Deck 13: Communicating With Customers

Question 1

How can businesses use customer service to their advantage?

Answer 1

Customer service is the consistent performance of activities or services for the purpose of ensuring customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction occurs when the customer's wants and needs are met and when the customer feels valued by the organization. Making customers feel valued instills the feeling that their business is appreciated, that they will be treated with respect, and that their business will receive conscientious attention.
An excellent customer-service reputation can become the feature that gives your organization a competitive edge in the marketplace. In a highly competitive world, outstanding customer service helps you retain your current customers and attract new ones. Outstanding customer service also helps develop a reputation that encourages people to do business with you. Satisfied customers become loyal customers who continue to use your product or service, resulting in repeat business. Chief executive officers (CEOs) say it is easier to keep a customer than to attract a new one. In addition, organizations derive much of their new business through referrals.

Question 2

"Our society is going mobile." Explain what this statement means and describe what it means for companies and their websites? Provide three examples of customer service provided in our digital society.

Answer 2

A mobile society means that customers are using computer, laptops, tablets and smartphones to conduct much of their business. Customers want to conduct business when and where they are without being restricted to land lines. Companies and their websites must become "mobile friendly." If a customer is having trouble ordering through your website, the customer will decide that another website with the same product is only a click away. Examples of customer service provided in our digital society include:
• Advertising on social media.
• Companies use YouTube videos to train employees and help customers with problems such as minor product repair or assembly.
• Car dealerships provide live chat with a sales person about vehicle details.
• You can order pizza or other food from your phone, delivered to your home.
• DocuSign offers ways to sign official documents online.
• Ordering products online saves time and money.
• Real estate agents use FaceTime for the initial showing of property when distance separates the buyer and the property.
• Drone delivery of small items is being tested in some states.
• Online banking use continues to expand.
• Cell phone apps let customers lock or unlock doors, adjust thermostats, open or close garage doors, turn lights off or on, etc., from home or a remote location.
• Call an Uber using a phone app.

Question 3

Discuss a customer-focused organization's approach to customer service.

Answer 3

Customer service is a complex function that has many facets. Some people view customer service as a problem-solving function that comes into play only when there has been a complaint. In fact, customer service should be an ongoing function that allows employees to anticipate and prevent problems.
Employees at all levels should be trained to communicate with customers. They should be committed to being part of a customer-focused organization. A customer-focused organization makes customer service an ongoing function. Its approach is proactive in anticipating problems. If an organization satisfies its customers and is managed efficiently, profits should naturally follow.

Question 4

List at least five good customer-service practices that employees should be taught.

Question 5

Which technologies can sales representatives use for note taking and other functions? Discuss the benefits of each.

Question 6

How can employees give knowledgeable responses to customers' questions?

Question 7

Discuss some of the basic procedures that you as an employee must be familiar with when meeting the public.

Question 8

Customer transactions handled by telephone require special consideration. Elaborate on this statement.

Question 9

How can companies improve customer service by hosting websites?

Question 10

Maintaining your air of helpfulness decreases a customer's resistance and establishes a basis for success. Provide some suggestions for dealing with customers who have a complaint or need to exchange an item. What are the implications of having customers not receive a satisfactory remedy to their problems or complaints?

Question 11

Organizations derive much of their new business through _____, which are recommendations from satisfied customers.

Question 12

_____ is the consistent performance of activities or services for the purpose of ensuring customer satisfaction.

Question 13

Our society is _____ which means that customers are using computers and smartphones to conduct much of their business.

Question 14

A(n) _____ computer functions like a desktop computer but is small enough to be portable and may be battery-operated.

Question 15

In the context of receiving the public, companies should maintain cautious reserve in speech. This is known as _____.

Question 16

The _____ is a message-response system that automatically replies to e-mails in the employee's absence.

Question 17

In a _____ organization customer service is an ongoing function and they use a proactive approach to anticipating problems.

Question 18

A(n) _____ section on an organization's website takes customers to a screen with a preaddressed e-mail, which makes e-mailing the organization easier.

Question 19

A(n) _____ function on a website assures customers that the products they have ordered have been purchased. It lists the tracking number, which enables the customers to follow their shipment as it makes its way to their office.

Question 20

_____ PCs are small portable devices that are available with many different functions, such as an address book, a calendar, a calculator, and a note function.

Question 21

Which of the following statements about customer service is True?

