Managing Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

Course Objectives
• Describe how to use Quality Management tools and methods.
• Build strong customer relationships.
• Help influence and set customer expectations.
• Measure their own degree of customer focus and be able to
apply a variety of methods to get closer to the customer.
• Implement improved people skills to enhance customer
service.
• Improve service to internal customers as well as external
customers.
• Use skills to build effective relationships.
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Introducing Quality Management and
Customer Services

Introduction to Quality Management
• Quality management explained
Quality assurance (QA) provides the basic components
required of a quality system. Quality assurance incorporates
standards against which internal or external assessment is
undertaken, together with the processes in place to control the
components of the quality system. Quality assurance systems are
designed to provide assurance that a particular standard of
quality has been met and maintained.

With a quality management approach, continuous
improvement systems are added to QA by
incorporating a quality cycle of continuous
improvement. Unlike QA, where the goal is to meet the
specified standard, quality management is seen as an
ongoing journey of continuous improvement.
A quality management system is designed to
provide evidence that a specified standard
of quality has been met and continuously improved.

It is accepted as good management practice that
organizations need to establish structural supports (e.g.
documented plans, policies, standard operating procedures) to
provide parameters for practice and enable them to
demonstrate that those practices are sustainable.
However, in determining ‘quality’ it is also acknowledged
that a mechanism is needed to measure service user outcomes
and the impact of service delivery in meeting service users’
needs and improving quality of life. Service users have an
integral role to play in monitoring the quality of services they
receive, so providers have a responsibility to investigate and
implement a range of mechanisms for service user feedback on
levels of satisfaction and opportunities for service users to
participate in the decision-making processes of the service. The
focus on outcomes is a particular strength of a quality
management system approach.

The History of Quality In Business
• The quality movement can trace its roots back to
medieval Europe, where craftsmen began
organizing into unions called guilds in the late
13th century.
• Until the early 19th century, manufacturing in the
industrialized world tended to follow this
craftsmanship model. The factory system, with its
emphasis on product inspection, started in Great
Britain in the mid-1750s and grew into
the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s.

• In the early 20th century, manufacturers began to include
quality processes in quality practices.
• After the United States entered World War II, quality
became a critical component of the war effort: Bullets
manufactured in one state, for example, had to work
consistently in rifles made in another. The armed forces
initially inspected virtually every unit of product; then to
simplify and speed up this process without compromising
safety, the military began to use sampling techniques for
inspection, aided by the publication of military-
specification standards and training courses in Walter
Shewhart’s statistical process control techniques.

• The birth of total quality in the United States came as a
direct response to the quality revolution in Japan
following World War II. The Japanese welcomed the
input of Americans Joseph M. Juran and W. Edwards
Deming and rather than concentrating on inspection,
focused on improving all organizational processes
through the people who used them.
• By the 1970s, U.S. industrial sectors such as automobiles
and electronics had been broadsided by Japan’s high-
quality competition. The U.S. response, emphasizing not
only statistics but approaches that embraced the entire
organization, became known as total quality
management (TQM).

• By the last decade of the 20th century, TQM was
considered a fad by many business leaders. But while the
use of the term TQM has faded somewhat, particularly in
the United States, its practices continue.
• In the few years since the turn of the century, the quality
movement seems to have matured beyond Total Quality.
New quality systems have evolved from the foundations
of Deming, Juran and the early Japanese practitioners of
quality, and quality has moved beyond manufacturing
into service, healthcare, education and government
sectors.

Basic Quality Concepts
• A History of Quality
An overview of how the concepts and processes of quality
have evolved from the craft guilds of medieval Europe to the
workplaces of today.
• Continuous Improvement
How to take your products, services and processes to the
next level through an ongoing cycle of activities that capitalize on
improvement opportunities.
• Cost of Quality
Quality doesn't cost money. It's poor-quality products and
services that pile up extra costs for your organization. Here's how
to get started eliminating these expensive shortcomings.

• Customer Satisfaction
Tips and resources for helping you identify your
customers and what it will take to satisfy them.
• Glossary
A handy guide to the unique terminology of quality.
• Problem Solving
Using four basic steps to implement solutions by
accurately defining problems and identifying alternatives.
• Process View of Work
Analyze how work gets done so that you can increase
efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability.

• Quality Assurance and Quality Control
What's the difference? In the world of quality, these terms have very
different meanings.
• Root Cause Analysis
Use a wide range of approaches, tools, and techniques to uncover
causes of problems.
• Supplier Quality
The quality of what goes into a product or service determines the
quality of what comes out. Here's how to keep costs low and quality
high.
• Variation
Variation represents the difference between an ideal and an actual
situation.

