Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, KPI Compilation: 400+ Customer Service KPIs (97-slide PowerPoint presentation). This presentation is a comprehensive collection of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) related to Customer Service. A KPI is a quantifiable measure used to evaluate the success of an organization, employee, or process in meeting objectives for performance.
KPIs are typically implemented at [read more]
Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Customer-Centric Design (CCD), take a look at Flevy's Customer-Centric Design (CCD) Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.
* * * *
Customer care or service quality or quality of service seems to be a fallacy nowadays. The truth that some of us tend to forget sometimes is that we are all customers and we are all consumers. We do care about many things, price, attributes, convenience, product quality, but, what about service quality?
According to Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (SERVQUAL Model), there are five dimensions customers use when evaluating service quality; and If the companies do their homework correctly, chances are they will count with their loyalty.
The five SERVQUAL dimensions are
- appearance of physical facilities, equipment;
- ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately;
- willingness to help customers and provide prompt service;
- knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence; and
- empathy (do I have to say more?).
It seem all dimensions are important to customers, but for some of course, there are more important things to consider than others. For example, there are customers that are more interested on the facts of the product or service and want preferential treatment. There are others, which need to trust the person providing the service, behind the desk or the sales person and they must stick to his/her word; meanwhile there are others, which want an easy procedure and appreciate unexpected add-ons to the product or service.
The SERVQUAL research presented the importance of these dimensions to each other by asking customers to assign 100 points across all five dimensions. The results showed that 11% considered important to have appearance of physical facilities; meanwhile 16% pondered relevant to give individualized attention. In the same way, 19% of the customers minded significant the ability to convey trust and confidence, 22% noted meaningful the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service; and 32% considered crucial the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
What does this mean for companies and consumers? Well, it means that we all choose to do what we say we are going to do when we say we are going to do it. It also means that we choose to respond quickly or rapidly, if not instantly. It represents that we all choose to communicate our expertise, competencies and desires effectively. It implies, that we all choose to have the proper attitude to respond positively towards a certain idea, object, person or situation; or towards any challenges, incentives and rewards. It means that we all choose to leave on the side our feelings, beliefs and opinions held consciously; or inclinations for certain actions in order to provide the best quality of service possible.
At the end of the day, since we are all consumers, it may be a good idea to use the dimensions mentioned above, as a guide for which ones to work or rework, either personally as a consumer or professionally as part of an organization. By questioning these dimensions, we all can learn how to give and receive quality of service, while developing and being part of the virtuous circle of continuous improvement.
78-slide PowerPoint presentation
This document is a collection of best practices in delivering world-class customer care. The document is organized across the four performance dimensions: cost, revenue, customer satisfaction infrastructure, and frontline performance. It includes example performance of top performers , as well as
[read more]
Want to Achieve Excellence in Customer-Centric Design (CCD)?
Gain the knowledge and develop the expertise to become an expert in Customer-Centric Design (CCD). Our frameworks are based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. Click here for full details.
In the modern Digital Age, advances in technology and communication, combined with the explosive growth in data information, have given rise to a more empowered global customer. Recent economic and political events highlight the need for organizations to understand how consumers view the world and the most important attributes for their purchasing decisions.
Thus, increasingly more organizations are seeking to invest and focus on Customer-centric Design. A clear understanding of customer needs and behaviors across the organization will help drive profitable growth strategies and provide the confidence to invest in opportunities at a time when staying within budget can be extremely difficult.
Learn about our Customer-Centric Design (CCD) Best Practice Frameworks here.
Readers of This Article Are Interested in These Resources
27-slide PowerPoint presentation
In the increasingly competitive business scenario, the end-to-end customer experience and delight has become a new area, which no one can afford to neglect. It is of paramount importance to deliver superior services with differentiated experience, while aligning with the ever-changing customer
[read more]
136-slide PowerPoint presentation
Enhance your organization's CX with our Delivering Service Excellence PPT. Equip your staff with the skills to create quality customer experiences, differentiate from the competition, and build trust and long-term relationships. Learn to manage emotions, deliver personalized service, and apply the
[read more]
102-slide PowerPoint presentation
Boost your CX strategy with our core CX skills PPT. Train employees to deliver excellent service to both external and internal customers, manage interactions effectively, and enhance overall satisfaction. Understand key elements of customer service and learn effective techniques and
[read more]
114-slide PowerPoint presentation
This document provides a collection of 100+ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to the Operations functions listed further below.
Keeping in mind that each organization is different, the enclosed KPIs are intended as a general reference and their relevance depends on the specific
[read more]