PLANNING

Because companies naturally have limited resources available in terms of employees, data acquisition, supplies, equipment, and so forth, planning is a critical factor in providing exceptional customer service. Successful service and quality improvement efforts require solid preparation and management. Planning creates the structure necessary for the customer service function to operate, particularly as it relates to task completion. It affects the organization’s ability to provide quality customer service in terms of employee knowledge, goal setting, standards, processes and procedures, functionality of service and products, change management, organization, documentation, and continuous improvement.

For most customers, reliability is considered to be the core of quality service. Therefore, an organization’s goal is to deliver products or services to customers in an efficient and timely manner without error. This requires service representatives who are resourceful, responsive, and, most important, accurate. They must listen carefully to requests, follow instructions, research information promptly, keep to agreed-on schedules, and solve any problems that arise.

Customers base important decisions on the information they receive from organizational representatives. Service providers therefore need to be well informed about the company’s products and services as well as be aware of the various processes that promote quality service. Training must occur right from the beginning and be maintained continuously so that service employees acquire the skills and abilities to communicate the spirit of customer service that the organization wants.

Knowledgeable service representatives can offer clients a true understanding of the company’s ability and desire to satisfy their needs. One of the quickest ways to lose a customer is to give the false impression that the service provider knows the answer when he or she doesn’t. This means that service providers must rely on a variety of resources—from job aids and databases to the knowledge and experience of coworkers—to access information.

As a competitive economy causes organizations to do more with less, scarce resources force everyone to combine forces to achieve success. Further, because service representatives often must juggle many different jobs at once, they may need to get help with the overall workload. Therefore, it is especially important for them to recognize when to rely on the expertise of others or when it is necessary to pass on work for others to do. Delegating tasks helps create an empowered environment while confronting time demands.

Oftentimes, the general pressure of deadlines can decrease the amount of work that employees might accomplish as well as diminish the quality of the service that they provide to customers. However, proper work planning, organization, documentation, and time management can eliminate the negative forces of urgency. If mistakes do occur, it is especially critical to keep a record of the errors made, the causes, and their solutions. Reviewing this list personally and then sharing the information with supervisors or managers can help prevent recurrence of the problems.

Service representatives need to take every occasion possible to learn more about the intricacies of their company’s business. Examining current workplace operating processes and procedures on an ongoing basis gives individuals and teams a way to provide the organization with information to plan an effective continuous improvement approach.