Build and maintain customer relations

Overview & Purpose

What This Standard Covers

This standard focuses on building and maintaining customer relations within the customer service sector, emphasizing the importance of customer perceptions and organizational reputation. It aims to foster loyalty and long-term partnerships through effective communication and mutual understanding of customer expectations.

Performance Criteria

• Identify customer types for long-term relationships and loyalty.
• Communicate importance to identified customer types.
• Explain your role and the mutual benefits of customer relationships.
• Facilitate two-way communication about customer expectations.
• Keep customers informed about services and products.
• Accept and respond to customer criticism constructively.
• Assess if customer expectations are met consistently.
• Develop solutions to improve customer relations.
• Influence service delivery to meet and exceed customer needs.
• Collect customer feedback for satisfaction assessment.
• Gather colleague feedback on solutions' impact on satisfaction.
• Analyze feedback to propose improvements for customer loyalty.
• Present proposals for change to decision-makers.
• Adhere to legal, organizational codes of practice, and policies.

Knowledge & Understanding Requirements

• Types of customers served by the organization.
• Methods to identify and prioritize customers for long-term relationships.
• Responsibilities for building and maintaining customer relationships.
• Importance of communication skills in relationship building.
• Techniques to deal with dissatisfied customers.
• Negotiation skills balancing customer and organizational expectations.
• Acceptable compromises when addressing customer needs.
• Monitoring methods for customer satisfaction.
• Role of internet and social media in customer relations.
• Relevant legal and organizational policies.

Relevent Roles

• Customer Service Representatives, Customer Relationship Managers, Customer Experience Specialists, and other customer service professionals focused on relationship management.