Address Customer Needs

1. What procedures could be implemented in a workplace to identify and analyse customer needs, wants and expectations? To identify customer needs, you should first determine who your potential customers are help you develop a more detailed picture of them and understand how to target them. Your workplace could implement a system where all existing customers are either sent out a survey or given a phone call to determine how satisfied your customers are with your service and to provide feedback on what they expect from your company. This data can then be analysed to determine what areas your company needs to improve on to keep these customers satisfied and to continue using your company.

2. What procedures could be implemented in a workplace to determine whether current products/services meet customer needs and expectations? Procedures that could be implemented in a workplace to determine whether current products and services meet customer needs are – sending out customer feedback surveys and making calls to your customers after they purchase something and find out if they were happy with it.

3. Explain why it is necessary for every person working in an organisation – regardless of what the organisation produces and regardless of the employment position of the person – to constantly be aware that the customers pay their wages? To ensure that all employees maintain a high level of services to make sure that customers continue to use their company – if not, there will be no jobs.

4. How does or will a clear understanding of this change your attitude towards customers and customer service? A clear understanding that without customers, there will be no business will hopefully change employee’s attitude towards customers to always ensure that they are fulfilling customers needs and expectations

5. Customer needs, wants and expectations will change over time. What factors will or do contribute to the changing needs of your customers?

Factors that contribute to the changing needs of customers are; age, employment, area of interest, income, moods and educational background.

6. How can you accommodate these changes?
You can accommodate these changing expectations by staying up to date with trends and spending patterns and by providing excellence in customer service and dealing with customers on an individual basis

Assessment activity 2
1. How can an organisation encourage contribution by employees to continuous improvement of customer service? By holding or organising customer service workshops and activities and possibly having a monthly “customer service excellence” award to encourage employees to provide fantastic customer service

2. What are the advantages of encouraging employee contribution to continuous improvement? Advantages of encouraging employee contribution to continuous improvement are that great customer service may be the point of difference that your company has over another, which could mean that customers will choose your company over another. 3. If you or a team/work group identified a problem or developed a new idea with regard to improving customer service, how and to whom would you present this idea? If I developed a new idea on how to improve customer service, I would prepare a presentation or proposal and then present it to the commercial manager and membership manager

Assessment activity 3
1. What processes should be in place in a workplace to explain to employees the rights and responsibilities of customers? There could be a manual in the workplace that outlines these rights and responsibilities of customers and all employees should be required to read it and sign off on it. 2. Why is it important that all employees clearly understand the customers rights? So that all employees are aware that the repercussions of non-compliance will impact on themselves as well as the workplace 3. A) How the terms of consumer protection legislation should be applied

They should be applied by ensuring that your business provides goods and services that are exactly the same standard as what is being advertised. Your business should also accept refunds and repairs to any items within a reasonable timeframe.

B) How privacy legislation should be applied and how they impact on your relationship with customers Every business collects information about employees and some may even collect information about clients and customers. This information is highly private and you need to consider the legal requirements of the act. You should teach your employees these legal requirements. Make sure that you hold and use personal information in a safe and secure way, and that you dispose of it securely when you have finished with it. Your customers trust you to protect the information that you provide to them, if you lose that trust – it is likely that they will take their business elsewhere; it is also likely that this could damage your businesses reputation. Assessment Activity 4

1. Explain why good product knowledge is essential for all employees Without high product knowledge, you will not be able to offer competent advice to customers or determine whether the product is a good match for the customer and also makes the customer feel more confident when buying the product from you. 2. Why is it important that you allow customers the opportunity to voice concerns and to question any quotes or estimates that are provided? It is important that you allow customers to voice their concerns as this shows that they are interested in what you have to offer. It also gives you the opportunity to persuade the customer and provide them with information that could influence them to buy what you are offering

3. List some of the things you could tell customers which would encourage them to purchase from you, particularly those customers who might have indicated a negative response You could explain to customers the advantages to them of dealing with your organisation, other positive feedback you have received from people that have purchased, you could explain the positive reviews and benefits of the product or service that you are trying to sell Assessment activity 5

1. How should information on your level of authority and responsibility with regard to meeting special needs or resolving difficulties on behalf of customers be conveyed in a workplace? There should be a hierarchy chart in the workplace which is clearly labelled and outlines who is responsible for resolving each type of problem 2. Explain why you should always thank customers for bringing problems, difficulties or complaint situations to your notice? Because it makes the customer feel valued and important. It also incites concern; a desire to accommodate the customer’s needs and generates a relationship with them 3. What can your organisation do to facilitate customer feedback?

Your organisation can facilitate customer feedback by using this feedback as an opportunity to review your current areas of excellence, improvement opportunities or issues. It is important to always monitor customer feedback as it is an indicator on how well your organisation is doing.

Assessment activity 6

1. Which professional associations or networks currently supply you with information and give you support? Are they internal or external and how do they add value or benefit you? Racing Victoria is a professional network that supplies us with the rules and regulations of the racing industry. This benefits us as it gives us a guideline of rules which we must stick to however, it can be a disadvantage to us as they also make the decision of which race meetings we get. 2. How could you extend your external networks so that your needs are more effectively met – that is, what other associations or memberships would be of benefit to you? What sorts of benefits would they offer?

We could extend our external network by attending more networking programs or business to business events – which would allow us to meet more people in the industry that may be able to offer us advice and has the potential for getting new people on board to sponsor us.

3. Do you find that you gain more information and/or support through your network contacts than you provide? What does this imply?

No I think that we provide more information and support to our network contacts as that is what we are here for – to provide support and assistance to our sponsors. I think this implies that we are providing great customer service as the majority of our sponsors renew their investments each season.

Assessment activity 7
1. In making the call to follow up the original sale, what was Pam actually doing? Pam was establishing a relationship with Leanne in the hope that she will purchase from their company again in the future. 2. Describe what Pam did to build rapport and a good relationship with the customer? She was friendly and interested in what the customer had to say. She also resolved all the customers’ queries 3. In making a single phone call there were a number of positive outcomes. What were the positive outcomes for? a) The customer – the invoice situation was resolved, she was suggested additional books by the call centre representative which may help her in her career. b) The call centre customer representative – the customer was satisfied with her customer service and she was able to establish a strong relationship with the customer c) The book company (Client) on whose behalf the call was made – the book company will continue to make sales from Pam due to excellent customer service she received.

Assessment activity 8
1. How should accumulated customer feedback be passed onto employees? Information should be collated and posted on a weekly or fortnightly basis to all employees so that they are aware of how they are performing 2. Why is it important that this feedback should be passed on to all employees? So that employees can see which areas they are doing well in and which areas need improvement. If employees aren’t given feedback about their customer service then they will not be aware of what areas need to be improved.