The different phases in customer service


Phases in Customer Service

A .Pre transaction phase

B .Transaction phase

C. Post transaction phase


A) Pre-transaction stage

  In this stage, service delivery and other related activities are defined at the policy level in both qualitative and quantitative measures. It is the creation of a service platform to serve the customer, in order to build credibility in the market and create a good image among existing and potential customers. In other words, it refers to those elements which determine the capability of the service before it is provided. Pre-transaction elements usually relate to corporate policies or programs, written statements of service policy, adequacy of organizational structure, and system flexibility.

Following are the important elements of the pre-transaction stage:


o Customer Service Policy Statement: It states the service standards for the company. For example, Company X, a leading automobile spare part manufacturing company, makes a policy commitment to deliver spare parts to its customers within 48 hours of placing an order.

 Accessibility: It refers to the ease with which customers can approach the firm

o Organization building: To implement policy derivatives on customer service. The firm should formalize the reporting structure, delegate authority and also allocate responsibility. Also, a proper reward system will motivate the employees who are involved in customer service to interface with the customer efficiently.


o Service Structure: Customer expectations, industry standards and standards of service that the firm seeks to influence affect the basic structure of any service. To maintain competitive advantage, innovation in service is very essential. Innovation adds value to the offerings made to the customers. Another important aspect of service architecture is delivery. Two important aspects of distribution are place and time.


o Educating the customer: This is important as it can reduce customer complaints on delivery of products, their operation and maintenance etc. Generally customers are educated through manual training, seminars workshops etc.


o System design and flexibility: While designing the system, it should be kept in mind that all possible queries asked by the customers should be answered. The system can be manual or fully automated, similar to e-commerce. Also the adaptability of the service delivery system to meet the requirement of a particular customer is essential.


b) Transaction Phase:

During this phase, customer service is associated with routine tasks that have to be performed in the logistics supply chain. Those variables are directly involved in the performance of logistics functions, for example, product availability, order cycle time, reliability of delivery, etc. The following are the various service elements associated with this phase:


o Reliability of order fulfillment: This is an important factor. Reliability is also required in completing the order within the agreed time frame and with regard to the quantity and quality of the material ordered.


o Ordering Convenience: The customer can easily place the order. There are various hurdles like paperwork required by the supplier. Compliance with various procedures, complex payment terms. Poor communication network etc. at the suppliers end.


o Postponement of an Order: At times, the Customer may postpone the entire order or parts thereof. This means that the customer has to redefine his requirements. In any other case, due to future availability of a certain product category, Seller may allow Buyer to place an order immediately and will ship the product when it becomes available on future dates.


o Consistency of Delivery: Delivery consistency of repeat orders is important.

o Product Substitutes: There may be situations in which the ordered product cannot be shipped due to certain manufacturing or quality issues. In such cases, the seller may offer a substitute product and honor its commitment.


C) Post-Transaction Stage:

 This is a stage where customer satisfaction and building a long term relationship with the customer is involved. It involves the commitment of resources to provide a desired level of service. These measure customer satisfaction based on expected results. Supports products in general use, for example: warranty of products, parts and repair service, procedure for customer complaints and replacement of products following:


o Order status information: In B2B transactions and e-commerce, a customer requests feedback on the status of a shipment on an ongoing basis, in the form of an advance after payment of a partial value (sometimes full value).


o Customer complaints, claims and returns: Seller's responsibility does not end once the product has been dispatched to the customer. Sometimes, products damaged during transit. Or the product may not be as per the functional requirements of the customer. For this there should be a policy for product return and this is usually done through reverse logistics system.


o Product installation, commissioning and technical fault: This is part of after-sales service, as complex products may sometimes develop technical fault during the warranty period. After sales department takes care of all these issues.


Conclusion:

The basic objective of providing services is to provide value to the customer for the money he is spending for the product. Customer service means treating all customers equally and extending service to create a valuable business relationship. Also, a step ahead from offering basic services is to offer zero defect services. Repetitive operations must be performed without errors using automated systems.


Another possibility is to provide value-added services, which are fundamentally unique and add efficiency and effectiveness to the firm's basic service capabilities. To grow and survive in competitive markets, these value-added services have evolved due to forced innovation due to differentiated offering.