Foreword: A Practical Guide To Delivering Excellent Customer Service

A Practical Guide to Delivering Excellent Customer Service
Foreword
The Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence was formed in February
2000. In pursuance of the Association's objective to promote customer service excellence
in Hong Kong, we have embarked on a series of research projects aimed at identifying
best customer service practices in Hong Kong’s leading service organizations.
The first research, involving some 600 customers and nine organizations from different
service sectors renowned for their exemplary service performance, centred on "The Best
Organization Structure and Human Resource Practices for Delivering Excellent Customer
Service". The findings of this study are summarized in this document – "A Practical
Guide to Delivering Excellent Customer Service". It is written in a readable and easily
comprehensible format so that it can serve as a ready reference for service organizations
in Hong Kong of any size and business nature.
We hope this publication will contribute to fostering a culture of customer service

excellence in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the service
industries.
Allan CHIANG
Chairman
Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence
February 2001
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Founding Members
(In alphabetical order)
Centaline Property Agency Limited
CLP Power Hong Kong Limited
Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited
Hewlett-Packard Hong Kong Limited
Hongkong Post
Motorola Asia Pacific Limited
Pacific Century CyberWorks
Pacific Century Insurance Company Limited
Shell Hong Kong Limited
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Honorary Patron
Mr. CHAU Tak Hay
Secretary for Commerce and Industry
Commerce and Industry Bureau
Honorary Advisor
PricewaterhouseCoopers
2
List of Executive Committee Officers (Year 2000-2001)

Chairman: Mr. Allan CHIANG
Deputy Postmaster General
Hongkong Post
Vice-Chairman: Mr. KONG Wood Ning
Customer Services Manager
CLP Power Hong Kong Limited
Secretary: Mr. CHEUNG Chi Wah
Director, Quality & Efficiency
Pacific Century CyberWorks
Treasurer: Mr. Patrick WONG
Director – HP Services
Hewlett-Packard Hong Kong Limited
Convener: Mr. Buston CHU
Senior Marketing Manager
Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited
Convener: Ms. Esperanza MA
Regional Vice President & General Manager
Pacific Century Insurance Company Limited
Convener: Miss Kay LEE
Manager – Customer Service Centre
Shell Hong Kong Limited
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Acknowledgement
The Executive Committee would like to thank sincerely the organizations and the
interviewees participating in the research. Without their invaluable input, this project
could not be completed. We would also like to express our appreciation of the
professional work done by Dr. Geoffrey Tso of the City University of Hong Kong and
Mr. Jack Poon of Integrated Management System Consulting in the design of the research
and carrying out the field work on behalf of the Association.
4
CONTENTS
(I) Understanding Customer Expectations
(II) Hiring the Right People
(III) Support System

Organization
Service Oriented Process
- Empowerment
- Motivation and Excitement
- Service Pledge
- Communication
- Escalation Management
Training
Personal Development
Guidelines and Tools
- Intranet
- Control and Monitoring
- Performance Appraisal
(IV) Retaining the Right People

Compensation and Benefits
Reward and Recognition
(V) Levels of Importance of Customer Expectations for Different Services

Call Centre
Customer Service Centre
Retail Outlet
Website
One-to-one Service Agent
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(I) Understanding Customer Expectations
Understanding customer needs and expectations is very important to a service-oriented

organization as it protects against dissatisfied customers or, even worse, those who take their
business elsewhere without voicing their complaint.
After customer needs and expectations are identified, customer satisfaction must be monitored
and the findings used to generate improvements. Proactively conducting customer satisfaction
surveys also generates a positive impression on customers about the organization’s interest in
them.
PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

Gather information on
Customer needs and Telephone or mail surveys From quarterly to
expectations Focus groups annually
The industry Purchase syndicated data Annually
Monitor customer satisfaction
Random telephone surveys Computer Assisted Telephone Interview Ongoing
System (CATI) – computer software to
facilitate sampling and data capturing
Benchmarking Company visits Ad hoc
Customer transaction study Interviews with recent customers Ongoing
Focus group Customer Advisory Panel or small ad hoc Quarterly
groups
Outreach programs Communicate with Focus Teams or other Ongoing
organizations
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TIPS ON UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMERS

