Creating an Effective Customer Service Plan

Introduction

The ability to service customers well is a talent that must be taught and nurtured within every
organization. By accepting this concept and having your employees buy into it, you will put your
customers first where they belong. Customers are savvy, and they avoid companies that are
not responsive to their needs.

Having a formal plan for effectively servicing customers helps everyone in your organization
know that your organization's ultimate goal is to keep customers happy and coming back to
spend money on your products and services time and again. This discussion will take you
through the process of establishing a formal customer service plan.

Outline:

I. Overview

II. Establishing a Company-Wide Approach

A. Assessing your companys customer focus

B. Assessing your customers' needs

C. Establishing formal customer service policies

D. Educating your staff

III. Resources

I. Overview

Customer service is a state of mind in which you and your employees are constantly thinking
about improving every facet of your business that deals with customers. Its finding a way to
make sure every customer is satisfied and continues to do business with you. To meet the
needs of your customers, you must know what the customers want and expect. You must be
able to provide quality service on a consistent basis. Many companies formalize customer
service plans without ever consulting their customers. This is not an effective practice. You
must speak to your customers to ascertain their perception of the service you provide. In
reality, the customer is the ultimate critic. In addition, you must periodically ask your customers
how you are doing.

Your customer service plan must include a method for measuring and tracking customer
satisfaction and loyalty, as well as a program to ensure its continual growth to higher levels.
Depending on the size of your company, you will need either an informal (for small companies)
or a formal plan (for larger companies) that includes not only customer service policies and
procedures, but also specific explanations on how you would like to treat clients in a variety of
circumstances.

What are the benefits of having a company-wide customer service plan?

The benefits of developing and implementing a quality customer service plan far outweighs the
effort it takes to formalize the plan and educate an organization's employees. The benefits are
many:

1. Minimizes customer and employee stress Having an action plan and adequately
training staff members can make a big difference, especially in the case of a disgruntled
customer. If the situation is appropriately handled by an employee, a bad situation can
result in a positive outcome.

2.

3. Enhances productivity leading to competitive advantage An effective customer

service plan will allow employees to focus their energies on improving customer-oriented
services instead of defusing tense situations. An increase in employee productivity will
always lead to happier, more satisfied customers and employees, leading to a
competitive advantage over your competition.

4.

5. Proactive vs. retroactive An organization that is proactive in assessing the customers'

needs, then designing and implementing a plan to satisfy those needs, will not only
increase its chances of survival but increase its market share.

6.
 7. Retention vs. new customers Retention of your current customers will increase your
bottom line. According to statistics from the U.S. Consumer Affairs Department, it costs
five times more to get a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.

Back to Outline

II. Establishing a Company-Wide Approach

Customer service plans are unique to each organization. No two plans are alike and there is no
right or wrong format, but a few basic elements should be addressed by all customer service
plans:

Assessing your companys customer focus

Assessing your customers needs

Establishing formal customer service policies

Educating employees

Assessing Your Companys Customer Focus

In years past, the customer service plans of many companies consisted of hiring one or two
people whose job it was to handle crises that arose with disgruntled customers. Today, smart
business owners know that customer service should consist of more than just a couple of
people "putting out fires." Rather, it should be an ongoing effort by all employees that occurs
both when clients are satisfied and when they are not.

The key to making this proactive approach work is achieving buy-in from all employees, from
top-level managers down to receptionists. Each staff member should understand how his or
her job fits into the company's overall customer service plan only then will they realize that
every interaction with customers affects the way those customers see the company as a
whole. For example, if a customer calls for the first time to inquire about a new product and
encounters an abrasive switchboard operator, that may be enough to form a negative opinion
of your firm, and he may never call again. Likewise, your sales staff may be high powered
deal-closers, yet lose accounts because they don't pay attention to small details like sending
thank-you notes to clients.

To establish an effective customer service plan, you must first have a starting point. The
following is a self-assessment survey. Reflect on the current level of service your company
provides to customers, and then answer the following questions as honestly as possible. True
or false:
___ 1. Our company is dedicated to satisfying customers.
___ 2. I, as the owner of the company, show employees by example that customer service is
extremely important.
___ 3. We never promise things that we can't deliver.
___ 4. We always ask customers for feedback, and we take their complaints seriously.
___ 5. We develop new policies, products and services and make tangible changes to
existing ones based on feedback from our customers.
___ 6. We proactively anticipate problems before they reach customers.
___ 7. We know our customers' expectations.
___ 8. Our staff is accessible to our customers and frequently interacts with them.
___ 9. Our goal is to resolve all customer grievances quickly and efficiently.
___ 10. We strive to not only meet, but also to exceed customer expectations.
___ 11. All of our employees know that customer service is part of their job.
___ 12. We constantly examine our competitors' products, services and policies to learn from
their strengths and weaknesses.

