Week 1 discussion
DQ1
The Positive Impact of Customer Service
How does good customer service positively affect both the
company and the customer?
DQ2
Building Relationships With Customers
How can companies build healthy relationships with
customers?
Week 2 discussion
DQ1
Engaging Your Customers
Choose one of the Action Tips presented in Chapter 2 of the
textbook and describe the tip, as well as how you would implement it for a
particular company.
DQ2
Listening to Your Customers
Choose one of the Action Tips presented in Chapter 3 of the
textbook and describe the tip, as well as why it is important. Illustrate your argument with an example.
Week 3 discussion
DQ1
Talking to Customers on the Telephone
Choose one of the Action Tips in Chapter 4 of the textbook,
and discuss it with examples.
DQ2
Electronic and Internet Communication
Choose one of the Action Tips in Chapter 5 of the textbook,
and discuss why it is important. Provide an example of the tip, from your
experience as a customer, or your experience as an employee.
Week 4 discussion
DQ1
Addressing Customer Turnoffs
What causes customers to become dissatisfied and turned
off? How can you prevent it?
DQ2
Emerging Trends in Customer Service
Choose one emerging trend in customer service and discuss
how it is impacting the relationships between companies and customers.
Week 5 discussion
DQ1
Collecting Customer Feedback
How can companies collect feedback from customers, and how
much data should be collected?
DQ2
Handling Customer Complaints
How should you handle a dissatisfied customer? What about a
customer with unreasonable complaints?
Week 6 discussion
DQ1
Using Value to Exceed Customer Expectations
Explain how value and perceived value can be used to exceed
customer expectations.
DQ2
Using Information to Exceed Customer Expectations
Explain how providing accurate and timely information can be
used to exceed customer expectations.
Week 7 discussion
DQ1
Building Customer Loyalty
What strategies can companies use to generate and develop customer
loyalty, and why is that increasingly important?
DQ2
Stress and Customer Service
Customer service can be seen as a kind of emotional labor.
How can you reduce stress and prevent burnout if you are a customer service
representative?
Week 1 homework
Choose either the Independent Auto Sales and Service (IAS)
case on page 16, or the Network Nutrition Distributors (NND) case on page
17. For either case, answer all of the
Strategy Planning Questions on page 17. Make sure that your writing is clear, understandable,
and properly formatted and edited, including checking for proper spelling and
grammar. Provide a cover page, reference page, and at least two accurate APA
source citations for your answer. You may reference the textbook or other
appropriate academic sources. These can be web-based sources, but do not use
Wikipedia entries as part of your final submission.
Week 3 homework
Continuing either the Independent Auto Sales and Service
(IAS) or Network Nutrition Distributors (NND) case that you started in Week 1,
answer the Strategy Planning Questions listed on page 77 at the end of Chapter
4. Answer all three questions (including all sub-questions) completely—your
response should be at least 200 words, properly formatted, clearly written and
organized, and checked for spelling and grammar. Make sure to include a title
page.
Week 6 homework
Continuing either the Independent Auto Sales and Service
(IAS) or Network Nutrition Distributors (NND) case that you started in Week 1
and continued in Week 3, answer the Strategy Planning Questions listed on page
177 at the end of Chapter 10. Answer all four questions (including all
sub-questions) completely—your response should be at least 200 words, properly
formatted, clearly written and organized, and checked for spelling and grammar.
Make sure to include a title page.
Week 2 you decide
You just took a new job as general manager with a
manufacturing company. They brought you in because sales and profits are
declining. As you look into the company sales and profits issues during the
first few weeks, you also observe that in addition to the declining sales, the
company has complaints from customers about a variety of issues, including late
shipments, defective products, and wrong invoices. Your sales and manufacturing
groups blame each other and the customer for the issues, including misleading
information given to the customer by sales, incorrect information from the
customer regarding specifications, and unrealistic ship dates. On Thursday
morning of your third week, a customer called with a complaint about a
defective product. The cost of the complaint could be significant. The
department managers all have different opinions on how to handle the complaint.
