Name :

Index No. :
Course Advanced Diploma in Company Administration and Secretarial
proficiency
Module Customer Care Management

Assignment No. 1 : Customer Care Programme

Assignment No. 2 : Gap Model of Service Delivery

Customer Care Programme

These days customers reward those companies that satisfy their needs and reject
those that are not responsive to their needs and expectations. This assignment will take
you through the process of setting up a customer service initiative in the Sri Lankan
Airlines starting with an assessment of current customer service approach, a
determination of what customers requirements are, creation of a customer service
vision with customer-friendly policies, methods for dealing effectively with customers,
and advice for educating the rest of the employees in the organization to carry through
our customer service focus.

What is Customer Service?

Customer service is meeting the needs and expectations of the customer as defined by
the customer.
Meeting the needs and expectations of the customer means company know what
their customers want, what they expect, and provide that to them on a consistent basis.
And to know what customers want, company have to ask them!
As defined by the customer is the key phrase because it says if the customer does
not perceive us as offering good customer service, then we are not. The customer is the
judge here; no matter how good our internal records claim who we are, the customer is
the only voice worth listening to. So in order to have an effective customer service

initiative, company must know what customers want, provide it to them on a consistent
basis, and ask them for feedback.

Benefits of an Effective Customer Service Initiative

Organization can benefit from customer service in the following ways:
Minimize stress; if company is dealing with customers directly, especially unhappy
ones, there will be a certain amount of stress with each episode. We can reduce it if we
have a systematic way for dealing with customers.
Higher efficiencies; when we focus our efforts on the areas that directly affect
customer satisfaction, we can utilize our resources more efficiently. An effective
customer service programme provides a plan for working on those areas most important
to our customers and reduces the deviation which may distract us and our organization
from focusing on these areas.
Increased morale and satisfaction; when we are working on those areas that mean
the most to our customers and to the success of our organization, then we will share a
common vision .
Survival; effective customer service becomes the cause of our staying in business.
With growing competition, there are plenty of suppliers eager for business and the
opportunity to satisfy customers. If we are not one of them, company may not stay in
business for a long.
Cost Effective; according to an authentic survey, it costs five times more to gain a
new customer. The same survey also proves this fact that with just a 5% increase in
customer retention, a firm can raise its profitability by 25% and in some cases as much
as 85%. Similar studies also show the longer a company keeps a customer, the more
money it will make. This happens because consumers spend slowly at first, but with
succeeding years of good experiences, they will spend increasingly more.

 Customer Service as a Competitive Advantage

Fierce competition demands more and more innovations to differentiate organizations
from one another. With technology available to virtually all organizations today,
traditional feature and cost-benefit advantages no longer offer for a sustainable
competitive advantage. More and more companies are turning to quality of service to
make themselves prominent from their competitors. They are talking to their customers
to determine what is most important to them and how they can further add value to
them.
STEPS TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE INITIATIVE
Each organizations customer service plan must be customized to suit its own needs,
but, more importantly, it must satisfy the needs of its customers. There is no hard and
fast rule for an effective customer service programme; each one will have its own
distinct differences. However, there are some common steps that company need to
consider when setting up CS programme. They are:
A. ASSESING CUSTOMER SERVICE QUOTIENT
In order to establish an effective plan to focus on customer service, company need to
know where to start from. Following is a self-assessment that, when completed
honestly, will begin to point out opportunities for improving customer service efforts. For
each statement, rate how well the organization satisfies the condition.
B. UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
Sources of customer information -Often organizations claim to know their
customers requirements, yet theyve never taken the time to do a real thorough
analysis. Sure, they probably know their customers general requirements, but do they
know what is really important to their customers, how they measure up relative to the
important factors and how they compare to the competition in the areas most important
to the customer? In most cases they dont and wont unless they collect this information
in a formal, systematic manner.

 Your own organization Without looking too far, youll be able to uncover potential
areas of customer dissatisfaction by reviewing internal key operational data. Check on
the status of backlogs or issues. Chances are if these are significant company may
have some customers that are not happy with delivery.

Customers Company should start with a review of customer complaints and inquiries.
If dont have a systematic way of collecting these, company should develop one. Both
are good indicators of opportunity areas.