1. Interview staff at critical processes areas or conduct in-depth interviews with customers to
design a questionnaire before conducting a survey.
2. Typical topics covered in a Customer Satisfaction Survey include:
- Overall satisfaction
- Performance of frontline staff, including:
- Punctuality and appearance
- Service skill
- Enthusiasm
- Tidiness and cleanliness after work
- Level of support provided
- Decision to continue to purchase goods/service
- Decision to recommend goods/services to others
- Comparison of goods/services with competitors
3. Design a feedback form and ask customers to rate service quality where appropriate in order
to obtain instant feedback.
4. Use a consultant to design and, if necessary, conduct a survey. Many organizations still need
to commission research projects to external consultants even though an in-house research
team is available. This is because additional human resources such as fieldwork staff who
may not be maintained as regular full-time staff are often required in ad hoc projects.
Sometimes, consultants are hired to seek an independent design, which is not affected by the
organization’s culture.
(Customer expectations for call centers, customer service centers, retail outlets, websites and one-
to-one sales or service agents are detailed in Section (V) ).
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(II) Hiring the Right People

Organizations concerned with service quality believe that, despite the traditional emphasis on
hiring people with the right “service attributes”, it is more effective to emphasize personal
development (i.e. to attract, develop and retain staff) via extensive training.
Organizations also rely on the judgment of management, systematic evaluation and selection
procedures.

Recruiting
Develop job descriptions Describe the overall functions of the job Ongoing
and why it is important to the organization
Interview − Face-to-face or telephone interviews Ongoing
− Psychological evaluation
− Work simulation
− Written tests
Development
Place emphasis on training Establish sub divisions under the Human Ongoing
and personal development Resources Department (e.g. workforce
development, training and people
development, etc)
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TIPS ON HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

1. Service attributes include:
− Reliability
− Responsiveness
− Empathy
− Helpfulness
− Thoughtfulness
− Sociability
− Being well-adjusted
− Likeability
− Willingness to follow rules
2. Typical face-to-face interviews examine:
− Communication skills (e.g. by self introduction or interviewing in groups to see how
candidates interact)
− Selling skills (e.g. by requesting a candidate try to sell a familiar product )
− Handling difficult situations
− Innovation (e.g. how to increase overall sales by, say, 10%)
3. When hiring frontline staff who handle customers by phone, candidates are requested to make
a cold call (by telephone) to test their telephone manner and responses under unfamiliar
situations.
4. Software for job profiling is available commercially whereby:
− A job profile for each position is developed and each attribute is ranked for importance so
that a written test can be developed for the respective position
− Candidates are tested using character or aptitude tests accordingly
− The best candidate can be matched against the attributes listed in the job profile
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(III) Support System
Organization
In a service-oriented organization, an individual Customer Service Department is established.

Everyone in this department is responsible for delivering excellent customer service. The focus is
on satisfying the customer under whatever circumstance. In addition, dedicated teams are
established according to the characteristics of an organization’s operation or types of customers
so that the unique needs of each customer are better served.
A typical customer-based organization structure will consist of:
Vice-President
Customer Enterprise / Commercial / Consumers

Category Corporate Accounts SME
General Manager General Manager General Manager
Accounts Manager Manager

Manager
Accounts Line
Manager Supervisor
CS Support
This structure will ensure the focus on customer or market and keep the organization aware of
changes in customers’ needs and expectations/preferences.
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Service Oriented Process
Empowerment
Frontline staff are trained to perform as customer champions capable of using good judgment
when quick action is needed to satisfy a customer or to diffuse a potentially difficult situation.
Empowerment provides frontline staff with the necessary authority to resolve on the spot most or
all problems with customers, eliminating the need for a customer to complain beyond the first
personal contact. Empowerment also motivates frontline staff to exceptional performance.

Empowerment
Establish clear empowerment Identify decision-making opportunities Ongoing
guidelines (rule benders):
− Waiving charges
− Replacement or refund
− Trade-in of products
− Emergency service appointment
Communicate empowerment Ongoing
Ensure no multi-level approval is required Ongoing
TIPS ON EMPOWERMENT
1. The frontline staff doing the job know best how to handle a potential conflict. Use their
knowledge and experience (e.g. by asking for their input on the potential impact on customer
service of changing rules).
2. Problems should be solved at the lowest competent level in an organization.
3. Different empowerment levels should be defined according to different customer value
models (i.e. low, medium or high). In case of customers’ “severe dissatisfaction”, escalation
to a higher value may be justified.
4. The empowerment authorization should be reviewed subject to market forces.
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Motivation and Excitement
The motivation of frontline staff to improve performance and productivity is important. After all,
it is the frontline staff, not senior management, who deal directly with the customer every day.
Employees are also motivated by recognition in the form of bonuses or awards and praise.
Positive reinforcement by senior management can be just as effective as bonuses.