By Thursday afternoon, you find that some of the required information to make
the part was missing. It was a rush job. The information is normally requested
from the customer by customer service. By late Thursday, you have the following
positions:
You have two roles here. The first is how to handle the complaint
from the customer. Secondly you must decide on the customer relations position
you want for the company.
Bob Yeader
Sales Manager
Photo of Dori Lately
Dori Lately
Operations Manager
Photo of Jennifer Garland
Jennifer Garland
CFO
Photo of Monica Milton
Monica Milton
Customer Service Representative
Photo of Sam Spaniel
Sam Spaniel
Customer
Given the scenario, your role and the information provided
by the key players involved, it is time for you to make a decision. If you are
finished reviewing this scenario, close this window and return to this Week’s
You Decide tab, in eCollege, to complete the activity for this scenario. You
can return and review this scenario again at any time.
Read the You Decide scenario and decide on a response. Your
goal is to identify the critical issues in the scenario and determine how you
would resolve the situation. Write a report correctly formatted of at least 250
words. Submit the report via the Dropbox. Remember to check your work for
spelling and grammar issues before turning it in.
Week 5 you decide
You are a general manager with a service company. You are
hearing comments from your sales group that customers are unhappy with your
company. The comments range from poor service, missed assignments, to technical
failures. When you ask for specifics, you get a general view of dissatisfaction
from your sales group, but not a clear view if there is an issue. You have met
with several of your large customers in the past few months, and they have not
indicated that there is an issue. If anything, your impression from customers
is that things are going well. Your company is growing and there are new
customers and some new sales people.
Would you investigate customer complaints further? If so,
how would you proceed to understand if there is a problem with service?
Bob Yeader
Sales Manager
Photo of Dori Lately
Dori Lately
Operations Manager
Photo of Jennifer Garland
Jennifer Garland
CFO
Photo of Monica Milton
Monica Milton
Customer Service Representative
Photo of Philip Fried
Philip Fried
Service Manager
Given the scenario, your role and the information provided
by the key players involved, it is time for you to make a decision. If you are
finished reviewing this scenario, close this window and return to this Week’s
You Decide tab, in eCollege, to complete the activity for this scenario. You
can return and review this scenario again at any time.
Read the You Decide scenario and decide on a response. Your
goal is to identify the critical issues in the scenario and determine how you
would resolve the issue. Write a report correctly formatted of at least 250
words. Submit the report to the Dropbox. Remember to run the spelling and
grammar check on your work before turning it in.
Week 7 you decide
You are Bob Yeader, a Sales Manager of a small printing
company. One of your sales people asked for a meeting. The meeting was
difficult. The sales person, Pat Lawson, broke down in the meeting. Pat said
the work was too much and the customers too demanding. Where Pat used to be
able to get all the work done in one week, there was now too much work. Your
internal staff has noticed that Pat seems stressed. You wonder if customers are
seeing the stress. Pat has been with your company for 15 years, but is ready to
quit. You know that there is more work, after all there are more customers, and
you recently put in place some new procedures and technology to make service to
customers better and increase sales. Pat is the only one struggling; at least
you thought so. You are wondering what your options are.
Your role is to come up with a solution for Bob’s situation.
If you were in Bob Yeader’s position what would you do? Define the problem(s)
as you see it. Determine possible solutions and pick a solution to implement
immediately.
Chris Nihil
HR Manager
Photo of George Fish
George Fish
Customer Service
Photo of Jack Mason
Jack Mason
Bob Yeader’s Consultant
Photo of Monica Milton
Monica Milton
Customer Service Representative
Given the scenario, your role, and the information provided
by the key players involved, it is time for you to make a decision. If you are
finished reviewing this scenario, close this window and return to this week’s
You Decide tab in eCollege to complete the activity for this scenario. You can
return and review this scenario again at any time.
Read the You Decide scenario and decide on a response. Your
goal is to identify the critical issues in the scenario and determine how you
would resolve the issue. Write a report correctly formatted of at least 250
words. Submit the report to the Dropbox. Remember to run the spelling and
grammar check on your work before turning it in.
