PART B: Planning customer service
| Scenario: You have carried out surveys to identify customer needs in the Fine Foods chain of restaurants, and now need to improve service performance in the areas of concern.
Responses showed that:
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You have reviewed the results of the survey and now need to develop a Customer Service Plan, based on the feedback received to improve customer service.
You decided to use a tool called the “RATER Elements” to help you analyze the feedback.
The RATER Elements
The RATER model of customer service is a tool for assessing a customer’s needs. It revolves around five key facets that are believed to constitute quality customer service:
- Reliability – Doing what you say you will. E.g., if you tell a customer you will call them back by the end of the working day then you need to do that
- Assurance – Relates to competence, knowledge, respect, credibility, honesty, confidentiality, safety, and security. It involves delivering customer service that is based on sincerity and solid information
- Tangibles – Ensuring the shopping environment, presentation of goods/or services is appealing, and that staff are well presented and approachable
- Empathy – Catering to the individual needs of each customer in a non-condescending, clear and informative manner
- Responsiveness – Providing a prompt service, showing a willingness to help and efficient problem solving.
You have filled out the table using conclusions you have drawn from the research. This can then be used as the basis for planning how the organization can improve its service to customers.
| RATER Element
| Your Customers’ Needs | Fine Foods Customer Feedback | ||
| Reliability Timeliness Consistency/Regularity Accuracy |
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| Assurance Staff competence Respect for customers Credibility Honesty and confidentiality Safety and security
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| Tangibles Physical facilities and equipment Employees Communication |
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| Empathy Access (staff, services, information) Communication (clear, appropriate, timely) Appropriate services Understanding the customer Individualized attention
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| Responsiveness Willingness to help Prompt service Problem resolution
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Using the information in the completed RATER table provided above, develop a Customer Service Plan that:
- Meets Fine Foods stated business objective of “Ensure delivery of quality products and services to customers.”
- Meets the stated customer requirements including for quality, time and cost specifications
- Includes strategies for monitoring, adjusting, and reviewing customer service.
A Customer Service Plan template is provided in Appendix 1 with headings and brief definitions to guide you. You may use another format if you prefer.
Note: The template is a guidance to the headings and sections to be included. Do not be limited by the space provided. It is expected that your plan will be detailed and at least 4 – 5 pages long.
Tasks:
Develop the Plan including each of the following:
- Identify in the customer service plan, the business targets in relation to:
(a) quality standards – The quality value of the goods and services should be set strictly at the 85% mark.
(b) delivery standards – The delivery should be done on time without delays as a result of the firm’s processes.
You need to develop KPIs for each of these, for example, in percentage outcomes. The company Business Plan currently lists the following:
| Customer Satisfaction rate KPI 98% Jobs completed on time KPI 98% Return business 80% Customer complaints less than 5% |
Decide if these are reasonable in view of the customer feedback and whether or not they need to be revised.
- Identify customer needs in relation to:
(a) quality
The taste should respond with the ingredients used so that the client could get a clear overview of the product they consume
(b) time
The time of production and consumption should be shortened to keep the goods fresh and with a suitable flavor
(c) cost
The cost will be made according to the overall cost of production and the average turn-up of the clients.
Provide details. (Refer to the information from customer feedback in the RATER table.)
- Identify and specify resources that are required to:
(a) achieve business plan targets
To obtain a good business plan, efficient staff are well trained, capital sources and supplies are used to establish the food venture.
(b) meet customer needs
We venture you will meet the customers’ needs by producing quality goods and services offered as well as maintaining a trained customer service pool on the ground. There will be a need also to create mobile software that will provide a sort of self-service to the customers who opt for its service.
For example, consider the need to invest in new software or employ additional staff.
4 Now you need to consider your team and how they will implement the targets.
(a) Describe what strategies you will use to monitor your team progress in achieving the product and/ or service targets and standards.
I will assign team leaders to monitor the quality progress on my behalf and filing reports daily concerning the validity of the products made in line with the training that they were given.
(b) Describe how the team will be assisted in achieving the targets for quality and delivery eg, develop policies and procedures and then train the group on how to implement them.
The team will be trained further, and then they will be motivated on the agreed percentage depending on the sales made, then they will be given a day off if they have met the targets made.
You must address each of the targets.
(c) Describe how you will communicate your customer service strategies and priorities to your team members.
I will use my team leaders to implement the customer service strategies, such as giving them offers on products purchased and tax relief days on all the goods bought.
- You must now consider how you will implement and monitor the plan.
(a) Describe how you will get customer feedback with quality, time, cost, and opportunities for improvement.
The customer care desk will be on the ground to collect all the comments concerning the production chain value and transportation of the product.
(b) Develop strategies to monitor progress in achieving product and/or service targets and standards.
In this aspect, customer feedback will be of much value since it will assist the restaurant in making tailor-made products that suit the needs of the intended customers.
Describe the procedures you will implement to ensure that future decisions about customer service targeting are based on up-to-date information about the customer and the products and services available. Remember, customer tastes and needs change, and you need to continually review your products and services to meet current needs.
