pinches him. This maxim is correctly applicable to the customer and of cause the service providers, defects is basically a loss on time, value, satisfaction, money and profitability which are basically not acceptable to both parties.

When customers complain, the right thing to do is to deal with the problem and focus on the main issue that does not augur well with the customer. The objective of organisations should be mainly to provide customers with the desired satisfaction and the much expected benefits are bound to manifest. As a service provider, complain will definitely be witnessed but when it actually comes up, the normal thing to do is to be calm and offer the customer with apologies with a view to rectifying the problem.

ing issues with the customer cannot and will certainly not provide the right solution rather it aggravates the problem. The following statements have to ensue to be able to placate the customer; ‘‘Please bear with us, we will certainly rectify the problem’’, “Sorry please, we are going to make it up”, “We are really very sorry for the delay, it will soon be resolved”, “Sir, do not be offended, we will fix the problem soonest”. These words like a soothing balm has a tendency of quelling any situations and should indeed be backed up with necessary action for implementation.

Companies have to build the capacity of the employees to master the appropriate action to take when faced with complaints from customers. Amicable resolution of complaints conveys the best of experience to the customer. Positive experience gained from products and services builds the confidence of customers

for continuous repeat business.

DEAL WITH THE SUBSTANCE

Complain resolution is strategic to the overall performance and growth of organisations. Essentially, companies have to institute appropriate mechanism for the resolution of complaints of customers as a result of the tremendous benefits that is embedded in it. A complain that is amicably resolved has a propensity of increasing turnover as customers will be favourably disposed to patronise the brand. Every satisfaction that is met certainly trickles down to brand loyalty; it is therefore a choice business enterprises have to make in order to sustain market dominance of products and services.

Service providers and frontline employees that have direct interaction with customers should focus on the main issues that gave rise to the complaints. There is absolutely no point to rigmarole in a very important matter such as customer complaints, which can easily be solved through direct intervention. Tackling the customers’ question headlong in order to bring the desired satisfaction will no doubt reduce to the barest minimum incidences of disloyalty and the quest to seek for other competitive alternatives.

Appropriate handling of customer complaints saves time and money that would have ordinarily been wasted in a wrong application of solution in tackling a problem. Most employees are culprits to this fact and the effect is that it gives a negative brand identity as customers that had the bad experience tells ten (10) other people and it goes on and on. If this trend is not curtailed through the application of best practices in the conduct of business operations, it will culminate to a negative service culture which retards customer turnover and eventual decrease in the bottom line.

SHOW COMMITMENT

The objective of business enterprises is not solely to maximize profit but to give customers, satisfaction and value for products and services. These noble visions most times are misconstrued by the employees whose responsibility is to give the customers the best of experience. Dissatisfied customers are the ones that complains and not the satisfied ones. Employees are to understand that customers do not complain just for its sake or to make fun of it, but complaints arose out of frustration to derive value and satisfaction from products and services. A customer who complains is to be seen as a friend of the organisation who desire to stay and maintain the loyalty to the brand than the one who finds it really unnecessary and unprofitable to complain about product or service deficiency.

Basically, it is through customers’ complaint that companies receive which when acted upon improves the quality of products and services. Business executives have to enthrone an effective culture of handling complaint in order to remain in business. There is no organisation that is immune from bad products or services but when the inevitable occurs and the resultant complaint from customers, the only best way out is to ensure prompt resolution of the problem. Complaints resolved are an organisational gained because customers will see absolutely no reason for defecting to other competitors.

In the resolution of complaints, organisations should target towards delivering exceptional services that is devoid of any hitches. Everyone in the service chain which includes the employees themselves has one form of complain or other. By listening and tackling employees’ problems that are mainly associated with the work place, forms a deposit in their psychic which results in the exhibition of the good qualities that is in them by way of delivering services that gives customers positive experience.