Week 3 case study
Objectives
Interview: After completing your assigned readings for this
week, interview someone who has a customer relations/customer service role, or
responsibility where the person has organizational responsibility and knowledge
of the company’s customer relations policies. This person could be in your own
organization, or in any other company. Ask the interviewee to describe the role
and importance of customer relations/customer service to the organization, and
the top three customer relations/customer service issues faced by the
organization. In case of a last minute conflict, it is best to have a second
choice lined up.
Supporting Research: Based on what you learned in the
interview, you’ll conduct online research using scholarly resources, which can
be found in the DeVry Online Library (available under Course Home) and online
research sources such as Google. Locate at least four articles (two must be
from scholarly resources) that discuss the current business climate for this
company for inclusion as sources for your paper. What are current trends in
this business (or in the overall industry of which this business is a member)
that might impact customer service, customer satisfaction, or customer loyalty
positively or negatively?
Examples
Toyota is a business in the auto industry. Customers want
safe cars. Recently, Toyota had a series of setbacks from brakes failures to
acceleration issues. Toyota has a history of great customer relations, but now
appears to have to reshape its image. Other car companies are using safety and
quality messaging against Toyota (insert accurate APA in-text source citation
here). Toyota needs to address its customer service programs and customer
relations for both existing customers and potential new customers.
Yume, the owner of a local Thai restaurant, has recently
introduced a customer loyalty program where customers earn points for purchases
that can be redeemed for free food and drinks; and customers love it! The
American Restaurant Association says that loyalty programs are growing in
popularity, especially in small boutique establishments, where there is a more
personal connection between the owner and the customer (insert accurate APA
in-text source citation here). Yume’s customers are very loyal and very
satisfied, so since service improvement may not be entirely necessary, she may
be able to expand her relationship with her customers by selling her sauces and
cookbooks to her customers. This venture may also attract new customers!
Potential Research Sources:
Hoovers.com
Moody’s online database
Ebscohost
ABI/Inform database
NetLibrary
Each of these resources contain business articles and other
resources that may assist you in answering the case study questions.
Analysis and Recommendations: Using what you’ve learned from
the interview and your research, analyze the customer service environment at
this company. How can customer service be improved? What are your
recommendations to this company based on what you’ve learned?
Additional requirements: Prepare a 750 word (minimum) paper
addressing these questions, using APA style and formatting. Pay particular
attention to the accurate citation of your interview source, and your secondary
research sources. Full contact information for your interview source
(interviewee name, company name, phone, and email address) is required, and
should be included as a separate Appendix page following your Reference page.
Week 1: Conduct Interview
During Week 1, you should decide who you are going to
interview for the case study, make arrangements for the interview, and conduct
the interview.
Week 2: Conduct Research
During Week 2, you should be conducting your online research
and begin to write your paper.
Week 3: Write and Submit Case Study 1
During Week 3, you’ll finish writing your paper. For APA
format guidance, please refer to the APA Tutorial in the Syllabus. Ensure that
the body of your paper, excluding cover page and sources, exceeds the 750-word
count minimum, and that all of the assignment requirements have been met. Then,
submit your paper.
Guidelines
Case Study FAQ
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about this
assignment.
Q1. I don’t know anyone in customer relations/service, or my
company doesn’t have a customer service function. What do I do?
A: Find someone with customer relations/service
responsibility, in any business, anywhere. You may have to get on the phone and
make some calls. Tell them you are a college student and need 10 minutes of
their time. People are almost always happy to help a student.
Have a backup in case your first choice for an interview has
a conflict at the last minute. Conflicts and conciliation can happen, so it is
best to be prepared.
Q2. Do I have to do an interview?
A: Yes, a personal or phone interview with another person is
required. Full contact information for the source should be provided in your
paper for verification purposes.
Q3. I do this for my company, can I just talk about my
experience?
A: No, see Q2, above.
Q4. My firm doesn’t have customers, what do I do?
A: Every organization has a destination for its products or
services – even government agencies, non-profits, and charities. You can use
internal or external customer relations and service issues for this paper. If
this is still an issue, see Q1, above.