Getting Closer to Customers
• The road to business success is rough. The business literature
is crammed with descriptions of processes that would
challenge the top executives while leading their companies to
success. Commoditization, innovation, globalization,
disruption, and others—we've heard it all. Simultaneously
opportunities and threats, these processes can blur the
leaders' visibility, making it hard to set and/or manage the
right direction for their companies.
• So what is to be done? How can leaders and their
organizations see clearer through this foggy business
environment? How can leaders find a solid ground amid this
informational storm? The answer is relatively simple: deeper
customer insight.

• Achieve higher knowledge
The first step in getting closer to the customer is to go
beyond his needs and understand the mechanics of his problem-
solving behavior.
Although its necessity has become more obvious in recent
years, the quest for a higher degree of customer knowledge is
not new. The past decade, for instance, has been characterized
by advances materialized in concepts like "customer experience"
and "customer status." Both concepts identify that in addition to
the obvious customer's need, which can be addressed with a
particular product or service, there are other complementary
needs, which are also of high importance to the customer.

• Make knowledge relevant
After getting a grasp on the mechanics of the
customer's problem-solving behavior, it is important to
make this knowledge relevant to practice. Therefore,
we have identified three basic aspects of the process of
setting and managing a company's direction that can
benefit greatly from deeper customer insight:
1. Choosing the right strategy.
2. Solving the 'approach-or-offering dilemma‘.
3. Identifying opportunities and threats.

• Engage the organization
As expected, a deeper customer insight can
generate great results even when only a few
members of an organization make use of it.
However, the results have the potential to be far
more powerful when the entire organization is
engaged in the process of getting closer to the
customer.

Understanding Customer Needs and
Expectations
You need to identify your customer’s needs and
expectations to develop a competitive edge, build
business relations, drive sales and become
profitable.

Customer needs can include:
• A request for advice or general information about your
business or your products and services.
• Specific requirements such as product features, quality and
durability.
• Special requests regarding delivery methods.
• Inquiries about price and value.
• Scheduling an appointment.
• Purchasing products and services.
• Lodging a complaint.
• Returning products and services.

To help you identify a customer’s needs and expectations, you
should:
• Give customers your full attention.
• Actively listen to what the customer is trying to communicate.
• Speak clearly and concisely.
• Use appropriate language and tone of voice.
• Provide clear written information/ communication.
• Provide opportunities for customers to confirm their request.
• Ask questions to clarify and confirm customer requirements.
• Seek feedback from the customer.

These tips will help to reduce the chance of a
misunderstanding between you and the customer.
They will also allow you to find a solution that will
meet the customer’s needs and increase customer
satisfaction.

Service Quality - Tools and Techniques

Five steps to Effective Quality
Management
• Step 1: Proper foundation
Upgrading quality assurance is like improving other
areas of your business, such as customer service.
Certain standards apply industry-wide, but because
every shop is different, every assurance program will be
as well. As you assess yours, you'll need to look at
factors such as industry standards, employee
capabilities and talent, and how to most efficiently and
effectively implement a system in your operations.

• Step 2: Keep a list
No doubt your quality program involves the use of a
checklist where quality inspectors can carefully record
their work and "check off" all the areas they inspect.
Bilderbury says shops can make these lists highly
effective by keeping them fluid – continually modifying
them to address changing quality challenges that a
shop experiences.

• Step 3: Get everyone involved
A repairer recently told ABRN that with shops
focused more than ever on processes and
compartmentalizing tasks, they risk pushing their
employees into a mindset of focusing solely on their
tasks and not the total repair. This use of resources
runs counter to some quality assurance best practices
because it removes potential inspectors from the
quality program. In the best possible quality programs,
everyone involved with repairing a vehicle performs
inspection duties.

• Step 4: Name a chief inspector
Even with every employee playing a role in quality
inspection, shops still need a chief inspector. Bilderbury
says the employee taking this role assumes
responsibility for the completeness of the entire
inspection process. He explains that a chief inspector
performs a separate check to ensure that all other
inspectors have done their jobs.

• Step 5: Final check
Arguably, the single most important spot for
evolution and improvement is the final quality check.
Bilderbury says shops should approach the final check
like students should when studying for a final –
performing the vast majority of their preparation in the
time leading up to a test instead of cramming the night
before. To him, this means catching at least 99 percent
of all potential problems during the repair and before
the final detailing. The final check mostly should entail
looking for relatively minor cosmetic details that may
have been overlooked.