If you answered True to all of the questions, congratulations! Your organization has a strong
customer-orientation. If you answered False to more than two questions, your customer
service plan needs work.

Assessing Your Customers' Needs

Organizations often claim to know their customers without ever taking the time to perform a
thorough analysis of their customers' satisfaction with the services or products provided. Often
potential areas of customer complaints can be realized by reviewing the return rate of products
you sell. If this is high, your customers may be unhappy with their purchases, and you must
find out why. Is your product inferior or not user-friendly? One can assess the number of
service or maintenance calls that are received and conduct an analysis of complaint
consistency. Are the complaints related to inadequate support, faulty products or parts
problems? Check the status of product shortages (backlog or just not enough); if a shortage
exists, there are undoubtedly unhappy customers out there.

In the service arena, one might look at the length of time it takes before a customer service
representative answers a customer telephone call. What percentage of customers listen to
music on hold while waiting for a representative to answer in person? What is the average wait
before a call is answered in person? Your employees and your customers are excellent
sources of information, including "the good, the bad and the ugly."

It would behoove all employers to listen to their employees when it comes to customer service.
Your employees are often the ones in contact with the customers on a daily basis. It's not
unusual for the first person to have contact with customers to be the receptionist. He or she is
likely to have an excellent idea of the customers' likes and dislikes. Often customers will
complain about the poor quality of a product, the lack of support, or the extraordinary amount
of time they spend waiting for service from your organization. The customer or client will often
not voice the complaint to others in your company. Find out from your employees what the
customer complaints are. Keep in mind that only 2 percent to 4 percent of disgruntled
individuals register complaints.
If your company currently uses an ad-hoc customer service plan, you may want to consider
implementing something a bit more formal. If the plan is in writing, employees will have a
resource to turn to whenever they have a question about how to handle a client. The following
steps will set you on your way to developing your plan.

1. Develop a service vision. A vision is what you want your company to represent. The
vision allows the organization to function around a single purpose; in this case the
purpose is servicing customers. The vision will also help guide the decision-making
process. An example of a service vision for an organization may be "to provide quality,
service and the best price to our customers." Keep the service vision short and to the
point. To define a service vision for your company, you must first define what is
important to your company, listing the top seven to 10 items in order of importance.
Then think of your customers and what is important to them. Think of your company in
the future. What do you see and what has your organization accomplished? Answering
these questions will help you develop a service vision.

2.

3. Recognize your organization's need for a customer service plan. Some firms have
continual service headaches; others never receive a negative call. Establish procedures
up front to ensure each customer gets the same fair treatment, and to protect
employees from irate customers.

4.

5. Determine the level of service needed. Assign resolution responsibility to each level of
employee for different levels of problems and different levels of customers.

6.

7. Establish goals for the plan. What do you want to accomplish: fewer returns, fewer
complaints, more purchases?

8.

9. Measure the level of consumer and business-to-business satisfaction with tools like
verbal feedback, formal surveys, number of referrals, etc. Surveys are a popular method
of gathering information. Surveys should be short, easy to understand and complete,
and objective. A survey can be given to a customer before he/she leaves your
establishment. In the case of a restaurant, a self-addressed, postage-paid survey card
may be placed on each table with a short explanation for the customer to mail it back.
Other types of companies may want to mail a survey to customers some time after a
 purchase is made. Many organizations gather survey information, but an analysis of the
results is never performed. It is not unusual for an organization to make inappropriate
assumptions from survey data. It is important to ask the right question. A local car dealer
interested in inventory for the next year decides to send a survey to the 10,000
individuals in his target area. The survey simply asks if the reader is planning to buy a
car in the next 12 months (yes or no). A large number of individuals might respond with
the desired yes, but that is not necessarily good news for the dealer. Unless they ask
the following questions, the survey results are meaningless: If you are going to buy a
car, will it be new or used? How much are you willing to spend on an automobile (used
and new)? Are you considering foreign or domestic?

10.

11. Create benchmarks, such as a target rate of repeat customer purchases, to measure
the plan's effectiveness.

12.

13. Adjust the plan accordingly when new information is learned. If you or one of your
employees encounters a situation in which the plan doesn't apply, have them prepare a
report detailing the problem, resolution and follow-up. Incorporate the new information
into your plan to help others in the future.