A) Customers must initiate the requirement that customer-service procedures be implemented throughout an organization.
B) An excellent customer-service reputation cannot give the organization a competitive edge in the marketplace.
C) Customer service is a problem-solving function that should exist only when a customer reports a problem.
D) Customer service will not receive the attention it deserves without the support of the organization's top management.

Question 22

In the context of customer service, referrals for a business are:

A) complaints and suggestions from unsatisfied customers.
B) suggestions from sales personnel to customers about which products to purchase.
C) recommendations from satisfied customers to potential customers.
D) guidelines to be referred to in order to improve customer relations.

Question 23

Charlie owned a landscaping company and often got paid with a personal check when the job was complete. Charlie would lay the check on the seat of his truck, open his banking app on his phone and take a picture of the check. The check would be automatically deposited into Charlie's bank account and he could transfer the money to another account using the same banking app. This is an example of:

A) going mobile.
B) a referral.
C) an auto responder.
D) an order confirmation function.

Question 24

Which of the following is an ineffective customer-service practice?

A) Viewing customer service as a problem-solving function that comes into play only when there has been a complaint
B) Teaching employees that customers do not depend on a business as much as a business depends on customers
C) Focusing on retaining a current customer rather than attracting a new customer
D) Training employees at all levels of an organization to communicate with customers

Question 25

Customer service as a(n) _____ function comes into play only when there has been a complaint.

A) ongoing
B) problem-solving
C) proactive
D) pre-emptive

Question 26

Which of the following behaviors will NOT help an employee cultivate a positive customer-service image for his or her organization?

A) Addressing external customers by their names
B) Greeting customers in their native language
C) Making notes each time he or she visits a customer
D) Getting to know his or her customers by being intrusive

Question 27

Melissa is one of the new customer-service executives at a retail organization. She receives a call from a customer wanting to repair a purchased product, even though the product is no longer manufactured by the organization. Melissa is still unfamiliar with the organization's policies on this issue. In this scenario, how should Melissa deal with the customer in order to cultivate a positive customer-service image?

A) She should keep the customer waiting for a response as customers expect to have delays when requesting information.
B) She should tell the customer that she will find out about the organization's policies on such issues and get back to the customer in a day.
C) She should promise the customer whatever she can and get the customer off the telephone as soon as possible.
D) She should let the customer know that she is a new employee at the organization, and hence cannot fix the customer's problem.

Question 28

An organization can cultivate a good customer-service image by:

A) focusing on attracting new customers, not on retaining current customers.
B) maintaining frequent contact with customers even after sales have been made.
C) using a problem-solving approach to customer service.
D) limiting the development of good customer-service skills to sales representatives.

Question 29

Jenny, the receptionist at an organization, is talking to a visitor. The visitor would like to meet one of the senior executives but does not have an appointment. Jenny decides that a senior client support executive is most likely to be able to help the visitor. When she conveys the message to the executive, he says he is happy to meet the visitor immediately. Assuming that the visitor's name is Wilson Matthews and the executive's name is Peter Rogers, which of the following is the best way for Jenny to introduce them?

A) Mr. Rogers, please meet our respected visitor.
B) Mr. Rogers, this is Wilson Matthews.
C) Mr. Matthews, this is Mr. Rogers.
D) Wilson this is Peter.

Question 30

In which of the following situations is it most appropriate for an employee to explain his or her manager's delay to a visitor who has an appointment with the manager?

A) When the manager is delayed at another meeting
B) When the manager is going to be late to work
C) When the manager is late returning from lunch
D) When the manager is meeting an unsolicited visitor at the appointed time

Question 31

When an organization has a visitor who does not have an appointment, the organization's front desk staff should:

A) ask the security personnel to escort the visitor out of the office.
B) be discreet in his or her comments to the visitor.
C) allow the visitor to directly meet the concerned staff member.
D) provide complete information about organization's business or personnel.

Question 32

Catherine works as a receptionist at a library. A rare-books collector visits the library and asks Catherine if the library might be interested in buying his books. In this scenario, what is the best action for Catherine to take?

A) She should ask to see the books and should provide a positive opinion about the books.
B) She should allow the visitor to directly meet the library owner without asking for permission.
C) She should reply that she cannot make decisions about purchases, but she will contact someone in the library who can.
D) She should provide complete information about the library's business and personnel to help the visitor assess the library's possible interest in buying the products.

Question 33

Which of the following scenarios is the best example of indiscretion while interacting with customers?

