For the last six years, Elsie has been working as the customer service manager in a microfinance institution. She agreed to give an interview concerning the elements of her job and the problems she has encountered over the six years. Elsie says that her job involves direct contact with the customer on a daily basis. She is often the first person to have immediate contact with most consumers. Elsie is very proactive in developing good relations with the buyers and has created a solid customer base in the region. She has encountered different problems during her tenure as a customer relations officer. Most of them took place when she was new to the job, but over the years, she has learned to cope with various challenges in the department. Some customer may treat her rudely or find her suspicious. Other times the company might take too long to resolve an issue, and she has to face the wrath of the client. She also has to be very careful not to make promises that she will not deliver since that has happened once or twice during her services. This article incorporates various online resources that evaluate the present business situations around the globe to provide a concrete analysis of the factors that affect customer relations.
According to Luo, Wieseke and Homburg (2012), the finance sector is a vital industry since it manages the people’s investments. Individuals are highly cautious of where they place their money. They also want the institutions where they can take loans without high interests and a lot of paperwork. The work of the customer relations department is to educate the consumers concerning the different investment options on the table and those that will particularly favor the customer on a personal level. It is up to the individual to capture the mind of the buyer and ensure that he or she invests in their business. Also, the customer services officer should be available to answer any queries and resolve issues between the buyers and the financial institutions. The facility could be non-depository such as an insurance firm or depository like a bank.
The customer relations officer has other duties such as assisting in the development and enforcement of the customer service regulations in the entire financial institution, formulating techniques to measure the level of consumer satisfaction, and improving the services. Also, he or she is placed in charge of a group of customer relations staff. There are various qualifications or skills that a customer service officer should possess. They include product knowledge, listening, analyzing information, customer service, multi-tasking, phone skills, problem-solving, quality focus, documentation skills, and market knowledge. Customer relations have often been carried out in a bad manner because of poor definitions. A company needs the appropriate definition of customer services and a model that builds on the business’s strategy (Sharma and Sharma, 2014).
An example of a poor definition that does not tell much is saying that customer relation is a forum to exceed the expectations of the buyers. For instance, if a consumer goes to McDonalds, he or she is not looking for an opportunity to exceed his expectations. Rather a buyer is searching for an experience that he or she can rely. A firm should utilize a meaning that they can describe effectively during business forums and conferences. The customer relations entail how an enterprise delivers it’s good or service. The services should also be provided in a pleasurable and satisfying manner to develop the loyalty of the consumers and ensure not to bankrupt the firm. When the organization wants to establish a unified brand, providing customer relations is the best method to give an honest and strong image (Hogan, 2013).
Using Elsie’s illustration, the microfinance company optimizes on customer services by encouraging and responding to any feedback, making online support centers, and it provides exceptional services. The success of a customer relations department depends more on listening rather than talking. Elsie’s office makes regular calls and provides face-to-face contact. She is required to provide solutions and determine the financial needs of buyers. For instance, an elderly lady once called in to enquire regarding her bank account. She noticed that there was a discrepancy in her balance outline. After holding a private meeting with the customer, Elsie discovered that what was disturbing the lady was not her balance, but the pension payments. She did not know how to operate the center’s link; therefore, Elsie did it on her behalf resolving the confusion. The elderly customer appreciated the assistance and left the office with her issue solved (Luo, Wieseke and Homburg, 2012).
Individuals in the customer services discipline should be enthusiastic and passionate about the jobs. They should also take regular training to enhance their skills and confidence in conducting their tasks. When an enterprise opts to create a customer relations department, they must consider six essential components or factors. They include the human resource, organizational culture, deliverables or products, buyers, delivery systems, and the service. The customer’s needs are the primary reasons for establishing the office. The financial institutions attempt to gain more investors and formulate a loyal chain of consumers. The human resource area controls the employees in the organizations. They should also learn the appropriate customer services so that they can relate with the buyers (Hogan, 2013).
According to Buttle and Maklan (2015), the culture of the firm is also crucial. The practices of the customer relations department should conform to the guidelines of the organizational culture. Through this, issues that emanate from the customer services will be minimal. Also, the customer relations officers should have adequate information concerning the services or products to give the consumers relevant information. The service and delivery systems are essential in formulating the operations of the customer service department. In today’s fast-moving economy, companies need to maintain their consumers and gather new ones if they plan to stay ahead or rivals and grow.
References
Buttle F. and Maklan S. (2015). Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies. New York: Routledge.
Hogan R. S. (2013). The Effect on Earnings Persistence and the Market’s Reaction to the Alignment of Employee and Customer Relations with Competitive Strategy. Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Journal.
Luo X., Wieseke J. and Homburg C. (2012). Incentivizing CEOs to build customer- and employee-firm relations for higher customer satisfaction and firm value. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Volume 40, Issue 6, pp 745-758.
Sharma N. and Sharma B. (2014). Ethical Marketing as a Tool for Developing Customer Relations: An empirical Analysis. My Research Journals, Volume 2, Issue 2.