When business executives are committed by word and deed to issues of service excellence in all its ramifications, it will definitely be transferred to the employees who therefore build a relationship with the customers. The point is that when organisations sees complain as an important mechanism to the improvement of quality of goods and services and similarly go out to empower the employees in the resolution of customer problems, it manifests on the loyalty and volume of customers that will be attracted to the brand.

BE IVE

Service providers particularly the frontline employees must partner with customers in their quest to derive maximum satisfaction from products and services. When organisations are presented with legitimate complaints concerning products or service defects, it offers an opportunity to placate the customer and to genuinely proffer solutions towards resolving the issues involved. Customers that are angry need only two things and that is, fair and just treatment. To deliver value added services, customers have to be the first priority in the service strategy of organisations.

Complaints of customers should be handled sympathetically and thoroughly in order to make the best out of it. Everyone is a service provider as well as a service taker from somewhere else. Can we imagine if one is to be in the shoes of the customer, how we are going to feel if a product that are recently purchased or get repaired suddenly developed a serious malfunction and the sales or service person is not cooperative in understanding the unpleasant situation. I want to pose a question that should be personal and deserves a sincere answer, do we feel irritated? The answer is definitely in the affirmative. Every customer faced with this type of problem will feel exactly the same way.

The best and acceptable approach to be followed in this scenario is to be interested in the customers’ complaint and to devise appropriate measures

towards providing a workable solution that will ameliorate whatever concerns that are raised. Customers are kings and to acquire them for life, they deserved to be offered every possible assistance, help and encouragement that could be offered. Customers, like babies are to the family, are pivotal to the sustainability of business enterprises and should be pampered, nourished and nurtured to guarantee their loyalty.

Negative experience of customers on products and services has a potential of being turned into positive experience depending essentially on the way and manner the problem is handled. When complain comes, service providers are to first of all express appreciation to the customers for bringing up the problem to attention. It is important to make the following statements from the bottom of one’s heart and backed with genuine resolve to fix the problem. “Please, we are really sorry for causing you so much trouble”, “Please be rest assured that this anomaly will be corrected”,” We will do our best to ensure that you get the best out of this situation”, ’’Sir, while the product is outside the warranty period, we would be happy to offer some alternative/ advice….”, Please bear with us or hold on a few moments while we your complaint”, Kindly bear with us, we are really working hard to resolve the issue”, Unfortunately madam, am not in the right position to take such decision, would you mind if I refer you to my manager”. At all times, business enterprises should be readily available to provide recourse to customers when there is compromise to the quality of products and services.

TECHNIQUES OF HANDLING COMPLAINTS AND ANGRY CUSTOMER

Bad service leads to dissatisfaction and discontent which finds vivid expression in the customers being angry. Positive customer experience is doing what brings satisfaction to the customers but when the service level is below expectations, it results to frustration and infuriation. The long term benefit of acquiring, retaining and attracting customers far outweighed whatever immediate profit if at all that might be gained in the absence of enthroning a strong customer service culture. Organisations should be aware that no price is too much to pay to gain customers; this is indeed a worthy cause that cannot be quantified.

Bad experience triggers complaints. Customers do not complain when their satisfaction are met, it is only the experience of dissatisfaction that results in the expression of discontent among the customers. Service providers should be committed in turning the experiences of customers into desirable and satisfactory experience on products and services. In customer service and the general handling of complaints of customers, there are techniques to be applied to bring a satisfactory resolution to customer issues. As the New English Dictionary puts it, “technique is a method of performing a particular task”. Handling of complaints requires a defined way to get the best results in dealing with problems that borders on the negative experience of customers.

The following are best practices to be used in proffering workable solutions towards the resolutions of customer’s questions;

PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER

Listening and paying due attention to the complaint of customers and actually taking a bold step further to implement the resolution reached provides a platform in reversing the bad experience of customers positively. Companies that creates happiness and satisfaction among its teeming customers for the consumption and usage of its brands invariably open doors to business opportunities and profitability as more and more people will be attracted for patronage, this builds loyalty over time. When customers come with complaints on product and service deficiency, the best thing to do is to listen attentively to the issues being presented.