(c) What records, reports, databases, and other controls and devices you will need to manage customer service and how and who will maintain records of customer interaction.
It will be wise to put inventories in place as well as software that will address most of the customer needs and demands, respectively.
Assessment Criteria for the Customer Service Plan:
Your assessor will want to see that you can:
- Ensure plans achieve the quality, time, and cost specifications agreed with customers.
- Deliver products and services to customer specifications within the organization’s business plan
- Develop and manage organizational systems for quality customer service
Appendix 1
TEMPLATE:
| CUSTOMER SERVICE PLAN |
| STEP 1: BUSINESS PLAN TARGETS | |
| Goal / Target | |
| Quality standards | The business strives to ensure value in all aspects of its services to the respective customers. The food should be nicely prepared and cooked at reasonable temperatures. When approaching clients with a warm welcome, the staff should observe etiquette by offering them a place they can sit comfortably.
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| Delivery standards | The staff should be reliable on returning calls of clients at all times. The order received should reach the destined location on time so as not to keep the customer waiting in vain only for the food to arrive late. Motorbikes should be in place to deliver out-dooring food services to all the available clients. |
| STEP 2: CUSTOMER NEEDS | |
| Details | |
| Quality | The value of the goods or rather the food staff should genuinely reflect on the set price to give customers value for their money, and enable them to return with a new client some other time. |
| Time | A customer needs to be attended immediately; they arrive at the restaurant. The time of engaging with the customer should also be minimized to be able to serve a wider variety of customers. An ordering customer through an app or phone needs to be delivered the meals on time by the motorists who are on standby. |
| Cost | The restaurant should consider their prices to fit the targeted class of customers. The value of the foods prepared should be delicious enough to convince a customer to pay more on the same. |
| STEP 3: RESOURCES REQUIRED | ||
| Item | Cost | Reason(s) for acquisition of additional resource(s) |
| Details Television screens | $400 | To keep the customers engaged while waiting for their order to be delivered. On the other hand, it beautifies the place and makes it attractive. It is also a source of information that suits the targeted audience.
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| CCTV Cameras | $700 | They help to observe the element of security and confidence to both the customers and the management staff. Therefore, the business will not suffer from any corrupted plots whatsoever. |
| Refrigerator | $550 | The system is used for storing perishable goods that are required fresh by the customers. It will save on wastage of food that might need to be sold the next day. It will also keep beverages and soft drinks to give them a chilled taste. |
| Handwashing sinks | $450 | To reduce the number of queues made with the customers when washing their hands before entering. Hence meant to increase the level of hygiene as required by the local government. |
| Chairs and Tables | $570 | To increase the occupancy rate of the customers, thence increase the overall profit gain of the business. The space that was left open will eventually be occupied to get a more comprehensive place of seating choice. |
| STEP 4: STRATEGY |
| a) MONITORING |
| Details of how team progress will be monitored. The teamwork progress will be monitored through a team leader assigned by the manager to report daily. The assigned duties need to be done collectively and timely as instructed. The improvement of the slow learning staff will be assessed in each group as a point of reference; hence the more they improve on their activities, the more the group advances inexperience.
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| b) TEAM SUPPORT |
| Details of how the team will be supported to achieve the goals and meet the targets The group will be assigned the daily targets to archive then they will be motivated with some allowances and special off days to allow them to cool their minds. They will also be given further training on specific areas of interest that they need to improve on. This move will enable the staff to provide quality services to the esteemed customers. There is also an exchange program for every working staff to a higher grade hotel so that they can learn how the various functions are being done to increase their performance levels.
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| STEP 5: IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING |
| a) CUSTOMER FEEDBACK |
| Details of how customer feedback will be sought concerning quality, time, cost, and improvement opportunities. The customer care will follow up with the customers’ demands and complaints to ensure all the loopholes in terms of efficient service delivery have been filled with a required proficiency. The cost will be reached in line with the demands of most customers at the venture. The quality will also be maintained at all prices to attract more customers and retain the current buyers.
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| b) MONITORING PROGRESS |
| Details of how you will monitor progress towards achieving product and/or service targets and standards I will value the comments of customers concerning the nature of the product and the service delivery measures. Then working on fixing the gaps concerning the taste of the product and the services offered by the staff.
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| c) UPDATING THE PLAN |
| Describe the procedures you will implement to ensure that future decisions about targeting of customer services are based on up-to-date information about the customer, and the products and services available I will record the customer data from the time they visit the restaurant, follow up on their valid comments, and figure out how much more value I can add to ensure the customer is satisfied. The comments of the said customer concerning our service delivery will help us improve our collective service delivery.
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| d) RECORDS AND REPORTS |
| Describe what records, reports, databases, and other controls and devices you will need to manage customer service and how and who will maintain records of customer interaction. Inventories for keeping the customer records for future reference and analysis will be valuable to the business to keep track of the customers’ records. I will also the servers to record and preserve their texts and calls that may be inferred in the future to analyze the company’s progress.
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