Overview of chapter 11
Effectively and efficiently handling the service encounter requires that the rights of both the customer and also those of the provider be respected in order to ensure that the service encounter is just and equitable. In this chapter you will see that this is about the service provider respecting the rights of others whilst ensuring that his or her own rights are not infringed.
You will also be introduced to the concept of building business through "fair trading". We will approach this concept with the idea of helping you understand the rights of the customer without requiring you to understand in detail the current consumer legislation. We will not be covering legislation in detail - as each country/industry/ position has various relevant legislation. We will raise some general ideas and expect that you are able to investigate relevant legislation for yourself.
All states and territories of Australia have enacted fair trading legislation that mirrors Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 . We will briefly raise some issues that may impact on you as a service provider because of this legislation. You will not be expected to know sections of the legislation, just the general issues relevant to our subject area. Most countries have similar legislations. In any case, an important point is that fair trading is good business, but going beyond what is legally required and providing service excellence is smart business.
Topics
- 11.1 What are these rights?
Moral rights
Consumer Rights
Legal rights and responsibilities: the Trade Practices Act - 11.2 The impact of fair trading legislation
Fair trading and communication
Customer service pyramid - 11.3 A note on e-commerce
Learning outcomes
When you have completed this chapter, you should be able to:
- identify and explain the rights of the customer;
- identify and explain the rights of the service provider;
- outline why understanding and adhering to these rights facilitate the service encounter to be more "just" and reliable;
- explain the importance of building business through fair trading;
- recognise how many of the rights of customers have been provided for through legislation.