Develop motivation
“Catch” frontline staff doing Monitor frontline staff behavior via: Ongoing
the right thing − Direct observation
− Customer transaction survey (i.e. to
survey the satisfaction level of
customers who have used the service
in the past week/month)
Encourage competition − Employee of the Week/Month Ongoing
− Best Team Quarterly
− Superior Quality Service Award Semi-annually
− Best Bulletin Board Monthly
Create excitement
Celebrate success Organize: Ongoing
− Award presentation ceremonies
− Monthly dinners with the General
Manager
− Team celebrations
Publicize achievements − LCD monitors in common areas Ongoing
− Screen-savers on company intranet
− Newsletters
− Bulletin board postings
TIPS ON MOTIVATION AND EXCITEMENT

1. Present awards as often as required (e.g. as soon as possible after targets are achieved).
2. Superior quality service awards are often provided to more than one team and are seen as an
encouragement tool rather than a stringent competition.
3. Celebrate success publicly (e.g. at company-wide events).
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Service Pledge
Aimed at providing customers with the best possible service, a Service Pledge guarantees
customers a specific level of service commitment. This delivers a clear message to frontline staff
regarding the importance of customer satisfaction and also demonstrates the organization’s
commitment to customers.

Define details of Service Pledge
Reliability − Uninterrupted service Ongoing
− Prior notification in case of service
interruption
− Restoration of service
Emergency service − Emergency hotline / team Ongoing
Appointments − Choice Ongoing
− Availability
− Dependability
− Flexibility of time/date
Speed and convenience − Customer service hotline Ongoing
− Fast service
− Choice of bill payment
− Location and operating hours of
customer service centers
Service attitude − Courteous and friendly Ongoing
Handling suggestions − Receive via hotline, written comments Ongoing
or suggestions
TIPS ON SERVICE PLEDGE

1. Frontline staff should participate in developing details of the Service Pledge because they are
more likely to generate service improvement suggestions.
2. Details of the Service Pledge are documented in Service Pledge booklets, which are available
to the public and contain the following information:
− A letter to customers
− Description of the different items of the Service Pledge
− Previous year’s achievements
− Service goals and targets for the coming year
3. These customer service goals are incorporated into the personal objectives of all frontline
staff (e.g. in their job description) and is used as part of the performance appraisal process.
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Communication
Communication is vital if an organization wants to be successful in delivering excellent customer

service because it affects people’s expectations, perceptions and attitudes towards customer
service. Externally, stakeholders need to know what an organization is doing to provide excellent
customer service. Internally, frontline staff need to be kept up-to-date with the organization’s
customer service programs.

External communication
Establish communication − Company website for the public Ongoing
channels − Newsletters and annual reports
− Press conferences
− Meetings
− Special events
Internal communication
Establish communication − Meetings and briefings Ongoing
channels − Bulletin board postings or electronic
mail
− Company intranet
− LCD monitors in common areas
− Screen-savers to display achievements
such as Employee of the Month,
company news, discount merchandise,
etc
TIPS ON COMMUNICATIONS
1. Typical special events include Customer Service Week, competitions, visits to other
organizations or vice versa, etc.
2. A company intranet contains information about:
- Our company
- Our customer service culture
- Pay and benefits
- Performance and development
- Staff Corner
- Feedback channels
- Compliments
3. Our Customer Service Culture describes:
− What our customers want
− What our customers get
− Our commitment to providing excellent service
− Examples of how to exceed customers’ expectations
4. Screen-savers are capable of continuously conveying customer service messages, such as
individual achievements, e.g. Employee of the Month, company news, discount merchandise,
etc.
5. A 10-minute briefing each morning before opening or during shift changes is an effective
way to remind frontline staff of the skills and behavior they need to apply.
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Escalation Management
Complaints are best resolved when and where they happen, before they breed negative word-of-
mouth advertising or escalate to a higher level. Escalation management is particularly important
when dealing with Corporate/Enterprise customers. Frontline staff must be trained and provided
with guidelines and tools to prevent escalation.

