Foster and Maintain Customer Relations ID: 123258

Course Descriptions

Powerful customer relationships are essential to business success in order to get and retain customers, it is critical to build customer relationships.

When organizations develop strong relationships with their customers, it can lead to loyal clients, positive word of mouth and increased sales. Regardless of who performs this function, customer service plays a vital role in building and maintaining customer relationships. They do this by demonstrating professionalism (competence and skill), showing a personal interest in their customers and being creative and resourceful in solving problems or answering questions.

The key philosophy to remember is that strong relationships are built around making the other person feel important. When you accomplish this on an ongoing basis, success will follow.

Successful candidates credited with this unit standard are able to:

• Describing organizational structures and products/services for specific contexts.
• Operating within a customer service system according to context requirements.
• Identifying customer needs and expectations within specific contexts.
• Dealing with customer complaints according to specified procedures.
• Choosing interpersonal behaviours appropriate for occupational situations.

Certification

Outcome 1

Customer service

• Internal service
• External service

Identifying suppliers

• Recommendations
• Directories
• Trade associations
• Business advisors
• Exhibitions
• Trade press

Outcome 2

Customer service chain

The framework

Organizational customer service model

• Good and bad customer service experiences
• Stepping into the shoes of your customers
• Experience your service as a customer
• View competitor customer service

Duties & responsibilities of a customer service representative

Handling problems

Assisting in sales

Clerical tasks

Job specific responsibilities

Key performance areas (kpa’s)

Key performance indicators (kpi’s) must be quantifiable

Customer service job description

• General purpose
• Main job tasks and responsibilities
• Inquiries
• Education and experience
• Key competencies

Outcome 3

Improved analytic value of data

Better decision-making

Higher marketing efficiency (roi)

Internal customer audit

External customer audit

Customer service audit

• Know your product/service
• Be friendly
• Say thank you
• Train your staff
• Show respect
• Listen
• Be responsive
• Ask for feedback

Barriers to outstanding customer service

How to collect customer feedback

• Plan
• Implement
• Improve

Client and customer personality types

• Stuck in the mud people
• Takers know how to take…
• Opportunists want to purchase the minimum
• Boss-made-me-do-its
• Terribly troubled
• Frustrated drivers
• Sincerely growth-oriented (sgo):
• Dreamers

The 6 levels of proactive support

• Ignore
• React
• Self-heal
• Pre-empt
• Avoid
• The bottom line

Barriers for individuals with disability

• Intrinsic barriers
• Environmental barriers
• Overcoming barriers

Outcome 4

Dealing with customer complaints

• Listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and let them finish
• Ask questions in a caring and concerned manner
• Put yourself in their shoes
• Apologize without blaming
• Ask the customer, “what would be an acceptable solution to you
• Solve the problem, or find someone who can solve it— quickly

Review the complaints

Reassure customers

Discuss the issues with employees

Make operational changes

Customer service from clients’ perspective

Service from your customers’ perspective

Customer complaint resolution process that anyone can implement

• Focus on the customer
• Focus on the complaint
• Focus on process improvement

Complaints procedure

Description of after-sales service is clear and consistent with company policy and regulations

• What is after sales service?
• Why after sales service?
• After sales service techniques

Why it is important to provide after sales service?

Moments of truth

Individuals make the difference

 Outcome 5

Identification of conflict situations

• Signs of conflict between individuals
• Signs of conflict between groups of people
• Positive effects
• Negative effects

Steps for resolving disputes

• Managing conflict between groups
• Use dispute resolution procedures
• Conflict resolution among individuals
• Investigate informally

Relationships and communication networks take account of culture

Levels of management

• Top level of management
• Middle level of management
• Lower level of management

Types of customers

• Loyal customers
• Discount customers
• Impulsive customers
• Need based customers
• Wandering customers

Ways of improving/modifying personal interaction techniques within a team

• Encourage trust and cooperation among employees
• Encourage team members to share information
• Delegate problem-solving tasks to the team
• Facilitate communication
• Establish team values and goals; evaluate team performance
• Make sure that you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish
• Use consensus
• Set ground rules for the team
• Encourage listening and brainstorming
• Establish the parameters of consensus-building sessions

Learning assumed to be in place and recognition of prior learning:

• School certificate grade 10 or skills certificate equivalent NQF Level 3 or trade test certificate
• Communication at NQF Level 2 or equivalent
• Mathematical literacy at NQF Level 2 or equivalent

Who This Course is for

Target Audience

All companies that want to ensure their employees whether in sales or marketing is to create a positive impression sales relationship that are more direct and proactive. The ability to convince prospects to make positive buying decisions.