Introduction
When there are a communication breakdown and the staff focus more on the procedures of the company, and then it is quite definite that poor customer or client service will result just like it is in the case of Shaw Cable Systems. Internal communication, which refers to communication that is carried out within an organization, is very vital for the prosperity of any given firm. There is, therefore, great need for the staff of Shaw Cable Systems to be recognized as being internal clients and ensure that they are both properly consulted and supported concerning issues to do with service delivery. There is also a great need for Shaw Cable Systems to realize that customer service is one of the most vital and visible aspects of any organizational performance. Despite these facts, it is quite apparent that the provision of good customer service at Shaw Cable Systems has been hampered due to poor internal communication in the organization. As a result, it can be clearly depicted that the company’s customers have become dissatisfied because of the poor customer service rendered by the staff of Shaw Cable Systems. Provision of effective or excellent customer care service by all employees at Shaw Cable Systems, therefore, remains one of the most neglected and challenging areas in the organization (Walker, 2014).
The Core Problem at Shaw Cable Systems
A close analysis of Shaw Cable Systems shows that most employees at the company are passing on wrong or inconsistent information to the customers that eventually lead to the company being negatively portrayed as offering poor customer experiences. Given the fact that the company employees around 3000 people who work under various departments and undertaking different responsibilities it is important that there is effective communication right from the junior staff of the company right to Shaw Cable Systems top management. However, it is quite unfortunate that the internal communication at Shaw Cable Systems is not effective at all due to the poor internal communication strategies adopted by the company. Therefore, it is clear that the major problem that Shaw Cable Systems faces is the lack of effective communication within its employees that have eventually led to dissatisfied customer service. Given the fact that we have known the root cause of a major problem facing Shaw Cable Systems Company. It is important to seek for workable solutions that can enable the company to offer excellent customer service that can make their clients become satisfied and, therefore, make the clients continue being loyal customers. It will ensure that Shaw Cable Systems Company not only attracts new customers but also maintains the old ones to make the company continue being sustainable.
Why the Concern has to be addressed immediately
The prevalence of dissatisfied customer service has put the reputation of Shaw Cable Systems at stake and as a result, this concern has to be addressed as soon as possible. This is due to the fact in the contemporary business environment that is so competitive; customer satisfaction is very crucial for the success of any company or organization in general. This is true because customer satisfaction will determine if the customers opt to do business with Shaw Cable Systems or their bitter competitors. The information inconsistency that is given to the clients doing business with Shaw Cable Systems arises due to poor internal communication among the various kinds of personnel in the company. For instance, the passing of incorrect information by the employees of the Shaw Cable Systems will ultimately lead to bad resonance with the company. It is, therefore, important that Shaw Cable Systems pays close attention to the feedback of their clients regarding the services or goods purchased from the company so that to understand their needs and take corrective measures if need is.
Why Shaw Cable Systems should take Customer Service seriously
It is important for all the employees of Shaw Cable Systems to ensure that customer service is taken seriously since for the clients. The quality of customer service determines whether such customers can buy from a particular company and opt forever to remain their loyal customer their loyal customer. There is, therefore, great need for the company (Shaw Cable Systems) to streamline its internal communication to ensure that all the company's employees are able to offer excellent customer service to their clients and make them become satisfied. This is purely true since the satisfaction of a client’s needs is mainly dependent on the customer service that is offered by the employees of such a particular organization. However, it is quite unfortunate that his employees of Shaw Cable Systems have a wrong perception that the provision of quality customer service is entirely the work of some few selected staff within the organization. Due to this, it is vital to create awareness among all the company employees to make them informed that the provision of quality customer service is not the responsibility of a few individuals or departments alone, but rather, it is a collective responsibility of all the Shaw Cable Systems’ employees.
Based on Shaw Cable Systems case, it can be well ascertained that the significance of excellent provision of customer service has eluded the majority of the company’s senior executives. It is based on their failure to provide effective methods of not only establishing but also in the management of excellent customer service quality and standards. Based on the experiences in the company, it can also be well ascertained and demonstrated that the company has failed to empower the employees who face the customers. It also failed to design systems and policies aimed at empowering such employees so that they are in a good position of offering quality customer service to enable such important stakeholders to become satisfied.
Reasons behind Dissatisfied Customer Service
Shaw Cable Systems reasons for offering poor customer service is entirely blamed on the poor internal communications within the company that has led to dissatisfied customers. Instead of creating excellent communication channels among its employees, the company has instead habitually fixated itself on marketing, advertising, sales and promotions with a desperate aim of attracting new customers while paying very scanty attention to the provision of excellent customer service and care.
What Shaw Cable Systems should do to avoid Dissatisfied Customer Service?
There should be corrective action to be taken in order to avoid the dissatisfaction of customers due to the provision of poor customer service by Shaw Cable Systems. There is a need to select and adopt or implement strategies that will ensure that there is effective internal communication which will eventually lead to the provision of excellent customer service by the Shaw Cable Systems employees. It can also use suggestion boxes and surveys as a way of reflecting how the company is doing.
