The role customer service plays in navigating challenges in the workplace.
DATE: Tuesday 31 August 2021Â
TIME: 11h00 – 12h00 Â
The session on the importance of customer service and customer care was moderated by Dr Shahiem Patel, an academic at REGENT BUSINESS SCHOOL. In this session, customer support, customer care and customer experience were brought into sharp focus with immensely insightful contributions from our guest panelists.
Wendy Knowler, who is perhaps South Africa’s most accomplished consumer journalist, emphasised the importance of organisational authenticity when establishing a relationship with customers. Wendy explains that there are fewer places for organisations and its staff to hide when dealing with customers at the point of a breakdown in service. Instead, such circumstances ought to be viewed as opportunities to delight customers and build lasting relationships.
Akhona Mahlati is the CEO of BusinessFit and a director of EWA SANA. Akhona also holds formal qualifications in Marketing & Business Management. Akhona provided a theoretical approach to managing relationships with customers and relies on the 4 P’s and 7 P’s of marketing to emphasise that “In is the only way out” for organisations that truly value customer centricity. This implies that organisations must ensure that its internal environment, culture and processes are well positioned to enable smooth customer interactions.
By Dr Shahiem Patel
Cheryl Mackinnon of the Science of Change, gifted 3 lucky winners with a free Personal Values Profile session to assist them in their personal and career growth. She shared the following thoughts on the webinar session:
“To sum up the discussion we had with Wendy and Akhona, I was so excited to hear we were all on the same page when it comes to Personal Values.
While we understand that customer service and customer care are vital to engagement between a company and it’s customers, Values are not a one size fits all. Each individual comprises of their own unique set of behaviours and values and this is what motivates them and drives one.
We are all in the people business, it doesn’t matter what you are selling, the sooner you are able to engage authentically with people the better your experience will be. Keep it simple, as Wendy and Akhona eluded to “it doesn’t have to be fancy” | “communication is key” | “ keep people in the loop” | “ just hear them out, listen to their need”.
I help organisations create self-awareness with their employees. I fast track anything you would like to know about an individual through an objective and scientific approach. I bring out the strengths and what motivates people. We have to tap into that in order for us to experience success in our roles and the organisation.
One of the tools I use to help lead a “values driven organisation” is the Personal Values Profile. Values drive the accepted norms set by the organisation and indicate the passions that motivate people. It is the internal driving force that engages people to actively contribute and participate in their work each day. Values that are fully integrated into the fibre of an organisation can provide powerful insights into employee motivation, ensuring compliance with the organisational standards and value expectations. This insight becomes the compass that the organisation uses to select and retain talent, reward and recognise employee performance, guide interaction among employees. It aligns the internal organisational standards with he external shareholder expectation.
Every person is driven by their own unique set of values which dictates the standards they live and work by. The Personal Values Profile (PVP) is a self-report questionnaire designed to identify the comparative importance of a series of 21 pre-defined work values to a person in their job, work environment and career.
This analysis ranks values from most to least importance to the individual, providing leadership insight on where and how to align corporate values thereby increasing engagement in the organisation.
Feel free to glean further insight by downloading my brochure taking you through the PVP and the Corporate Value Profile (CVP).”
Should you be interested in engaging futher with Cheryl, send an email to [email protected]
