Customer Service : A Practical Approach

by Harris, Elaine K.

• ISBN13: 9780131989375
• ISBN10: 0131989375
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

For undergraduate courses in Customer Service, Training and Development, and Service Marketing; also as a supplement for a course in Marketing Principles. The market-leader, Customer Service: A Practical Approach, Fourth Edition, goes beyond providing reasons why customer service is important to defining proven methods for creating customer service excellence. Using an organized and concise layout, it covers a wide range of knowledge and skills and offers an extensive collection of activities to enliven and invigorate any lecture. This edition features a revised chapter on technology, new quick quizzes, job link activities, team building exercises, and expanded challenge projects. Focusing on problem solving, communication strategies and self-assessment, it transcends superficial elements and pinpoints the skills needed to improve and sustain customer satisfaction and business relationships.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
About the Author	xvii
What Is Customer Service?	1	(13)
Customer Service Is Important!	2	(1)
What Is Customer Service?	2	(1)
Understanding of Satisfaction	2	(1)
Why Is Excellent Customer Service so Rare?	3	(2)
Five Needs of Every Customer	5	(1)
External and Internal Customers	6	(2)
Customer Attributes	8	(1)
Cost of Losing a Customer	8	(6)
The Challenges of Customer Service	14	(15)
Elements of Success	15	(1)
Barriers to Excellent Customer Service	15	(1)
Power of Perceptions	16	(1)
Understanding Expectations	16	(1)
Levels of Expectations	17	(1)
Scope of Influence	18	(1)
Reputation Management	19	(1)
Techniques for Exceeding Customers' Expectations	20	(1)
Keys to Credibility	21	(1)
Importance of Values	21	(1)
Ethics in Customer Service	22	(1)
Current Status of Customer Service	23	(1)
New Trends in Customer Service	24	(5)
Problem Solving	29	(22)
Role of Problem Solving in Customer Service	30	(1)
Creativity and Problem Solving	31	(1)
Problems As Opportunities	31	(1)
Confronting Conflict	31	(1)
Problem-Solving Process	32	(3)
Problem-Solving Strategies	35	(6)
Developing Negotiation Skills	41	(3)
Professional Approaches to Apologizing and Conveying Bad News	44	(1)
Barriers to Problem Solving and Decision Making	45	(1)
Importance of Follow-Up in Problem Solving	46	(5)
Strategy for Formulating a Plan for Success	51	(12)
Why a Strategy?	52	(1)
Planning	52	(1)
Importance of Infrastructure	52	(1)
Culture	53	(1)
High-Touch and Low-Touch Customers	54	(1)
Consumption Behavior	55	(2)
Segmentation of Your Market	57	(1)
Development of a Strategy	58	(5)
Empowerment	63	(9)
What is Empowerment?	64	(1)
Importance of a Mission and Purpose Statement	64	(1)
Empowerment = Opportunity	64	(1)
Examples of Empowerment	65	(1)
Steps to Empowering Customer Service Providers	65	(1)
Coproduction of Customer Service	66	(1)
Why Coproduction Works	67	(1)
Design of Systems	68	(1)
Guidelines for System Design	68	(4)
Communications in Customer Service	72	(15)
What is Communication?	73	(1)
Building Customer Intelligence	73	(1)
Methods of Communication	74	(1)
Listening	74	(2)
Voice Inflection As a Customer Service Tool	76	(1)
Telephones and Customer Service	77	(1)
Words to Use/Words to Avoid	78	(1)
Power Phrases	79	(1)
Power of Eye Contact	79	(1)
Appeal to the Senses in Communication	80	(1)
Communication and Technology	80	(7)
Coping with Challenging Customers	87	(17)
Who are Challenging Customers?	88	(1)
Why are Customers Challenging?	88	(1)
Are You Creating Challenging Customers?	89	(1)
Characteristics of Challenging Customers	90	(6)
Respect: A Classic Idea That Still Works!	96	(1)
Understanding the Positive Power of Empathy	97	(1)
Responsibility Check	97	(1)
What to Do When You Are Wrong	98	(1)
Six Super Ways to Cope With Challenging Customers	99	(1)
Payoffs of Coping with Challenging Customers	99	(5)
Motivation	104	(15)
What is Motivation?	105	(1)
Needs and Wants	106	(1)
Motivating Factors	107	(1)
Understanding of Morale	108	(1)
Self-Concept and Motivation	109	(5)
Power of Self-Motivation	114	(1)
Teamwork	115	(1)
Methods of Saying Thank You and Motivating Others	115	(4)
Leadership in Customer Service	119	(17)
Leadership Defined	120	(1)
Know Thyself	121	(1)
Formal and Informal Leaders	122	(1)
Coach or Counselor	123	(1)
Characteristics of Excellent Leaders	124	(1)
Leadership and Goals	125	(2)
Creation of a Customer Service Culture	127	(1)
Benefits of Job Aids	127	(2)
Leadership without Position	129	(1)
Your Boss Is Your Customer Too!	130	(6)
Customer Retention and Measurement of Satisfaction	136	(14)
What is Customer Retention?	137	(1)
Value of Existing Customers	137	(2)
Understanding Churn	139	(1)
How to Tell If You Need to Improve Your Customer-Retention Programs	139	(1)
Development of a Customer-Retention Program	140	(1)
Measurement of Satisfaction	141	(2)
Sources of Information	143	(1)
Benefits of Measuring Your Effectiveness	144	(1)
Tips for Realistically Determining Your Effectiveness	145	(1)
Why Surveys Do Not Always Reflect Reality	145	(1)
Ideas for Evaluating Your Own Performance	146	(1)
What Measurement of Satisfaction Means to Your Business	147	(3)
Technology and Customer Service	150	(12)
Today's Changing Marketplace	151	(1)
Understanding the Customer of the Twenty-First Century	151	(1)
Embracing New Technologies	152	(1)
Call Centers	153	(2)
Customer Service Over the Internet	155	(3)
Enhancing Service Experiences and Building Customer Loyalty	158	(4)
Excellence in Customer Service	162	(3)
Excellence Is the Goal	163	(1)
Getting Started	163	(1)
Rewards of Providing Excellent Customer Service	163	(2)
Glossary	165	(3)
Index	168