Methods of Control
Control techniques or methods are generally
described as either quantitative or nonquantitative.

Quantitative Methods
Quantitative methods use data and various
quantitative tools to monitor and control production
output. Two common quantitative tools are budgets
and audits. By far the most widely recognized
quantitative tool is the chart. Charts used as control
tools normally contrast time and performance. The
visual impact of a chart often provides the quickest
method of relating data. A difference in numbers is
much more noticeable when displayed graphically.
Most charts are versions of either the Gantt chart or
the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT).

BUDGETS
By far the best known control device is the budget. Budgets and
control are, in fact, synonymous. An organization’s budget is an
expression in financial terms of a plan for meeting the
organization’s goals for a specific period. A budget is an
instrument of planning, management, and control. We use
budgets in two ways. First, we use them as established facts that
must be factored into our operational planning. Second, we use
them to prepare narrative descriptions and financial information
that our chain of command uses in its annual request and
management of its funds. At present, the Department of the
Navy (DON) uses two major budget systems. These are zero-
based budgeting (ZBB) and the planning, programming, and
budgeting system (PPBS)

AUDITS
Internal auditing provides an independent review
and appraisal of accounting, financial, and other nontactical
operations. As a management tool, the audit measures and
evaluates the effectiveness of management controls. The
Naval Audit Service provides an independent audit of
programs, activities, systems, and procedures. It also
provides an independent audit of other operations
involving the use of funds and resources and the
accomplishment of management goals.
Budgets and audits are addressed in detail
in Financial Management in the Navy,
NAVEDTRA 10792-E

Nonquantitative Methods
Nonquantitative methods refer to total or overall
control of performance rather than specific
processes. These methods use tools such as
inspections, reports, direct supervision, and
performance evaluation/counseling to accomplish
goals.

TOTAL QUALITY LEADERSHIP
The DON has recently adopted the concept of
Total Quality Leadership (TQL) as the means of
meeting DON needs into the 21st century. Executive
Order 12637, signed April 27, 1988, establishes
the Productivity Improvement Program for the
federal government. TQL IS THE NAVY’S ANSWER
TO THIS ORDER.

The concept behind TQL revolves around a
change from leadership by results to leadership by
process (quality) improvement. The manager’s task
is to continually improve each and every process in
his or her organization.
This means combining quantitative methods
and human resource leadership techniques to
improve customer-supplier relations and internal
processes. This cultural change in leadership
practices has certain basic elements:

• Leaders must clearly state the organization’s mission. This is
stated clearly and made available to all employees, suppliers,
and customers. Aclear, public-mission statement prevents
individuals from generating their own definitions of work
priorities.
• Leaders and supervisors must ensure their actions clearly
support the organization’s mission. This support includes
setting priorities and assigning tasks.
• Leaders must focus their efforts toward a common goal.
This focus is an important part of team building.
• Leaders must make a long-term commitment to quality
improvement. Individual leaders must set an example by
providing consistent, focused leadership.

Continuous Improvement
What is continuous improvement? Continuous
improvement is a systematic, ongoing effort to raise
a residential aged care home’s performance as
measured against the Accreditation Standards.

Continuous improvement:
• takes into account the needs of residents, and may involve them
in improvement activities
• involves a focus on lifting performance against each of the
Accreditation Standards and expected outcomes
• is part of an overall quality system, focusing on systematic and
integrated improvements with clearly defined objectives
• is a results-focused activity which can be demonstrated through
outputs and outcomes
• ranges in scale from smaller programs to significant strategic
initiatives.
• Approved providers have a responsibility to actively pursue
continuous improvement throughout the accreditation period.
Approved providers have a responsibility to actively pursue
continuous improvement throughout the accreditation period.

• What is the relationship between continuous
improvement and quality assurance?
Continuous improvement involves the
establishment and support of a culture that aims
for better practice in care and services for residents.
Quality assurance is concerned with the
maintenance of systems and processes to ensure
variances are managed; continuous improvement
moves beyond this to lift the home’s performance
to a higher standard.

What are the principles of continuous improvement?
There are many approaches and terms associated with
continuous improvement. Whatever approach is used, the
following framework helps to drive and support the process:
• Resident-focused.
• Strategic planning and implementation.
• Clearly defined objectives and outcomes.
• Involvement of key stakeholders.
• Encouragement of innovation.
• Utilization of a range of approaches and techniques.
• Regular monitoring and evaluation.

