EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background
Customer is the center point of every enterprise and always depends on customer satisfaction.
Therefore, high quality customer service is required for the pleasure of clients. Considering
present economic volatile situation, offering excellent customer service will be one of the
important factors of the success and failure in a business corporation. There is an increase
over the past years on the requirement of performance level from customer service staffs
which resulted in upgrading of customer service standards. Providing high quality customer
service needs knowledge, foresight and effort aside from the appropriate skills to serve
customer better. In this concept, training is a best action in this direction (Macaulay & Cook,
1994). Aside from this, in a highly competitive economy, many organisations have
acknowledged the need of a high quality customer service not just to attract new clients but
as well as to retain customers. Best customer service is considered as a critical success factor
in an business organisation survival if management illustrates involvement in efforts,
commitment, time, visibility and persistence (Macaulay & Cook, 1994).
1.2 Aims
The purpose of this report is to examine the symptoms of management problems regarding
the customers service division in the case study of YakkaTech Pty Ltd that can be found in
textbook McShane et al. 2010, Organizational behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 3
rd
edn, pp 295-
296. It will also evaluate the main causes of these problems. Aside from this, the report
focuses on the recommendations for actions to be taken by the Yakkatech Pty Ltd executives
in order to take corrective actions to address these problems.
1.3 Scope
The report examines the on-line resource that focuses on management approaches with
regards to the understanding of the problems involve in the motivation of Yakkatech Pty Ltd
workforce. It will also analyse web based management literature to illustrate employees
values and attitudes towards positive work performance. Using theories from this
management articles and after analysing the case, solutions are develop to the problems
involve that will affect customers satisfaction with regards to customers service.
1.4 Summaries
In Predicting autonomous and controlled motivation to transfer training, it studied using the
combine theories of expectancy theory of motivation, self-determination theory and the
theory of planned behaviour to show the importance of motivation for the transfer of learning
from training to the job in workplaces. The application of training to the workplace
applications determines the effectiveness of human resource development involvement in
motivating employees to transfer training. The study made and evaluated new perspective in
examining motivation to effectively transfer training to be applied on the job (Gegengurtner,
2009).
In the article of A processual analysis of customer service training, customer service training
is considered as one of the critical factor of quality development process at the forefront of
management priorities. The aim of this training has changed from building skills and
discipline to process improvement. This process is the practice of continuously reviewing,
analysing, evaluating changing clients expectations and the improvement of services. Aside
from considering the behavioural and organisational aspects of customer service training, the
study also considers from a managerial perspective championing customer, encouraging
heuristic






































2.0 YakkaTech Pty Ltd Customer Service Management Problems
YakkaTech Pty Ltd encountered problems on its customer service division which are exhibited
by the following enumerations:
2.1 Customer Complaints
A single complaint coming from a client is a manifestation of dissatisfaction. Although
this will serve as a feedback of the quality of YakkaTech Pty Ltd IT systems
infrastructures, it should be considered as a significant factor. The management should
be focused towards the complaints process and how it should be handled. Problems need
to be defined and to clarify the firms policy towards complaint handling. Finally
establishing procedures for implementing companys policies in order to satisfy clients
plays an important role. The core in complaint handling engages in the synchronization
of firms resources with the clients requirements. This will resolve the slow response to
clients problem by achieving an acceptable match between a response required by the
client and the response that consumer service should be rendered to them (Resnick &
Harmon, 1983). It is important to address complaints at the soonest and in a fair
approach rather than having a defensive manner in dealing the problems. One of the
essentials for prevention of this is developing a structured costumer complaint
management. In order to resolve a fast complaint response, a customer voice processing
technique is made to translate complaints into factors of rectification. It composes of
customer and technical information matrix for the purpose of transforming the complaints
into attainable factor and defining and developing a problem statement. From this,
complaints are processed according to its importance level to prioritize the complaints
based on frequency (Shanmugaraja, Nataraj & Gunasekaran, 2010). On the other hand,
Chan and Ngai illustrates that complaint handling refers to the adaptation of strategies
use by the company to resolve and learn from failures of customers service to gain again
the firms reliability and integrity (Chan & Ngai, 2010).
2.2 Employee Fast Turn-over
The number of employee resignations in Yakkatech Pty Ltd had risen for the last eighteen
months which there is a fast turnover above the industry average. As a result, labour
increased in training new staffs and low productivity of new staffs. It is established that
there is a relationship between employee satisfaction, employee turnover and customer
satisfaction. Poor work environment is one of the indication of high employee turnover
however will reflect the loss of veteran employees which will result in negative effects in
the clients (Hurley & Estelami, 2005). It is essential to understand the causes of turnover
in order to reduce it. Various reasons are cited for this phenomenon and these include
poor management, low compensation and the desire to alleviate employees quality of
life. It is an accepted theory that if employees received fair treatment and rewards from
management employees will feel obligated to remain in the company (Kacmar &
Andrews, ).
