Coursework Example: A Customer Service Knowledge Base

Explain the structure of a customer service knowledge base.

A firm well-organized knowledge-base that allows information to be quickly accessible to employees can save the company a lot of money. Knowledge based economies have a firm believer in the management of knowledge. For a knowledge-base to be fully capable it should have an FAQ section where it users can easily access most frequently searched for items.

Explain the uses of a customer service knowledge base.

A knowledge base improves customer service; It helps employees access vital information to address customer service issues, gain insight into workforce collaboration and resolve problems. Therefore, if both employee and customer have access to critical information, there is increased productivity and efficiency in the firm. Most of the energy is channeled to another task, and the clients are satisfied. An online knowledge base is the most cost-effective, with its timeless and lack of the geographical limit.

Explain the use of customers frequently asked questions to support customer service delivery.

An FAQ section addresses frequently asked questions about the business. It deals with specifics, a place where users can find answers to specific questions about the business operation or products. While shopping online, I needed to ship some items from abroad; I visited the FAQ section of the site to view the shipping rates before purchasing the product. Instead of calling the customer service or mailing them, I was able to get quick info directly from that page, therefore saving me time and anxiety.

Explain the input and update routines for adding to the knowledge base.

The ability to limit access to the persons who updates the knowledge base helps minimize fraud, misinformation, and to control the kind of information that is available for the users. The Administrator is the person who updates the info hence a password is assigned to prevent anyone from manipulating the data. The users are only allowed to update their personal information. The users are also allowed to give their feedback. However, it has to be reviewed by the management.

Explain the content requirements of resource materials and how they should be expressed.

I recently visited eBay knowledge base section to get extra information about their services and products. Each section was divided to cater to specific inquiries. The language was simple and easy to understand. Due to the wide variety of its customer base, a knowledge base littered with spelling mistakes that mislead or disinterest the user and the brand reputation could be compromised.

Reflections

Researching about this unit has helped me gain insight into the different ways to access extra information about a product of interest without directly having to contact the organization. The primary challenge is getting relevant information on the web due to the tons of information that I needed to filter from.

Assess the suitability of a range of techniques for monitoring customer problems.

There are several ways to access information about a customer such as having a feedback section, conducting survey or phone call surveys. A phone call is the most efficient since most do not have time for filling up surveys. Most of these problems are either the organizations fault or the clients fault such as misunderstanding.

Explain how to use the resolution of customers' problems to improve products and services

Customers who do not complain they stop doing business with the firm, thus it is essential to accept the complaints. If several customers complain about a particular thing quite often, you use the feedback to improve the product/ service, or if the solution is not yet found, you can create an email template to explain in details.

Explain how the successful resolution of customers problems contributes to customer loyalty and enhanced business performance.

Customer loyalty is every businesss goal. The customer needs to be put first when there is a problem. First examining the faulty product and then try to explain to the customer what the problem is. If the problem is not solved the customer can complain about an online platform, therefore, causing the business to lose may more customer.

Explain the features of negotiating techniques used to resolve customers problems.

Having a customer complaint department ensures that customers deal with experts. The person should be polite to the customer, record the problem, and empathize with the customer. He/she should keep the promise and try their best to come up with positive results. If the problem cannot be solving offering a loyalty incentive will make them continue to be a loyal customer.

Reflection

From this unit, I have realized that loyalty marketing can develop robust solutions that can make a companys marketing smarter and the brand most relevant to the customer. Responding to customers makes them feel appreciated.

Explain how different methods of promoting products and services impact on customer service delivery.

There are several ways of advertising a product/service ranging from print media, electronic media and other techniques such as promotional gifts. The type of marketing is aimed at maximizing the number of customers reached explicitly protecting the brand name. The employees should also be trained to emphasize on the products strengthens rather than the faults to build the brand (Alabdulkarim, 2015).

Explain who should be involved in the organization of customer service delivery.

Customer service is a culture where everybody needs to be involved with the company directors, to the subordinates. The customers as well need to be included in the process as they dictate how the business handles them (Mandy, 2013).

Explain the importance of differentiating between customers' wants, needs, and expectations.

A need is something that solves a problem while want is something that would be nice to have. An expectation is what the customer firmly believes they will get. Customers often tend to be more satisfied if they get what they want versus what they want.

Explain different ways of segmenting customer groups

Geographical segmentation targets audience from a specific location. Demographic segmentation takes various forms such as luxury brands targets audiences with high household income. Psychographic segmentation targets audiences that are budget conscious. Behavioral segmentation divides customers into groups depending on several attributes such as loyalty and purchase patterns. Finally, value-based segmentation appeals to customers values and ethics.

Explain how customer segmentation is used in organizing customer service delivery.

Customer segmentation allows one to target specific customers efficiently and improves customer experience. The customers feel directly attached to the organization and feel that they are being appreciated.

Explain how to analyze the `customer journey' and Map the `customer journey.'

A customer journey is a visual representation of every customer experience have with the business. A customer touch point is a point in which the customer communicates with the company.

Reflections

Keeping the customer first is every business objective. I have found out that there are several ways to personalize a customer and keeping them satisfied throughout to improve retention.

References

Alabdulkarim, a., 2015. "Assessing asset monitoring levels for maintenance operations: A simulation approach". Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 26(5), pp.632-59.

Mandy, B., 2013. Customer service everybody needs to be involved. Its a culture thing. [Online] Available at: http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/advice/customer-service-everybody-needs-to-be-involved-its-a-culture-thing/ [Accessed 16 January 2018].