Service providers have to be diligence in dealing with customer issues; these are to show as an indication to proffer workable solutions that will correct the observed anomaly. The strategy of acquisition of customers and retaining them lies mainly in focusing on everything that can give satisfaction and to address promptly, issues of service failure challenges by ameliorating the problems that are encountered by customers.

Business enterprises that aspire to have competitive advantage of products and services must give considerable attention to customers who are dissatisfied. Neglecting these classes of customers is an invitation to business failures. Negative experiences that are reported or the ones actually witnessed by service providers should be corrected and appropriate palliative measures provided. I once had an encounter with a service company on some deficiencies of their product, when I opened discussion with an employee who supposes to be in charge of this very section of the business, he created a very hostile and unfriendly environment without giving room for one to express his feelings. I made a commitment never to return to the service provider for any transactions whatsoever, now consider other numerous customers who may took this type of decision and the negative effect this will have on the bottom line of the company.

To turn the fortunes of companies around, CEO’s are to be committed to the development of the employees on quality customer service to facilitate improved services to the customers. The right and most appropriate thing to do when

customers come up with complaints that borders on service delivery is for front employees to listen and pay due attention to the issues being raised in order to proffer workable solutions that will correct and restore the services to acceptable standards.

BE PATIENT AND CALM

Customers no doubt are kings and Queens and should be treated as such with respect and honour. By standing on this enviable status they should be given the best of service that deserves to a king. When customers come up with matters that borders on service challenges or issues of service delivery, the most appropriate thing to do is to be calm and attentive to the issues being raised. Two wrongs can never make a right. It is only in the state of calmness of the service provider or the employee that an amicable solution can be reached on issues.

Difficult customers are bound everywhere but the issue lies beyond the person but on the procedure to be adopted in resolving the problems that arose in the cause of business transactions. When tensions are high, the panacea to douse the tempers is by employing tactical approach that will placate the customer. Just like bringing positive and negative cable with high intensity of electricity together, it results to sparks and if not total disaster.

Customers might be irate when tendering their complaints but what must be done under this scenario is for the front line employees to be calm and persuasive. When employees whose responsibilities are supposedly to deliver delightful and qualitative services reverses to be infuriated under any guise as a result of complaints received, it triggers a chain reaction which culminates in the defection of customers to other competitors. To really serve the customers satisfactorily, it is important to build inner capacity of employees to managing personal issues of life without ing it on to the next person. Business executives have to develop the emotional intelligence of employees so that

customers will not be at the receiving end of transferred aggression.

Companies aspires to retain and acquire new customers, this can only be accomplished with the type of relationship in the work place. The attraction of customers to a brand is dependent on product satisfaction which is the totality of value derived from its usage. In service delivery, the emotional state of the customer must be given due consideration and attention in order to provide an optimal service that will be delightful.

The frame of mind of the service provider determines the quality of service to be delivered. Customers might be furious over unfilled expectations but it is the responsibility of front line employees and indeed service providers generally to be calm without ing issues with the customer. It is under the state of calmness that meaningful solutions can be worked out not the opposite. Being in the state of calmness typifies that one is in total control of situations and can be able to devise implementable course of action to solve and mitigate potential problems.

TIMELY RESPONSE

Service providers have to be guided by the principle of timeliness and efficient service delivery. Customers desired to be served qualitatively and speedily too. The strategy of wining the hearts of customers and make them loyal for life, is to be absolutely concerned with issues raised by customers and to ensure that remedial measures are promptly provided. It does not matter whether the problems are resolved completely but the interest and commitment shown in proffering timely solutions is what elicits customers for continuous patronage. One of the ways to improve on the experience of customers is to be swift in responding to their needs and complaints and to devise implementable solutions that will positively change those perceptions.

