Executive Summary
The heart of service is the encounter between the service provider and the customer. Service encounter is both a crucial experience for both the customer and the service provider. This essay presents my service encounter experience throughout the week in different areas of service.
My first service encounter involved a window frame worker. My service encounter was unsatisfactory. The service provider was unable to follow my instructions, he even decided on his own without consulting me. The result was dissatisfaction on my part and incomplete payment on the part of the service provider. It is important for a service provider to understand the needs and wants of the customer. The service provider should also follow the requirements of the customer.
My second encounter took place in a casual dining restaurant. The encounter was satisfying and enjoyable. The service provider was attentive and friendly. I felt like the service provider was trying to make my experience pleasurable and comfortable. I learned in this service encounter that service plays an important role in attracting and retaining customers. Building a good relationship with the customers with an excellent service will result to satisfied and loyal clientele.
My third service encounter involved a program engineer form a software company where my company purchased a software program. The service encounter was distressing not only for me but for many other employees. The service providers were unable to help us with our problems, they even ignored our requests. I learned from this experience that the service provider should be properly-trained and adept in handling customers. People who are trained or are not suited in customer service produce unsatisfactory results.
The fourth encounter took place in a furniture shop. The sales representative was very informative and helpful. He gave me information and details about the products. I was able to make an informed decision because he was able to provide the information that I need. I learned that a service provider should always make the customer feel that he is in control. The customer should make an informed decision in order to avoid complaints in the future.
First Encounter
Who: Window Frame Worker
Where: My New Apartment
When: Friday Night
Situation: Through the Telephone
I was planning to buy new air exhaust fans for my kitchen and bathroom in my new apartment. I hired a window frame worker to replace all the windows in the apartment. I told him about my plan of installing two new exhaust fans. He offered to give me discount since he knows many distributors. I readily accepted his offer. Last Friday he called me up and informed me that he has finished the installation of the new window frames and the exhaust fans. I went immediately to my apartment to check. I was disappointed to find out that the fan in the kitchen was not properly installed. The fan was installed on the right side of the window. I called the window frame worker and asked why he installed the fan on the right side of the window. He explained that it is more complicated to cut the window glass if the fan will be put in the middle. I was frustrated and told him that fans are usually placed in the middle of the window. I never asked him to put it on the right, so why did he decide to put it on that spot. He answered that he thought I would not mind where the fan is placed. At this point, I was furious; he did not even confirm his plan before he installed the fan. I asked why he did not inform me and ask for my opinion. I was also dissatisfied with the fan that he installed. It was an older model and it is not proportioned to the size of the window. He told me that a bigger fan is more powerful but he did not consider the size of the widow frame.
The window frame worker was inattentive to my instructions and he failed to understand what I want. I got the impression that he did not care about me, his client at all. He just wants to finish the job quickly and get paid. He was clearly not customer oriented since he does things that is more convenient to him than to the customer. I am still holding his final payment and he needs to replace the fan with a smaller model and reinstall it again. The service encounter was a waste of time, energy and money for the both of us.
Recommendation
As a service provider he should always consider the needs and wants of his customers. He should always ask for the customer’s decisions and opinions before working. He should always aim to satisfy his customers since they are the ones who pay for his services. The customer should always come first. In addition, I think that if he communicated more to his customer, problems could have been solved earlier.
Second Encounter
Who: Food Server
Where: Casual Dining Restaurant
When: Thursday Night
Situation: Face to Face
I decided to have my dinner at a casual dining restaurant last Thursday night. I heard so many good things about this restaurant so I decided to pay it a visit. The restaurant is quite small, with a little bar greeting you as you enter through the front door and a comfortable dining room to the right. The server greeted me and showed me to a lovely table by the window. She was friendly and always smiling. She made me feel comfortable, since I was alone, and helped with my choice of dishes. The service was fast and efficient. The restaurant exudes a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. It was well lighted and the decors were pleasant to the eye.
What I like most about the restaurant is the friendly and well-trained staff. Everyone tries to make each guest feel comfortable and satisfied. The food server was really knowledgeable and helpful. She was attentive and entertaining. She made sure that I have a great meal and dealt well with my requests. The service at the restaurant was excellent. I would really like to visit it again and recommend it to my friends.
In this case, the service encounter was good. The server is very professional and well trained. She always makes sure that the guest is comfortable and having a good time. In a restaurant setting, service affects the total dining experience. Quality service is important in attracting and retaining customers. My advice is that the service provider should maintain their level of service. Each guest should be equally treated. The staff should be constantly trained and educated in order to improve and be knowledgeable on different customer service issues.
Third Encounter
Who: Program Engineer
Where: In my Office in Hong Kong
When: Last Wednesday
Situation: Through E-mail
My company had just bought a custom-made account software from a software company. The personnel at the software company were professional and very helpful before the deal was closed. I recently needed to have my software fine tuned so I coordinated with their program engineer. The engineer seemed to disagree with our feedback of the software and tried to avoid our requests for program adjustment. As a customer I fell cheated and I get the impression that the program engineer is purposely ignoring my requests, there are times when we received late responses for our queries. This incident has affected the whole organization and we are unable to use the new software completely because it still needs to be adjusted to our existing system.
Here the service encounter was unsatisfactory. The software company did not fulfill their responsibility (after sales support). The service providers do not attend to the problems and concerns of the customers. Poor service results to loss of customers. If a customer is not satisfied with the service, there is a big possibility that he or she will avoid the service provider in the future. Moreover, negative word of mouth can also affect the company’s reputation.
The lesson that I learned from this experience is that service does not end when the product was purchased and the payment has been made. After-sales service is also important since it shows how dedicated you are to the customer and how valuable their feedbacks and suggestions to you. A service provider should always aim to help the customer in every possible way he can both before and after purchase.
My recommendation is that the company should appoint well-trained and properly educated customer support officers/representatives that will handle all customer problems and issues. The customer support officer should be attentive and adept in handling customers. It is clear that the engineer is not the right person to deal with customer complaints. He may not understand the customers since his job is to design programs.
Fourth Encounter
Who: Furniture Sales Representative
Where: Furniture Shop in Kwun Tong, Hog Kong
When: Last Sunday
Situation: Face to Face
I went to a furniture shop that makes custom-made furniture. I was planning to buy a specially made cabinet for my new bedroom. The sales representative presented me with a wide collection (brochure) of cabinet styles and designs that they made for previous customers. I found the brochure very helpful in deciding which type and design I want. The sales representative was also helpful; he offered suggestions regarding the designs and styles of the cabinet. The sales representative gave me additional information such as the advantages and disadvantages of a particular design. He was also informative when it comes to materials. As a customer, I felt well treated. The sales representative was honest. The service was personalized, my requirements, needs and wants were carefully considered. In addition, the sales representative was attentive to details. They make sure that I get what I want. They are also informative and professional that is why I feel that I can depend on their opinions.
My insight of this service encounter is the satisfaction of the customer should be the main concern of the service provider. Rather, than just selling the product, the service provider should always consider the needs and wants of the customer. Customers value professionalism. In order to show professionalism a service provider must be well trained and educated. In this encounter, I as a customer was satisfied not only of the product but also of the added services that the sales provider rendered. The customer should be made knowledgeable of the details of the product including the advantages and the disadvantages of the product in order for them to make an informed decision. In this service encounter, there is a greater possibility that the customer will be satisfied with the product since he knows the details, especially the pros and cons, before purchasing it. This makes the customer feel that he is in control.
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