Customer service
Under customer service (or customer ) is understood the one hand, organizational unit (for example, as a department ) in a company , on the other hand, the responsibilities of this department or the whole company, customer satisfaction for its customers to reach. In the retail sector, customer service is used to summarize additional services that go beyond the main services provided by a retail company anyway; they can be provided for a fee or free of charge. These additional services can consist of goods (e.g. samples, additions), services (e.g. assembly aids, home delivery) and rights (e.g. exchange rights, use of parking spaces). From a commercial psychological point of view, surprising forms of service not expected by customers are particularly interesting. Customer service, like all other forms of service, serves primarily retail companies as an important profile-building tool in retail marketing .
tasks
The customer service has the task of eliminating the difference between the subjectively expected ( customer expectation ) and the perceived performance of a product. Customer service is triggered by products or services sold, but is itself a secondary service. As a result of the progressive Anglicisation , customer service is often referred to as service ( English customer service , English customer care or English after sales service ), whereby it is about the fulfillment of customer requests after the sale of a product or an article or a service be presented:
- Complaints : The product does not work properly, is damaged or does not have the promised properties, etc.
- Regular maintenance work may be required, e.g. B. because a defined operating time or the like has been reached. For example in a vehicle.
- It can be a repair be necessary, because a malfunction has occurred.
- The customer may need help using the product or have questions. The term “ Helpdesk ” is also used in this context .
- He may want to buy spare parts , accessories , consumables or the like.
See also after-sales management and service management .
What these requirements have in common is that the customer wants a competent contact person who can be reached, understands him, helps him quickly and finally finds a solution with which the customer is satisfied. Whether the provider can do this has a decisive influence on the company's image and customer satisfaction.
It is useful for a company to analyze customer service requests to learn how to improve the product, but also how to generate additional revenue from accessories, etc.
From a certain volume of customer service inquiries , it makes sense to employ special employees to categorize and channel the inquiries. See support (service) .
Departments that are the first point of contact for customers are also called call centers because most inquiries are received by phone.
Especially in trading companies (according to Schenk) the customer service or customer service aimed at the sales market corresponds to the services offered to the suppliers on the procurement market (supplier service), services offered to competitors on the competitive market (competitive service) and those offered to employees on the internal (internal) market Services (employee service). The increase in the service level also increases the service expectations of the market partners. Therefore, in analogy to cost remanence , the phenomenon of service remanence can often be observed, i. H. Without a disproportionate loss of customers, suppliers or employees, once introduced services can hardly be reduced.
literature
- Volker Harms: Customer Service , Chapter 33 in: Tilo Pfeifer, Robert Schmitt (editor) Masing Handbook Quality Management , Carl Hanser Fachbuchverlag Munich Vienna, 6th revised edition (2014), ISBN 978-3-446-43431-8 .
- Hans-Otto Schenk: Psychology in Commerce. Decision-making bases for trade marketing. 2nd completely revised edition. Oldenbourg, Munich et al. 2007, ISBN 978-3-486-58379-3 .
- Jacqueline Irrgang: Guide to customer service. Excellent service in all phases of customer contact. GABAL, Offenbach 2009, ISBN 978-3-89749-925-6 .
