Question

8. Topic 1: Creating a Customer Relationship Management Plan

Think of a company that has provided great customer service to you recently. (In the United States)

What did it do?

How did it go beyond what you expected?

What do companies have to do to get employees to deliver such services?

Class: Market Management

Answer 1

The company that provided great customer service to me in the recent past is Sony.

I have a Sony home theater system which I bought 3 years ago. However, the system volume was not as per the standards or the product specification. The volume was deterring each day and this was a major concern for me and my family. We decided to take it to the nearest customer support center. The center has a strong self-service portal. I just went into the support center, logged in my phone number and received a One Time Password (OTP) to get a ticket for the problem. Once I got a ticket/token, all I need to do is visit the customer service representative with the token and tell the problem of the home theater system. The product was taken into the servicing room and I was asked to wait in most comfortable seat in a pleasant atmosphere. The customer service representative was very courteous. Though it took time to fix the problem, I did not feel the time go by as I was awestruck to see how they handled each customer’s concern. They demonstrated their motto ‘We care’ to all the customers. Finally, the problem of my system was rectified and the sound system worked well. The problem was that while fixing the home theater, one of the wires inside the system was not in the appropriate position. I have been having the system for the past two years after rectifying the problem and I do not have any such repeated problem with the system. My family and I are completely satisfied with the product. Even after the service was completed, one of the customer service representatives called me and enquired if the problem has been rectified. Sony has been the best in customer service.

What do companies have to do to get employees to deliver such services?

Personally speaking, companies need to take of their employees well so that they take care of their customers. Creating a great place to work where people are appreciated and engaged contributes to productivity and success of a business. Investing in the workforce wellbeing consequentially results in great customer care by their employees. The employees develop a sense of commitment and responsibility when they are taken care by their employer. This results in great customer care. Studies have proved that companies with high engagement scores performed better than their competitors. A classic example is Starbucks. The strategy of Startbucks is that if the employees are taken care well then they provide great customer service experience to their customers.