A culture of continuous improvement means the home is
responsive to change from a variety of inputs and can continually
develop a quality service that is of value to its residents.
A sound continuous improvement program can demonstrate:
• Baseline – the current situation the home is trying to change
• Planned improvements and the expected benefit to residents–
this includes assigning priorities among improvement activities
• monitoring – systems to monitor a new process or activity
During its implementation including through key milestones or
interim indicators
• Evaluation – systems to monitor a new process or activity once it
has been implemented, which should help ensure its
sustainability and capture the actual improvements.

• How can homes implement improvements in a structured manner?
The following model is used by assessment teams to review a homes’
continuous improvement processes:

Plan the Improvement
Actively pursuing continuous improvement
requires a systematic evaluation and improvement
of service quality at various levels including
researching possible solutions for improvement
priorities, being receptive to suggestions for
improvement from residents, representatives and
staff, and assessing the practicality of new methods
or technologies in terms of the home’s overall
planning process.

Implement the Improvement
As a new activity or process is implemented,
homes should monitor the implementation to make
sure the change is not causing problems, and to see
if modifications to the new activity or process need
to be made to ensure positive results for residents.

Evaluate Success of the Improvement
Activity
This step is to used to evaluate how effective the
improvement effort has been in improving care and
services for residents. This step can often be
overlooked in the enthusiasm to improve and make
a difference. This part of the improvement cycle
may distinguish a mature continuous improvement
approach from a less developed approach.

Why should keep track of improvement
activities?
Keeping track of improvement activities ensures a strategic
approach to continuous improvement, including prioritisation of
activities. It also allows homes to reflect back on what worked
well, and what didn’t.
A plan for continuous improvement can be in the home’s
own format but must include clear information on:
• issues identified
• the expected outcome/s to which it relates
• the planned action/s
• planned completion date.

Questionnaires Design

Steps to Design A Questionnaire
1. Write out the primary and secondary aims of your
study.
2. Write out concepts/information to be collected that
relates to these aims.
3. Review the current literature to identify already
validated questionnaires that measure your specific
area of interest.
4. Compose a draft of your questionnaire.
5. Revise the draft.
6. Assemble the final questionnaire.

Step 1: Define the aims of the study
• Write out the problem and primary and
secondary aims using one sentence per aim.
Formulate a plan for the statistical analysis of
each aim.
• Make sure to define the target population in your
aim(s).

Step 2: Define the Variables to Be Collected
• Write a detailed list of the information to be collected and the
concepts to be measured in the study. Are you trying to identify:
– Attitudes
– Needs
– Behavior
– Demographics
– Some combination of these concepts
• Translate these concepts into variables that can be measured.
• Define the role of each variable in the statistical analysis:
– Predictor
– Confounder
– Outcome

Step 3: Review the Literature
• Review current literature to identify related surveys
and data collection instruments that have measured
concepts similar to those related to your study’s
aims.
• Saves development time and allows for comparison
with other studies if used appropriately.
• Proceed with caution if using only a subset of an
existing questionnaire as this may change the
meaning of the scores. Contact the authors of the
questionnaire to determine if a smaller version of the
instrument exists that has also been validated.

Step 4: Compose a draft [1]:
• Determine the mode of survey administration: face-to-face
interviews, telephone interviews, self-completed
questionnaires, computer-assisted approaches.
• Write more questions than will be included in the final
draft.
• Format the draft as if it were the final version with
appropriate white space to get an accurate estimate as to
its length – longer questionnaires reduce the response rate.
• Place the most important items in the first half of the
questionnaire to increase response on the important
measures even in partially completed surveys.
• Make sure questions flow naturally from one to another.

Compose a draft [2]:
• Question: How many cups of coffee or tea do
you drink in a day?
• Principle: Ask for an answer in only one
dimension.
• Solution: Separate the question into two –
– (1) How many cups of coffee do you drink during a
typical day?
– (2) How many cups of tea do you drink during a
typical day?

• Question: What brand of computer do you own?
– (A) IBM PC
– (B) Apple
• Principle: Avoid hidden assumptions. Make sure to accommodate all
possible answers.
• Solution:
– (1) Make each response a separate dichotomous item
• Do you own an IBM PC? (Circle: Yes or No)
• Do you own an Apple computer? (Circle: Yes or No)
– (2) Add necessary response categories and allow for multiple
responses.
• What brand of computer do you own? (Circle all that apply)
– Do not own computer
– IBM PC
– Apple
– Other

• Question: Have you had pain in the last week?
[ ] Never[ ] Seldom [ ] Often [ ] Very often
• Principle: Make sure question and answer
options match.
• Solution: Reword either question or answer to
match.
– How often have you had pain in the last week?
[ ] Never [ ] Seldom [ ] Often [ ] Very Often

• Question: Where did you grow up?
– Country
– Farm
– City
• Principle: Avoid questions having non-mutually
exclusive answers.
• Solution: Design the question with mutually
exclusive options.
– Where did you grow up?
• House in the country
• Farm in the country
• City

• Question: Are you against drug abuse? (Circle:
Yes or No)
• Principle: Write questions that will produce
variability in the responses.
• Solution: Eliminate the question.

