By Dr Jenifer Daley, ContributorACCORDING to the ACA Group (an alliance of highly trained and experienced consultants and instructors in the U.S. providing business improvement solutions), customer service is the ability of an organisation to constantly and consistently give the customer what they want and need. This definition extends beyond the traditional way we think about customer service. It suggests that the entire organisation must work together to provide excellent customer service. A late delivery affects a customer in the same way that a rude salesperson does.
In recent times, there has been much talk of 'development' in Jamaica: enhancements in technology, the adoption of international standards and best practices, economic re-positioning to benefit from globalisation and liberalisation, inter alia. However, there seems to be no commensurate impetus to improve the level of service to clients at various levels. I firmly believe that, in the midst of notable progress in some areas, we must face the sad truth that customer service in Jamaica has died. There is often a skewed focus on encouraging rapid increase in customer demand, and less on satisfying that demand with the highest quality products and services. There is a widespread malaise in service in Jamaica that finds expression in a general unprofessional attitude of familiarity that is so overpowering that it borders on insolence. Here in Jamaica, one often gets the impression that the customer is treated as an adversary or a nuisance. Ordinary everyday activities have now become customer service trials - obtaining telephone services, visiting the bank, filing a tax return and having a meal in a restaurant - have all become major customer service challenges.
Service in Jamaica is often regarded as a connotation for servitude and, therefore, menial and undesirable. Even the best companies that boast a customer service culture and spend copious sums on customer service training and initiatives each year, are having a hard time converting these efforts to practical and obvious enhancements to the delivery of quality service. There is, therefore, an apparent problem with the strategic implementation or with the management of the process. Something is going awry between the training/learning and the delivery process, and the evidence belies the effort. What the leaders and managers in these organisations need to remember is that theory is no good unless it produces the desired outcomes.
Since the instances of positive customer service experiences are few and far between, I think it would be useful for organisations to continually revisit some of the guiding principles of quality customer service. Among the factors influencing good quality customer service are the following three that are considered to be of primary importance. Firstly, the company's executives must ensure customer-friendly policies and processes to make it easier for the customers to transact business. This would ensure that quality products and services are available to meet the customers' needs and in so doing help to develop repeat relationships.
The second factor that influences customer service is staff training and securing a commitment to quality customer service. Training must provide explicit directives on what to do and how to do it in order to ensure customer satisfaction. Empowerment is, therefore, a necessary complement to training, so that employees can be motivated to take the necessary initiative and responsibility in satisfying customers. The attitude of staff towards the employer and the organisation resulting from the way they are treated is the third primary factor, which affects quality customer service. Treating employees fairly and recognising and rewarding their contribution signals to them that they are valued and appreciated. This helps to ensure employees' commitment to the organisation and to provide quality service to customers. These initiatives by any organisation must be supported by an overarching objective to ensure customer satisfaction through dialogue, a willingness to accommodate customer demands, where possible, and responding promptly to customer concerns as well as demonstrating a positive attitude towards customers.
Dr. Jennifer Daley is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ).
