Use customer service as a competitive tool
Overview
This standard is part of the customer service competence area related to Customer Service Management. It covers using customer service as a competitive tool. It includes customer service behaviours and processes that have most impact on the customer experience during customer service delivery. Remember that customers include everyone to whom you provide products and services. They may be external to your organisation or they may be internal customers.
Customer service contributes to your organisation's competitive position. Customers have choices about the services or products they use and who supplies them. Often the technical features and cost of the service or product are almost identical. If this is the case, the quality of the customer service offered influences which supplier the customer chooses. You ensure that your organisation uses the competitive advantage that can be gained from offering superior customer service. You use customer service as a tool to compete effectively with other providers of similar services or products.
The standard is for customer service professionals on supervisory or managerial levels who use customer service as a competitive tool.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- develop your own and colleagues' understanding of the services or products offered by your organisation
- compare your organisation's services and products with your competitors
- present an image to your customers that reinforces your organisation's service
- role-model customer service as a competitive tool to colleagues
- encourage customer service actions that create and develop customer loyalty
- take actions to provide customers with added value within your organisation's services
- encourage colleagues to provide customers with added value
- explain the extra benefits that your organisation gives to customers in comparison to your competitors
- offer additional technical advice to customers to enhance customer service
- identify the financial implications of any added value actions that you or your colleagues might offer
- meet customer service targets to ensure that your customers see the benefits of dealing with your organisation
- re-direct customers to other service providers when their expectations cannot be met by your organisation
- remind customers about services and products they have previously shown an interest in
- offer complementary services or products based on customer satisfaction and interests
- follow the legal, organisational, codes of practice and policies relevant to your role and the activities being carried out
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the services or products offered by your organisation
- the services or products offered by your organisation's competitors
- your role and responsibilities for using customer service as a competitive tool
- your organisation's guidelines for using customer service as a competitive tool and how to role-model this to colleagues
- the factors that influence customers opinions and beliefs about your organisation's services and products, to feel that they are getting value for money
- how to research and compare services or products with your organisation's competitors, including using the internet and social media sources
- the features and benefits of services or products that are seen by customers as added value
- how to add non-chargeable items for customers to impress them and develop their loyalty
- how to portray a positive image that reinforces your organisation's competitive position
- your organisation's customer service targets
- how to avoid causing offence when re-directing customers to other service providers
- the cost implications of added value actions to improve the organisation's competitive position
- the complementary services or products that may be of interest to your customers such as repeat orders and add on services
- the legal, organisational, codes of practice and policies relevant to your role and the activities being carried out