2.3 Customer Service Training
In YakkaTech Pty Ltd, employees find their job monotonous and have the feeling of
disconnection from the consequences of their respective jobs. In this connection, training
on customer service skills and behaviours has turn out to be an essential due to the fact
that there is an increase complexity of the responsibilities performed by a customer
service staff. These trainings should emphasize courtesy and patience as well as giving
real effort to respond to customers problems. The important skills that should be
incorporated in the training are better communication skills, customer retention, problem-
solving capabilities, customer satisfaction and effective use of available technology
(Mouawad & Kleiner, 1996).
2.4 Conflicts
Ongoing conflicts between people in other department were observed in YakkaTech Pty
Ltd. Since conflicts are primarily disagreements of ideas and interests as well as
differences in opinions, teams must engage in learning behaviour in order to fully
understand their working environment and clients and to coordinate teams action
efficiently. Teams should learn effective self-management and process improvement and
by this they will develop collective level of shared skills and knowledge which will result
in a better team performance (van Woerkom & van Engen, 2009).
2.5 Team Motivation
Increasing pay rates failed to improve morale and reduce employee turnover in
YakkaTech Pty Ltd. In this regard, there is lack of motivation employed by the
management to maintain effective team work and employee retention. Given that
motivation is associated with forces acting on an employee causing that person to act a
particular way, motivation factors should be used among employees in knowledge based
work environment. Balance of work and personal life should be considered giving
importance to family in work. Instead of money as a prime motivator, self-esteem is used
in assigning work to innovate and result in better output (Amar, 2004).
3.0 Recommendations
Based on the findings, several recommendations can be made.
Customer service should have an effective complaint handling and service policies in
customer retention. According to Chan & Ngai, these policies would be based on Justice
Theory and Fairness Theory which is the primary basis of the framework for complaint
management. In these theories, ethical judgement of employees is important and can be
completed by reference to moral standards (Chan & Ngai, 2010). Synchronisation of
YakkaTech Pty Ltd company resources is essential in complaint handling with
consideration of clients needs and present business environment. An acceptable match
should be achieved between responses required by a customer and the response made by
the customer service representative. This will result with the primary objective of
response from the customer service the client satisfaction (Resnik & Harmon, 1983).
Promoting good communication, cooperation and understanding between employees in
YakkaTech Pty Ltd would be recommended since these will contribute in the elimination
of conflicts within the division. This is based on the general concept of conflicts which is
a disagreement regarding interests or ideas and differences of opinions. For the same
reason, it will also address conflicts that are caused by negative emotions such as
personal tensions, frustrations and anger (van Woerkom & van Engen, 2009).
Perceptions of work environment and job design can influence YakkaTech Pty Ltd
customer service employees attitudes, behaviours and work performance. These will
also affect client perceptions of customer service quality, value and satisfaction.
Management characteristics, social environment, over all perception of the job and
personality are the factors that will influence these (Mascio, 2010).
Management should strategically use self-esteem in assigning work to employees instead
of monetary reward in a knowledge environment. This will motivate them successfully
to innovate and result to a better performance. Motivation is the prime factor in retaining
experienced employees within the company and reduced operation cost in training new
employees. Management should emphasised the importance of family and other personal
relationships of employees to make a new balance between job and family life (Amar,
2004).
Major reorganisation should be taken into consideration In YakkTech Pty Ltd with the
main objective of offering the fully integrated customer service to its clients. A series of
workshops should be conducted on addressing issues such as customer relations, quality
of communications between clients and customer service representatives. In investing on
this training, systems are developed for the sole purpose of satisfying customers. In the
case for the management point of view this will mean continually aiming for excellence.
In addition to this, the importance of innovation made by employees for work
effectiveness should be accepted. Developing, implementing and adopting new ideas for
new work methods in customer service should be considered as an innovative behaviour
and as an important factor in an effective business work environment (Yuan &
Woodman, ). Effective management can make different practices by using this
extensive workforce training. As this will provide specific task skills that is applicable
for the present work requirements and also for developing future job functions. This
training will also acknowledge the failure of the customer service division in satisfying
clients (Smith & Rupp, 2004).
Effective teamwork should be promoted by the management in YakkaTech Pty Ltd. Ray
Hobbs states that teamwork is a critical operational practice for achieving excellent
customer service. According to Hobbs, teamwork is reinforced through company
rewards. In maintaining teamwork to work effectively, the following characteristics
should be illustrated in a team which are cooperation, coordination, proper
communication, comforting environment and the ability to resolve conflicts (McShane,
Olekalns & Travaglione, 2010).

4.0 Conclusions