14. Recognize and reward employees who outperform stated customer satisfaction
objectives and goals, and those who make recommendations on how to handle
customer complaints better, how to be more effective, or who consistently offers better
policies and procedures. Make sure employees share success stories by submitting
written documentation to management. Rewards can include such things as "Employee
of the Month" certificates, movie tickets, special parking privileges, time off, dinner out,
medals, trophies, bonuses, and, of course, verbal praise.

15.

16. Hold regular "customer satisfaction" meetings. Ask employees what else they
recommend doing to increase customer satisfaction and establish stronger loyalty from
customers. This will stimulate employees to think in personal terms of what they can do
for your customers.

17.

18. Focus groups are also a popular method to gather customer information. Oral questions
are posed to a group of individuals that represent the target population. The questions
 must be objective and well thought out. Unless an outside party is used to administer
the questions, there may be some bias. This method of information gathering is time
consuming and, at times, expensive.

The process of gathering information and analysis of the findings should be an ongoing
process for all organizations small or large. The customer service plan must change to meet
the requirements of an ever-demanding customer and to maintain the competitive advantage.

Establishing Formal Customer Service Policies

Handling Customers Under Normal Circumstances: Each time a customer interacts with your
company whether it is to place an order, make an inquiry, return a product or lodge a
complaint there is a flow path that can be charted. Charting the customer interaction path
not only increases efficiency but also assigns employees responsibility for each part of the
process. By devising this pattern, your employees can handle every customer interaction in the
same consistent fashion. If theres a bottleneck in the system due to consistent mistakes that
are made, the flow chart will show it quickly.

Large companies typically have a flow chart in place for every conceivable customer
interaction so that employees know how to behave each time they come across them. As
problems arise, the chart is revised to keep the flow smooth and to alert new employees how
to handle the unexpected. Small firms can learn from this technique of efficient customer
service.

Sample Flow Chart: Order Processing: Before establishing a flow chart, you should identify
each task involved in processing an order and assign them to distinct groups of employees,
ensuring a smooth flow of information and goods. The following are typical order-processing
tasks:
__Opening mail
__Cashiering
__Order separation and batching
__Processing and data entry
__Manufacturing
__Final audit and inspection
__Assembly
__Final check
__Mailing
__Measuring results

Which groups of individuals within your company will handle each of these tasks?
________________________________

Specify the steps for the order-processing procedure in a written document for all employees
to learn. Begin by taking notes while you're on the phone with customers. You know exactly
what you like to say to customers; by describing it in writing, your employees and associates
can address customers the very same way. Add to your notes by observing key employees
who do an excellent job serving customers. What do they do that is special or unique? How do
they make customers feel at ease? Compile your observations into a book, such as a three-
ring binder.

You must also build into your flow chart a device for obtaining customer feedback and
measuring satisfaction. Depending on the value of each order or customer, this device can be
as simple and inexpensive as a postcard that is included with each order. This simple tool may
give you a non-intrusive way to find out what your customers really think about your firm's
products and service level. A customer satisfaction survey may also be included as part of a
warranty registration card. Sample questions for the postcard or survey include: Were you
satisfied with your recent purchase? Were you pleased with our company's service? Are there
any ways we can serve you better in the future?

What other questions do you want to ask your customers that you could include in a survey or
postcard? ________________________________________

If the order value is especially high, a personal phone call is always a nice way to thank the
customer after the sale and ensure that everything about the product is satisfactory for them.
Car dealers that do this get repeat customers. Physicians who do this build their practices
faster. For really large sales, the salesperson should occasionally call on the client personally.

Handling Customers When a Problem Arises: When things go awry, a good customer service
program can save you and your customers a great deal of grief. One person or team should be
assigned to handle customer problems and complaints. For customer problems that can't be
resolved at this level, a higher level manager should be assigned.

Again, a flow chart is a valuable tool for handling such problems with customers. It is especially
important in these circumstances when customer tempers may flare and accusations are
made for your employees to know how to remain calm and defuse the situation.

Sample flow path for addressing a customer problem:

1. Listen to the grievance in its entirety.

2.

3. Validate the customer's feelings by saying, "I understand how you must feel. Ill do
everything in my power to find a solution so youre totally satisfied." (Never say, "Thats
our policy," or "Thats the way its always been done here.")

4.

5. Ask the customer what solution he or she would prefer. For example, "What would you
like us to do to resolve this for you right now?" or "If you want to offer a suggestion or a
solution, Ill be happy to listen."
 6.

7. When a resolution is proposed, restate it and ask if you are correct. If the suggested
resolution is possible, agree with the customer and ask if he or she is satisfied. Send a
card to the customer thanking them for the opportunity to be of further help, along with a
response card to create a paper trail for the transaction.