Q5. How do I cite a personal interview as a source
reference?
A: See the APA Tutorial in the course Syllabus.
Week 6 case study
Objectives
Companies with Good and Bad Service: Using the DeVry Online
Library (available under Course Home) and online research sources such as
Google, research the customer relations and customer service reputations of two
(and only two—no more, no less) companies of your choice.
Supporting Research: Choose one company with an excellent
customer service reputation, and one with a poor (or less than perfect)
customer service reputation. Compare and contrast the customer service
reputations of these two companies. Your paper should address the following
questions.
What is the company with good customer relations doing
right?
What is the company with poor customer relations doing
wrong?
What are the results of the actions of the companies? For
instance, financial, public relations, or employee issues?
What specific, actionable recommendations would you give for
improving customer satisfaction for each company?
Additional requirements: Prepare a 750-word (minimum) paper
addressing these questions, using APA style and formatting. Pay particular attention
to the accurate citation of your research sources.
Week 4: Choose Companies
During Week 4, you should choose your two target companies
and begin your research process.
Week 5: Conduct Research
During Week 5, you should be conducting your online research
and beginning to write your paper.
Week 6: Write and Submit Case Study 2
During Week 6, you’ll finish writing your paper. For APA
format guidance please refer to the APA Tutorial in the Syllabus. Ensure that
the body of your paper, excluding cover page and sources, exceeds the 750-word
count minimum, and that all of the assignment requirements have been met. Then
submit your paper.
Guidelines
Case Study FAQ
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about this
assignment.
Q1) The company’s web site doesn’t show anything about their
customer service reputation, policy etc., what do I do?
A: Do your homework, which means do your research. The
company’s web site will not be sufficient for objective information. Make phone
calls, look for articles online, go to the library—a company’s web site is a
starting point. Your job is to use all of the information available to you
through all outlets to address these questions. Claiming to be unable to find
any information is not a viable option. If this is the case, choose another
company.
Q2) How can I tell if their service is good or bad?
A: Start with your own experience, and choose companies with
which you are familiar. Read everything you can find about the company and
soon, a picture will emerge that tells you a story about their service levels,
their approach to business, and the relative happiness of their customers.
Based on this information, you can formulate your own analysis of the relative
effectiveness of the company’s service efforts.
HINT: The more thoroughly you show that you have the
capability to think about these two companies in their respective positions in
the marketplace as it relates to their service programs, the better your
chances of getting an A on the paper. If you claim to have looked on the Web
and found little information; if you make generalized statements that indicate
a lack of thorough, specific research; if you fail to accurately cite your
sources in APA style or present a paper that is not spelling and grammar
checked, your grade will suffer. Get creative, find a way to answer the
questions and address the assignment requirements. Good luck!
Week 4 midterm exam
One
Three to five
10 to 20
30 to 40
Question 2. 2. (TCO 4) What is one of the benefits of
treating customers fairly to generate customer loyalty? (Points : 10)
They will
always refer 15 people to you.
It will
generate positive feelings.
They will
always put up positive reviews online.
It will
generate a sense of accomplishment.
Question 3. 3. (TCO 1) Which of these core customer service
competencies reflects the notion that customer service employees need to seize
opportunities to satisfy a customer request quickly? (Points : 10)
Acceptance of
ownership
Ability to
manage change
Ability to
manage knowledge
Ability to
communicate effectively
Question 4. 4. (TCO 13) Which of these is not true of
electronic customer service via websites? (Points : 10)
Electronic
customer service can produce frustrated customers.
Electronic
customer service can completely replace phone calls.
Your company
can end up with a failed website.
Installing an
electronic customer service solution can be costly.
Question 5. 5. (TCO 2) Which one of these is not regarded as
a potential turnoff to customers? (Points : 10)
Advertised
sales items not in stock
Having to drive
to the store
High-pressure
sales tactics
Noisy shopping
or service environments
Question 6. 6. (TCO 3) Which of the following is not a best
practice for phone conversations? (Points : 10)
Speak clearly
and distinctly
Avoid “dead
air” silence
Keep callers on
track
Engage callers
in personal conversation, no matter how long it takes
Question 7. 7. (TCO 5) Which of these positive personality
behaviors gives customers goodwill and moves them toward a positive experience?