Escalation criteria
Define escalation criteria − Number of days order remains open Ongoing
or does not progress
Establish escalation − When complaint needs to be Ongoing
procedures escalated, appoint a Customer
Satisfaction Manager to ensure the
customer and their business needs are
addressed
− Set up escalation team (e.g. Customer
Satisfaction Manager, Customer
Service Supervisor, senior Customer
Service staff) to handle problems
TIPS ON ESCALATION MANAGEMENT

1. The Customer Satisfaction Manager should be a senior member of staff and act as the link
between the customer and the escalation team.
2. Further escalation is needed when:
− There is no further progress after different attempts
− Customer anxiety is high, or
− Customers incur high financial losses
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Training
Successful customer-oriented organizations devote considerable resources to training and
developing their employees. Training assists in developing a service-oriented culture within the
organization and equips frontline staff with the tools they need to deliver excellent customer
service, which will earn customer satisfaction and loyalty and, ultimately, improve productivity.

Training needs
Prepare training curriculum Perform training needs analysis (i.e. Semi-annually
and plan for individual determine who needs to be trained for
positions what)
Provide training
Induction Content: Quarterly
− Organization history, important
milestones and core business
− Organizational structure
− Mission, vision, goals and objectives
− Career development
Technical − Product/service knowledge Ongoing
− System operation
− Telephone system operation
− PC skills and application
− Mandatory training (as required by
law)
Customer service − Service culture Ongoing
− Effective communication skills
− Negotiation skills
− Complaint handling skills
− Trouble shooting
− Consultative selling and call handling
Management − Effective leadership Ongoing
− Coaching and counseling
− Team building
− Leading effective meetings
− Presenting effectively
− Train-the-trainer
− Problem solving
− Time management
− Project management
− Change management
− Attracting, hiring and keeping great
people
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TIPS ON TRAINING
1. Training needs analysis and the corresponding training plans are prepared in advance; for
example, at the beginning of the fiscal year (as opposed to completing training records after
training has been conducted).
2. Prioritize “must do” and “nice to do” training and conduct programs accordingly.
3. All new employees are required to attend induction training, with induction CD-ROMs
available for new employees in the interim.
4. New employees are not allowed to serve customers before they have been trained.
5. It is helpful to use facilitators to train the trainers who will be responsible for conducting the
actual training. Using a facilitator is usually effective for workshop types of training.
6. Organize outdoor training activities (e.g. rock climbing, outward bound trips, etc) to focus on
team building, leadership development, development of self-confidence and problem solving.
7. A successful organization normally commits a certain percentage of its budget to training.
8. Self-learning is an effective way to stretch an organization’s training budget.
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Personal Development
Organizations that emphasize training and personal development enjoy competitive advantages in
attracting new employees and retaining good people. A clear mandate for personal development
also increases employee morale and motivation.

Personal development program
Career planning − Career planning seminars Quarterly
− Develop individual career path
profiles
− Special career development programs
for excellent performers or potential
managers
Coaching Managers spend up to 50% of his/her time Ongoing
coaching frontline staff
Attachment Assign attachment to an experienced As required
frontline staff for a period of from one
week to three months
Mentor program − Choose mentors and develop clear As required
roles and responsibilities for both
mentors and mentees
− Hold regular mentor-mentee meetings
to focus on one improvement area at a
time
Job rotation Arrange job rotations according to a Ongoing
succession plan
TIPS ON PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Mentors should be chosen carefully, based on language, personality, experience, background
and physical proximity.
2. Coaching can be used as a tool for monitoring the development of individual staff and
determining the cause of non-performance (attitude or aptitude).
3. Inform frontline staff who have not performed up to par as soon as possible and
independently (i.e. out of sight from other staff).
4. Determine appropriate recognition and incentives for outstanding mentors or coaches (e.g.
Mentor/Coach of the Year).
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Guidelines and Tools
Intranet
Most companies have an IT department that designs a company intranet as an effective means of
communication. Training on use of the intranet also provides new opportunities for flexible and
readily accessible training, i.e. on-line training programs.