Surveys and focus groups are two of the most popular methods for gathering
information on customer needs. Surveys are written questions given to individual
customers; focus groups are oral questions administered to groups of customers. Both
must have clear and specific goals up front in order to be successful.

C. CREATING YOUR CUSTOMER VISION AND SERVICE POLICIES

The visionIn order to transform the company into one that values customer
satisfaction, company must establish a customer-centered vision for the company.

D. DEALING EFFECTIVELY WITH CUSTOMERS

Now, once company established customer-centered vision and created customerfriendly policies, company is ready to sharpen skills necessary to deal effectively with
customers. These skills can be segregated into two areascommunication skills and
problem-solving skills.

 Communication skillsHow company communicate to their customers is just as

important as what they communicate.

Greet your customersPut them at ease and make them feel comfortable! When
customer or prospective customer first walks in or telephones you with an inquiry or
order, make him feel welcomed. This sets the tone for the rest of the transaction. If this
is the first time with this customer, this is when first impressions can help or hurt,
depending on how well company make their customer feel within those first critical
moments.

Value customers Customers want to feel special, and to make them feel special
company should have set of attitude and behavior to say, Youre the customeryou
pay my salary. You make my job possible. When Company value customers, sincerity
makes them feel good about company . A customer-focused organization is not in
business to deliver a product or service, but, instead, is there to enable people to enjoy
the benefits of its product or service.

Customer Service Plan

Sri Lankan Airlines is in business to provide safe, dependable and friendly air
transportation to our customers, along with numerous related services. We are
dedicated to making every flight customers take with us something special. Customers
safety, comfort and convenience are our most important concerns. Sri Lankan Airlines
serve almost 250 cities around the world, from Maldives to Zurich, and operate more
than xy daily flights. Our combined fleet numbers more than xy aircraft. In addition to
our domestic service, we serve numerous destinations in Europe, Asia, Middle East,
SEA, Australia, and America. The Sri Lankan frequent flyer program, Flysmile is a
popular program in Asia.
We are in business to provide safe, dependable, and friendly air transportation to our
customers, along with numerous related services, in the hopes that our customers will
fly us again and again. We work very hard to make their entire experience with us, from
making a reservation to deplaning at their final destination, a positive one. Although we
are successful in this effort most of the time, there are times when things do not go as
smoothly as we, and customers would like. Operating a network of more than xy flights
and servicing hundreds of thousands of passengers each day is challenging and
complex. Inevitably, some of our flights are affected by adverse circumstances, some of
which are within our control and some of which are not.
This Customer Service Plan addresses a number of the service goals we have defined

for ourselves. Every customer is important to Sri Lankan Airlines, and we are dedicated
to making every flight our customers take with us something special. Their safety,
comfort, and convenience are our most important concerns.

Lowest fare availability

Delays, cancellations, and diversion events

Essential customer needs during extraordinary delays

Assistance when flight has been delayed or cancelled

Baggage delivery
Baggage liability

Guaranteed fares .

Ticket refunds

Accommodation of customers with special needs

Frequent Flyer Program

Other travel policies

Service with International code share partners

Handling of customer issues

Lowest Fare Availability

Customers calling our reservations office or visiting our airline ticket offices or ticket
counters will be offered the lowest available fare, exclusive of Internet only fares, when
specific dates and times are provided. If customers do not provide specific information
about their travel requirements, we will provide them with a range of fares for their
general needs. In the event the lowest available fare is not quoted, Sri Lankans liability
is limited to the difference between the fare quoted and the lowest available fare for
which the customer was eligible at that time. If lower fares are available online or
elsewhere, we will advise this is the case.
Delays, Cancellations, and Diversion Events
Sri Lankan Airlines will provide customers at the airport and onboard an affected
aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding known delays, cancellations, and
diversions within 30 minutes of becoming aware of the flight irregularity, and will strive to
provide the best available information concerning the duration of delays and, to the
extent available, the flight's anticipated departure time.
When cancellations and major delays are experienced, we will attempt to reroute our
customers on our next flight with available seats. If the delay or cancellation was caused

