Quality Service

We often hear it on the radio, see it on the television even read it on the newspapers. Bouquets and Brickbats, Compliments and Complaints. The big question that looms in our head is - What makes Quality Service?

I have been in Customer Service for almost 3 years, by this 1st April it will be a full fledged 3 years. Exactly 3 years, 0 months, 0 days.

I don't really talk much about my job - even to my family members but I guess this post is not so much about my job but a heavier emphasis on the scope of my job which
is Customer Service.

To some people, customer service involves anticipating the needs of the customers & providing them with solutions even before it is requested. A thin line therefore exists between knowing what is good for the customer and knowing what the customers wants. What happens if you know of a certain method as the most direct method & while it provides some inconvience to the customer, the customer still benefits in the overall aspect. What happens if the customer simply refuses to acknowledge the slightest form of inconvenience and stubbornly insists on the scenario being handled by the method they suggested. Would a Customer Service Officer knuckle under pressure & do what the customer wants? Perfectly knowing that the proposed action might set off a series of chain reactions even inconviencing the customer in the near future? The key word here is "Might" as in might inconvience the customer, might have side repercussions and might have further follow-up scenarios.

Quite a number of my colleagues have left their jobs in Customer Service to delve into sales or simply events management. So I am not condemning the role of a Customer Service as a slave, I am providing double sides of an issue - The Customer Service Officer and the general public. To attempt categories of both sides of the transaction scenarios would require more than just a simple blog entry. Seminars, studies and even textbooks have been compiled all attempting to provide logical answers to the actions of either sides. But for today, I'll provide an avenue for some of my colleagues to voice their frustrations of dealing a certain selected category of public - which some of us have termed as "Black Sheep"

Case Scenario 1 - Group of 8 students goes to a cafe and occupies abt 3 tables but only orders 2 drinks. Starts to pile textbooks and notes and occupies the 3 tables for the whole day from 10am till 6pm. Quality Service Manager requests the group to give up their tables for the dinner crowd is pouring in and there is insufficient space. Group refuses but offers to buy 1 more drink as 'compensation' but QSM politely declines. Groups turns sacarstic and taunts which QSM defends and politely demands group to leave which group starts to hurl abuse at this point. QSM calls in police, group leaves but atmosphere is throughly shattered.

Anyone has a better suggestion?


Case Scenario 2 - Man comes to Service Counter to apply for permit, Counter staff realises documents are not valid [they require original but he produced photocopied sets] and politely requests for man to come back another day with valid day. Man informs Counter Staff when he called the Service Hotline they did not specify such requirements and starts to scold Counter Staff for their lack of clarity. Counter defends herself stating she cannot do anything. Man demands to see Customer Service Manager, CSM steps out, takes documents and processes the documents while calming man down. Man proceeds to berate Counter Staff for inflexibility. Counter Staff quits few weeks later.

Would you have advised a different approach?


Case Scenario 3 - Lady is fined for late payment, goes to Office Counter to appeal for waiver. Was informed not possible unless there is a written appeal, says she's willing to write the letter on the spot. Says she needs to produce valid documents to support her claim, claims she won't be able to spare the time. Was promptly replied that no further assistance can be rendered. Starts to scold loudly that she took off her precious time to come personally for an appeal and now she feels that she is being brushed off. Berates Customer Service Officer for a full 15 minutes in public view before walking off saying she will post this lack of humane treatment in Straits Times.

Do you think the Cust Svc Officer would be able to offer alternative solutions?



Lastly, a short quote on what I would deem as professionalism

"When the Boss asks for how much the watermelon costs at the shop downstairs, a pro-active salesman would reply that it costs $1 within 5 minutes. A professional salesman would reply however that the fresh ones cost $1 while the not-so-fresh ones left at the side about are open for bargaining and if we purchase for every 5 watermelons he would be willing to offer $0.10 less for every watermelon."


Well my dear friends, leave comments if you would but for more detailed discussions please do forward emails to me instead.