© Boardworks Ltd 2008 1 of 15 2.4 Monitoring and Evaluating Customer Service Unit 2: Developing...

© Boardworks Ltd 20081 of 15

2.4 Monitoring and Evaluating Customer ServiceUnit 2: Developing Customer Relations

2.4 Monitoring and Evaluating Customer ServiceUnit 2: Developing Customer Relations



Contents

Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page

Flash activity (these activities are not editable) Extension activity

Web addresses

Printable activity

For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation



Monitoring customer service


In this section, you will consider the techniques organizations use to monitor customer service.

Informal feedback

Written feedback

The role of staff

Mystery customers

Letters from customers


Why monitor customer service?


Can you think of any other examples of organizations that use informal feedback?

This may simply involve asking customers if everything was satisfactory with the service they received.

Informal feedback

The simplest and most common method of monitoring customer service is to obtain informal customer feedback.

Informal feedback monitoring is frequently used by restaurants, hotels and car repair centres.


Pros and cons of informal feedback


Written feedback

Written feedback is preferable because informal customer feedback is often not recorded, and is therefore more likely to be forgotten.

Unfavourable comments about certain staff members may be deliberately ‘forgotten’ by those concerned, but more positive comments can also be forgotten during a busy period.

Written feedback is more likely to be used by organizations than informal feedback. This includes using customer questionnaires or comment cards to gather information.

Where have you seen or filled in questionnaires or comment cards?


the source of initial information

Questionnaires

Why do organizations want to know what customers think about each of these?

Questionnaires will usually be used to gather fairly similar sorts of information. Questions will typically ask customers for their opinions about:

the convenience of the organization’s location.

the organization’s prices

the range of products available

suitability of the products

the attitude of staff

the usefulness of the advice provided

packaging and delivery


Pop-up questionnaires


Pros and cons of questionnaires


Staff appraisals also give employees the opportunity to pass on feedback from internal and external customers.

The role of staff

Organizations can also obtain feedback on customer service through their staff.

This feedback may be given at staff meetings (if the organization holds them regularly).

In addition, sales staff may be asked to write reports summarizing information obtained from customers.


Mystery customers

An increasing number of organizations are employing mystery customers to help monitor customer service.

Mystery customers behave like real customers, but are really only interested in monitoring customer service provision.

Mystery customers may be staff sent in from another part of the organization, or staff sent to a competitor’s store.

Why do you think organizations like using mystery customers to monitor customer service?

Alternatively, they could be specially trained staff from an external customer relations business.


Why use mystery customers?

The advantage of using mystery customers is that an organization can specify what areas, or aspects, it would like feedback on, and the level of detail required.

Mystery customers can be informed about specific problems, which will enable the organization to assess how effectively staff are dealing with them.

They can also be used to ascertain details about competitors’ prices and levels of service, in order to ensure that they are able to remain competitive.

In some industries (e.g. healthcare, construction) mystery customers can check if health and safety standards are being adhered to.


Letters from customers


Monitoring customer service

© Boardworks Ltd 2008 1 of 15 2.4 Monitoring and Evaluating Customer Service Unit 2: Developing...

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