8.

9. If higher authority is needed to approve the resolution, explain that additional permission
is needed and offer to call the customer back at his or her convenience. ("Im sorry, but
that resolution is above my level of authority. Ill be happy to propose this to my
manager and call you back by 5:00 this afternoon. Would that be all right?"

10.

11. If the manager approves the resolution, repeat steps 4 and 5.

12.

13. If the manager does not approve the resolution, explain the reason to the customer
(over a dollar limit, not practical, etc.), and attempt to offer two alternative solutions to
complete the resolution at that time. If accepted, see steps 4 and 5. If rejected, have
final back-up offer ready. Secondary offers should be well thought out.

14.

15. If the customer still does not accept the resolution, tell him or her that you understand
their position and are sorry you could not resolve the problem to their satisfaction. Tell
them you will submit a written report on the situation to a manager, who will personally
call them. This gives customers a final chance to decide if their grievance is silly or
absurd, and it gives them a last "out," knowing the report will be presented to
management. This should also lessen customer anger.

Each step of the customer service resolution process must be documented on paper or in a
computer archive, in case of future litigation. A paper trail should be initiated with a complaint
number (which may consist of the date followed by the customer number) so files may be
easily retrieved and reviewed by management or attorneys.

Dealing effectively with your customers: Now that you have created and established a service
vision, and have created a customer service plan, the next step is to improve your
communication and problem-solving attributes. The method of communication is as important
as what is communicated. Greet your customers appropriately. Make them comfortable from
the beginning. The initial customer contact is very important, and first impressions can often
win or lose a customer. Make your customers feel special. Listen to them attentively to find out
what they like or dislike. Ask if you can help your customers. Be constructive at all times, avoid
being defensive, and never lose your temper. Ask customers to give you letters or verbal
recommendations or referrals. Invite your customers back to your office, store or business.

Hiring a staff that has the ability to solve problems is critical to the growth of a business.
Problems will always arise; accepting responsibility for the problem and effectively managing
the situation can turn a negative situation into a positive one. If problems are resolved quickly,
customers will continue to buy and refer others. It is very important to listen effectively. One
must understand the problem, identify the cause, discuss possible solutions, and solve the
dilemma. This is not an easy process to learn, and an effective manager or owner must train all
employees in the process of not only crisis management but also in the art of solving problem.
Becoming an effective problem-solver takes effort, motivation, dedication, and pride in one's
work and one's self-worth.

Educating Your Staff

Your staff must understand and buy into the organization's service vision and customer service
plan. Time must be set aside for staff education and orientation to the customer service plan.
You must demonstrate by example the customer service philosophy on a daily basis. Role-
playing sessions can be very effective. In these sessions have employees assume various
roles: employee, owner, a happy customer and a disgruntled customer. During these sessions,
have your staff play out various customer interactions the way they would handle them. Offer
constructive feedback when you see areas that can be improved. Above all else, remember
that it takes patience, time and a nurturing environment to develop a truly service-oriented
employee.

Back to Outline

III. Resources
International Customer Service Association

Nancy J. Friedman, "Customer Service Nightmares: 100 Tales of the Worst Experiences
Possible and How They Could Have Been Fixed" (Crisp Publications, 1996)

Kristin Anderson and Ron Zemke, "Delivering Knock-Your-Socks-Off Service" (AMACOM,

1997)

Robert Hiebeler et al., "Best Practices: Building Your Business With Customer-Focused
Solutions" (Simon & Schuster, 1997)
Nancy Artz, "301 Great Customer Service Ideas: From America's Most Innovative Small
Companies" (Inc. Pub., 1995)

Paul R. Timm, "50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use to Keep Your Customers" (Career Press,
1997)

Back to Outline

Copyright 2013, Virtual Advisor Inc.

