Customer Service Training in Delyumy Company - Research Paper Example

? Service Training Transmittal Memorandum Service Training in Delyumy Company Based on the report findings, I have concluded that the golden rule for ensuring quality customer service is treating the employees well. Lack of proper treatment ranges from lack of recognition and rewards as well as inefficient training programs. An efficient customer service training program equips skills related to extending courtesy to the consumers, undertaking telephones conversations promptly and demonstration of keen listening skills. This improves service delivery. The most crucial step in enhancing customer service quality is hiring qualified personnel. After hiring the right candidates, they should be trained to impart efficient customer service skills in relation to the company culture. Once absorbed into the company structures, employees should be empowered to provide. This provides them with a leeway and flexibility necessary in enhancing customer satisfaction. Feedback surveys confirm the efficiency of the training programs. The last stage of the process involves improvement of the outdated services and systems. Executive Summary Purpose of the Report The purpose of the report is to explain the impacts of customer service function in Delyumy Company, outlining the procedure followed in the formulation of efficient customer service training and show the benefits that the company attains from employee training. Secondary research included the use of various books and scholarly journals while the primary research entailed the personal interviews with Rijkaard Reagan, Barry Feig and Jenifer Miles. Efficient Customer Service Training Findings from scholarly journals, books and personal interviews revealed that the golden rule for ensuring quality customer service is treating the employees well. Lack of proper treatment ranges from lack of recognition and rewards as well as inefficient training programs. An efficient customer service training program equips skills related to extending courtesy to the consumers, undertaking telephones conversations promptly and demonstration of keen listening skills. This improves service delivery. Recommendations for Formulation of an Efficient Customer-Service Training Program The most crucial step in enhancing customer service quality is hiring qualified personnel. After hiring the right candidates, they should be trained to impart efficient customer service skills in relation to the company culture. Once absorbed into the company structures, employees should be empowered to provide. This provides them with a leeway and flexibility necessary in enhancing customer satisfaction. Feedback surveys should be conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of the training programs. The last stage of the process involves improvement of the outdated services and systems. Table of Contents Transmittal Memorandum 2 Executive Summary 2 Customer Service Training 5 Secondary Research 6 Customer Service 6 Benefits of Effective Customer Service 6 Customer Service Training 7 Benefits of Employee Training 8 Primary Research 8 Interviews 8 Conclusion 10 Recommendations 12 In a recent meeting, managers and supervisors for the company (your choice) where you work (your choice) expressed concerns about employees' customer-service skills. Moreover, they wondered whether a specific set of procedures should be established — especially for new employees. They have asked you to investigate the customer service practices at other companies like yours to determine what skills should be emphasized and what procedures — if any — should be adopted. Customer Service Training Customer service is the ability of an organization to constantly and consistently provide customers with what they require i.e. ensuring satisfaction. It can also be defined as encounters that customers have with employees as they engage in their duties. Customer service is the most visible and significant aspect of organizational performance, especially in the hotel industry. However, many customer service departments in most organizations are the most challenging due to ineffective management of employees. The quality of customer service determines the buying decision of a customer as well as their loyalty to the company services. DelYumy Hotel Group has recently experienced dwindling customer service quality levels. This has been exemplified by the increase in the complaints being leveled by customers and the decreased retention levels. The problem has been linked to the inadequate employees' customer-service skills. Although the company enjoys an excellent reputation, the reputation comes with high expectation from the consumers. The changing and unique needs of customers mean that the company must rapidly improve service delivery tactics to achieve those needs. To guarantee quality services and care, the company must interpret the relationship between their customers and internal company structures. Focus on internal company structure directly impacts on employee characteristics. Studies on previous training strategies of this company showed that they were not comprehensive; therefore, most employees were not equipped with the required skills for offering quality customer services. The report’s purpose is to investigate the customer service practices of other companies in the hotel industry. This will contribute in the determination of the procedures and skills that should be emphasized in customer service training programs. The goals of this report include explaining the impacts of customer service function in Delyumy Company, outlining the procedure followed in the formulation of efficient customer service training and showing the benefits that the company attains from employee training. Secondary Research Customer Service Ghose and Mukherjee (2008) defines customer service as the encounters that customers have with employees as they engage in protocols such as serving meals in hotels or referral in hospitals. The service quality is determined by the customer’s perception of these encounters. Therefore, ensuring customer satisfaction requires investing in thorough employee training, flexibility and empowerment. They also assert that recognition and reward programs assure employees that the organization values them; leading to improved performance. According to Snoj et al (2006, pp. 88-97), the