The Client
An international work-wear manufacturer.

The Challenge
Customers have reported that on occasions they are being dealt with in a rude or off-hand manner by the internal sales department. This is a cause of some concern. The internal sales team are responsible for order entry and dealing with customer queries. The team has not received any formal customer service training. There is some apprehension from Managers about the team's response to an external trainer.

The Solution
The initial visit by Martrain finds that the team is purposeful, co-operative and well managed, with good systems for processing orders. There is an easy exchange of information between team members. We discover that last year the department experienced a very difficult time when new computer systems were introduced.

One to one interviews reveal that there is a problem with one important team member who is prone to being moody and can take this out on customers. This is an issue that the team Manager was aware of but had not successfully addressed. A special section - mood management - is included in the training.

During the training everyone is encouraged to look at obstacles to improving customer service from a no-blame perspective. Some of the issues which were identified include:

• Late deliveries by third party carrier
• Discontinued lines not being flagged up by warehouse
• Urgent orders not dispatched on time
• Misunderstandings over special orders, resulting in order delays or mistakes

A number of changes to procedures were suggested:

• On-screen order entry instead of writing down details then data-entering
• Using incentives to encouraging earlier ordering
• Introduction of automatic fax order confirmations (60% of customer calls relate to delivery dates)

The HR Manager is surprised and pleased with the extremely positive response to the training. Team morale increases as individuals feel more recognised. A number of suggestions have been put forward to improve service. Senior Management reports a more positive atmosphere in the sales department. Management is also prompted to make improvements to internal systems and review the ways in which other departments support the sales department.

top