Effective Customers Relations

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

EFFECTIVE CUSTOMERS RELATIONS

By: Albert Ohiokhie

(HR Learning Session)

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Course Objectives

• To analyse who a customer is.

• The customer in the IITA concept.

• Why customer relations is important.

• Planning a caring approach.

• Who is a difficult customer.

• Handling difficult customers.

• Is the customer always right.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

WHO IS A CUSTOMER

There are many definitions of who a customeris and is not: here are some:-

1. Is the most important person in your office either in person or by mail.

2. A customer is not an interruption of the work process, he is the purpose of it

3. A customer is not dependent on us, we are dependent on him/her.

4. The customer is somebody who brings us his wants – it is our job to handle them satisfactorily.

5. A customer is not some one to argue with. He will always claim the right of way

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

The customer in the IITA - HR concept

• These are the IITA staff and non staff that come to our offices for one service or the other .

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Why is effective customer relations important

1. Effective customer relations portrays a good image of an office, establishment, or business concern

2. to a business concern, it makes the customer have a feeling of satisfaction and the craving to want to call again.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Planning a caring approach.

These are in three ways:

1. Personal Customer care – (Face 2 face)

2. Phone customer care.

3. Electronic customer care.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Planning a caring approach (cont.)

Face to Face:

1. Ask the customer with a smile, politely what he requires of your office.

2. Take time to hear the customer’s request all out before proceeding to taking actions.

3. Where you cannot meet the customer’s demands say so politely with a smile and reason

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Planning a caring approach (cont)

4. Avoid negative body language as much as possible

5. maintain good poise even when you are not comfortable.

6. Speak distinctly and communicate effectively.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Caring on the phone

1. Answer the phone politely with a smile. The smile on your face reflects in your tone.

2. Introduce your unit on the phone, the caller could have made a wrong call e.g. this is the Personnel Unit, can I please help you?.

3. Be distinct and have the right choice of words

4. Be patient on the phone, do not be in a hurry, hear the person on the other end out.

5. Do not cut the phone with your hand but with the receiver, in so doing you will be able to hear if he has hung up or not.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Customer care – the Electronic way.

• Take time (promptly) to answer to request that come by e-mail.

• Be explicit in your explanations using the right words.

• Use the appropriate titles e.g. Dr, Mr., etc

• Close your mails with the appropriate closing remarks e. g. thank you, kind regards etc.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Difficult customers –

• Refuse to accept and follow procedures.

• Lacks understanding of HR and IITA policies.

• Are impatient.

• Want to over take others who are on the queue.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Handling Difficult customers

• Enlighten, using various forms to inform customer of our activities, processes and procedures.

• Be firm but polite

• Act professionally.

• Be efficient.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

A question for all – Is the customer always right ?

• No – but when he/she insists that he/she is right, please remain calm and refer such to higher authorities.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institute international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

THANK YOU