CRM
What does the abbreviation CRM stands for?
Customer Relationship Management
What is customer service?
Customer service is the assistance and support provided by a business to its customers before, during, and after purchasing products or services. It aims to meet customer needs, resolve issues, and ensure a positive experience.
What are customer expectations?
Customer expectations are the perceived value or benefits that customers anticipate when they interact with a business.
What is the difference between customer needs and customer wants?
Customer needs are essential requirements necessary for survival or basic satisfaction, such as food and shelter.
Customer wants are desires or preferences that go beyond basic needs.
What are some key essential customer service skills?
Communication, problem-solving, empathy, active listening, and product knowledge.
Explain what CRM is in your own words.
It is a system for managing all of your company's interactions with current and potential customers.
Why is good customer service important for a business?
It helps build customer loyalty, enhances brand reputation, and can lead to repeat business. Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend the business to others, which can increase revenue and market share.
Identify two factors that can influence customer expectations.
One factor is past experiences; if a customer previously had good service at a restaurant, they expect the same or better in the future.
Another factor is marketing and advertising.
Why it is important for businesses to distinguish between customer needs and wants when developing their products or services?
Distinguishing between needs and wants helps businesses prioritise essential features that customers can’t do without (needs) while also offering additional features that enhance satisfaction (wants).
Explain why active listening is a critical customer service skill, and give an example of how it can improve customer interactions.
Active listening involves giving full attention to the customer, understanding their concerns, and responding appropriately. It is critical because it makes customers feel valued and understood, reducing frustration
What are 2 examples of the benefits of CRM?
Improved Customer Relationships
Increased Sales
Better Customer Service
Data-driven decisions
Give an example of a situation where excellent customer service turned a negative experience into a positive one.
Give an example from your own work experience or experience as a customer.
A coffee shop receives complaints about slow service during peak hours. How might the gap between customer expectations and actual service be addressed?
Implementing faster service methods.
Manage customer expectations by clearly communicating wait times or offering small compensations.
A new gym is trying to attract more members. How can the gym address both customer needs and wants in its membership packages?
The gym can address needs by offering essential fitness facilities, clean equipment, and safe workout spaces.
To cater to wants, it might include additional features like spa services, group fitness classes, or flexible membership options.
A retail store has received complaints about staff being unhelpful. Suggest two customer service skills that could be improved to address this issue.
Improving communication skills would help staff clearly explain product features and answer questions.
Enhancing empathy would ensure that staff acknowledge customers’ frustrations and show understanding.
Explain how integrating a CRM system can improve customer satisfaction in a business.
Integrating a CRM system can improve customer satisfaction by allowing businesses to track and analyze customer interactions, preferences, and feedback. This enables personalized communication, quicker response times to customer inquiries, and more efficient resolution of issues.
What are some effective ways that a business can improve on their customer service?
Training of staff.
Establish customer service standards and polices.
Ensure expectations in advertising are met.
Compare and contrast how customer expectations might differ between a luxury hotel and a budget motel.
At a luxury hotel, customers expect high-quality amenities, personalised service, and attention to detail.
At a budget motel, they typically expect basic comfort and cleanliness at a lower cost.
Why might a business that only focuses on meeting customer needs struggle compared to one that also addresses customer wants?
Addressing wants adds value, creates emotional connections, and often justifies higher prices, giving the business a competitive edge.
Compare the role of problem-solving skills in customer service for an online retail business versus a face-to-face retail store.
In an online retail business, problem-solving often involves troubleshooting technical issues, handling returns, or tracking orders, usually via digital communication.
In a face-to-face retail store, problem-solving is more immediate, involving in-person interactions and resolving issues on the spot.
Describe one challenge businesses might face when implementing a new CRM system and suggest a possible solution.
Example answer:
Employee resistance to change, as staff may feel overwhelmed by learning a new system. A possible solution is to provide comprehensive training and ongoing support, demonstrating how the CRM system will simplify tasks and enhance productivity.
Provide 3 important elements of a positive customer service experience.
Responsiveness
Empathy
Knowledgeability
Personalisation
Consistency
A fast-food chain introduces a new loyalty program, but customer satisfaction decreases. Why might this happen?
Loyalty program might perceived as overly complex.
It might fails to offer meaningful rewards.
It might have replaces previous benefits with less attractive ones.
A restaurant decides to focus solely on offering basic, affordable meals rather than introducing trendy dishes or unique dining experiences. How could this effect the business growth?
Focusing solely on basic, affordable meals may attract a price-sensitive customer base but could limit the restaurant's appeal to those seeking unique or premium dining experiences.
A hotel receives a negative review due to poor customer service. Evaluate how a lack of essential customer service skills could have contributed to the situation, and propose a strategy to address the issue.
If guests feel ignored or poorly treated, it damages the hotel's reputation.
A training plan should include role-playing scenarios to practice empathy, workshops on effective communication, and problem-solving exercises that simulate common guest complaints.