2. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CUSTOMER SERVICE AS A
PROCESS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE AS A FUNCTION.
Customer service in selling
Is a process rather than a function
Is a relationship rather than a department
Enhances/Facilitates customer’s use of goods and
services
3. DESCRIBE HOW BUSINESSES CAN USE CUSTOMER
SERVICE TO BEAT THEIR COMPETITION
Customer service and competition
Customer service is where the real competition among
businesses begins
Product quality and price can be easily matched.
4. DISCUSS FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CUSTOMER
EXPECTATIONS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer service means different things to different
customers.
Every customer has their own unique expectations
based on:
Past experience
Repeat customers will expect the same or higher quality or
customer service
Comparing one service with the competitors service
Word-of-mouth
Word-of-mouth is extremely powerful in business and sales
Prospects may visit your business based on recommendations
from family, friends, and acquaintances
Expect to receive the same quality of customer service that
other received
5. DISCUSS FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CUSTOMER
EXPECTATIONS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Advertising
A business invests in advertising to let potential
customers know that their products and services
are the best
Personal Selling
Determine what is of value to the customer and
what they need help with.
6. EXPLAIN HOW CUSTOMER SERVICE FACILITATES
SALES RELATIONSHIPS
Benefitsof customer service
Builds profits through:
Partnerships with current customers
Loyalty
Strive to provide high quality customer
service
Generating new customers
7. IDENTIFY THE PRE-SALES OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PROVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT CAN
FACILITATE SALES RELATIONSHIPS.
Pre-SaleCustomer Service
Suggestion Selling
Adds value to a customer’s
experience by suggesting
additional products or
services that will enhance
his/her primary purchase
Ex: suggest a strap that goes
along with a guitar
Builds solid partnerships with
customers
8. IDENTIFY THE PRE-SALES OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PROVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT CAN
FACILITATE SALES RELATIONSHIPS.
Product information
Providing help in customers purchase decisions for
high priced items
Vacations
Houses
Expensive electronic equipment
Successful salespeople make sure that customers
have all the information they need to make a
sound, well-informed decision
Happy customers = repeat customers
Promises that can be kept
Customers remember the promises made to them
during sales
If you can’t keep those promises, you will have
unhappy customers and damaged client relationships
9. IDENTIFY POST-SALES OPPORTUNITIES WHEN
CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN BE PROVIDED TO
FACILITATE SALES RELATIONSHIPS
A. Post-Sale Customer Service
1. Order processing
a. It is the salespersons responsibility to ensure customer’s
orders are processed correctly
b. Establish a relationship with the people that process orders so
you can easily check on the status of orders to make sure
customers are getting what they requested.
B. Shipping and delivery
1. Can be a major source of frustration for customers
2. With so many variables things can go wrong
a. items arriving too early or too late
b. items lost in transit
c. items can arrive damaged or accidentally be
shipped to the wrong customer
3. Even the best salesperson cannot control all the
variables or ensure that nothing will ever go wrong.
10. IDENTIFY POST-SALES OPPORTUNITIES WHEN
CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN BE PROVIDED TO
FACILITATE SALES RELATIONSHIPS
Installation
Salespeople need to stay involved to reduce frustration and
minimize problems
Customer is promised free installation, but the delivery person is unaware
of this. Salespeople can clear up these kinds of misunderstandings
quickly.
Warranty Issues
Successful salespeople take responsibility to make sure
customers understand exactly what their warranties cover.
Maintenance and repair
Certain products need routine service and may also need
specialized repairs over time
Ex: cars need regular oil changes, and over time, repair work.
May be offered as part of overall sales package
Successful salespeople make sure their customers understand
what maintenance and repair services are available
how to take advantage of them
11. IDENTIFY POST-SALES OPPORTUNITIES WHEN
CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN BE PROVIDED TO
FACILITATE SALES RELATIONSHIPS
Credit/Financing
Problems with obtaining credit and financing are a main
cause of customer-service complaints for sales organizations.
Technical assistance and support
Ex: computers and Internet service
Customer training
Some products require customer training, even classes
a salesperson may need to visit a business to show employees
how to use a new copier
hosting a week long conference to facilitate the use of a certain
software package
Providing appropriate customer training is a mark of a
successful sales organization
12. DISCUSS ACTIONS A SALESPERSON CAN TAKE TO
MAKE THE MOST OF HER/HIS CUSTOMER SERVICE
ACTIVITIES.
A. Solicit feedback
Ask about customer satisfaction
Provide convenient, user-friendly ways for customer to provide feedback.
Solicit feedback on a regular basis
B. Keep in touch
The best salespeople recognize the necessity of keeping in contact with
their customers to maintain the partnerships they have established.
a. follow-up phone calls
b. thank you cards
c. personal visits for major clients
C. Be prompt
Extraordinary salespeople can set themselves apart by treating questions
and complaints as high priorities and responding quickly
Responding promptly to complaints can be the difference between one
time customers and repeat customers
D. Have a good attitude