Intranet
Develop sites on the intranet - Company news Ongoing
- Organizational chart
- Our service culture
- Mission
- Company priorities
- Company processes
- Contact list
- Performance and development
- Staff Corners
- Code of behavior
- Compliments
Update intranet Seek input from all departments and staff Ongoing
TIPS ON INTRANET
1. Company priorities include sites for:
− Customer expectations
− Customer experiences
− The organization’s commitment to service
− Who are your customers?
− Communication (Telephone; Fax; Letter) handling guidelines
− Exceeding customer expectations
2. Staff Corners include sites for:
− Career connection
− Ethics policy
− Inspiring tips
− Experience sharing
− Feedback channel
− Training courses
− Web applications
− Employee portal
− Recommended book list
3. Employee Portals contain:
− Information to alert staff regarding training and performance ranking status
− Individual job descriptions and specifications
− Performance evaluation results
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Control and Monitoring
To ensure the best possible customer service is provided, actual service delivery by frontline staff
is monitored continuously and the results are reviewed and analyzed.

Retail Outlets
Monitoring − Direct monitoring by managers Ongoing
− Cross-shop visits by shop supervisors
(to observe the service delivery at
other shops and provide comment for
improvement)
− Customer Transaction Survey (to
survey the satisfaction level of
customer who have used the services
in the past week/month)
Call Centers
Monitoring − Direct observation by line manager / Ongoing
supervisor
− Keeping track of amount of time spent
per call
− Silent monitoring of conversations
Customer Service Centre / Support
Monitoring − Supervisor listens to staff concerns Ongoing
− Keeping track of response time,
service / repair time / repair
appropriateness
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TIPS ON CONTROL AND MONITORING

1. Cross-shop observation of service delivery is an effective monitoring method.
2. Customer transaction surveys are conducted (usually by external consultants) on individual
retail outlets to survey customers who have used the service in the past week or month. The
surveys focus on the staff’s:
− Courtesy / politeness
− Product / service knowledge
− Friendliness, sincerity and patience
− Proactivity in offering help
− Understanding of customers’ needs
− Ability to provide a satisfactory answer or solution
− Responsiveness in answering enquiries
− Effective explanations
− Accuracy of information provided
− Follow-up
When there are negative results, the respective frontline staff is asked to find out what the
mistake was to see if that matches with the findings.
3. A Mystery Shopper Program is conducted (usually once a year) to rate the shop’s
performance in terms of:
− Shopping environment (staff appearance and greeting of customers, store housekeeping)
− Shopping experience (staff attitude, staff assistance, product knowledge, availability of
products and price)
− Completion of transaction (customer leaving, after-sales service, team spirit)
4. The Mystery Shopper Program can also be used for competitor benchmarking.
5. A complaint tracking system ensures that how complaints are handled is evaluated in terms of
promptness of response, clarity of response, and general responsiveness to the complainant.
6. Compliments are passed onto all employees continuously via bulletin boards, e-mails, LCD
display boards, screensavers, etc.
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Performance Appraisal
Performance appraisals are conducted to provide managers and frontline staff with an opportunity
to review their performance relative to defined service standards, thus providing feedback to
eliminate service deficiencies and reinforce excellent performance. Performance appraisals are
also an important element of the career planning process because they are used to develop an
employee’s career plan in light of demonstrated strengths and weaknesses.

Performance appraisal mechanism
Define performance Assign assessment rating criteria Ongoing
expectations and develop weighting (%) for:
detailed rating forms and − Efficiency (20%)
procedures − Quality (20%)
− Performance (45%)
− Enthusiasm (10%)
− Teamwork (feedback from
colleagues) (5%)
Conduct appraisal Assign rating, determine performance Semi-annually or
ranking and analyze strengths and annually
weaknesses
Provide feedback Plan feedback sessions Ongoing
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TIPS ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

1. Performance appraisals for new employees should be conducted more frequently, e.g. twice
in the first year of employment and once per year thereafter.
2. An effective wage re-evaluation mechanism is to perform wage reviews more often, e.g.
quarterly, to make necessary adjustments for excellent achievers.
3. Performance expectations defined in job descriptions are usually too general. Individual
performance expectations should be quantified wherever practicable (e.g. keeping customers
satisfied vs. no more than 10 complaints per year).
4. Quality includes:
− Compliments
− Complaints
5. Performance includes results of:
− Customer satisfaction surveys (e.g. customer survey cards, customer satisfaction tracking
systems, etc)
− Monitoring results
− Productivity
6. Enthusiasm includes monthly statistics on:
− Sick leave
− Punctuality
− Contributions of ideas to improve service quality
7. One or more feedback sessions should be held to discuss the progress of individual staff and
to make plans for career progression, including training and development needs.
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(IV) Retaining the Right People
Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is a major motivation for attracting and retaining employees. Employee
dissatisfaction with the compensation system may have a negative effect on the organization’s
operations. Compensation should be designed so that resources are deployed efficiently and
excellent performers are rewarded accordingly. A clearly defined compensation system brings
credibility, whereby consistency and equity in compensation strategies can be maintained.
In addition to compensation, most organizations provide some form of company benefits, which
must be carefully planned to meet employees’ needs.