(Points : 10)
Plant seeds for
relationship building
Compliment
freely and sincerely
Reassure
customers in their decision to do business with you
Pay attention
to your dress and grooming
Question 8. 8. (TCO 7) Which of the following listening tips
can prevent you from “correcting” customers? (Points : 10)
You should
listen for more than just facts.
You should be
patient and defer disagreement.
You should try
counterattitudinal advocacy.
You should
solicit clarification.
Question 9. 9. (TCO 7) What does having an escalation policy
mean for customer service? (Points : 10)
Never talk
about something until a customer does
Always try to
“one-up” the competition
Know when
managers need to be involved
Giving a bigger
refund than the sales price
Question 10. 10. (TCO 2) What does the concept of service
recovery mean? (Points : 10)
Problem
situations can be prevented entirely
Customer
loyalty is destroyed by any problem, even if resolved
Customers can
perform services for your business in exchange for goods
Acknowledging
and addressing complaints helps create loyalty
Question 11. 11. (TCO 8) A customer has written a letter
complaining about having her reservation cancelled at your hotel. Your hotel is
named the Winter Sands Hotel, and she had a reservation for November 25th. The
hotel features a spa, for which she also had reservations. The spa is not
associated with your hotel management, and the spa reservation could not be
cancelled. The customer had to drive to the appointment, and drive back home,
since all the other hotels in the area were more expensive. Your management
will offer her a 15% discount on a future stay, but needless to say, her letter
was not relaxed — she was very upset, but civil. Draft a response to the letter
that demonstrates your understanding of proper written communication techniques
for addressing customer concerns. (Points : 25)
Question 12. 12. (TCO 6) A female customer on a video
conference says the following: “I’m calling about this purse that I bought at
your outlet store. I really liked it but I noticed that there was a stain on
the bottom. I went back to the store, and of course that was the only one
there, but when I went up to the counter I couldn’t believe what happened! The
woman at the counter took the purse, and my receipt, rang it as a return and
then cut it to pieces right there in front of me! She said it’s your policy
that imperfect merchandise can’t be sold, and must be destroyed. I did get the
refund, but if I would have known that, I would have kept it. It was only a
small stain and I really liked the purse, but she didn’t even give me a choice
about what to do! Is that your policy, or was she just crazy? What are you
going to do about this? You have other outlets somewhere, but now I don’t even
have the stock number, and I can’t figure out how to find it online. It’s not
on your website, but I was even looking at auction sites at this point. Is that
really your policy? How can you waste all that money? It makes me want to not
buy your products anymore. I’m sure that the planet doesn’t need you wrecking
it with factories only to throw things away. Someone could have used that
purse! I’m just very upset about the whole thing and the way that it was
handled.”
Indicate at what point you would have given her verbal or
nonverbal feedback, and what form it would take. Then, paraphrase her response,
looking for the essence of the complaint. Imagine that you are talking directly
to the customer as you type your response. (Points : 25)
Week 8 final exam
Question 1.1. (TCO 1) Which of these key organizational
behaviors helps customers to interact with your organization? (Points : 8)
Smiling
Shaking hands
with customers
Asking often
“how am I doing”?
Asking
customers to begin filling out paperwork
Question 2.2. (TCO 1) Which of these key organizational
behaviors helps customers to stay close after a transaction? (Points : 8)
Having a
Halloween costume day
Having employee
casual dress days
Mailing
thank-you notes
Greeting
customers within 30 seconds
Question 3.3. (TCO 2) Which of these can be a value turnoff
for customers? (Points : 8)
Price too high
for quality received
Sloppy
appearance, poor grooming, or annoying mannerisms
Business place
dirty, messy, or cluttered
Inconvenient
location, layout, parking, or access
Question 4.4. (TCO 2) Which of these can be a people turnoff
for customers? (Points : 8)
Overly
complicated or difficult to use products
Low selection
or poor availability of product
Business place
dirty, messy, or cluttered
Employees who
lack knowledge or who are not helpful
Question 5.5. (TCO 3) Which of the following is true about
listening to customers? (Points : 8)
You should only
listen for facts, never emotion.