1
Accessible Customer Service Policy
and Procedure
Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
1.
Purpose
The intent of the Accessible Customer Service Policy (the Policy) is to
ensure
accessibility for persons with disabilities by identifying, removing and
preventing barriers that
might interfere with the ability to obtain the goods and services provided by
Metroland Media
Group
.
2.
Commitment
Metroland Media Group
strives at all times to provide its goods and services in a way that
respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.
Metroland Media Group
is
also committed to giving people w
ith disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods and
services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same
place and in a similar
way as other customers.
3.
Application
The Policy shall apply to every person who deals with mem
bers of the public or other
third parties on behalf of
Metroland Media Group
, whether that person does so as an employee,
independent contractor, agent, volunteer, or otherwise. The Policy shall also
apply to every
person involved in the development of po
licies, procedures and practices pertaining to the
provision of goods and services by
Metroland Media Group
.
4.
Procedures for
Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
Metroland Media Group
is committed to excellence in serving all custome
rs including
people with disabilities by removing barriers that might arise in the course of
doing business as
follows:
(a)
Communication
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into
account their
disability.
We are committed to
providing fully accessible telephone services to our customers. We
will train employees to communicate with customers over the telephone in
clear and plain
language and to speak clearly and slowly.
In addition, we will offer to communicate with customers
in alternative ways if telephone
communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not
available.
2
(b)
Assistive devices
A person with a disability may provide their own assistive device for the
purpose of
obtaining, using and benefiting from
Metroland Media Group
goods and services. Exceptions
may occur in situations where
Metroland Media Group
has determined that the assi
stive device
may pose a risk to the health and safety of a person with a disability or
others on the premises.
In such situations, and others,
Metroland Media Group
may offer a person with a disability other
reasonable measures to assist in obtaining, usi
ng and benefitting from
Metroland Media Group
goods and services, where other measures are available.
It is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that the
assistive device is
operated in a safe and controlled manner at all times.
(c
)
Service animals
A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by
Metroland
Media Group
accompanied by a service animal and keep the animal with them if the
public has
access to such premises and the animal is not otherwise excluded
by law. If a service animal is
excluded by law,
Metroland Media Group
will ensure that alternate means are available to enable
the person with a disability to obtain, use and benefit from
Metroland Media Group
goods and
services.
It should be noted that
it is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that
the service animal is kept in control at all times.
(d)
Support persons
A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by
Metroland
Media Group
with a support pe
rson and have access to the support person while on the premises.
In addition
Metroland Media Group
may require a person with a disability to be
accompanied by a support person while on the premises in situations where
it is necessary to
protect the healt
h and safety of the person with a disability or of others on the premises.
(e)
Notice of temporary disruption
Metroland Media Group
will make reasonable efforts to provide prior notice of
disruptions, if possible, recognizing that in some circumstances su
ch as in the situation of
unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice will not be possible. In all
cases,
Metroland
Media Group
will notify customers promptly by posting a notice that includes information
about
the reason for the disruption, its antic
ipated duration and a description of alternate facilities or
services that may be available. The notice will be posted in reasonable
places. When possible,
disruptions that are known in advance will be posted online.
3
5.
Training
Metroland Media Group
will provide training to
employees, independent contractors,
agents, volunteers
and others who deal with the public or other third parties on behalf of
Metroland Media Group
. In addition,
Metroland Media Group
will provide training to persons
involved in
the development of policies, procedures and practices pertaining to the
provision of
goods and services.
The format of training given will be tailored to suit each persons
interactions with the
public or third parties or involvement in the development of
policies, procedures and practices,
as applicable.
The content of the training will include:
An overview of the purposes of the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act,
2005
;
An overview of the requirements of the customer service standard;
Instr
uction on
Metroland Media Group
policies, procedures and practices pertaining to
the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities;
How to communicate with persons with various types of disabilities;
How to interact with persons with disabil
ities who use assistive devices or who require
the assistance of a service animal or support person;
How to use equipment or devices that are provided which may help people
with
disabilities access goods and services provided by
Metroland Media Group
, such
as TTY
telephones, elevators, etc.; and
What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty
accessing
Metroland Media Group
goods or services.
Training will be provided to each person as soon as practical after being
assigned
the
applicable duties. Training will also be provided on an ongoing basis in
connection with changes
to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods
and services to
persons with disabilities.
6.
Feedback process
Metroland Media
Group
is committed to providing high quality goods and services to all
of its customers. Feedback from customers and/or third parties is welcomed
as it may identify
areas that require change and encourage continuous service
improvements.
Feedback from a
member of the public about the delivery of goods and services to
persons with disabilities may be provided by telephone, in person, in
writing, in electronic
format, or through other methods. All feedback should be directed to
the Metroland Media
Group A
ccessibility Officer
. If they wish to be contacted about their feedback, persons must
provide their name and contact information.
Complaints will be addressed according to the procedure already
established in
Metroland Media Group
complaint management pr
ocedures

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Customer Care Service Standards

Customer Care Service Standards

Corporate Customer Care Standards
In developing these standards we have sought to:

Set standards which are user friendly, customer focused and measurable

Clearly state how staff should behave in dealing with customers

Set performance targets which can be reviewed regularly

Give consideration to legislation, good practice and national standards

Ensure staff are equipped to deliver services taking into account equality and diversity so that:

Translation / interpretation can be arranged when languages other than English are used

Customers with sensory impairments can be assisted through their chosen medium, such as
Braille or British Sign Language

Customers with a learning disability will be offered clear and simple advice and instructions,
sensitively provided

We will:

Regularly ask our customers for feedback about our customer service

We will use this feedback to help shape the services we deliver

Ensure our staff are trained and competent to deliver our services

Ensure all staff and members are trained in Customer Care

General Principles When Dealing With An Enquiry:

When dealing with an enquiry from a customer, whether face to face or by telephone:
 Listen carefully to the enquiry

Identify and address any special needs with sensitivity, tact and diplomacy

Record customer contact details accurately

Ensure that the nature of the customers enquiry is understood clearly

Aim to resolve enquiries (80%) at the first point of contact

Telephone Callers

Aim to answer the telephone within five rings

Aim to answer 80% of calls offered

Greet customers in a polite and courteous manner saying, Good morning/afternoon, Cheshire
West and Cheshire Council (insert service) (insert first name) speaking, how can I help you?

Where a customer has a hearing impairment offer access to an alternative system

Give your full attention to the customer

Take ownership of the call, resolving the customers enquiry wherever possible

When taking a call for a colleague, use an effective message taking system and make sure the
customer is called back

End the call with a thank you and confirm with the customer the outcome

Use Of Voicemail

Only in exceptional circumstances will a customer be expected to leave a message on a

voicemail

Use voicemail only for short periods or specific purposes

Ensure recorded messages are personalised, audible, accurate, and appropriate and where
possible, provide alternative contact details

Give the caller an option to leave a message

Respond to all messages within 24 hours or the next working day if the message is left over a
weekend or Bank Holiday.
 Regularly update your voicemail message

Face To Face Contact

This covers personal callers with or without appointments, contact with customers at events, meetings
out and about and site visits.

Aim to greet customers and introduce ourselves within 5 minutes of their arrival at a council
building / event

Be welcoming, courteous and helpful at all times

Give your full attention to the customer

Keep the customer informed of the length of time they are likely to wait to see the person they
need

Offer an appointment where this may be more appropriate, responsive or efficient

When a customer has special needs, find out what they need and aim to provide it

When a customer needs to communicate in a language other than English, make arrangements to
provide an interpretation service

When discussing personal information, always arrange to do so in a confidential environment eg

interview room

Ensure staff wear identification badges

Personal Calls To Customers

This covers visits to customers homes / properties

Wherever possible or appropriate makes visits by arrangements with the customer, clearly stating
the purpose of the visit

Keep customers informed of any changes to the visit arrangements.

Establish the customers language, communication and other special needs prior to the visit and
make arrangements to meet these.

Carry your identity card at all times and show it to each customer before entering the property

Encourage customers to check your identify with the Council, for example by telephoning.
 Follow policies and guidelines on Lone Working for your safety.

Use tact and courtesy as a visitor in another persons home treating their property with respect

Close the visit by explaining the next steps, and leave written information where possible

Follow up your commitment to the customer with action

Written Communication

This covers letters, faxes and e-mails

Reply to letters requiring a response within 10 working days, if this is not possible we advise you
why and give you a response date

Respond to emails within 5 working days

Respond to the correspondence in the language of the original communication

Ensure the presentation of all written correspondence is easy to understand, professional and
accurate

Include a contact name and direct dial telephone number, together with any other information
needed (eg reference number) to assist the customer

Meet the needs of people with visual impairment, through the use of Braille, large print or other
specialist services

Internet Access

Internet access will be provided 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Wherever possible customers should be offered self service access to all council services

Services provided on the Internet will be clear and easily accessible.

Directorates are responsible for ensuring their service is properly represented on the Internet and
that self service facilities provide the same high standard of response as other access methods

Comments, Compliments and Complaints

Be open to receiving feedback from customers

Pass comments and suggestions on to your manager, if they may improve the service
 Ensure compliments are recorded and shared with colleagues

Be aware of the councils complaints procedure

Aim to resolve all concerns (except serious complaints) raised by customers immediately and
informally wherever possible

If informal resolution is not successful, tell the customer they can make a formal complaint, and
help them to do so.

In the case of a serious complaint, tell your manager.

Customer Care Charter

As part of our commitment to you, these standards will apply to all our services:

We will be:

Courteous, helpful, open and honest in delivering high quality services

Professional and positive in our approach

Well-informed, so that we are able to help you

Effective in listening and responding to you when you are dissatisfied or complain

Treat everyone fairly and equally, with respect and dignity.