A) Jack, the receptionist at an office, apologizes to a visitor that the manager is late for the appointment, and offers the visitor coffee and magazines.
B) Janet, a receptionist at a doctor's clinic, informs a patient that the doctor is delayed in surgery and will be an hour late for the appointment.
C) Rebecca, a flight attendant, makes conversation with a passenger about the failing financial prospects of the airline.
D) Derek, the front desk executive at a hotel, tells a salesperson that he cannot make decisions about purchases but will contact someone who can.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a professional guideline to use when answering the telephone?

A) Identify your organization or department.
B) Answer the phone within three rings.
C) Identify yourself first.
D) Use a greeting such as "Good morning."

Question 35

When handling customer transactions by telephone, which of the following should be avoided?

A) Answering the telephone within three rings
B) Accepting the customer's first request as the primary motive for calling
C) Redirecting the customer to other staff members if necessary
D) Being discreet in giving any opinions solicited by the customer

Question 36

Which of the following statements is NOT True with regard to customer complaints?

A) The best way to curb customer complaints is to prevent them.
B) Top management must set the standards for good customer service throughout the organization.
C) If an organization tries really hard, it can completely eliminate customer dissatisfaction and complaints.
D) Employees should use their e-mail's auto-responder function when they are unavailable to answer customer e-mails.

Question 37

Gloria is the front desk executive at an organization. Her colleague, Liam, handles customer complaints. Liam has requested Gloria to answer all incoming calls while he is in a meeting. The first call Gloria receives is from a customer complaining about the delayed delivery of a product. Gloria is not sure about the organization's policies toward delayed deliveries. To cultivate a good customer-service image, what would be the best action for Gloria to take?

A) She should blame the organization's logistics department for this problem, and let the customer know that she is only a helpless front desk employee.
B) She should get Liam on the line after the meeting and make the customer repeat the entire story.
C) She should respond only in those areas in which she is qualified, and quickly refer the customer to someone who can help.
D) She should promise the customer a 50 percent discount on his purchase to get the customer off the telephone as soon as possible.

Question 38

George, a customer relationship manager, is going to be away on vacation for a week. During his absence, he will continue to receive e-mails from customers. In order to maintain a positive customer-service image, George should use his e-mail program's auto-responder function to:

A) refer the customers to a staff member who can help.
B) categorize all customer complaint e-mails as spam.
C) delete all e-mails addressed to him while he is away.
D) tell his customers that they cannot be helped.

Question 39

Which of the following statements regarding technology and customer satisfaction is NOT True?

A) Many organizations solicit feedback on social media.
B) Customers using e-mail do not expect a quick response.
C) Organizations improve customer service by hosting websites.
D) Sometimes technology increases customer frustration.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a purpose of the order confirmation function?

A) Assuring a customer that the online purchase he or she made has been confirmed
B) Enabling a customer to track the shipment of a purchased product
C) Allowing a customer to confirm that a product has satisfied his or her needs
D) Allowing a customer to estimate the time required to receive a product

Question 41

Communication is vital to any effective customer-service program.

Question 42

In a highly competitive world, outstanding customer service helps you retain your current customers but not attract new ones.

Question 43

If a company and its website is said to be "mobile friendly", people are referring to the company's generous free shipping policy.

Question 44

Customer service as a proactive function comes into play only when there has been a complaint.

Question 45

A customer-focused organization makes customer service a problem-solving function.

Question 46

In a business environment characterized by limited contact with external customers, an employee addressing a customer by name will cultivate a negative customer-service image.

Question 47

As a representative of an organization, a basic procedure for receiving a visitor is making conversation about the organization's business or personnel with the visitor.

Question 48

If a visitor to your organization has no appointment, taking his or her name, the name of the organization he or she represents, or the purpose of the visit is not required.

Question 49

When responding to customer concerns, you should only respond in those areas in which you are qualified.

Question 50

Listening is an important employability skill when you are working with customers.

Question 51

When you use your e-mail program's auto-responder function to ensure that all e-mails received during your absence are replied to, customers infer that your organization is not simply ignoring their message.

Question 52

When responding to customer concerns, it is suggested that you talk at the customer and not with the customer.

Question 53

If the complexity of a customer request clearly requires a face-to-face exchange, suggest that a visit would be more productive and arrange for the customer to meet with you.

Question 54

You should always assume that the customer-service procedures recommended by your organization are infallible.

Question 55

It is advisable for you to make personal interpretations of your organization's customer-service policies and procedures, especially in situations with legal repercussions.