Meeting Customer Expectations-
In this principle, Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products andservices supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a keyperformance indicator within business and is part of the four perspectives of a BalancedScorecard.-
In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction isseen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy.-
Organizations are increasingly interested in retaining existing customers while targeting non-customers; measuring customer satisfaction provides an indication of how successful theorganization is at providing products and/or services to the marketplace.-
Domains of satisfaction include: Quality, Value, Timeliness, Efficiency, Ease of Access,Environment, Inter-departmental Teamwork, Front line Service Behaviors, Commitment to theCustomer and Innovation.-
Process all orders at a line-item level
, so that each individual item ordered is clearly identified. This is particularly important where a multi-item order is placed and one or two of these itemsare out of stock.-
Personalise orders
so that the customer feels that full account has been taken of their individualneeds.-
Track the status of the order
so that any customer enquiry can be resolved promptly andefficiently. Formal tracking of progress ensures that any problems arising out of non-delivery of the order are quickly identified and remedied.-
Communicate the order status
to the customer to ensure that they are kept fully informed of progress. Many carriers now use email to notify a customer that an order has been dispatched.Others have implemented online tracking systems enabling the customer to log on to theirwebsite in order to check progress.-
Turn the order around quickly
, preferably within 24 hours. The customer will be keen to havetheir order delivered as soon as possible, so any delay in actually dispatching it will have anegative impact.-
Consider your packaging
not only in terms of ensuring safe delivery, but also in relation tobranding on the outside and what you can put inside the package that might increase thelikelihood of additional sales, brochures and special offers.-
Be practical about delivery
and ensure that you set realistic customer expectations in terms of the likely delivery date.-
Manage the differing scales of business
by ensuring that you have sufficient resources tohandle the peaks and troughs of demand.-
Choose the right carrier
if you decide to outsource your distribution activity, especially if yourproduct requires special handling.-
Handle returns
efficiently and effectively and ensure that any customer dissatisfaction isprofessionally resolved.
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