Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Expert: Improve Customer Service

NEWSPAPER ANNOUNCEMENT - SEMINAR BY DR. TED JONES

THE STAR, TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2009

Expert: Improve customer service

KUALA LUMPUR: Instead of slashing prices, smaller industries should improve on their customer service to compete with the bigger companies to ride out the global economic crisis.
“If companies continue to lower their prices in a competitive environment, only the larger and well-established organisations will survive,” Institute of Customer Service chairman Dr Ted Johns said.

“Smaller players will not be able to keep up. “Companies should instead treat their customers with more warmth and courtesy, as this would transform consumers into their regular patrons even though their prices are not as low as their competitors,” he told a press conference at the seminar, “From Cold, Wet Fish To Sushi! – How To Create Added Value From Your People And Your Customer Service Using A World-Class Formula To Survive This Economic Downturn”, organised by Beliawanis, the Young Women’s Bureau of MCA, at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
Dr Johns said customers given excellent service and value for money would even help promote the company by sharing their positive experience with others.

“Such word-of-mouth communication will help companies expand their market and reduce costs on advertising,” he pointed out.

He said among the worst performers in customer service were those from the professional service, public sector, utilities, and information technology and telecommunication industries.
National Beliawanis chief Tee Hooi Ling hoped local companies would identify their weaknesses and try to pull through the economic crisis by adopting a more efficient customer service.

Seminar organising chairman Jessica Lai May Kum said the talk drew more than 500 people.including doctors, nurses, and representatives from the hotel business, airlines, Transport Ministry and Human Resources Ministry.

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