Communicating with Customers

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Chapter 13

• Communicating with Customers

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Case Study 13

• In his job as sales support associate, Cal helps
  four busy sales people at a company that sells
  flooring, wallpaper, and countertop material for
  kitchens and bathrooms. The company, Floor
  More, has four locations, each in a different
  city.
• All the salespeople have cubicles, though they
  spend most of their time making sales
  presentations in peoples homes. Cals job is to
  process the salespeople orders. When a problem
  such as a back order comes up, he puts the
  paperwork back on the appropriate persons desk.
  Cal has not learned how to solve the problems,
  nor has anyone suggested that he do so. He
  sometimes runs our of things to do. When that
  happens, he waits in a cubicle until something
  comes up.
• In the showroom, the receptionist Angelica, also
  has a cubicle. Angelica answers all incoming
  calls. The phone rings 10 to 12 times per hour.
  Most calls are for the salespeople. Angelica
  takes messages for the absent salespeople. If
  showroom customers have questions, they often
  must wait until angelica is between phone calls.
  Sometimes, if a caller isn't someone she knows,
  she puts the call on hold and answers a question
  with the phone resting on her shoulder.
  Occasionally, customers in the showroom approach
  Cal with a question. Sometimes he just says I'm
  not a salesperson, I cant help. At other times,
  Cal tells them theyll have to wait for Angelica
  or make an appointment with one of the Sales
  people. The salespeople, However, do not have
  telephones with them when they are out of the
  showroom, and angelica does not schedule
  appointments for them.

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Case Study Questions

1. How important is customer service to the owners
   of Floors More? How can you tell?
2. What messages does Angelicas behavior send to
   customers? what could she or the company do to
   change those messages?
3. What role does technology play in how Floors
   More employees communicate with both internal and
   external customers? How could the company use
   technology differently or more effectively?
4. How does Cal perform when he has opportunities
   for one on one communication with external
   customers? With internal customers?
5. What is Angelicas strategy for telephone
   communications? How effective is her strategy?
   Explain your answer

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Why is quality Customer Service So Important?

• Bad customer service

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External and Internal Customers
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Customer Service and Contact
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Customer Interaction

• Starbucks customer service

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Providing Service

• Rachel Rays

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Customer Service and Ethics

• Business ethics monsters inch

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Technology and Effective Communication with
Customers
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Lets go back to questions 1, 2 and 3 of the case
study.

• How important is customer service to the owners
  of Floors More? How can you tell?
• What messages does Angelicas behavior send to
  customers? what could she or the company do to
  change those messages?
• What role does technology play in how Floors
  More employees communicate with both internal and
  external customers? How could the company use
  technology differently or more effectively?

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Telephone Communication and Your Voice

• President Obama

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One-on-One Communication
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Parts of a Conversation
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Guidelines for Success
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Telephone Communication
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Lets go back to questions 4 and 5 of the case
study.

• How does Cal perform when he has opportunities
  for one on one communication with external
  customers? With internal customers?
• What is Angelicas strategy for telephone
  communications? How effective is her strategy?
  Explain your answer

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Case Summary

• Floors More does not have a very strong service
  culture. Almost everything about the showroom and
  the way the employees interact could be more
  customers friendly. The customers who come to
  browse the showroom are left on their own. In
  fact, there should be someone in the showroom
  whose sole responsibility is to take care of
  customers from the moment they walk in the door.
• Angelica has her hands full with the telephone.
  If the company had a voice mail system, callers
  could leave voice mail for specific salespeople.
  This system would cut down on the volume of calls
  Angelica has to handle. Freed from the constantly
  ringing phone, Angelica could assist customers by
  scheduling appointments with the salespeople.
• Cal needs to change his attitude. He should make
  himself useful in whatever capacity he can,
  including being more helpful to customers.
  Employees who are versatile and reliable and who
  anticipate the needs of those around them are
  likely to be secure in their jobs.

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Contacting Customers Case Study

• Page 477 of Textbook
• Must be typed in Times Roman Numeral Font.
• Complete Sentences!
• Dont start a sentence with yes, no or maybe.