To be timely in service delivery is to act fast with precision in the provision of the services that sures the expectations of customers. Responding to the customer’s problems not only guarantee loyalty but facilitate in building trust on the product and ultimately facilitate the creation of brand identity. Every customer desires to be attended to in a very short time but in most cases this is not obtainable. It therefore becomes the responsibility of managers to offer justifiable and satisfactory explanations as to the cause of the delay that tend to hinder customers from assessing the quality of services as they earlier anticipated.

Service is what the customers valued and are ready to pay its monies worth, it is imperative for the customer to just get that seamlessly or at best derived something that is commensurate in order to get the desired satisfaction. Customer loyalty strategy is anchored in fashioning out work processes that are beneficial to the people that it is meant to serve. Organisations should strive to upscale their connections with customers to create a symbiotic relationship based on positive experience and return on investment.

EMPATHIZE

Businesses are driven by people who are the bedrock of every successful enterprise. These very indispensable factors are to be treated with comion and respect when accessing services as any positive behaviour towards them yield continuous patronage and loyalty in return. It is normal that what you cherish is what you valued, customers being an essential partner in the sustainability of organisations should be treated with all amount of decorum in order to ensure their loyalty and repeat business. What you respect and treats with dignity will of course be attracted to you, the mystery of customer acquisition lies on the way and manner a customer is respectfully nurtured and pampered with.

When customers tender their complaints, it is important for service providers and indeed the employees to be aware that they are as well customers elsewhere that can equally be negatively affected by the type of service being rendered by other organisations. It is important therefore for organisations to focus in adding value and to provide real satisfaction to the customers. There is a maxim which goes thus “you cannot make an omelette without breaking it”. Omelette is a good delicacy to the body just as the customer is good and valuable to an organisation. It takes effort to break and prepare an omelette, similarly the same goes to customer acquisition it takes conscious effort to attract and retain a customer.

The application of genuine feeling of empathy in the business relationship goes a long way to positively affect the customer in his behaviour to the brand. The point that should be emphasised here is that customer’s feelings should be respected by ensuring timely response to issues raised and appropriate corrective measures taken to provide satisfaction on products and services. Service providers have to be fair to all class of customers irrespective of their social status. Once there is segmentation in the type of services being meted to customers it causes disaffection which may ultimately lead to defection and loss of market share to other competitors.

UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISPOSITION OF THE CUSTOMER

Business enterprises no doubt have numerous customers that are loyal to the brand. As these customers are divergent so also are their views, needs, aspirations and challenges. No one customer behaves or react alike, every one of them is particularly unique in their own way. The way and manner customer “A” is treated should not be exactly the same way customer “B” should be treated, even though both customers are to be attended to specially and promptly without discrimination in the quality of service that are to be rendered to them. The standard of service at the disposal of customers deserves extraordinary attention

in order to render value added services.

For service providers to get the most of customers in of patronage and loyalty, front line employees are required to understand the psychological disposition of each customer as a result of their peculiarity. Emphasises in service delivery basically have to be focused on the customer through the exhibition of the best of attitudes and behaviour towards people. Every customer is coming from somewhere with an issue which may pose a challenge or otherwise, what might be taken for granted and funny by a customer may not necessarily be accepted by another. Understanding this concept as a business strategy has a tendency of boosting the customers’ profile of organisations and forestalls negative reactions which may results in customers seeking for alternatives elsewhere.

Customers wear different shoes which pinch them in one form or the other, the ability of service providers or the employees to discern the frame of mind of customers through favourable emotional response and actions marked organisations out for service excellence. Going in the direction of the customer in the handling of their complaints without compromising the ethical practices of the organisation goes a long way in dousing whatever ill feelings the customer might have in the course of business transactions. In the business of service, the ability of employees to master the emotions and idiosyncrasies of customer’s drives organisations to growth as it not only facilitates the unlocking of confidence to the brand but propels continues patronage to products and services.

