Customer Service Best Practices & Strategies

Posted on May 12, 2024 in English

Refund for Unwanted Wine Bottles

Customer Complaint

Please refund me for the €100 and 10 extra wine bottles charged to my invoice. I did not authorize this additional purchase.

This past Tuesday (January 12), I purchased 100 wine bottles. However, when the order arrived at my restaurant, there were 10 extra bottles included in the invoice. I noticed the discrepancy and counted the bottles myself.

Please refund the cost of these extra bottles and arrange for their return. Let me know when you plan to do this so I can assist you. I have always enjoyed shopping at Txirs EMS for the great customer service. I would like to make another order soon.

Much appreciated!

Jon Osinalde

Company Response

Hello Jon,

Absolutely, we would be happy to refund the €100 invoice mistake. For the inconvenience, we will also let you keep the extra bottles and offer you a €20 gift card for future purchases at our store.

We will send the gift card to your restaurant and refund your €100 as soon as possible via PayPal.

We are sorry for inconveniencing you and will speak with all sales staff about the importance of carefully checking the accuracy of any bill of sale before sending the order payment. To ensure that this doesn’t happen again, we will also instruct sales staff to confirm with customers whether an extended warranty appearing on the sales bill is there with consent before completing any transaction.

We appreciate you choosing Txirs EMS for your restaurant wines and look forward to seeing you soon to credit your Visa card and provide you with the best deal on your next order.

Have a great day!

Asier Manterola

Customer Service Recommendations

Internal Recommendations

For Other Company Departments

  • Make recommendations to other company departments.
  • Submit proposals to management for improvement.
  • Report on the functions.
  • Keep a record of complaints and claims.

External Recommendations

For Customers

  • Provide users with all the information needed.
  • Collect and analyze the suggestions made by customers.
  • Address and solve complaints and claims by customers.
  • Inform users about the procedures.

Types of After-Sales Service

  • Promotional: Make offers or special discounts.
  • Psychological: Related to client motivation (e.g., gift on customer’s birthday).
  • Security: Guarantees for the purchase or the possibility of a refund if the customer is not satisfied.
  • Maintenance: Service desk. Offer the service of installation and training on the use of the product.

Stages of Customer Service

The usual stages:

  • Ordering: Phone, e-mail. Incidents: delivery date, references, amount, etc.
  • We should display a section for comments to solve problems.
  • Information request: The main goal of the company in theory, but in practice, very few manage to achieve it (deficiencies or problems).
  • Claims and complaints: Useful model for all types of claims. Today, the telephone plays the main role (call centers), although internet usage is growing.
  • When dealing with claims, we must take into account:
    • Who
    • What data
    • Classified in three levels:
      • General claims
      • False or imaginary claims
      • Having claim forms available

Process of Providing After-Sales Service for Complaints

Staff

Staff is an essential factor of customer satisfaction.

It is important to adopt measures:

  • Provide employees with leeway (libertad de acción).
  • Train employees with the most appropriate techniques.
  • Train workers in the use of technologies.
  • Settle a system of incentives and remuneration.
  • Company management clear commitment.
  • Motivate employees working in the customer service department.
  • Select the appropriate staff:
    • Know how to empathize with users.
    • Have good interpersonal skills.
    • Be nice and show sympathy.
    • Take special care of their look.

Channels

Initially, the service was only made in person.

Today, regarding its potential, claims, complaints, suggestions, etc., are handled through various channels.

The more ways, the more satisfied customers will be.

4 Basic Types of Channels:

  • PERSONAL: High cost (salaries), easier.
  • PHONE: Lower cost (call centers).
  • PRINTED: It is being replaced by electronic media (claim to a specific person or department).
  • ELECTRONIC: More frequent.

Customer Service Department

Confidence to customers: Problems should be solved properly managed.

Gathering information: Claims or suggestion process, offer information, etc.

It is a negative way to assign poorly motivated staff to this department.

It should be part of the organizational structure.

Advantages:

  • Increases loyalty.
  • Encourages participation in its market share.
  • Provides improvements in profitability for the company.
  • Allows the acquisition of new customers (word of mouth).
  • Saves costs to the organization.
  • Provides a better company image.

Customer Service Department

Customer loyalty: Customers feel assisted and satisfied.

Proper management of customer relations: Satisfaction.

It is more difficult and expensive to get new customers than to keep yours.

It is a mistake to leave the customer service development to chance. This can have negative consequences.

Principles:

Customers:

​

Themostimportantindividuals​

Ourcompanydependonthem​

We are a companybecausecustomerexist​

Are notthere to arguewiththem​

Beneficial as posible fotbothparties​

Are not a number (emotions and feelings)