• Question: Which one of the following do you think increases a
person’s chance of having a heart attack the most? (Check one.)
[ ] Smoking [ ] Being overweight [ ] Stress
• Principle: Encourage the respondent to consider each possible
response to avoid the uncertainty of whether a missing item may
represent either an answer that does not apply or an overlooked
item.
• Solution: Which of the following increases the chance of having a
heart attack?
– Smoking: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Don’t know
– Being overweight: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Don’t know
– Stress: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Don’t know

• Question:
– (1) Do you currently have a life insurance policy? (Circle:
Yes or No)
– If no, go to question 3.
– (2) How much is your annual life insurance premium?
• Principle: Avoid branching as much as possible to
avoid confusing respondents.
• Solution: If possible, write as one question.
– How much did you spend last year for life insurance?
(Write 0 if none).

Step 5: Revise
• Shorten the set of questions for the study. If a
question does not address one of your aims,
discard it.
• Refine the questions included and their wording
by testing them with a variety of respondents.
– Ensure the flow is natural.
– Verify that terms and concepts are familiar and
easy to understand for your target audience.
– Keep recall to a minimum and focus on the recent
past.

Step 6: Assemble the final questionnaire [1]:
• Decide whether you will format the questionnaire yourself or use
computer-based programs for assistance:
– SurveyMonkey.com
– Adobe Live Cycle Designer 7.0
– GCRC assistance
• At the top, clearly state:
– The purpose of the study
– How the data will be used
– Instructions on how to fill out the questionnaire
– Your policy on confidentiality
• Include identifying data on each page of a multi-page, paper-based
questionnaire such as a respondent ID number in case the pages
separate.

Assemble the final questionnaire [2]:
• Group questions concerning major subject areas
together and introduce them by heading or short
descriptive statements.
• Order questions in order to stimulate recall.
• Order and format questions to ensure unbiased
and balanced results.

65
Assemble the final questionnaire [3]:
• Include white space to make answers clear and to help
increase response rate.
• Space response scales widely enough so that it is easy to
circle or check the correct answer without the mark
accidentally including the answer above or below.
– Open-ended questions: the space for the response
should be big enough to allow respondents with large
handwriting to write comfortably in the space.
– Closed-ended questions: line up answers vertically and
precede them with boxes or brackets to check, or by
numbers to circle, rather than open blanks.
• Use larger font size (e.g., 14) and high contrast (black on
white).

Cause and Effect Analysis
When you have a serious problem, it's important to explore
all of the things that could cause it, before you start to think
about a solution.
That way you can solve the problem completely, first time
round, rather than just addressing part of it and having the
problem run on and on.
Cause and Effect Analysis gives you a useful way of doing
this. This diagram-based technique, which
combines Brainstorming with a type of Mind Map , pushes you
to consider all possible causes of a problem, rather than just the
ones that are most obvious.

About the Tool
Cause and Effect Analysis was devised by professor Kaoru
Ishikawa, a pioneer of quality management, in the 1960s. The
technique was then published in his 1990 book, "Introduction to
Quality Control."
The diagrams that you create with Cause and Effect Analysis are
known as Ishikawa Diagrams or Fishbone Diagrams (because a
completed diagram can look like the skeleton of a fish).
Cause and Effect Analysis was originally developed as a quality
control tool, but you can use the technique just as well in other
ways. For instance, you can use it to:
• Discover the root cause of a problem.
• Uncover bottlenecks in your processes.
• Identify where and why a process isn't working.

How to Use the Tool
Follow these steps to solve a problem with Cause and Effect
Analysis:
Step 1: Identify the Problem
First, write down the exact problem you face. Where appropriate,
identify who is involved, what the problem is, and when and where
it occurs.
Then, write the problem in a box on the left-hand side of a large
sheet of paper, and draw a line across the paper horizontally from
the box. This arrangement, looking like the head and spine of a fish,
gives you space to develop ideas.
Example:
In this simple example, a manager is having problems with an
uncooperative branch office.