When you have contact with us, we will:

Aim to answer the query at the first point of contact whenever possible.

Aim to answer your telephone call within five rings

Arrange for someone to call you back promptly if we cannot answer your query immediately

Provide a simple and effective self service via the internet

Aim to respond to your letters, faxes and emails in a prompt and timely manner.

Arrange an appointment if necessary for you to speak to someone who can help you

Show you an identity badge when we visit your home or business

 Use plain English that is clear and easy to understand

We would like you to:

Treat our staff with courtesy, respect and dignity

Keep any appointments that you have with us, and notify us if you are unable to attend

Give us the information we need to help you

Give us your views and suggestions to help us improve our services

Download a copy of our Customer Care Policy (PDF, 30KB)

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BANKS POLICY ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; he is not
dependent on us. We
are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the
purpose of it. He is
not an outsider in our business. He
is part of it. We are not doing him a favo
u
r by serving
him. He is doing us a favo
u
r by giving us an opportunity to do so.

Mahatma Gandhi
The Banks Policy on Customer Service is inspired by the above
precious
words of the Mahatma
and based on t
he following cardinal principles.
Courtesy
:
The least that every visitor to a branch
-
be he a customer or a casual visitor
-
deserves is
courteous behaviour from the Banks staff. Therefore, first and foremost,
every customer shall
be extended all due
courtesies, whether or not the Bank is in a position to meet his need/s.
Every
customer who comes in shall be greeted in an appropriate manner with a
smile and made to feel
comfortable. All forms of non
-
face
-
to
-
face communication with the customer includ
ing
telephonic calls and E
-
mail shall also be courteous.
This basic minimum entitlement of every
customer shall be unfailingly ensured by every staff member during his/her
interactions with
customers.
Communication
:
While communicating with customers o
n behalf of the Bank either orally or otherwise,
employees shall make it a point to identify themselves. They shall also try to
follow the 3 Cs of
good communication
-
Correctness, Conciseness and Considerateness. Wherever, channels like
E
-
Mail, SMS etc. a
re employed for sending communication which is sensitive in nature or
which
has financial implications, necessary safeguards shall be observed so as
not to compromise the
interests of either the Bank or the customer.
Efficiency and timeliness:
The staf
f of the Bank shall attend to the needs of the customers promptly and
efficiently,
ensuring that the time norms laid down by the Bank are followed.
Products:
The Bank will strive to be a financial supermarket to the customer so that he
can find solutio
ns to
all his banking needs under one roof.
G
eneral management of the branches:
To provide excellent Customer Service, the following aspects shall be
adhered to with regard to
General management of the branches:
a
.
Providing infrastructure facilities by b
ranches by bestowing particular attention to providing
adequate space, proper furniture (seating etc.,), drinking water facilities,
sufficient lighting,
clean toilets, gum for pasting cut/mutilated currency notes etc.,
with specific emphasis on
pensioners,
senior citizens, disabled persons, etc.
b
.
Providing entirely separate enquiry counters at their large / bigger branches
in addition to a
regular reception counter.
c
.
Displaying indicator boards at all the counters in English, Hindi as well as in
the concer
ned
regional language. Business posters at semi
-
urban and rural branches of banks should also be
in the concerned regional languages.
d
.
Posting roving officials to ensure employees' response to customers and for
helping out
customers in putting in their tr
ansactions.
e
.
Providing customers with booklets consisting of all details of service and
facilities available
at the bank in Hindi, English and the concerned regional languages.
f
.
Use of Hindi and regional languages in transacting business by banks with
custo
mers,
including communications to customers.
g
.
Reviewing and improving upon the existing security system in branches so
as to instill
confidence amongst the employees and the public.
h
.
Wearing on person an identification badge displaying photo and name the
reon by the
employees.
i
.
Periodic change of desk and entrustment of elementary supervisory jobs.
j
.
Training of staff in line with customer service orientation. Training in
Technical areas of
banking to the staff at delivery points. Adopting innovative ways o
f training / delivery
ranging from job cards to roving faculty to video conferencing.
k
.
Visit by senior officials from controlling offices and Head Office to branches
at periodical
intervals for on the spot study of the quality of service rendered by the b
ranches.
l
.
Rewarding the Best branches from customer service point of view by
annual awards/running
shield.
m
.
Customer service audit, customer surveys.
n
.
Holding customer relation programmes and periodical meetings to interact
with different
cross sections o
f customers for identifying action points to upgrade the customer service
with
customers.
o
.
Clearly establishing a New Product and Services Approval Process which
should require
approval by the Board especially on issues which compromise the rights of
the C
ommon
Person.
p
.
Appointing Quality Assurance Officers who will ensure that the intent of
policy is translated
into the content and its eventual translation into proper procedures.
Knowledge:
The staff members manning points of interface with the
customers are expected to be fully
conversant with the products and services they handle so as to be able to
answer any query from
customers in a professional manner. They shall also provide the
brochures/pamphlets on these
products/services to the custom
ers to assist them in making informed decisions. Additionally, the
Bank will also display information on its various products, services,
procedures and charges
inside the branch premises.
Going the extra mile for a customer:
All employees should make
a conscious effort to assist a customer in finding what he or she
needs and in resolving his problem, if there is one.
If the solution to a problem does not lie with
the Bank, the staff shall to the best of their knowledge and capacity, extend
necessary gu
idance
to the customer with regard to the person/authority to be approached for
resolution and the
manner of doing so.
Dress:
All employees of the Bank shall wear attire, which is proper and dignified,
and in keeping with
the professional appearance tha
t they are expected to project.
--
O
--

