Competing for Competing for Customers Customers

Why is Customer Why is Customer Service so important to Service so important to a business?a business?

A business will not continue to be A business will not continue to be successful unless it provides its successful unless it provides its customers with a quality product customers with a quality product and excellent serviceand excellent service

Providing Customer Providing Customer ServiceService Businesses need to take care of Businesses need to take care of

their customerstheir customers Front-line employees are the Front-line employees are the

those who meet customers those who meet customers directly – greet them at the door, directly – greet them at the door, help them find what they want, help them find what they want, and generally help solve and generally help solve problemsproblems

What skills sets do you think that What skills sets do you think that front-line employees need to front-line employees need to have?have?

How do you find out How do you find out what customers what customers want?want?

(look at ad on page 7)(look at ad on page 7)

Providing Quality Providing Quality ProductsProducts Quality control is extremely Quality control is extremely

important to a businessimportant to a business It is achieved by creating a set of It is achieved by creating a set of

standards that are used to decide standards that are used to decide which products can be sold and which products can be sold and which ones can’twhich ones can’t

Comparing the Quality Comparing the Quality of Productsof Products This is dependent on what This is dependent on what

consumers demand from the consumers demand from the productproduct

How would you decide which cell How would you decide which cell phone to buy?phone to buy?

What assurances do What assurances do customers have that customers have that the product they are the product they are buying is a quality buying is a quality product?product?

Product RecallsProduct Recalls

Done to protect consumers Done to protect consumers Companies can recall products Companies can recall products

voluntarily or be forced to do so voluntarily or be forced to do so by government agenciesby government agencies

Canadian Food Canadian Food Inspection AgencyInspection Agency Dedicated to safeguarding food, Dedicated to safeguarding food,

animals and plants, which animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, being of Canada's people, environment and economy. environment and economy.

Recent Food RecallsRecent Food Recalls

October 2010October 2010 2010-10-052010-10-05 - -

HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - Smoked SalHEALTH HAZARD ALERT - Smoked Salmon From Sausage Kitchen Fine Sausamon From Sausage Kitchen Fine Sausages & Meats May Contain ges & Meats May Contain ListeriaListeria monocytogenesmonocytogenes

2010-10-012010-10-01 - - EXPANDED HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - CEXPANDED HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - Certain RAW OYSTERS may contain ertain RAW OYSTERS may contain foodbornefoodborne pathogens pathogens

Other Recent RecallsOther Recent Recalls

About 7 Million Fisher Price Trikes and Tough Trikes About 7 Million Fisher Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricyclestoddler tricycles

About 100,000 Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies About 100,000 Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand ‘n Play Rampway toysStand ‘n Play Rampway toys

About 950,000 Healthy Care, Easy Clean and Close About 950,000 Healthy Care, Easy Clean and Close to Me High Chairsto Me High Chairs

About 2.8 million Infant Toys with Inflatable Balls, About 2.8 million Infant Toys with Inflatable Balls, including the Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise including the Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise Playground, Baby Playzone Crawl & Slide Arcade, Playground, Baby Playzone Crawl & Slide Arcade, Baby Gymtastics Play Wall, Ocean Wonders Kick & Baby Gymtastics Play Wall, Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium, 1-2-3 Tetherball, Bat & Score GoalCrawl Aquarium, 1-2-3 Tetherball, Bat & Score Goal

And it was confirmed that the manufacturer of And it was confirmed that the manufacturer of assorted children’s items from Fisher Price is assorted children’s items from Fisher Price is recalling more than 10 million of their products due recalling more than 10 million of their products due to manufacturing flaws that have resulted in injury to manufacturing flaws that have resulted in injury that required medical attention to at least seven that required medical attention to at least seven children, as of this writing.children, as of this writing.

Global Quality Global Quality StandardsStandards International Organization for International Organization for

Standardization (ISO)Standardization (ISO) Helps companies standardize quality Helps companies standardize quality

and measurements and measurements For example – computer parts that are For example – computer parts that are

produced in many different countries produced in many different countries all have to be compatible so that the all have to be compatible so that the companies that build the components companies that build the components will be able to depend on standard will be able to depend on standard quality and measurementsquality and measurements

The Credit CardThe Credit Card

Credit cards are also made Credit cards are also made according to ISO standardsaccording to ISO standards

ISOs increase the ISOs increase the quality, reliability, and quality, reliability, and effectiveness of the effectiveness of the goods and services we goods and services we use every dayuse every day

HomeworkHomework

Terms List for Chapters 3 and 4Terms List for Chapters 3 and 4 Pg 120 #1,2 and 4 (you don’t Pg 120 #1,2 and 4 (you don’t

need to create the poster – just need to create the poster – just do jot notes for each prodcut)do jot notes for each prodcut)