Deck 11: Managing the customer service function

Question 1

The two goals of customer service are:

A)reduced costs and error minimisation
B)satisfaction and operational effectiveness
C)co-production and operational efficiency
D)satisfaction and operational efficiency
E)reduced variability and increased tangibility

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In the model 'converting expectations into organisational actions and behaviours', which of the following is NOT one of the levels discussed?

A)General concepts
B)Organisational concepts
C)Behaviours/actions
D)Attributes
E)Dimensions

Answer 2

B

Question 3

To manage the customer service function, companies must balance customer satisfaction against ________.

A)customer demands
B)operational efficiency
C)customer delight
D)touchpoints
E)proactive selling

Answer 3

B

Question 4

All of the following are dimensions of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry's (1988) service quality model that can be influenced directly by service employees, except:

A)intangibles
B)reliability
C)assurance
D)empathy
E)responsiveness

Question 5

There is now ample evidence that ________ employees make for ________ customers.

A)satisfied; satisfied
B)efficient; satisfied
C)organised; satisfied
D)satisfied; dissatisfied
E)speedy; dissatisfied

Question 6

For which of the following services would it be difficult to develop key performance indicators?

A)Retailing
B)Retail banking
C)Financial planning
D)Airlines
E)Hotels

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a customer service function?

A)Greeting customers on arrival
B)Expediting delivery to customers
C)Providing information as part of the sales support team
D)Resolving problems and handling complaints
E)Developing face-to-face sales presentations

Question 8

'Customer service' is:

A)something that happens at a complaints desk
B)something that happens in a customer service department
C)something that should be built into the very fabric of the total service delivery system
D)something that happens in a service marketing department
E)none of the above

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT an example of a soft standard?

A)Whether customer service representatives were helpful
B)How speedy the service is
C)Whether reports were provided as agreed in customer contracts
D)The level of product knowledge
E)The level of courtesy extended

Question 10

A service culture requires all of the following EXCEPT:

A)continuous monitoring of customer satisfaction
B)reward systems that reflect customer service goals
C)ambivalence from top management
D)continuous training
E)time to develop

Question 11

All of the following are typical components of the 'Flower of Service' EXCEPT:

A)order taking
B)billing
C)payment
D)consultation
E)market research

Question 12

A service target such as 'call the customer back quickly' may result in inconsistent service.Which of the following represents the service target most likely to result in consistent service?

A)'Respond to email enquiries as soon as possible.'
B)'Respond to email enquiries within two hours of receipt.'
C)'Respond to email enquires before mail enquiries.'
D)'Respond to email enquiries after enquiries from the service desk.'
E)'Respond to email enquiries when work load permits.'

Question 13

Using customer expectations to develop service standards provides service firms with which of the following benefits?

A)Companies can save money by only offering what customers value
B)Companies only offer activities and features that customers do expect
C)Companies only offer activities and features that customers notice
D)Companies only offer activities and features that customers are willing to pay for
E)All of the above

Question 14

________ is/are the pattern of shared values and beliefs and provide(s) rules for behaviour in the organisation.

A)Organisational structure
B)Organisation charts
C)Corporate rules
D)Culture
E)Corporate communication

Question 15

Delivering the core service as promised is often totally within the control of:

A)sales people
B)marketers
C)boundary spanners
D)frontline personnel
E)staff personnel

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an example of a hard standard?

A)Whether orders were accurate and processed in the timeframe promised
B)Whether reports were provided as agreed in customer contracts
C)Whether complaints were resolved within three business days
D)Whether customer service representatives were helpful
E)Whether email enquiries were answered within two business days

Question 17

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are most commonly used in which of the following situations?

A)Converting customer expectations to specific quality standards
B)Individualising the provision of a service product
C)Giving more freedom to individualise standards
D)All of the above
E)b and c

Question 18

Automated teller machines and automatic car washes are examples of ________.

A)technology substitution
B)human contact substitution
C)machine-generated contact
D)non-personal interaction
E)work method improvements

Question 19

Arrange the following steps in setting customer-defined standards in chronological order.
1)Translate customer expectations into behaviours
2)Set key performance indicators
3)Provide feedback to employees
4)Determine customer expectations for each service encounter

A)1, 2, 3, 4
B)2, 1, 3, 4
C)4, 1, 2, 3
D)4, 1, 3, 2
E)1, 4, 3, 2

Question 20

Customer perceptions of responsiveness are directly influenced by interactions with:

A)sales people
B)marketers
C)frontline personnel
D)staff personnel
E)boundary spanners

Question 21

Which of the following corrective actions could a service firm take in response to defective work?