APOLOGISE

This is one of the fundamental techniques of handling customers’ complaints. To offer apologises is to take responsibility for actions and inactions. Giving apologies to customers is one sure way of expressing one’s inner feelings for

deeds done or acts that are omitted. It does not in any way demean the service provider, the employees or exalts the customer from his or her personality.

Having the capacity to offer apologies should be an innate personal virtue and to serve as a business strategy targeted in attracting and retaining the valued customers. When service providers or employees shows the feelings of remorse for service failures as a result of the inability to give the customers real value for their money, it is one way of telling the clients to go and return for a repeat patronage.

In service delivering, business enterprises no doubt experiences once in a while malfunctions which tend to deprive customers from deriving maximum satisfaction and positive experience on products and services. Offering apologies for deficiency in the quality of service must be backed up with genuine intentions to resolve the perceived problems or at best provide alternatives that will placate and meet the expectations of the customer.

One thing that makes the customer to stay glued to a brand lies in the ability of service providers to act in an extraordinary manner in resolving questions arising from product and service gap. It is important that employees should be enthusiastic and responsive in efforts to provide recourse to incidences of service deficiency, this must be with due respect for the customer.

Customer centric organisations have to inculcate in the employees the culture of offering sincere apologies as a result of acts and omissions that are detrimental in giving customers full value of their monies worth. Most employees would rather allow the customer go angry and defects than to say the word “am sorry” to clients. What causes the defection of a customer has a way of affecting other customers and ultimately manifest in a chain reaction which affects the overall patronage of products and services, this negatively trickles down to hinder growth in the bottom line of companies.

By simply saying, “I am sorry” serves as a soothing balm that placates the customer for continuous business relationship. Handling of customers’ complaints requires appropriate professional skills that will turn an angry customer into a valuable asset. To guarantee loyalty to the brand, companies have to continuously re-orient the mind-set of the employees to fully understand the position of customers to the sustenance and performance of business enterprises.

Good customer service lies in quickly realizing errors and omissions in products and services and correcting them to give the desired satisfaction. To render customer service in a professional manner, require organisations to encourage and emphasise among employees the use of apologies and other best practices to address cases of service malfunctions. This particularly shows the concern of organisations to the experiences of customers and the readiness to turn those experiences positively to meet with their expectations.

The attraction of customers to products and services depends mainly on the mannerism and conduct of employees who are the first point of in the service front lines. Speaking the right words at any point of customer engagement engenders the feelings of self-esteem and respect which translates in the bonding of the customer to the brand. It is imperative therefore that employees in correcting issues of service defects should show commitment, remorsefulness and tender hearted in a bid give the customers the much deserved value added services.

SHOW UNDERSTANDING

An important technique in the handling of complaints is for service providers and indeed frontline employees to always show understanding to issues being

canvassed by customers. Customer centric organisations have to be absolutely concerned with the problems being experienced by clients, the only sure way to get the best of patronage from these vital resource, is to see the problem of the customer as that of the organisation which is manageable and solvable.

When the customer is placed as a priority in the company’s business strategy, it facilitates the engendering of a culture of service among the employees which ensures that value is created in the conduct of every transaction made with the customer for the overall benefit of all. Why understanding should be shown to the customer in the course of his demand for services is precipitated to the fact that it is extremely difficult to know who the customer is and where he or she is coming from in of issues and challenges he is being confronted with. The essence of every business lies in building and sustaining business relations, this therefore comes in treating customer well enough and justly.

Customers no doubt are confronted daily with various challenges and problems which might be personal or otherwise and often times this unfortunately results to transfer aggression to the next person. Frustration of customers can manifest through product and service defects, this can bottle up to reactions and behaviours that can possibly culminate to switching of patronage to other competitive brands.

