Managing customer

expectations

Ring ring conversation workshop exercise

The ring, ring conversation

workshop exercise We need 2 volunteers to fulfil the

following roles

• The support person • The customer

A typical IT conversation? 1. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring,

ring, ring

2. Hello George speaking

3. Is that IT support?

4. Yes, how can I help?

5. I’m phoning up to complain about my new PC installation, it was supposed to be done today and no one has turned up yet and the new SAP sales software you sent me yesterday, is the wrong one

6. Sorry I don’t know about any new PC or upgrades to the sales software. Who were you dealing with?

7. I don’t know, oh yes, I think it was Tony

8. Oh Tony, sorry, he is on holiday until Friday

9. On holiday! this project is urgent, my boss will be unhappy if its not completed within the next 2 days. Can’t someone come and do the job now?

10. Well I am not sure, Tony is the only one who knows about that area, but I will see if someone can check it out after lunch and get back to you - is that OK?

Exercise: What went wrong?

Name as many failure points

as you can

What went wrong?

1. No structured customer interrogation

2. The desk is not aware of scheduled changes

3. Application, hardware support teams (and customer)

not co-ordinating

4. No confirmation to the customer in advance of what

will happen, when and who is co-ordinating the

activities

5. No escalation policy in place for managing the

customer’s concerns

Most frequently given responses (there are approx 20 points)

Team Questions

What do you believe are:-

1. The customer’s perceptions?

2. The possible consequences?

1. Angry/frustrated customer

2. Teams do not communicate

3. They don't really care!!!!!!

4. Tony is a plonker

Consequences

1. Loss of customer confidence in the service team

2. Low self-esteem of service staff

3. Potential loss of revenue

4. Department credibility compromised

Perceptions

Most frequently given responses

A more proactive approach

1. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring

2. Hello Mr. Smith this is Tracy from the IT service team. I am

phoning, as agreed, to confirm that your PC Installation and sales

application update is scheduled for next Thursday afternoon.

Brad will be arriving at 2 o'clock and will have the job done by 4.

Is that ok?

3. Yes that’s great, it gives me plenty of time to get my project completed on time for the sales review

4. If in the meantime you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us on ext 333. To ensure a speedy response can you quote your assigned reference number, which is 243, it will also help if I am not available and a colleague has to deal with it. An email confirmation has also been sent for your records.

5. Sounds great Tracy, thanks for keeping me informed

1. Happy customer

2. Total customer confidence in IT

3. Improved customer confidence

4. IT teams working and planning together

Consequences

1. Organisational/departmental credibility boosted

2. A transition from a reactive to a proactive approach

3. Team workloads and resources better understood

4. High level of job satisfaction for service staff

Perceptions

Most frequently given responses

The End

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