by events within our control and we do not get customers to their final destination on
the expected arrival day, we will provide reasonable overnight accommodations, subject
to availability. If a flight is adversely affected by events beyond our control.
In extreme circumstances, it is possible that a flight will cancel while on the ground in
the city to which it was diverted. When this happens, we will attempt to reroute our
customers on the next flight with available seats, or in some circumstances on another
airline or some other alternative means of transportation. If we are unable to reroute,
reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided by the Airline.
Essential Customer Needs During Extraordinary Delays
Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our customers, and we are focused on
having all our flights arrive and deplane on schedule. On very rare occasions, there may
be extraordinary events that result in very lengthy onboard delays. These are situations
in which an aircraft is delayed on the ground (other than on an active runway or taxiway)
but does not have access to a terminal gate for more than two hours. We have
developed detailed contingency plans at every domestic airport to address these
situations. In such events, we will make every reasonable effort to ensure our customer
essential needs, such as snack food, water, restroom facilities, and basic medical
assistance, are met.
Assistance When Flight Has Been Delayed or Cancelled
We expect, as customers do, that Airline will operate flights on time. On occasion, the
weather or other challenges can make it difficult, if not impossible to stay on schedule.
When a delay or cancellation does occur, our goal is to get our customer reach
destination safely, and as quickly as possible.
Baggage Delivery
Sri Lankan Airlines will devote extensive resources and efforts to ensure our customers
and their bags travel on the same flight. In the event theirr checked bags do not arrive
on the flight, reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that the bag is returned to them
within 24 hours for flights within the U.S.
If customer is unable to locate a bag upon arrival, they should notify a baggage service
agent prior to leaving the airport. At that time, the bag delivery procedure will be
explained, and customers will be provided with a brochure explaining the baggage
recovery process.
Once a delayed or misrouted bag is located, a delivery company will return the bag to
thier local address at our expense.

Guaranteed Fares and 24 hour hold policy

When customers make a reservation seven or more days prior to departure by
telephone with Airline Reservations or via website for flights, the reservation can be held
and the fare quoted will be guaranteed for 24 hours or until 11:59 p.m. Central Time the
following day, whichever allows you more time to purchase their ticket. Once payment is
received, normal refund policies apply to the ticket.
Refunds
Sri Lankan Airlines will strive to process eligible refunds in the time frames set out, upon
receipt of all required information.
Customers with Disabilities
Sri Lankan Airlines will provide passengers with disabilities dignified, professional, and
courteous service at all times. We have a team of employees who regularly consult with
disability advisory groups on how we can improve airline accessibility and the quality of
our service.
Pre-Reserved Seats
Sri Lankan Airlines will have option to block a limited number of seats on each aircraft to
accommodate customers who identify themselves as having a qualified disability.
Adjacent seats are provided, under certain circumstances, for customers with
disabilities who must travel with a companion for assistance.
Wheelchairs
Sri Lankan Airlines will accept motorized and non-motorized assistive devices for
transport. When necessary, we will disassemble and reassemble wheelchairs or
assistive devices for customers when they travel.
Boarding Assistance
If customers have special needs, upon request, pre-boarding assistance will be
provided, allowing them the opportunity to be seated prior to general boarding.
.
Medical Oxygen
Customers requiring inflight medical oxygen may use only FAA-approved portable
oxygen concentrators (POCs) during all phases of the flight. A 48-hour advance notice
is required to complete medical paperwork.

Complaint Resolution Officials for Customers with Special Needs

Sri Lankan Airlines will deploy employees at airports who are trained as Complaint
Resolution Officials (CROs) and are available during operating hours.
Minimum Time for Checking In and Arriving at the Gate
To retain pre-reserved seat on a confirmed flight, customers needs to adhere to the
minimum check in and gate arrival times . Airline have suggested airport arrival times to
help customers check in and get through Security with enough time.
Handling of Customer Issues
Our goal is to be a service and product leader in the airline industry. When customer
service issues arise, we try to resolve them at the first point of contact. As a result, we
have devoted resources to the front line and rely on our personnel to solve most
problems during daily activity.
Additionally, our Customer Relations department will be dedicated to addressing
unresolved customer comments and concerns. The Customer Relations department will
respond to customers' written complaints within 60 days. Every complaint will be
personally read and a response will be sent to the customer.

Assignment 2