Compensation
Job leveling Conduct market surveys to determine Semi-annually
salary pay ranges for different job levels:
− Performance-based pay
− Incentive programs, etc
Implementation Provide compensation based on Ongoing
achievement of objectives and
performance
Review Salary increases are based on the Quarterly
performance rating in the last performance
appraisal
TIPS ON COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

1. Typical remuneration packages include:
− Basic salary plus bonus
− Pay for performance
− Allowances
− Overtime pay
− Employee share purchase plan
− Special bonuses
2. Benefit plans must comply with local laws and regulations, e.g. MPF, insurance, etc.
3. Salary reviews are conducted more frequently (e.g. quarterly) to make necessary adjustments
for excellent achievers.
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Reward and Recognition

Reward and recognition in the form of incentive programs is a major source of motivation for
delivering excellent customer service.

Develop reward and recognition programs
Individual or group Determine: Ongoing
− Award to be paid
− Targeted performance
Special awards Set up competitions or special projects: Ad hoc
− Determine objectives
− Define specific performance measures
− Determine awards
− Develop the support system (staff and
judging committee)
TIPS ON REWARD AND RECOGNITION

1. Common reward and recognition schemes include:
− Employee / team / outlet of the month
− Superior Quality Service Award with dual purposes of proposing solutions to enhance
customer service and recognize team achievement,
− Top three teams
− Outstanding team
− Best team members
− Best departmental facilitator
− Best departmental committee
− Best bulletin board
− Highest-ranking team on customer satisfaction tracking system
2. Awards can be anything, including:
− Salary or cash bonuses, or coupons
− Profit sharing / stock options
− Prizes and awards (e.g. vacation packages)
− Promotions and job enrichment
− Plaques, pins or badges
− Certificates or personal thank you notes from the General Manager
− Lunch with the General Manager
− Recognition parties or celebrations
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(V) Customer Expectations for Different Services

Level of Importance of Customer Expectations
(Average Rating out of 10)
Call Centre
Very important Customer Expectation

8.7 Staff deal with customers in a courteous manner
Staff answer calls promptly
8.6 Staff are considerate
8.5 Staff provide clear responses
Centre is adequately staffed
Staff are responsible
Staff offer friendly greetings
Staff avoid putting callers on hold
Important
8.4 Staff offer a fast and accurate response to enquiry
8.3 Live conversation (rather than talking to a machine)
Ability to talk to the right person immediately
Staff repeat callers’ instructions
Staff have multiple language capability
8.2 Staff check voice message and return calls promptly
Staff are familiar with service or products
Staff provide suitable suggestions
Staff speak in an appropriate manner (speed, tone, volume)
8.1 Staff provide the correct information or service
24-hour manned service is available
Staff ensure attention to detail
8.0 Staff make the correct appointment
Staff provide service or forms promptly
Staff are able to engage in friendly conversation
Staff are polite
Preferable
7.9 Staff show willingness to serve customers
Staff follow-up on customer complaints
Staff pay attention to details
Easy to remember telephone number
7.5 Staff introduce themselves
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Customer Service Centre

8.8 Staff pay attention to detail
Staff introduce themselves
8.7 Staff deal with customers in a courteous manner
Staff are considerate
8.6 Staff provide the correct information or service
The center avoids being out of stock of products
Honesty
8.5 Patient staff
Important
8.4 Easy refund / exchange mechanism
Short waiting time
Staff follow up on customer complaints
8.3 Staff provide clear responses
Friendly conversation
Staff have good interpersonal skills
8.2 Good queuing system
Ability to talk to the right person immediately
Polite staff
Staff are good listeners
8.1 Nice and clean environment
8.0 Convenient location
Preferable
7.8 Staff show willingness to serve customers
Staff have tidy uniforms and a good appearance
7.7 Knowledgeable staff
7.6 Staff use salutations
7.5 Staff make an effort to understand customers’ needs
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Retail Outlet

