But Friends & Brgrs also wants to go a step further with their customer service. In the first part of the thesis, a theoretical framework for customer service is provided.
The importance of customer service
Customer service in this case is seen as actions that take place in the customer service department of an organization. This relationship between the customer and the company is mainly created and maintained with customer service.
Factors of excellent customer service
In the interior category, cleanliness was also considered the most important factor; both the cleanliness of the dining area and the cleanliness of the bathrooms were significant. Statements about each step of the ladder were used to measure customers' attitudes towards the restaurant.
Customer service
Then the customers pick up their order from the kitchen window and someone from the kitchen serves the order for them. Because customers can see almost everything that happens in the kitchen and bakery, employee behavior in the kitchen and bakery and the cleanliness of these areas also affect the customer experience.
Additional sales
In addition to these two most obvious customer service functions, everyone in the restaurant does customer service.
Level of customer service at Friends & Brgrs
It is important that the customer service representative smiles and behaves friendly and pleasant towards customers. The respondents thought it was very important that the service provided is personalized and that the customer service representative does not act according to the same formula for every customer. Respondents want customer service representatives to think of the customer first and then of themselves and the company.
All of the respondents answered that they would like customer service staff to make recommendations to them. According to the customers, the best ways to make recommendations are either based on facts or the customer service person's own experiences. All the respondents thought that it is important that customer service staff also pay attention to children.
The respondents answered how they would like the customer service staff to act when everything does not go as the customer had hoped. In the interviews, respondents were asked to provide examples of their most memorable customer service experiences. Below are a few examples of respondents' most memorable customer service situations.
Broken windows
The theories were chosen based on the findings in the interviews and on the nature of the commissary company. In the Internet Trends 2017 report by Mary Meeker, 82% of respondents said they stopped doing business with a company after one bad experience. Brgrs will offer the company the possibility to improve their customer service level even further and thus gain more loyal and new customers.
The basic idea in Mr. BIV is that everyone in the company should notify the responsible person of the area when a problem or error arises. Employees from all levels in the company must be attentive at all times so that even the smallest problems do not go unnoticed and unattended. With this question, the root cause of the problem of dirty glasses can be found, instead of blaming the lobbyist for slow work or calling the repairman in vain.
BIV in their everyday operations Friends & Brgrs could easily act according to the Broken windows theory. BIV allows all the employees to observe the possible defects that the company has and thus managers' work becomes a little easier. When everyone at the company cares and is aware of the problems that also appear to the customers and creates more trust between the customers and the company.
Adding emotional value
By observing customers and sensing their feelings and attitudes, lobbyists can offer each customer the service they had hoped for. This also suggests that excellent customer service may not be something that is built on customer service systems and procedures. Companies would most likely achieve a higher level of customer service if they did not limit their customer service representatives from doing their very best for the job.
When a company gives their employees more room to implement their best customer service and removes the forced mechanisms from it, employees can start to adopt a more positive attitude towards service and turn out to be a great customer service representative. Employees in customer service situations must be self-aware so they can offer the best possible service experience for customers. When customer service employees practice mindfulness, they are both more aware of how they themselves act and feel, and what the customer says and feels.
With emotional intelligence, employees can perceive their feelings in a customer service situation and, for example, correct prejudices. According to Barlow and Maul, many bad customer service experiences are caused inadvertently and unconsciously (Barlow & Maul, 2000). However, the lobby clerk should not make this hypothesis based solely on the customer's appearance.
The five-step mistake solver
For example, if a tall, burly man with a beard, tattoos, and a leather jacket walked into a Friends & Brgrs restaurant as a customer, the lobby clerk might assume that this guy likes meat and likes to eat a lot and without even thinking about it , we also offer the customer a bacon burger with a double patty. The customer may be a vegetarian or may be offended by the assumption that they eat a lot. A much more emotionally intelligent way to handle the situation would be to first ask the client what they like or what is on their mind.
In this way, the lobbyist shows the right kind of emotion in the situation which is pure interest towards the client's needs instead of acting out of prejudice. For Friends & Brgrs, Jack Mitchell's five-step troubleshooter will provide good guidelines for acting in problem situations. The five-step troubleshooter is a formula used in Mitchell's clothing stores to sort out problem situations in the best possible way.
Acknowledge means that the customer service representative must recognize the problem in order to resolve it. It means going a step further, offering the customer something special or making them feel special. Give the customer something that makes them feel like their share of the profit is extra special: a personal note, a free tie, a flower, whatever.” (Mitchell, 2003.).
Recommendations
Cross-selling
Admit it represents not denying the problem or trying to place the blame on someone else. When the problem is admitted, it should be excused by customers and then resolved in some way (refunds, allowances, etc.). Give the customer something that makes them feel like their share of the profit is extra special - a personal note, a free tie, a flower, whatever.”
The basic idea of cross-selling is that the seller tries to get the customer to buy something in addition to what they originally came to buy. For example, if a customer came into Friends & Brgrs and wanted to buy a hamburger, a lobbyist might try to cross-sell the customer an additional item, such as fresh fries or lemonade. Thus, with cross-selling, the customer can actually get an even better experience than they would have without it.
The salesperson may introduce an additional product to the customer that they were not previously aware of or did not think they needed or desired. However, cross-selling can also be done badly, and customers can be annoyed by it. Some customers may think that salespeople who try to cross-sell only think of their own and the company's benefit and not the customers.
Upselling
The basic idea behind cross-selling is that the seller tries to get the customer to buy something other than what they originally came to buy. Bernazzani, 2018.) For example, if a customer came to Friends & Brgrs and wanted to buy a hamburger, the lobbyist could try to cross-sell an additional product to the customer like fresh fries or a lemonade.
Tips for cross-selling and upselling
When the customer service person is excited about the products they offer and seems to like them themselves, it gives a positive sign to customers. When trying to resell or trade in, customer service personnel need to know how to answer questions that customers may present. The objective of this thesis was to create a customer service manual for Friends & Brgrs.
The customer service manual was compiled based on the interviews and the theories applied in the case of Friends & Brgrs. In the Friends & Brgs value handbook, "we serve friends, not customers" is introduced and the importance of excellent customer service is briefly explained. Three customer service theories were selected based on the interviews and the nature of customer service at Friends & Brgrs: Broken window theory, emotional value addition and five-step troubleshooting.
Emotional value addition theory is based on the importance of feelings in customer service. By adding positive emotional value to customers, Friends & Brgrs employees can provide excellent customer service and make customers want to return to the restaurants. The impact of implementing a customer service manual at Friends & Brgrs can be measured by the NPS surveys that the company conducts on a daily basis in its restaurants.
This value sets the standard for all customer service we do in our company. From a customer service point of view, this is especially important in the lobby and customer restrooms.
Customer service handbook
The questionnaire