manner in which employees handle customers depends on the way in which the management treats them. This implies that the management determines the customer service quality of the organization. Benefits of Effective Customer Service Ghose and Mukherjee (2008) posit that the critical property of customer service practice is that it assesses, anticipates and responds effectively customer needs. Some of the behavioral indicators they cite as denoting superior customer service includes extending courtesy to consumers such as dominant use of courteous terms such as “thank you” or “may I help you”, prompt answering of phone calls, thorough assessment of any problematic situations, initiation of adequate intervention measures and resolving any issues related to poor customer services collectively. According to Scarborough, Wilson and Zimmerer (2009), the prominent aim of improved customer service strategy is customer retention. This promotes business expansion due increased sales. Employee morale is also enhanced because no one would enjoy working in an organization that is in a verge of collapse. Satisfied customers will enhance the rates of staff retention, reduced recruitment costs, stress, grievance and counseling pressures. Reduced consumer attrition reduces the legal or litigation problems. Customer retention enables the management venture in other constructive activities such as innovation and development that drives the company up the ladder of success. Employee retention fuels positive reputation and enhances favorable image in the media. Additionally, satisfied employees may turn to digital media to express their satisfaction to the company services; further promoting image (Abbasi et al, 2010). Boujena, Johnston and Merunka, (2009, pg. 137-150) asserts that the benefits of the improved customer service are related to 3R’s i.e. retention, related sales and referrals. Other benefits considered by Solomon (2012) as crucial to service delivery according to customers include improved appearance, enhanced courtesy, ease in problem solving, ease of conducting business, timeliness as well as improved service quality. Customer Service Training Training should be undertaken to enlighten employees on the culture of improved customer service. Levoy (2011) portend that this ensures that everyone shares the understanding of the skills set for efficient communication, solving difficult customer problems and supporting partnerships. According to Workplace English Language and Literacy Program (Australia), (2010), another efficient goal of any training initiative is facilitation of feedback from the participants on their opinions towards the existing barriers to delivery of superior customer services. The feedback is then applied in the improvement of the organizational processes to conform to the practice of efficient service delivery. Benefits of Employee Training The benefits can be derived from the definition of employee training: process through which employees attain improved skills of performing their jobs as an essential part of improving the business potential of an organization (Levoy, 2011). Training serves two essential functions namely: improving performance and retention. Trained employees perform their duties accurately and consistently, leading to customer contentment while enhancing the image of the company. Other advantages of training include improvement in the level of knowledge, prowess in conflict management, understanding the customer problems and the right attitude favorable for handling employees. Unless employees are adequately trained, they cannot attain their adequate potential and maximum productivity levels. Levoy (2011) warns that inefficiently trained employees lower the company performance and commits costly mistakes. Primary Research Interviews Conducting Interviews For the report, I interviewed three individuals: Rijkaard Reagan, Barry Feig and Jenifer Miles. The research’s goal was to identify what they knew about customer service quality and training. The questions involved included: What are the impacts of poor customer service quality? Which strategies can be applied in improving customer service? How dos your organization handle customer service issues? What benefits are some of the benefits accrued from quality customer service? Reporting the Results of the Personal Interviews Mr. Rijkaard Reagan is the former human resource manager of Carlton hotels where he served for ten years. He affirms that the organizational structure should encourage quality customer service at all levels. He offers and example of Carlton hotels that possess a comprehensive management program that permeates the organization. All the new employees in the company undergo an intensive training on customer service techniques. They are provided with written instructions and customer service guidelines in the form of credo and standards. He believes that any success-oriented company should establish solid standards of service quality and abide by those principles. They should also hire employees carefully, train them comprehensively and encourage them to serve customers diligently. He believes that employees are empowered by motivation programs such as recognition and rewards. Motivated employees delivers the required quality customer service programs. Mr. Barry Feig is a marketing manager in Kobo Company in hospitality and tourism industry. He has served in the company for fifteen years. He has spearheaded many strategies that reversed the poor performance of the organization to success story. He affirms that he had to deal with the inefficient customer service quality that was facing the company. He asserts that if customers are not provided with the form of services they demand, they seek for those that can provide them. He asserts that development of a customer-focused mission statement is one of the most crucial strategies that focuses and guides employee actions towards customer satisfaction. According to Feig, a strong mission statement would both inspire and challenge employees towards undertaking the proposed measures geared towards satisfying customers. He believes that his company’s success story in customer service can be attributed to that fact that the company established a clear vision of the nature of superior service and communicated the vision to employees at all levels and departments. This ensured that the service quality aspect is