8.6 Staff thank customers when leaving
Staff avoid the hard-sell approach
8.5 Helpful staff
Choice of payment methods
Staff with good interpersonal skills
Staff are close to customers
The outlet avoids being out of stock of products
Staff deal with customers’ complaints promptly
Important
8.4 Outlet is adequately staffed
Staff keep smiling
Staff make an effort to understand customers’ needs
Staff are good listeners
8.3 Staff meet customers’ expectations
Reasonable prices
Clear signage
Staff have tidy uniforms and a good appearance
Products are sorted into categories for purchasers’ convenience
8.2 Staff are always prepared to serve customers
Short waiting time for payment
Staff have multiple language capability
8.1 Courteous staff
Easy exchange / refund mechanism
8.0 Staff serve customers immediately
Staff speak in appropriate manner (speed, tone, volume)
Attractive shopping environment
Preferable
7.9 Prompt in honoring warranty
Knowledgeable frontline staff
Multiple locations
7.7 Convenient location
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Website

9.2 Provides most up-to-date and accurate information
9.0 Protects personal information
8.7 Easy to find the correct information
8.5 Bilingual sites
Important
8.4 High-speed access
User-friendly design
Provides clear instructions
8.2 Provides adequate security
8.1 Provides useful technical information
8.0 Capable of applying for or terminating a service on-line
On-line bill enquiry service
Preferable
7.9 Deals with customer complaints promptly
Provides technical assistance on-line
7.7 Uses polite language
Provides useful hyperlinks
Provides feedback channels
7.6 Provides e-mail contacts
7.5 Provides on-line payment options
Provides simultaneous stock quotations
Provides links to operators if necessary
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One-to-one Service Agent

8.9 Meets customers’ needs and expectations
8.8 Pays conscious attention to customer’s enquiry
8.7 Informs customers before delivery
8.6 Flexible (convenient meeting time and place)
8.5 Solves customers’ problems
Important
8.4 Explains all terms clearly
8.3 Offers good after-sale service
Deals with customers’ complaints promptly
Pays attention to details
Provides personal contact number for easy contact
8.2 Consistency (customer deals with same agent)
Settles claims quickly
Knowledgeable agents
Agent has a good relationship with customers
Customer-oriented
8.1 Fast delivery service
8.0 Avoids hard-sell approach
Makes an effort to understand customers’ needs
Has all necessary information handy
Preferable
7.9 Responsible
Remembers customers’ names
Multiple payment methods
7.7 Considerate
Has a tidy uniform and good appearance
7.6 Provides the right information and services
Keeps smiling
30

Foreword: A Practical Guide To Delivering Excellent Customer Service

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Foreword: A Practical Guide To Delivering Excellent Customer Service

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A Practical Guide to Delivering Excellent Customer Service

We hope this publication will contribute to fostering a culture of customer service

List of Executive Committee Officers (Year 2000-2001)

(I) Understanding Customer Expectations

(II) Hiring the Right People

(III) Support System

(IV) Retaining the Right People

(V) Levels of Importance of Customer Expectations for Different Services

(I) Understanding Customer Expectations

Understanding customer needs and expectations is very important to a service-oriented

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMERS

(II) Hiring the Right People

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

(III) Support System

In a service-oriented organization, an individual Customer Service Department is established.

A typical customer-based organization structure will consist of:

Customer Enterprise / Commercial / Consumers

General Manager General Manager General Manager

Accounts Manager Manager

Service Oriented Process

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

Motivation and Excitement

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON MOTIVATION AND EXCITEMENT

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON SERVICE PLEDGE

Communication is vital if an organization wants to be successful in delivering excellent customer

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON ESCALATION MANAGEMENT

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Guidelines and Tools

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

Control and Monitoring

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON CONTROL AND MONITORING

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

(IV) Retaining the Right People

Compensation and Benefits

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Reward and Recognition

PURPOSE TOOLS FREQUENCY

TIPS ON REWARD AND RECOGNITION

(V) Customer Expectations for Different Services

Very important Customer Expectation

Level of Importance of Customer Expectations

Customer Service Centre

Very important Customer Expectation

Level of Importance of Customer Expectations

Very important Customer Expectation

Level of Importance of Customer Expectations

Very important Customer Expectation

Level of Importance of Customer Expectations