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• Module overview
• 1. The concept of Quality
  • 1.1 The concept of Quality
  • 1.2 The role of Quality in business
    • 1.2.1 Measuring Quality and performance

• 2. Quality Assurance

  • 2.1 The genesis of ISO 9000
  • 2.2 QA as a system
  • 2.3 The ISO 9000 series
    • 2.3.1 The nature of standards
  • 2.4 The path to accreditation
    • 2.4.1 Development
    • 2.4.2 Implementation
    • 2.4.3 Maintaining the system
  • 2.5 The role of Quality Assurance

• 3. Total Quality Management

  • 3.1 Productivity, profitability and quality
    • 3.1.1 Cost and quality
  • 3.2 TQM
  • 3.3 Implementing Quality
  • 3.4 The thinkers and their teachings
    • 3.4.1 Deming
    • 3.4.2 Juran
    • 3.4.3 Crosby
  • 3.5 TQM - core concepts
  • 3.6 Implementing TQM
    • 3.6.1 Establishing the quality culture

• 4. Kaizen - continuous improvement

  • 4.1 Customer satisfaction: a broadening base
    • 4.1.1 A comment on customer satisfaction
  • 4.2 The Motorola approach
    • 4.2.1 The background
  • 4.3 Implementing Six Sigma
    • 4.3.1 Six Sigma - a panacea?
    • 4.3.2 Innovation, kaizen and Six Sigma
  • 4.4 Process management
    • 4.4.1 Process improvement tools

• 5. Quality in transport

  • 5.1 Quality in a service industry
  • 5.2 Implementing quality in transport
    • 5.2.1 Benefits of environmental responsibility
    • 5.2.2Contribution to profitability
  • 5.3 Quality Costs
    • 5.3.1 Quality costing in practice
  • 5.4 Multimodal transport and sub-contracting
  • 5.5 Quality in the operator-client relationship
  • 5.6 Importance of Quality to transport services

• 6. Quality of customer service

  • 6.1 Link between quality and customer service
  • 6.2 Defining customer service quality
  • 6.3 Customer service quality failures
  • 6.4 Improving customer service quality
    • 6.4.1 Pros and cons: SERVQUAL in practice

• 7. The customer service concept

  • 7.1 Exceptional service = repeat business
  • 7.2 Value: the fundamental equation
  • 7.3 A note on terminology
  • 7.4 Recognise all the players
  • 7.5 Key element for success: know your customers
  • 7.6 What is a service?
  • 7.7 The rise of the service society

• 8. The role of management: corporate principles

  • 8.1 "Everybody pitches in"
    • 8.1.1 Raising the bar
    • 8.1.2The role of senior and top managers
  • 8.2 The functions of management
  • 8.3 Approaches to customer services: industry examples

• 9. Know your customer: exceeding expectations

  • 9.1 Identifying and fulfilling customers' needs and expectations
    • 9.1.1 Initial impressions: starting out right
    • 9.1.2 Identifying customer needs
    • 9.1.3 The right amount of attention
  • 9.2 The right attitude: the right approach
    • 9.2.1 Maintaining a positive attitude
    • 9.2.2 Positive attitudes offer a formula for success
    • 9.2.3 Promise good. Deliver great!
    • 9.2.4 Showing that you care
    • 9.2.5What is in it for you?
  • 9.3 Know your competition
    • 9.3.1 Key questions about competitors
  • 9.4 A note on ethics in customer service

• 10. Taking care of challenging customers: complaints are opportunities!

  • 10.1 Welcoming complaints
    • 10.1.1Some facts about customers
  • 10.2 Handling complaints:
    • 10.2.1 a postcard from the sharp end
    • 10.2.2 Recoveries
    • 10.2.3 What to do
  • 10.3 Testing your standards
    • 10.3.1 So how can you get assistance in using these techniques?
  • 10.4 Unhappy customers? Difficult customers?

• 11. The rights of the customer and the service provider

  • 11.1 What are these rights?
    • 11.1.1 Moral rights
    • 11.1.2 Consumer Rights
    • 11.1.3 Legal rights and responsibilities: the Trade Practices Act
  • 11.2 The impact of fair trading legislation
    • 11.2.1 Fair trading and communication
    • 11.2.2 Customer service pyramid
  • 11.3 A note on e-commerce

• 12. Communication in the servicescape

  • 12.1 Communicating effectively
    • 12.1.1The effect of ineffective communication
  • 12.2 The communication process
  • 12.3 Barriers to effective communication
    • 12.3.1 Individual perception
  • 12.4 Non-verbal communication
    • 12.4.1 A matter of terminology
    • 12.4.2 It is not what you say but how you say it
    • 12.4.3 A word of warning
  • 12.5 Customer service on the telephone:
    • 12.5.1 a performing art
    • 12.5.2 A note on speaker phones
  • 12.6 Email and the Net

8.1.2 The role of senior and top managers

Many organisations have provided training to front line staff. This training tends to emphasise changing the attitude of front line staff and teaching them specific service behaviours and what to do in certain situations. There is no doubt that this type of training is essential and valuable. However, the impetus for excellent customer service must come from top or senior managers and must result in an organisation-wide philosophy. Albrecht and Zembre (1985), leading writers in the service field, noted that:

Our experience shows that highly successful service organisations share at least the following characteristics:

• They have a strong vision - a strategy for service that is clearly developed and clearly communicated.
• They practice visible management.
• They "talk" service routinely.
• They have customer-friendly service systems.
• They balance high-tech with high-touch; that is, they temper their systems and methods with the personal factor.
• They recruit, hire, train and promote for service.
• They market service to their customers.
• They market service internally; that is, to their employees.
• They measure service and make the results available to the service people.

The list above demonstrates an organisation-wide philosophy towards improving and maintaining high levels of customer service. The fact that service-oriented businesses "recruit hire, train and promote for service" suggests a "building in" and reinforcing of a philosophy towards service. Note also that service is marketed both internally to staff and externally to customers - once again establishing and reinforcing a holistic or total approach to customer service.

To effectively implement the factors listed above clearly requires the involvement and commitment of senior management to drive the process. You can see from this list there are several areas in which senior management needs to be involved:

• formulation of the strategic plan
• staying in touch with customers
• developing a service culture
• leading by example
• gaining staff commitment.

Some questions for executives follow in the next reading.

Reading 8.1

McKenzie, R. (2001), "Business on the holodeck?"

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