Project Task:
This task requires you to demonstrate the ability to ensure delivery of quality service through handling customer complaints, monitoring team performance, and intervening to develop team abilities to overcome difficulties in providing quality customer service.
● You will:
○ write a report to the board addressing customer service issues
○ handling customer complaints in an email
○ managing under-performing team member in a coaching role-play.
Scenario:
You are a customer service manager. It is currently December, and over the last few months, you have been receiving feedback from customers that customer service is just ‘not what it used to be’. The board of Widgetbox has been made aware of the decrease in customer service quality and wants to know what you’re going to do to fix the problem.
According to Widgetbox recent records, customer service quality standards have declined. The number of calls shown on their database from January reveals the increase of number calls with a variation of 14% from the previous year.
The record shows that in January and February the calls represented less 2% compared to the previous year. However, this number went to +3,5% in March, and the team member were the same. In June, July and September the variation in number of calls grown, achieving respectively, +4%, 4,5% and 7%.
In the third quarter of the year, the table reveals a notable change regarding to the team members:
- Two fresh staff members were added to the team (Taya and Jasmine);
- The supervisor John, was in vacations for two months (October and November);
- One of the experienced customer service officer members quit his job (Nitin).
The result of this transition had an impact of the calls per month, raising its number from 7% in September to 10% in October and 12% in November.
The probable causes of customer service shortfalls can be easily explained on the last quarter of the year, with the absence of the supervisor and the addition of two new employees.
One of the new employees, Jasmine, has been showing an inappropriate behaviour with customers and has been noticed that she is not following company’s policies and procedures.
You have monitored the team performance and observed some incidents, where the customer service has lacked.
Incident 1:
Jasmine is a member of your customer service team at Widgetbox. Her role is to receive telephone enquiries and complaints.
Recent complains lodged against Jasmine:
· Jasmine has been rude to customers on several occasions. This behaviour contravenes company policy on the knowledge of the importance of friendly service to customers of Widgetbox.
· Jasmine has recently developed a habit of letting the phone ring and then placing customers on hold. This behaviour contravenes company policy on the knowledge of the importance of prompt service to customers of Widgetbox.
Incident after which customer complained
Yesterday Jasmine received a complaint from a customer:
| ‘I work as a buyer for the state’s largest supplier of mining equipment, West Mine Co. We provide a lot of business to Widgetbox. I ordered 1,000 x 7mm widgets for delivery last Friday. I was promised that the delivery would arrive within three days. It’s now a week later and they still haven’t arrived. My production manager just telephoned me to say he might fail to deliver a major order unless the widgets arrive in the next four days. A few weeks ago, a consignment of widgets arrived from Widgetbox, but they were 6mm widgets rather than the 7mm I had ordered on that occasion. I am considering going to another supplier for your widgets even though Widgetbox are the only Australian supplier. I could get them cheaper from China, but the saving isn’t great when you add in the extra shipping costs. I’m going to begin legal action if the widgets don’t arrive today. I might order the widgets from China from now on. |
Jasmine misunderstood and thought that the customer had ordered the products yesterday and argued with him. She accused the customer of being unreasonable as Widgetbox is an industry leader in guaranteeing three-day delivery.
When the misunderstanding was eventually cleared up, Jasmine wasn’t sure how to track orders or reorder the products. She said there was nothing she could do as Widgetbox’ procedures didn’t seem to cover this issue.
Incident 2:
There have been certain problems with the quality control issues. The size of the widgets is being over 10% bigger or smaller than specified. Some customers have been returning their widgets and asking for refunds. One has claimed compensation for failing to meet a big order deadline because our widgets were the wrong size.
To address this issue company gave instructions to its customer service teams to offer 15% discount for next order to its customer and replace the widgets.
West mine called on two different occasions and the customer service team members that assisted them on both occasions were different and offered different discounts on both occasions.
Considering the situation, they have again lodged a complaint to the board of directors specifying the offered discounts are different at each occasion and the orders are also processed at different speed.
Task:
Part A: Report
Considering the incidents specified above, Write a brief report XXXXXXXXXXwords) to the board of Widgetbox to:
○ summarise customer service team performance
○ identify probable causes of customer service shortfalls
○ identify options to address the problem/s.
Part B: Write an email to the customer
Considering incident 1 and 2, As the customer service manager, you will need to write an email to West Mine Co. to clear up the misunderstanding and address their concerns/complaints. When writing an email to West Mine Co., you need to follow the customer complaints policy and procedures attached as Appendix 1 to this unit. Ensure that your support of the customer provided is consistent with principles of customer service set out in the Widgetbox business plan and the customer service plan you develop in Assessment Task 1.
Your email must address complex customer complaints and system problems.
Email template:
| To: From: Date: Subject: /*___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Content____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________*/. Sincerely, Name Signature |