Every organization has two kinds of customers:

External Customers: Those who purchase a product or service.

Internal Customers: Anyone within the organization who at any time, is dependent on anyone else
within the organization

For each of these customers groups, there are behaviors that can add to a positive service experience.
Following are some examples of service standards of behavior that will affect (if consistently
demonstrated) great customer service. Many of these standards can have measures attached to them for
performance appraisal purposes.

This example can be used as a training tool and should be reviewed with the employee. As with many
training tools, it is always good to have the employee sign a copy and keep it in their file so there is a
record that the expectation was discussed.

Customer Service Standards Example

External Customers

We will greet our customers in a courteous and professional manner.

 We will listen effectively to our customers requests and promptly take the necessary actions to
assist them. We will keep our customers informed of unexpected delays in service.

We will inform our customers of normal process time, when they can expect completion and any
delays that may arise in the process.

We will touch base with our customers to update them as to where we are in the process.

We will respond to website questions/requests within 24 hours during normal business hours.

We will respond to applicants (employee/volunteer) within 24 hours of normal process time to let
them know when they can expect completion and any delays that may arise in the process.

We will finish our encounters with our customers in a courteous and professional way.

Internal Customers

We will interact with each other in a courteous and professional manner.

We will inform our internal customers of normal process time, when they can expect completion
and any delays that may arise in the process.

We will touch base with our internal customers daily, either by e-mail or phone, to update them
as to where we are in the process.

We will work to resolve issues with coworkers and other departments by discussing problems
directly and working toward agreed upon solutions.

We will be considerate, cooperative and helpful to every staff member to assure quality services.

We will hold ourselves and each other accountable for addressing inappropriate comments and
behavior.

Telephone Etiquette
 When at our desks, we will answer the phone
within two rings.

We will identify ourselves when we answer.

We will listen to the callers request and assist the caller accordingly.

If we cannot assist the caller, we will direct the call to the appropriate person. Before transferring
the call, we will obtain the callers permission and provide the caller with the name and
extension number of the person who will be helping the caller.

We will obtain the callers permission before placing the call on hold by asking and waiting for
a response before initiating the hold function.

We will end the conversation in a courteous and professional way by thanking the caller. We will
wait for the caller to hang up first.

We will notify our customers that someone is unavailable by saying, He/She is unavailable. Is
this an urgent issue or may I take a message?

Voice Mail
 We will respond to voice mails within 24 hours during normal business hours.

We will update our voice mail greeting, advising callers when we will be out of the office for an
extended period of time (1/2 day or longer), informing callers of when we will return and who
they may contact with questions (if applicable).

E-mail

We will respond to e-mails within 24 hours during normal business hours.

We will update our e-mail notification message when we will be out of the office for an extended
period of time (full day or more). We will indicate our expected return date and indicate a contact
person (if applicable).

General

We will make our goal to exceed the expectations of all of our customer groups.

We will work to anticipate the needs of those we serve by proactively working to meet their
needs.

We will hold ourselves and each other accountable for our service commitment.

We will be conscious of our communication style (ie; audible voice, eye contact when speaking
to someone, tone of voice) and communicate in a professional manner.

We will make a conscious effort to compliment coworkers when their actions comply with these
standards.

I have read and understand the above Service Standards. I also understand that it is my
responsibility to comply with the standards and that my performance appraisal will reflect my
compliance.
Employee Signature: ______________ Date: __________
Taking care of all customer groups is key to business success. Investing the time to create
service standards, and holding employees accountable for adhering to standards, is a basic
management practice that should be incorporated into a structured performance management
process.