Customer Care

Question 1

Mission Statement

Answer 1

• outlines the organisation’s main aim/goal and focus - ensures the customer understands the ethos and direction of the organisation
• explains how the organisation will achieve its aims/goals
• contains the values of the organisation - may attract customers or staff who have similar beliefs and values
• short and brief
• provides direction for employees

Question 2

Service Level Agreement

Answer 2

• details what the organisation promises to do and what the customer should expect
• may provide expected delivery times for products
• details what happens if the provider fails to deliver on the agreement
• outlines how complaints should be reported
• details appropriate call waiting times
• gives guidance as to how customers should be greeted
• gives information on how the service/delivery will be measured

Question 3

Complaints Procedure

Answer 3

• staff will know how to respond to complaints
• customers will know who to contact and how to complain
• timeline of complaints procedure will be shared with customers
• customers will be made aware of their rights and the next steps to proceed to if they continue to be unhappy
• the compensation level will be made clear to the customer
• can result a positive image for the organisation - retaining customers

Question 4

Loyalty Scheme

Answer 4

• customers buy goods or services and may gains points which can then be put towards the purchase of more goods and services, or give them other rewards
• encourages repeat purchases
• customers may tell friends/family - encourages new customers
• can gather valuable information on the spending habits of their customers - can target promotions

Question 5

Benefits of Good Customer Care

Answer 5

• customer loyalty increases
• better reputation
• attracts more customers and increasing sales
• fewer complaints - happier employees
• increased motivation/morale - less turnover/absenteeism
• can attract high quality staff
• can give the organisation a competitive edge

Question 6

Consequences of Poor Customer Care

Answer 6

• loss of customers - reducing sales and market share
• bad reputation - difficult to attract customers
• low staff morale - high staff turnover and increased recruitment costs
• loss of competitive edge - unable to compete with rivals

Question 7

Desk Research

Answer 7

Researching and analysing information that has already been gathered.

Advantages:
- quick
- easy - already available
- cheap - doesn’t require interviewers

Disadvantages:
- may be biased
- may not be appropriate
- not concise
- may be out-of-date

Question 8

Field Research

Answer 8

Gathering brand new information.

Advantages:
- complete
- up-do-date
- appropriate
- accurate

Disadvantages:
- expensive
- Time consuming

Question 9

Online Chat Facilities
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 9

• allows two-way communication
• operatives can hold multiple conversations at the same time
• can refer back and learn from
• often open later than call centres
• instant
• customers can send photos/videos

Question 10

Mystery Shoppers
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 10

• a person who shops and experiences the service and gives personal feedback
• submits a report on their findings
• remains anonymous
• evaluates specific aspects of customer service
• may be biased as only gives one person’s experience
• can be costly

Question 11

Customer Focus Group
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 11

• face to face meetings with groups of customers to gain feedback
• immediate feedback
• clarification can be gained as questions can be asked
• gives a wide range of experiences of customer service
• can help improve customer service
• expensive

Question 12

In-Store Questionnaire
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 12

• staff members can ask for further details from the customer
• immediate response
• customers may not tell the truth
• may annoy customers

Question 13

Online Questionnaire
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 13

• cheap
• responses are automatically collated and analysed - saves time
• customers are more likely to give honest feedback
• response rate may be low

Question 14

Telephone Questionnaire
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 14

• interviewer can prompt a response from the customer
• detailed responses can be given
• large numbers of customers can be surveyed quickly
• may annoy customers

Question 15

Suggestion Schemes
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 15

• collects information directly from customers
• indicates areas in need of improvement
• customers can remain anonymous
• cheap
• may result in more negative feedback than suggestions to improve

Question 16

Websites/Forums
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 16

• customers can leave reviews which other potential customers can see
• other review sites exist which customers leave reviews on
• shows that the organisation cares about the views of its customers
• reviews are open and transparent
• the organisation can respond to customer comments
• positive reviews can lead to a good reputation
• negative reviews can put off customers

Question 17

Social Media
(Field Research Methods)

Answer 17

• 2-way dialogue between organisation and customers
• business can gain feedback from customers
• customers are more open and honest
• business could receive bad publicity if a poor message is not dealt with