Customer Service and Challenges

RF’s Bookstore being a retail project, delivering effective customer service is a priority. Handling related challenges will be crucial for the sustainability of the project because it is directly linked to the quality that I need to deliver in order to create a good reputation and loyalty. those challenges can be about internal and external customer. 

In terms of customer service challenges for internal customer service there is one question that is crucial if I want the employee to be satisfied with their position : How do I keep them passionated? 

First they are the ones directly in contact with the customer and the store facilities. I need to give them the tools to do their job with the idea of exceeding expectations. With that objective in mind I will use first a good communication. Not only with the employer or manager but also between them. « Every employee should be accessible to each other » (MSG Experts). The idea here is that as a team we should work together in order to create something that the employee will also be proud of. This theory will also be useful in terms of empowerment :  an employee will feel respected if he can talk to someone about a situation and that I make everything in my power to resolve or improve the system in place. 

Another internal customer service challenge will be to keep the employee passionated. RF’s bookstore proposing three area (books, warm drinks, alcoholic beverage) there is a lot to be passionated about. In order to do that I plan to create with them goals to achieve, encourage them to propose new products or to invite new speakers. 

In terms of external customer service the main challenges can be problems related to products, response time and quality of the services. To overcome those problems first and more important of all, I will keep my employee trained so they can answer or by the policies or by their own judgement to the customer concern. It will insure service quality. In terms of concern directly related to the quality of the product I will as Neil Kokemuller recommends, « back every one of my services with guaranteed satisfaction or equal commitment. »  This theory means for RF’s Bookstore return policy for the books, discount for the drinks or invitation to events.  And of course the creation of a customer loyalty program. 

References: 

MSG Experts, Employee Relationship Management. Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/employee-relationship-management.htm

Kokemuller, N. (n.d.). What is external Customer Service? Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/external-customer-service-6662.html