A)Retrain employees
B)Reassign employees
C)Revamp support systems
D)Restructure the work environment
E)All of the above

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a potential disadvantage of using subcontractors?

A)The service provider loses control over quality.
B)The service provider may fail to capture valuable marketing information.
C)The subcontractor may provide fast, good quality responses.
D)The subcontractor may actively promote competitive brands.
E)The service provider may lose information about customer service calls.

Question 23

Good internal monitoring systems are necessary when:

A)service is instantaneous
B)it takes longer for service delivery
C)customers need information on work-in-progress
D)service is technology-enabled
E)b and c

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an important characteristic of service organisation employees, particularly those at the frontline?

A)Reliability
B)Responsiveness
C)Caring attention
D)Individualised attention
E)None of the above

Question 25

Why are service firms today adding technology to customer service activities?

A)To increase face-to-face interactions
B)To improve both operational efficiency and customer service
C)To loosen ties with customers
D)To limit the data they collect about customers
E)To trade off operational efficiency and customer service

Question 26

The interpersonal skills of the service provider are critically important in:

A)people-processing service situations
B)low-contact service situations
C)possession-processing service situations
D)high-contact service situations
E)a and d

Question 27

More complex services generally require more customer service because:

A)inexperienced users may require assistance
B)more things can go wrong in complex service encounters
C)contingency plans may be needed for problem resolution
D)a and b
E)a, b and c

Question 28

Employees who interact with customers need which of the following?

A)Technical skills
B)Interpersonal communication skills
C)Appropriate personalities
D)Appropriate mannerisms
E)All of the above

Question 29

The use of role playing exercises is particularly useful in which area of effective program implementation?

A)Recruit the right employees
B)Educating customers
C)Being proactive
D)Educating and training
E)Evaluating performance

Question 30

Under which of the following conditions is it important to separate proactive selling from simple order-taking?

A)The service situation is high-contact, so the customer is more involved.
B)The bulk of consumption is accounted for by repeat use.
C)The initial contact occurs weeks before the customer receives the service.
D)It takes a long time to complete service delivery.
E)The services are capacity-constrained.

Question 31

Service firms with multi-site operations make use of ________ and ________ to centralise functions that don't require face-to-face contact.

A)automation; personalisation
B)technology; scripts
C)scripts; role plays
D)technology; telecommunications
E)call centres; role plays

Question 32

To determine the current nature and scope of its customer service function, each service organisation should conduct a ________.

A)customer service survey
B)customer service research
C)employee survey
D)customer service audit
E)employee audit

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT one of the guidelines for effective program implementation?

A)Recruit the right employees
B)Educate customers, too
C)Develop a pricing policy
D)Individualise response systems
E)Be efficient first, nice second

Question 34

We are seeing the emergence of what the management writer, Charles Handy, termed the ________ organisation, where service firms contract out supplementary services.

A)functional
B)staff
C)doughnut
D)sandwich
E)line

Question 35

Which of the following should NOT be considered when implementing customer service programs?

A)Educating consumers
B)Choosing the right staff
C)Training and educating staff
D)Evaluate performance regularly
E)All of the above should be considered

Question 36

In the management literature, ________ is used as a metaphor to describe the firm's ability to pursue seemingly ________ goals.

A)ambidexterity; simultaneous
B)simultaneous; conflicting
C)ambidexterity; conflicting
D)versatility; conflicting
E)ambidexterity; useless

Question 37

For services high in ________ or for first-time customers, credibility, trust and ________ will be linked to employee actions.

A)credence properties; confidence
B)financial risk; value for money
C)perceived risk; repeat purchases
D)credence properties; word of mouth
E)intangibility; reluctance to recommend

Question 38

The ultimate objective of a customer service program is to:

A)resolve the problem
B)provide sympathy
C)empathise with customers
D)provide corporate excuses
E)allow customers all the time they want to express their anger

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT a factor shaping the place of customer service in the organisation?

A)Degree of contact
B)Presence or absence of intermediaries
C)Frequency of use
D)Duration of service delivery
E)Production schedules

Question 40

What was a customer service improvement that resulted when the National Library Board of Singapore installed RFID tags in its books?

A)The change enabled patrons to download e-books and e-magazines.
B)Patrons have an opportunity to purchase 'smart bookshelves'.
C)Librarians can shelve books more efficiently.
D)The library increased the number of books to 10 million.
E)Patrons no longer have to stand in line to check out books.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT a way marketers are using technology to obtain information from their customers?