It is necessary for service providers to understand these important fundamentals in their relationship with customers and to effectively manage them to the companies and individual advantage. Every concern shown to the customer leads to positive experience that has the potential of enhancing loyalty to product and services and ultimately leads to the attraction and acquisition of other customers. When attentions are paid to the complaints of customers, it goes a long way in reducing to the barest minimum the tensions and reactions that are generated as a result of the service gab.

DO YOUR BEST FOR THE CUSTOMER

One of the ways of providing succour or relief for the customers lies mainly in employees going the extra mile in dealing and resolving every complaint made concerning products and service malfunction. Customers sees for themselves and are convinced when there is genuine attempt by front line employees or service providers to resolve issues that emanates from their inability to derive maximum satisfaction for every transaction made.

Complaints of customers are basically an indication that something has gone wrong somewhere that needed immediate remediation. Complaints also show that customer’s expectation has not been met in of value derivation for every money spent. It is behoving on companies to take proactive action that will provide the much desired experience by the customer. Every value added services that delights the customer has a potential of growing the bottom line of business enterprises to be positioned effectively in the market place.

Organisations have to strive to turn the bad experience of customers to something awesome and delightful. Doing your best for the customer presupposes providing solution and satisfaction on products and services with minimum defects. It means doing all that is required to be done by front line employees to make decisions that will give customers the desired positive experience. Expectations met invariably convey the feeling of inner satisfaction on the customer. For every complaint of customers, it important that service providers have to show their concern about the very issues that is posing the challenge and to make necessary adjustments needed to ameliorate the observed conditions.

Organisations should be inclined to feel the impulse of customer problems on product and service deficiency; this engenders the ability to make necessary corrections that is capable of building loyalty to the brand. The strategy of

customer acquisition and retention lies in creating inner satisfaction and value of people. What you have value is what one goes after with determination to keep and nurture. Organisations have to build a work culture for quality service to the customers to thrive, once this platform is created and set, employees no doubt have to know no other choice than to align their values to that of their employers.

Building products and services as an enviable brand presupposes the creation of value as a business philosophy in which the customers will rather find extremely difficult to resist or get elsewhere with other competitors. Frontline employees should take positive actions that will reverse the perceived negative experience of customers. It is imperative that business enterprises and indeed service windows should do their utmost best to keep the customers satisfied by being proactive in nipping to the bud whatever that will culminate in the dissatisfaction of customers. The fundamental of growth and dominance in the market place lies in doing everything necessary to provide services that are delightful to the customer.

BE IVE

The quality of service that is readily made available to the customers is what distinguishes organisations from another. It leverages organisations to higher pedestal in of building brands value and acceptability in the market place. The level of positive interaction with customers marked business enterprises out and put it in a vantage position to outperform competitors. In providing services that delights the customers, employees have to be ive in their business relationship, knowing fully well that whatever service that is being rendered is basically in the interest of customers and the organisation in the long run.

Good service impacts positively on the bottom line which trickles down to the employees in the form of enhanced remunerations. It should be the responsibility

of every organisational member to ensure its sustenance in order to reap the tremendous benefits accruing from it.

In the service of customers, it is important that service providers should understand the feelings of clients when faced with complaints and to go a step further to assuage those feeling into a more beneficial relationship. When complaints come as a result of product and service deficiency rather than treat the customer with scorn and levity, what is most appropriate under this circumstance is to pay attention to the customer, appreciate his feelings, provide solutions or at best proffer workable alternatives that can address the problems. Customers need to be valued and served promptly with quality products and when they are given; you have gotten their loyalty for life.

Customer retention is as easy as A, B, C only by doing the right thing, they are there for you. Customers will always be loyal when exceptional service is delivered. When this kind of service is rendered, it turns the customer on for more patronage. Showing care and concern for the customer should not be taken for granted rather conceited efforts have to be made to ensure that it becomes part and parcel of the organisations service culture. The service of the customer should not just end at the service window rather it has to be taken to the very point of delivering of the product and even beyond. After sales services have to be pursued vigorously in order to maintain and keep the customers for a long time.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGIENCE

The core of handling customer’s complaints lies in the ability of front line employees to effectively manage his or her emotions. It is extremely difficult to acquire a single customer, talk less of many customers that are needed to keep businesses up and running by not being able to control the individuals’ emotions.