Figure 1 – Cause and Effect Analysis Example Step 1
Tip 1:
Some people prefer to write the problem on the right-hand side of the piece of
paper, and develop ideas in the space to the left. Use whichever approach you feel most
comfortable with.
Tip 2:
It's important to define your problem correctly. CATWOE* , can help you do this –
this asks you to look at the problem from the perspective of Customers, Actors in the
process, the Transformation process, the overall World view, the process Owner, and
Environmental constraints.
By considering all of these, you can develop a comprehensive understanding of the
problem.
* CATWOE: Understanding the Different Elements That Contribute to a Problem.

• Step 2: Work Out the Major Factors Involved
• Next, identify the factors that may be part of the problem.
These may be systems, equipment, materials, external forces,
people involved with the problem, and so on.
• Try to draw out as many of these as possible. As a starting
point, you can use models such as the McKinsey 7S
Framework (which offers you Strategy, Structure, Systems,
Shared values, Skills, Style and Staff as factors that you can
consider) or the 4Ps of Marketing (which offers Product,
Place, Price, and Promotion as possible factors).
• Brainstorm any other factors that may affect the situation.
• Then draw a line off the "spine" of the diagram for each
factor, and label each line.

Example:
The manager identifies the following factors,
and adds these to his diagram:
• Site.
• Task.
• People.
• Equipment.
• Control.

Figure 2 – Cause and Effect Analysis Example Step 2 - See more at:

Step 3: Identify Possible Causes
Now, for each of the factors you considered in step 2,
brainstorm possible causes of the problem that may be
related to the factor.
Show these possible causes as shorter lines coming off
the "bones" of the diagram. Where a cause is large or
complex, then it may be best to break it down into sub-
causes. Show these as lines coming off each cause line.
Example:
For each of the factors he identified in step 2, the
manager brainstorms possible causes of the problem, and
adds these to his diagram, as shown in figure 3.

Figure 3 – Cause and Effect Analysis Example Step 3 - See more at:

Step 4: Analyze Your Diagram
By this stage you should have a diagram showing all of the
possible causes of the problem that you can think of.
Depending on the complexity and importance of the problem,
you can now investigate the most likely causes further. This may
involve setting up investigations, carrying out surveys, and so on.
These will be designed to test which of these possible causes is
actually contributing to the problem.
Example:
The manager has now finished his Cause and Effect Analysis.
If he hadn't looked at the problem this way, he might have dealt
with it by assuming that people in the branch office were "being
difficult."

Managing Customer Expectations

Exceeding Customer Expectations Every
Time
When you exceed a customer’s expectations you are
delivering what they purchased and more. Exceptional
services or products are rarely forgotten. Here are six
ways to make your customer’s experience with your
business both exceptional and memorable.

1. Be thoughtful. Provide a pleasant, easily navigable
shopping experience. Chances are you hear the same
questions over and over again from potential customers.
These questions point to issues your site is not addressing
as well as it could.
>Take action: Review a month’s worth of your
correspondence with customers. Make a list of their
questions. Figure out how your website or shop policies can
better answer the three questions that are the most
frequently asked.

2. Be impeccable with your words. Provide accurate product or
service descriptions, and only make promises you can keep. You are
better off under promising and over delivering than vice versa.
(Consider the example of shipping. “Ships within 24 hours” sounds
impressive, but if you have trouble meeting that promise 1 time out of
10, you end up with one-tenth of your customers unhappy. You don’t
need to change anything except your description of your shipping
policy. If it’s “ships within 48-72 hours” but you are still shipping within
24 hours 9 times out of 10, you’ve given yourself a chance to impress 9
customers. And the tenth customer still gets their package exactly
when they expected it, so they’re pleased too.)
>Take action: Identify at least one promise (real or implied) that
you are making to your customers that you might not be living up to
every time. Rewrite it so you can exceed the promise 9 times out of
10.

3. Be polite. Your customers enjoy hearing their own
names, and they like to hear “please” and “thank you”
as much as you do.
It’s free to provide service with good manners, and you
are grateful for their business, aren’t you? Say so with
your actions and your words. Over and over and over.
Do this every day with every customer.

4. Be accountable. If you make a mistake, admit it,
apologize, and make it up to the customer.
A refund is less expensive – both financially and
emotionally – than bad press from an unhappy
customer.
>Take action: Recall the best experience you’ve ever
had returning something you bought. Make a list of
things the vendor did to make that experience a good
one. Can you implement any of these in your business?

5. Be accessible. Make it easy to contact you. Use
your full name. Respond promptly to all emails or
calls from customers. Listen to and respond to
what customers are asking or saying about your
business.
>Take action: Add your full name and email address
to your Facebook page, Twitter profile, Etsy shop,
and website.

