Unit 2 - A People Business

Section 2 - Key Principles of Successful Customer Service

To provide for all the needs and meet the expectations of different
customers, careful planning and the appropriate use of resources and
technology must take place within an organisation. You need to
understand that customer service delivery is a key aspect of the
planning process of an organisation, and understand how an
organisation plans to meet the needs of its different customers. This
includes the impact of technology in providing successful customer
service. Technology in this context can be defined as any electronic
or mechanical equipment or software that improves the delivery of
customer service.
This involves making sure that the following relevant procedures are
in place for service delivery:
• staffing (employing the correct number of suitably qualified and
experienced staff)
• training procedures
• health, safety and security procedures
• maintenance procedures
• administration procedures.
A key principle of delivering excellent customer service is in
anticipating customer needs and reducing the likelihood that
customers will be dissatisfied in the first place. This can be achieved
not only by the staff that are employed and the procedures in place,
but by design planning. You need to know how this can be achieved
through:
• providing appropriate access for all customers
• appropriate signing (welcome signs and directional signs)
• lighting
• ambience.