Page 6 - PR Communication Age MAY 2016

1.3.Now the question comes in - What is the defi- greater customer satisfaction and increase its long-
nition of 'Customer'? The answer is - term goal of repeating business.

a) A customer (sometimes known as a client, buyer or 5. Customer service is the provision of service to custom-
purchaser) is the recipient of a good, service, product ers before, during and after a purchase.
or idea, obtained from a seller, vendor, or supplier for
a monetary or other valuable consideration. 6. Customer service is a series of activities designed to en-
hance the level of customer satisfaction - i.e., the feel-
b) A party that receives or consumes products (goods or ing that a product or service has met the customer ex-
services) and has the ability to choose between differ- pectation.
ent products and suppliers.
7. The importance of customer service may vary by prod-
1.4. In the process of the Customer Analysis - seven uct or service, industry and customer.
questions may be answered and those are -
8. From the point of view of an overall business processes
1. Who are they? engineering effort, customer service plays the impor-
tant role in an organization's ability to generate income
2. What do they do with the product? and revenue and therefore it should be included as part
of an overall approach to systematic improvement.
3. Why and how do they buy?
9. A customer service experience can change the entire
4. When do they buy? perception a customer has of the organization.

5. Where do they buy? 10. The perception of success of such interactions will be
dependent on employees 'who can adjust themselves
6. Will current customers buy again? to the personality of the guest'.

7. Why do potential customers not buy?

1.5. While describing about a customer Mahatma Gandhi 2. Considerations for Customer Service:

said. "A customer is the most important visitor on our pre- 2.1. There may be different considerations for ef-
mises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on ficient customer service
him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the pur-
pose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part 2.1.1. Psychological Considerations:
of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is a) The psychological makeup of customers plays a crucial
doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so."
role in developing a product and a marketing campaign
1.6.It is, therefore, very much essential & useful that identifies and addresses consumer needs.
to remember the following points:
b) Some of these considerations include how customers
1. The purpose of the organisation is to fulfil the needs of "think, feel and select between different alternatives."
the customers and also to resolve / dispose of various
grievances of the customers efficiently & quickly.

2. Organisations are dependent upon their customers. If
they do not develop customer loyalty and satisfaction,
they could lose their customers.

3. Repeat business is the backbone of marketing/selling.
It helps to provide revenue and certainty for the busi-
ness.

4. Considering customer importance at all stages of the
business processes, it helps your company to ensure

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."

6 PR COMMUNICATION AGE May 2016