CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS
Abstract
Ensuring effective
customer service requires targeted efforts in a number of areas, one of which
is to develop service standards for each market segment
Differentiating
customer service is achieved by adopting different standards according to the
following criteria: availability of assortment varieties and quantities in
percentage of orders placed; actually delivered quantities and assortment
varieties in percent of the ordered ones; time (cycle) to execute orders in
hours or days, and more.
The development of
service standards uses the results of its analyzes and assessments.
Standards relating
to customer service should be developed in the following areas:
responsibilities of management; quality control system; supplier's obligations;
design management; document management; purchase quality; product
identification; management of the processes of providing services; customer
service quality assessment; management of control, measuring and implementation
equipment; corrective actions applied in the case of established discrepancies
in the provided services; loading, unloading, storing, packaging, delivery and
storage of the product; customer interaction; control over data related to
service quality; internal audits related to service quality; personnel
training; statistical methods.
The development and
implementation of standards requires the organization to accurately determine
customer service types, the cost of providing alternative services, and
measures for measuring and controlling the services provided.
At the core of the
developed and implemented standards is the development and establishment of the
customer service policy, which should start with a consumer demand analysis.
The definition of
customer service level should allow for quantitative measurement because the
vague and quantifiable policy does not provide opportunities for evaluation and
control of the activities and expenses of customer service.
When developing
service standards, it is appropriate to apply an algorithm that focuses
primarily on standards related to employee behavior towards customers.
This paper explores
the need and capability to develop customer service standards and provides an
algorithm for developing standards for employee behavior toward customers.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
April 30, 2018
Submission Date
February 5, 2018
Acceptance Date
April 1, 2018
Published in Issue
Year 2018 Volume: 4 Number: 10