personally viewed crucial to everyone in the organization. Jenifer Miles has worked as a deputy-vice chairperson of the executive board of Miles hotels for nine years. One of her prominent roles in the company is presiding over streamlining the customer service programs to ensure that they offer a satisfaction. According to her, all the services related to fulfillment of customer care are related to the company’s customer service plan. The plan provides goals, guarantees and promises to the customers and employees. She portends that the plan has served a milestone in responding to the evolving and constantly changing expectations of the employees through promoting the working. Conclusion Based on the research findings from books and scholarly journals as well as my primary research involving personal interviews with Rijkaard Reagan, Barry Feig and Jenifer Miles, the following conclusions are drawn: 1. The golden rule for ensuring quality customer service is proper treatment of employees. 2. Improper treatment ranges from lack of recognition and rewards as well as inefficient training programs. 3. The way in which employees treat customers is related to the way in which the management treats them. 4. Delyumy Company is a victim of insufficient employee training that has led to inadequate customer services. 5. An efficient customer service training program should: Extends courtesy to the consumers through use of ethical language such as “may I help you?” Undertakes telephones conversations promptly while offering identification of the self and the services being rendered. Demonstrate keen listening through clarification and acknowledgement of the verbal messages to ensure a mutual understanding. Detailed research and investigations are undertaken to understand the problems facing employees for formulation of concrete solutions. Roles are coordinated and teamwork enhanced when resolving employee issues for effective solutions All company units engaged in service delivery define strategies that demonstrate that all customers, regardless of their social, economic or religious affiliations are a crucial segment of the company. Consistently keep the customers updated on service delivery through training employees to offer timely and appropriate feedback. Recommendations In relation to the findings and conclusions of the report, the following recommendations improve the customer service quality offered by the employees of Delyumy Company: 1. The first step taken in improvement of customer service quality is hiring the correct personnel (Ghose and Mukherjee, 2008). The applicants should be narrowed down through consideration of the possession of the right qualities that enhances and supports the company’s non-negotiable standards and goals. 2. After hiring the right candidates, the customer service leaders should inflict the customer service culture among employees. This is through training the new employees and strengthening customer focus among the veteran employees. Levoy (2011) asserts that training should represent a customized course curriculum delivered to every employee. An internal/external trainer model should be applied in training. The advantage of including internal trainers is to bridge the context of the course with the internal organizational structures. The training sessions should also involve key organizational leaders being invited to deliver their perspective on the significance of quality customer service to the company performance. 3. Any successful and sustainable training program will require management support. The key factors considered when involving management includes demonstration of commitment and creation of accountability to the customer service standards. 4. The company management should portray top to down support and the leaders should exhibit their own role modeling through valuing and reinforcing any employee efforts. 5. Once absorbed into the structural configuration of the company, employees should be empowered to provide them with a leeway and flexibility to satisfy customers (Fernandez and Moldogaziev, 2012). Some of the empowerment strategies include recognition and rewards. Empowerment also involves removal of barriers to customer satisfaction. For instance, the employees are encouraged to undertake any initiative without necessarily seeking the management’s approval as long as it is beneficial to the consumer. 6. The last stage of the process involves improvement because most of customer complaints related to service providence are linked to outdated services and systems (Scarborough and Wilson and Zimmerer, 2009). All departments should be encouraged to formulate action plans necessary for improving the processes directly related to consumers. Employee satisfaction surveys will assist in identifying the available opportunities for improvement of service delivery and the sections that require leadership appraisal. References Abbasi, A. S., Khalid, W., Azam, M., & Riaz, A. (2010). Determinants of customer satisfaction in hotel industry of Pakistan. European Journal of Scientific Research, 48, 1, 97-105. Boujena, O., Johnston, W. J., & Merunka, D. R. (2009). The Benefits of Sales Force Automation: A Customer's Perspective. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 29, 2, 137-150. Fernandez, S., & Moldogaziev, T. (2012). Using employee empowerment to encourage innovative behavior in the public sector. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 23, 1, 155-187. Ghose, A., & Mukherjee, I. (2008). Customer service in hotel industry. Hyderabad, India: Icfai University Press. Levoy, B. (2011). The Many Benefits of Employee Training Improved productivity and profitability are among them. Podiatry Management, 30, 9, 41-42. Scarborough, N. M., Wilson, D., & Zimmerer, T. (2009). Effective small business management: An entrepreneurial approach. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. Snoj, B., Mumel, D., Ogorelc, A., & Kovac?ic?, N. (2006). Measuring hotel guest’s satisfaction by conducting a consumer satisfaction survey. Der Markt, 88-97. Solomon, M. (2012). High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service: Inspire Timeless Loyalty in the Demanding New World of Social Commerce. New York: AMACOM. Workplace English Language and Literacy Program (Australia), (2010). Customer service training: Food and beverage service. Metford, N.S.W: TAFE NSW Hunter Institute. Read More