Customer acquisition takes greater chunk of companies’ budget to implement, it is therefore necessary for employees to acquire the necessary skills of emotional intelligence in the management of customers. What then is emotional intelligence, it simply refers to the skill that is acquired by an individual to recognise and control the emotion of oneself and others.

EI comprises four (4) main areas of activity and focus which includes selfmanagement, self-awareness, social awareness and relationship management. It is to be noted that the first two selves are all about how we manage our individual selves and emotions respectively while the last two area of activity deals on how we recognize and manage the emotions of others, build relationships and basically work in complex social systems. Mastering EI and the application of the areas of activity by employees is the basis for excellent customer service delivery as the organisation is better equipped in relationship management which enhances their loyalty advantage. In a business relationship, it is important that employees should be able to effectively manage their emotions and that of the customers in order to provide satisfactory services.

Every single customer is valuable if not only for the time and money it takes to attract their loyalty to the brand but the tremendous resources that are brought to the organisational coffers as a result of their patronage. The application of “E I” as part of service culture of business enterprises is the stabilising factor that enhances the performance of customer relation management. Frontline employees are therefore required to exhibit some level of emotional intelligence in handling customer’s complaints in order to turn them as an organisational asset.

In the midst of barrage of service challenges which results to complaints, it is imperative to give clients the deserved experience that is delightful at every service . It is appropriate that employees should show restraint in the way and manner they react to the complaints of customers’ as every negative action sends a wrong signal that might lead to defections to other alternatives, the

resultant effect of these phenomena might not be palatable in the long run which may hinder the overall survival of organisations.

I once went to a fast food restaurant for lunch, when I placed my order as usual, the attendant gave me exactly the opposite of what I requested. I made effort to correct her in a gentle and friendly manner but the body language exhibited by the attendant spoke volumes about her emotions. In frustration to her attitude, I took my leave without fulfilling the purpose of my being there in the first instance. I then proceeded to a Finicky (Sharwama) restaurant nearby where I was attended to, this time by a more cheerful, calm and respectful attendant who not only satisfied me but exceeded my expectations. Now consider how many potential customers that must have been dissatisfied and lost by the actions of the first attendant and the consequences it will have on the company’s overall performance.

Attitude and disposition of employees to a large extent determines the type of service that will be available to the customer. If the attitude is favourable, it will give the customers the desired experience and loyalty but when it is the reverse, it results to dissatisfaction and the need to look elsewhere for a more meaningful business relation. Being in control of one’s emotions shows that an individual is totally in charge of his or her environment which cannot be altered by whatever circumstances, it signifies an attitude of self- control, patient, respect, calmness, positive work attitude and responsiveness to the customer’s requirements.

Organisations in carrying out their business must seek to provide spectacular service based on the value they intend to derive from rendering such services. Employees are specifically hired to render specific services and to be remunerated accordingly and the customers in the same direction are also to patronise the brand as a result of the intended satisfaction to be derived from products and services. Each of these groups are in a symbiotic relationship because of the intended value they stand to gain for performing a given role and responsibility. It becomes important therefore that conscious effort should be made to improve the service content of organisations in order to render great

service that will give the customers a more delightful experience.

No matter the provocation or otherwise that may have resulted by the customer’s reaction to the service gap, client service representatives should be tactful in their relationship and avoid creating a negative impression that may retard the success and growth of business enterprises. Customers will always return for continuous patronage only if and when they have the inner feeling of satisfaction on products and services, motivating and appreciating them for their self-worth engenders loyalty advantage to the company’s favour. Service focused companies should build these essential values in the service strategy to reap from the tremendous outcomes which are to guarantee organisational survival, profitability and improved performance

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