The meaning of quality customer service

Friday, November 28, 2003

In this, the first of an occasional series on consumer matters, our customer relations expert looks at the question of quality customer service

Whether you are in business, government, or a community organisation, you have customers or someone you serve. When those you serve have a choice about where they obtain their services, you must be concerned with providing quality customer service.

The Cayman Islands has experienced a tremendous amount of change in recent years. With growth comes competitive business as well as growth in government services and community services. As customers or other recipients of services seek response to their needs, it is critical that an organisation be competitive in providing their service.

The business of providing quality customer service is a broad one that cannot be addressed fully in a written news article or two. There are numerous aspects to providing quality customer service; the volume of resources and information has generated full course studies and weeklong seminars.

This article provides a brief overview to introduce the subject on a very basic level.

What is quality customer service? The following points assist in defining the term and its objectives:

• Meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
• It is defined by the customer and not the service provider.
• It may require an organisational culture change.
• Responsibility lies with everyone in an organization.
• A long-term commitment is required.
• It needs a structured approach to identifying and solving problems.
• Leadership from the top of the organization is essential.
• It also requires flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to handle the unexpected and resolve problems

Let us bring the matter to a people level. As a business owner, a supervisor, or an employee or member of an organisation, providing quality customer service is your responsibility.

Whether a person sits at the front reception desk, works out in the field or sits in the highest offices, responding to the customers’ needs with quality service is a major part of the job.

In addition to focus on the customer, quality customer service requires employee or member involvement, continuously improving services, understanding the organisation’s or company’s products and services and being able to communicate this to the customer.

Providing a quality service for customers can be summarised by the need to: Provide the service you said you would provide, efficiently and effectively; serve the customer with enthusiasm, friendliness and flexibility; listen to the customer; then take action to respond to the customer’s needs.

Quality Service Code:

• Respond to the customer immediately.
• Anticipate and accommodate the customer’s needs.
• Be flexible, not mechanical, in interpreting the service
• Be interested, energetic and cordial in the contact.
• Be the customer’s representative or advocate when they come to the organization for services.
• Use your common sense when responding to customers.

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