ESTHER POKOO- AIKINSCLIENT SERVICE CORDINATOR, PSRS

EMAIL: ewumana@yahoo.com

PERCEPTION ABOUT THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Slow in taking decisionLazyUnprofessionalCorruptedInefficient and ineffectiveNot Customer / Client focusHigh Business cost (time, access, process)Bureaucratic

ESTHER POKOO-AIKINS,CLIENT SERVICE

PERCEPTION ABOUT THE PUBLIC SERVICE CONT.

Quotes from Customers:“Designed for the convenience of the people

who work in them rather than for the people they are meant to serve”

“Lack of customer care/client care ,commitment, quality and fraught with bribery and corruption”

“Public Sector will improve if the public can expect their requests and queries to be dealt with avenue is created for addressing complaints

WHY THIS PERCEPTION

Provision of limited resource

No room for feedback

Poor Customer / Service provider relationship

Low motivation( Encouragement, Remuneration, Recognition)

Poor working environment

General mindset about accessing services of public institutions ( ie contact the schedule officer)

ESTHER POKOO-AIKINS,CLIENT SERVICE

CURRENT HAPPENINGS IN THE GLOBAL COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Increased and intense competition in all spheres

Proliferation of companies in all sectors

Product parity-brand loyalty under attack

Companies focusing more on the customer/consumer

Development of borderless economies as a result of technology

IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS/CLIENTHighly price sensitive

Short of time-interested in their convenience

Increasing awareness of growing product parity

High quality expectations

Decreased brand/supplier loyaltyEasy access to information(internet, TV,

Radio, cable TV, Newspapers, etc)

CURRENT HAPPENINGS IN THE GLOBAL COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENTDownsizing becoming a permanent practice

Customer/Consumer sophistication

Relocation of production facilities from developed to developing economies-cost cutting strategy

Balance of power has shifted from manufacturers to the trade /retailers

Advertising galoreSales promotions on the increase

CUSTOMER SERVICE DEFINED “ the ability to provide a service or product in the way

that it has been promised”“about treating others as you would like to be treated

yourself”“ organization’s ability to supply their customers’ wants

and needs”“a phrase use to describe the process of taking care of

our customers in a positive manner”“any contract between a customer and a company, that

causes a negative or positive perception by a customer”

CUSTOMER SERVICE DEFINED CONT.“what ultimately determines success or

failure, irrespective of the industry or profession”

“the commitment to provide value added services to external and internal customers, including attitude, knowledge, technical support and quality of service in a timely manner”

WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT AND WHY CUSTOMER SERVICE

All customers want superior customer service and competitors capitalize on this

Treat or conduct business with respect like queens and kings

Resolve to deliver the best possible service to your customers

Most important thing to your customers Way to build customer relationship and loyaltyBuilds trust between service providers and

receiversReduction in advertisement costDisguise profit

BACKGROUND

In the past, organizational supremacy was determined by:

TechnologyInnovationEconomics of scaleToday, supremacy is determined by:Customer service Customer satisfaction

BACKGROUND CONT.

Customer focus was anathema to professional services like:

MedicineLawAccountingHigher educationReligionEngineering

BACKGROUND CONT.

Aims at exceeding customer expectations so that they would be delighted

Customer service System thrives on:KnowledgeCustomer Service SkillsCustomer focused corporate cultureCustomer feedback systemCustomer Complaint handling system

WHO IS A CUSTOMERA customer/consumer may be a person or

organization that is at the point of interacting with the product or service, or process and possibly the ultimate end user

A customer /channel/ or organization that buys or handles the product or service, often as an intermediary for other users

An internal customer or process which is part of the company’s value-added chain that provides products or services to the external customers

Types :Internal customers -people you work with in your

office, next department, the other branchesExternal customer-those from outside who

purchase our products and services

WHO ARE CUSTOMERS Customers are our REAL EMPLOYERSCustomers fund our pay chequesCustomers are the only guarantors of our

jobsThe customer is the bossThe customer is the BusinessEvery company’s greatest assets are its

customers, because without customers there is no company

CUSTOMER INTERACTION CYCLE

Receiving

Helping

Understanding

Keeping

Offer information and optionsSet expectationsGet agreement

•Other needs?•Thanks•Follow up•Feedback•Complaint

CUSTOMER POSITION CHART

Frontline Staff RequirementAppearance & Good grooming (dressing, hair

style)Non- verbal language (Wild gestures,

frown/straight expressionless faces, walking slowly to serve, chatting with colleaques or on the phone as you serve, silently handing receipt/letters to customers and turning away, forgetting their names/asking them “your name”, being blatantly rude)

Effective communication (eye contact, tone, choice of words, listening,

Telephone(your voice is the greatest asset,identify yourself

If you are to initiate the call-call at convenient, make appointment

ESTHER POKOO-AIKINS,CLIENomerT SERVICE

Frontline Staff Requirement Have e current information handy including

services and telephone numbers, speak professionally

If you have to put call on hold give caller a choice and give information on whom to talk with

Empathize with customers Positive Attitude ( warm &welcoming, patience

and understanding, proud of their job, ready to take initiative, encourage talking with customers , office choices, point out possible actions eg. Delays, additional fee, moving to another office to complete the transaction

ESTHER POKOO-AIKINS,CLIENT SERVICE

CHALLENGES

Physical infrastructural constraintHR ConstraintsMaterial resource constraintsRemuneration and motivational constraintsLukewarm attitudes of some managementAbsence of a Performance ManagementAttitude and appearance of some public servantsLack of confidence in public servants –Judicial

Service Staff

ESTHER POKOO-AIKINS,CLIENT SERVICE

Questions, comments, ……….please

Exercise

What is the state of Front Office Staff in the public services?

Which Agencies have the best customer practices via front office staff or otherwise?

What account for the situation?

ESTHER POKOO-AIKINS,CLIENT SERVICE