Creation of Effective Communication structure/Channels
In order to avoid the poor internal communications structure depicted in Shaw Cable Systems’ case it is apparent that the company needs to design an effective communication channel. It will enable effective flow of information from the support staff to the frontline staff and eventually to the managers. This will ensure that only correct and well proven information is eventually disseminated to the clients and enhance the trust between the company and the customers. The lack of trust coupled with poor internal communication in Shaw Cable Systems is responsible for the dissatisfied customer service that is quite prevalent at the organization.
The creation of an effective communication channel in Shaw Cable Systems will ensure that all the employees are arranged in a hierarchical way which will also ensure that there is both effective downward and upward communication in the company. In addition to that, the support staff in the company should never be underrated at all since they have first had information regarding the happenings on the ground, unlike the managers. Therefore, clear communication channels should be established within the company to ensure that only consistent information is not only passed on within the company but also to the customers, as well. This will result to a strong relationship between the company and its customers due to enhanced trust.
Based on Shaw Cable Systems scenario, it is quite vital to empower the support staff with full authorization regarding any of the issues dealing with communication in the company. It is because, despite the fact that they play important roles in the company of passing information on the actual ground to their managers so that any burning issues can quickly be resolved, the company’s communication structure has overlooked their importance. It is a failure by Shaw Cable Systems’ top management to understand the importance of this junior yet important people’s roles like these that have led to poor internal communication within the company. It is noteworthy that the achievement of excellent internal communication is not the responsibility of Shaw Cable Systems’ managers alone; rather, it is a collective responsibility of all the employees regardless of their position of hierarchy in the company (Gilbert-Jamison, 2012).
Recommended Solutions
It is quite apparent that the problems bedevilling Shaw Cable Systems is poor internal communications among the employees that have made or caused a dissatisfied customer service. It is, therefore, important for feasible and realistic actions to be taken to arrest the situation. For instance, correct procedures of offering customer services should be followed as for instance adjusting one’s mindset, listening actively, repeating customers’ concerns, being emphatic and apologetic, presenting a solution, taking action and making a follow up and lastly using feedback. Some of these recommendations include among others.
Adoption of Good Pricing Strategies
Pricing strategies are an important component of customer service especially in strategies that are known to effectively discriminate against old or existing clients in favour of the new clients. In customer service context, such manners amount to not only being stupid but also unethical, as well. This is strange because, by any ethical criteria or measure in any given industry or market, it costs more, or it is even more tedious to gain new clients, as opposed to retaining existing ones. Failing to optimize, constraining and neglecting of customer service potentials is a great waste of vital opportunities. In order to maintain a good customer service, it is important that the company adopts pricing strategies that are fair and just to both old and new customers.
Staff Training Programs
It is prudent for Shaw Cable Systems to adopt excellent staff training plans or programs aimed at creating awareness among its employees on the importance of offering good customer service to their clients and even to internal customers. Staff training should, therefore, be adapted by Shaw Cable Systems with the aim of promoting internal communication so that needs of the organization, the clients and the employees are well catered for. The openness in communication should also be encouraged in the organization, but it should also ensure that it is balanced with all the necessities of getting the company’s work done.
Adoption of Good Supervision Skills
Shaw Cable Systems should adopt good supervision skills in its business operations. It is because the supervision taken by the company will easily either stifle or foster the company’s internal communication. Punitive or intrusive supervision should be completely discouraged in Shaw Cable Systems because it wont foster internal communication between the supervisees and the supervisors. Supervision at Shaw Cable Systems should, therefore, be practiced in both a helpful and supportive way so as to enhance work quality continually thus also fostering internal communication in the company. Good supervision at Shaw Cable Systems is important because it can help the volunteers and the staff to examine and enhance their own communication and, as a result improving general communication both within and outside the company.
Holding of Regular Meetings
Any staff, regardless of its size ought to meet regularly. It is because such meetings allow individuals in the company to have a chance of sharing ideas, hear what is happening in the organizing and also renew relationships with their fellow employees and thus making it simple for them to communicate and also work together.
Conclusion
Based on the discussed facts, it can be ascertained that the adoption of effective internal communication at Shaw Cable Systems will lead to improved customer service which also eventual results to lots of benefits. It should also be noted by all and sundry that the major aim of effective customer service is the retention of clients but, however, when a company gets all this right, then ultimately, the acquisition of new customers and other opportunities automatically becomes much easier to achieve. The achievement of effective internal communication at Shaw Cable Systems and other organizations as well will apart from retaining clients also lead to the production of numerous positive effects for the company apart from the profit and revenue results which are quite obvious. The retention of clients through using of effective customer service will ultimately lead to both direct and indirect growth of Shaw Cable Systems through the sustenance of healthier margins and volumes and expansion of the business from the “mouth to mouth” referrals.
References
Walker, R. (2014). Strategic Management Communication for Leaders. New York: Cengage Learning.
Gilbert-Jamison, T. (2012). The Leadership Book of NumbersNew York: AuthorHouse.