6. Be generous. Reward your clients with unexpected
benefits. This could be a small gift added to the
purchase, or a coupon for their next shopping
experience with you.
>Take action: Make a list of three possible rewards you
could share with your customers.

Asking for Feedback on Performance

 How excited do we get when someone tells us they want to
give us some feedback?
For many of us, not very excited! No one ever feels like they
are creating job security or strengthening
relationships when they give feedback and thus don’t always
provide the truth.
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, an authority in helping successful
leaders get even better, found that if
instead of focusing solely on feedback, we should also focus on
feedforward.
Feedforward is a process of gaining positive suggestions from
others that are pertinent to improving
performance in a specified area.

 Why does feedforward work?
• When you make it clear to your stakeholders that you need
their help in order to improve an area of development they
become willing to share their ideas and thoughts on how to
get better. They finally feel like they have a stake in the
process.
• Feedforward is focused on sharing positive, future oriented
suggestions.
• By following up on the suggestions you receive, you
demonstrate your commitment to grow and your stakeholders
develop an increased desire to help you and to share their
thoughts.

 How do I implement the process?
• Make it informal. You can ask for feedforward suggestions in
person, on the phone or via email.
• Keep your conversations focused. The purpose of the
feedforward conversation is to answer the question, “What
can I do to get better in my area of development?”
• Keep the conversation very simple. “I am working on
becoming a better listener. Can you give me a positive
suggestion on how I can do this? What are some positive
things you’ve noticed that good listeners do?”

 Who should I ask to provide me with this information?
• The best people to help you are those that are in a position to
give you accurate information about your behavior. They
might be your supervisors, peers and/or direct reports.
• You need to make sure they feel safe enough to be completely
honest with you.
• Will they fair in their assessment?
• Will they take a few minutes on occasion to give you their
suggestions?

 What are the major roadblocks to doing feedforward?
What are the roadblocks that keep you from asking for
feedforward?
• It feels awkward.
• I think it needs to be a formal process.
• It is difficult to change culture; this is not a part of our culture.
• I am so busy already, how do I fit it into my schedule.
• I don’t know how to do it.
• I don’t know who I should ask or how many people.
 How can I overcome these roadblocks? What are some
of the best practices used to create success?
• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
• Make it an informal experience. Fit it into your regular conversations.
• Create a reminder in Outlook.
• Practice what you are going to say with someone.
• Cast a wide net and include as many people as you possibly can.
• Be quick – a 2 minute conversation may be long enough.

 Important things to remember
• The recommendations you receive are accurate reflections of
how you can improve from their perspective.
• The responses you receive are current indicators of your
behavior.
• Feedforward is a way for others to support you in your goals
and challenge you to reach your
• full potential.
• Remember to thank them for willingly helping you.
• Don’t spend time debating the responses. Just say, “thank
you.”
• You do not need to implement every suggestion. Ask yourself,
“What would happen if I implemented this suggestion?”

The magic of feedforward is that it’s a positive way to
get many more ideas than one could probably use.
Choose a few and try them out. You’ll be amazed at
what will happen!

People Skills to Deliver Excellent Customer
Service

Building Rapport
• Building rapport and engaging with people-whether
it’s in person or online—takes practice. Much of it is
based on intuition. It’s about creating a bond, link,
connection, and understanding.
• The goal is to connect with others and get
them thinking, feeling, reacting, and involved. It
doesn’t matter if you’re in sales, own a business, or
work for someone else. Rapport building is an art
and skill in communication that’s used daily in all of
our relationships.

• Here are 10 tips to help you get in sync with others
and build rapport:
1. Be approachable. In person, carry yourself in such a
way that is easy-going, friendly, and confident. When
you’re online, have a welcoming and intriguing
profile. Use an avatar of your smiling face.
2. Ask good questions. People love to talk about
themselves. Asking questions and paying attention to
the answers helps you learn more about the other
person and shows that you have a genuine interest in
them. The key is in your follow-up. This is how they’ll
know you are truly catching their details.

3. Use their name. In person, the sweetest sound to anyone is
the sound of their own name. Sprinkle it into a
conversation. Online, using Twitter as an example, if the
person’s name is not in their handle, click on their profile and
get their name. It will take only a few seconds but sends that
wonderful message of, “I care; I took the time to find out.”
4. Understand that you can still have rapport with someone
even though you disagree. If you don’t see eye-to-eye, you
can be respectful and appreciate differing
opinions. Communication and relationships are based on
compromise. With both in person and online communication,
you don’t have to agree. A simple acknowledgement is usually
sufficient—and appreciated.