A)Corporate websites that offer an opportunity to purchase directly
B)Corporate websites with pages where consumers may post questions
C)RFID tags that keep track of inventory without a scanner
D)Electronic self-service systems such as electronic banking
E)Toll-free numbers to call with questions

Question 42

Consultation, hospitality, information and billing are examples of supplementary services.

Question 43

A major future challenge for service organisations in their quest to provide high customer standards is managing the network of customer service function suppliers.

Question 44

Service employees can influence all the dimensions of SERVQUAL, except one: the 'reliability' dimension.

Question 45

A customer service audit allows service firms to anticipate customer reactions to innovative service delivery processes.

Question 46

Which of the following is the most effective way to get both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency right?

A)Marketing works independently to stay focused on marketing.
B)Frontline employees engage in task-oriented activities involving customer interactions.
C)Management adds enough staff to prevent customers from having to wait for service.
D)Marketing and operations departments work together to implement standards.
E)None of the above; companies must choose one goal or the other.

Question 47

Standardisation cannot occur in highly customised services such as medical treatment.

Question 48

To be able to monitor standards, broad customer expectations must be converted into specific behaviours and actions.

Question 49

Customer service is becoming increasingly technology-based or technology-enabled.

Question 50

The dress, manner and general behaviour of frontline employees contribute to both the tangible and intangible service standards.

Question 51

Customer satisfaction and customer dissatisfaction are 'two sides of the same coin' that must be balanced against one another.

Question 52

The first step in setting customer-defined standards is to develop key performance indicators.

Question 53

Which of the following technologies is most likely to be used by a professional to provide services?

A)RFID tagging
B)SMS tickets
C)A website for downloading e-magazines
D)Long-distance consultations via Skype
E)A book drop designed to look like an ATM

Question 54

Why are customer satisfaction and operational efficiency considered to be 'two sides of the same coin'?

A)They must be balanced against one another.
B)When one is great, so is the other.
C)They increase the company's earnings.
D)Both add to the cost of providing services.
E)Both involve marketing and not operations departments.

Question 55

The underlying culture of the organisation has very little influence on employees who do not subscribe to a service culture.

Question 56

A climate for service combined with a climate for employees' wellbeing is highly correlated with customer service quality perceptions.

Question 57

A service culture is a quick and efficient method to improve customer service standards.

Question 58

Service firms may be able to outsource backstage functions but can never outsource frontstage functions.

Question 59

Customer service is becoming increasingly people-based and the call centre industry is a prime example of this.

Question 60

A call centre's managers are concerned about improving operational efficiency.With what other consideration should they balance this concern?

A)Proactive selling
B)Costs of running the business
C)Customer service
D)Price of services
E)The Flower of Service

Question 61

All of the following are methods to be used when developing guidelines for effective program implementation: train and educate employees; educate customers; recruit the right employees.

Question 62

You have recently visited your local health centre to see your GP.At the front desk, you are kept waiting while the staff are completing a variety of tasks including filing.You then wait for an extended period of time for your appointment although you have been given a specific time slot.Develop a set of guidelines to address these issues and improve customer service.

Question 63

Develop and justify a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) which you would like to see applied to the teaching profession.

Question 64

When educating customers, it is important to ensure that they know the correct behaviours when dealing with staff members.

Question 65

Select a company that you believe is high-contact.Would this company be able to standardise some of its customer service tasks? If so, why? If not, why not? What role could technology play in delivering customer service in this company?

Question 66

Assume you are in charge of customer service for a large multi-outlet fast food business.Discuss the factors that you consider would shape the customer service function for your business.

Question 67

You are responsible for training a group of people who will be multi-tasking in a service organisation.They will be required to act as both frontline employees and as telephone support staff.What standards would you put in place to ensure the staff could provide an effective customer service?

Question 68

Assume you are in charge of customer service for a major passenger and cargo air service.Discuss the tasks you would undertake to ensure effective implementation of your customer service program.

Question 69

Proactive selling is a useful method to use with repeat buyers because of its cost efficiency.

Question 70

It is equally as important to acknowledge and affirm good work as it is to take corrective action on defective work.

Question 71

Choose a large, successful organisation and analyse the guidelines that have been put in place to ensure an effective customer service program.

Question 72

Customer service is not always consistent with organisational profit.Discuss this statement and justify your answer in terms of an effective customer service organisation.

Question 73

Even in high customised services, it is possible to develop routines for at least some of the aspects of service provisions.Choose a service organisation and discuss this concept illustrating those parts of service to which this statement could apply.

Question 74

A service that is capacity constrained needs to offer a queuing or reservation system to its customers.

Question 75

Select a company that you believe is low-contact.Identify the customer service tasks this company could standardise and why it would be appropriate.What role could technology play in delivering customer service in this company?