You should fake
paying attention when you can’t afford to pay it.
Communication
problems can arise from information overload.
Internal,
environmental, and interactional elements never form barriers.
Question 6.6. (TCO 4) Which of the following is true about
customers in the zone of indifference? (Points : 8)
They are
motivated.
They are not
loyal customers.
They are not
inert.
They are
dissatisfied.
Question 7.7. (TCO 5) When interacting with customers, it’s
important to maintain proper verbal discipline.
Which of the following represents proper verbal behavior? (Points : 8)
Commenting on a
customer’s bad clothing
Thanking a
customer for their purchase
Judging another
customer’s rude interaction style
Concluding a
sale with “There you go.”
Question 8.8. (TCO 6) How can you let customers know that
you are listening? (Points : 8)
By interrupting
them
By paraphrasing
and asking for clarification
By staring at
them
Using body
language such as physical distance
Question 9.9. (TCO 7) Which of these is an example of true
listening? (Points : 8)
Always having a
script ready to respond to any situation.
Pausing to hear
the whole story before offering a solution.
Nodding your
head so that the customer thinks you are paying attention.
Interrupting
the customer to help them finish their thoughts.
Question 10.10. (TCO 7) How does true listening help
customer relations create business value? (Points : 8)
It reduces the
amount of office supplies required.
It can help
rescue lost customers and turn them back into loyal ones.
It decreases
numbers of managers needed for customer service.
It allows
companies to sell defective products more often.
Question 11.11. (TCO 8) Which of these is not a function of
call centers? (Points : 8)
Sending
customers invoices
Handling
inbound calls
Handling
outbound calls
Responding to
billing concerns
Question 12.12. (TCO 8) Which is true of angry customers on
the phone? (Points : 8)
Never let them
know you are listening.
Interrupting
them makes them angrier.
You shouldn’t
empathize with them.
They don’t want
positive solutions.
Question 13.13. (TCO 9) Some companies can value profits
over customer relationships. Which of these practices doesn’t sacrifice
customer trust for short-term “bad profits”? (Points : 8)
High premiums
for seasonal goods or popular options
Exceeding
customers’ expectations and building relationships
Special offers
only available to new customers
Extra charges
for services that should be included in the price
Question 14.14. (TCO 9) Which of these is not a common cause
of anger or frustration for upset customers? (Points : 8)
They are
helpless
They are a new
customer
They are not
valued
They are not
important
Question 15.15. (TCO 10) When dealing with an upset
customer, how should you view the situation? (Points : 8)
You should be
objective.
You should take
it personally.
You should give
the customer everything they ask for.
You should
always tell them “no.”
Question 16.16. (TCO 11) What is the customer life cycle
called for recovered customers? (Points : 8)
A second life
cycle
A recovery run
A prospect
phase
An unlost
transom
Question 17.17. (TCO 11) What percentage of customers who
have a negative experience tell others about it? (Points : 8)
79%
78%
77%
76%
Question 18.18. (TCO 12) If you had an issue with a
high-roller customer, how would you start trying to resolve the conflict?
(Points : 8)
Work hard at
soliciting comments.
Listen
carefully to be sure that you understand the complete problem.
Listen
respectfully and question them carefully.
Remain
unfailingly objective and use data.
Question 19.19. (TCO 13) Which type of software can track
individual customers across their life cycles? (Points : 8)
CXM
CRM
SaaS
Virtual
dashboard
Question 20.20. (TCO 13) Which of these should you avoid on
your company’s website? (Points : 8)
Sarcasm
Simplicity
Clarity
Consistency
Page 2
Question 1. 1. (TCO 2) Explain how complicated fares and the
perception of inequity between two different passengers might hurt the
credibility of airlines. Include as much detail as possible in your answer, but
focus your answer on who earns frequent flyer rewards, and how ma