5. Stay upbeat. No one likes to be around a complaining,
negative victim. It’s awfully difficult to connect and engage
with people who are leaking poison. Be known for your
positive attitude and willingness to help others (yes, even
strangers). Remember, easy-going and approachable.
6. Discover the fine art of small talk. This will help in person
and online—especially if you feel shy or nervous. Have a few
“conversation starters” up your sleeve in case you run into a
snag. Always be looking for opportunities that connect you
with others—it can be something as basic as liking the same
sports team, having the same kind of SUV, or ordering
the same lunch. Focus on similarities, not differences.

7. Notice how others handle information. This is especially
important in live conversations. It may be at a networking
breakfast, on Skype, or a u-Stream video. Does the other person
like “the big picture” or do they prefer the fine details? As you
speak, feed back information in the size they prefer.
8. Learn communication modalities. If someone is a visual
communicator, they will say things like, “Looks good to me” or “I
get the picture.” An auditory person will say things like, “ That
sounds good to me” or “Listen to this.” Pay attention to the clues
the person drops you (in person or online) and follow their
modality. It will bring a subliminal sense of comfort to them and
instantly builds rapport. These “modality clues” will be evident in
your live conversations and in social networking. This is called NLP-
Neurolinguistic Programming.

9. Pick up on favorite words and phrases. In a subtle way,
intersperse them into your conversation. This will help you bond.
It also brings a sense of comfort to the individual you’re speaking
with—in person or online.
10. Watch and listen to people. Pay attention to those you
admire who seem to easily connect and engage with others,
particularly strangers. Whether it’s in person or online, observe
the conversations, posts, and Tweets. What works for them?
How do they break the ice and bond with others? How do
people respond to them?
Rapport is about making a two-way connection. How do you
know that’s happened? You experience a genuine sense of trust
and respect with another human being. You easily engage with
them, regardless of how different the two of you may be. You
feel like you are listening and being listened to. That’s rapport

Developing Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence, also referred to as ‘EQ’, is the ability
to identify, evaluate and control your own emotions and to
better understand and manage the emotions (or motivations) of
others. The term "emotional intelligence" has been around since
the 1980s and came to popular prominence through Daniel
Goleman who wrote a best-selling book titled Emotional
Intelligence. The term itself is subject to disagreement as to what
defines it precisely but being such a broad topic, it is possible to
discern the main components of EQ so that you can draw on
these aspects when seeking to improve both your understanding
and your personal implementation of EQ.

Steps
1- Understand the importance of emotional intelligence in
all aspects of your life. Being intellectually capable is
important in life, but being emotionally intelligent can be
considered even more so, as there are many benefits
associated with high emotional intelligence.

2- Learn to recognize stress triggers and how to deal with
them. Life is filled with difficult situations from relationship
breakdowns to job loss. In between, there are myriad stress
triggers that can make any daily issue seem much more
challenging than it probably is and the more stressed we
are, the more vulnerable we are to not coping with life's
many stressors.

3- Be open-minded, intellectually curious and
agreeable. Openness and being agreeable go hand-in-hand
when it comes to emotional intelligence. Be open to new
ideas – a narrow mind is generally an indication of a lower
EQ.

4- Be outgoing and empathetic. Those who have the ability
to understand others and direct interest toward external
properties (i.e., being focused on what is outside of the self)
instead of being focused on oneself (self-absorbed) have
the qualities of extroversion and empathy. To break it down,
being selfless is known as extroversion (note that this is not
the same as being an extrovert) and understanding others is
known as empathy.

5- Be conscientious and prepared to deliberate. Rational
thinking and actions are abundant aspects of emotional
intelligence. While you can understand a situation well and
have a clear idea of it, if you can’t take rational actions
toward it then what use would an analytical understanding
of the situation be?

6- Be attentive and self-aware – know thyself. To be
attentive is to pay attention to oneself and your
surroundings in a positive manner. Knowing who you are
comes in big here. If you don’t know who you are how can
you expect to know others? Worse still is expecting others
to define you, to remove your autonomy and sense of life
purpose by delineating your pathway for you.

7- Practice communication skills. Having good
communication skills results in a better EQ. A high level of
communication skills makes it is easier to send across and
receive messages that are clear, to-the-point and respectful
of both your own boundaries and those of others.

8- Be optimistic. Those who are optimistic tend to live a
happy, successful life. When you're optimistic, it's easier to
see the beauty in life and everyday objects. In a way, being
optimistic results in an open mind, making it a crucial
element of improving your emotional intelligence.

Managing Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

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