The Customer Service Agent Case Study

German University in Cairo Faculty of Management Technology Technology

Course Name

Compensation and Performance Management

Case 1

The Customer-Service Agent Prepared By:

Naglaa Ahmed Raouf Hamed (I !"-"!#"$

u!mitted To

Prof% r% Ahmed Amin

&% oes the the da' diar' diar' includ includee sufficient sufficient information information "es the provided #iary in this case does provide sufficient information to ena!le the process of $riting a %o! description& Nevertheless it is !etter to collect the data from different data sources 'other incum!ents()o!holders* supervisors* +,pertise and(or analysts- to ensure consistent* accurate* useful* and accepta!le data&

)% Identif' the specific information in the article that 'ou found useful 

 

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*o+ Identification Title . customer.service agent #epartment in $hich )o! is located . The customer.service department Num!er of people $ho hold )o! . /0 customer.service agents

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*o+ Content

 

Tass

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#ealing $ith difficult people 2andling the !ucets of e.mail and intermittent phone calls from curious* addled and upset users& Fields !et$een 30 and 100 emails and half a do4en phone calls& Customer.service agents are the crucial lin !et$een the faceless 5e! site and the consumer& 6nd ho$ they deal $ith the pu!lic can mae or !rea a !usiness& . ome customer pro!lems re7uire research and deep digging to find the resolution . They have to ans$er routine 7uestions that generate stoc responses& . #o $hat the company calls 8trust and safety $or9: investigating fraud and looing for things on the site that is 8funy&9 . 5hen 2alf&com receives a complaint from a !uyer a!out a seller* it is Mr& yan;s )o! to contact !oth  parties and mae sure there is no fraud occurring& . Trac do$n the details on transactions in the 2alf&com user data!ase& 6ctivities .

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The customer.service department receives a!out 1*<00 to =*000 e.mails a day* of $hich nearly a third are complaints a!out transactions& The rest are mostly 7uestions a!out the goods and ho$ the site $ors . >ess than 1? of the site;s transactions re7uire customer service;s involvement& . Time to noc do$n some $alls& >ively human.resources $orer 6licia #iCiacco invites Mr& yan and his colleagues to pic up sledgehammers and noc through a $all at the end of the office& 2alf&com;s staff has dou!led in the past year* and the company is e,panding into ad)acent space in the old tire factory& Constraints on actions . .

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6fter each purchase is made* the !uyer gets a chance to rate the seller;s performance on a scale from 1 to <@8poor9 to 8e,cellent&9 +very rating sellers collect is displayed along $ith their user name ne,t to su!se7uent items they list& %ust one negative rating can ruin a seller;s reputation* depending on ho$ many sales he or she has made overall& 2alf&com;s policy is that if a !uyer hasn;t received an item $ithin /0 days of the purchase* he or she can lodge an official complaint& 2alf&com !elieves that help !eyond the re7uirements of its o$n rules* separates its customer.service approach from that of other companies& Communications $ith customers should have a consistent and pleasant tone 5hat the company learned* is that 8customers don;t mind if you tae a little more time to ans$er their  specific 7uestion&9 Anstead of )ust firing off e.mails* 2alf&com sees it as important to personali4e each message& +ven $ith the personali4ation* 2alf&com says it responds to most messages $ithin = hours& +.mail messages should conform to the 8grandmother rule*9 +ach message should 8mae sense to my grandmother&9 Af it doesn;t* 8then $e are not heading in the right direction&9 5hen an official complaint has !een lodged the other party has five days in $hich to respond&

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The site is supposed to list all ne$ !oos from ma)or pu!lishers* even if no one is selling them& That $ay* if a user is interested* he or she can put it on a $ish list and the site $ill automatically e.mail him or her $hen a copy has !een posted for sale& . 2alf&com prefers to conduct customer service on e.mail* to eep its costs do$n* it doesn;t display its  phone num!er on its 5e! site& . An the event that the seller disputes the !uyer;s claim a!out the tape* 2alf&com is still liely to grant a refund* especially on ine,pensive items& . 2alf&com maes it clear* that its customer.service team eeps a close $atch on users; complaints* looing out for fraudulent refund re7uests& . Af 2alf&com suspects foul play* it doesn;t grant refunds so easily& Performance criteria . . .

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The calls are the most stressful At usually taes a!out an hour to get through 10 messages. 8Customers don;t mind if you tae a little more time to ans$er their specific 7uestion&9 Anstead of )ust firing off e.mails& . Communications $ith customers should have a consistent and pleasant tone& . +.mail messages should conform to the 8grandmother rule*9 . Customer.service team eeps a close $atch on users; complaints* looing out for fraudulent refund re7uests& Critical incidents .

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There has !een virtually no turnover in customer service since the company !egan a year and a half  ago& . 2alf&com $ouldn;t discuss salaries& But Mr& yan and his colleagues* $ho are split into t$o shifts covering  a&m& to midnight* seven days a $ee* say they;re satisfied $ith their $ages* $hich include 7uarterly !onuses& . 6 !uyer $ho purchased the video game 8T$isted Metal AA9 t$o months ago !ut never received it $rites to than 2alf&com for 8hounding9 the seller to send him the item& But he $ants a refund& . 6 user $ho can;t find the ne$ tephen Ding novel* 8#reamcatcher*9 on 2alf&com& The site is supposed to list all ne$ !oos from ma)or pu!lishers* even if no one is selling them& That $ay* if a user is interested* he or she can put it on a $ish list and the site $ill automatically e.mail him or her  $hen a copy has !een posted for sale Conflicting demands . .

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2andling the !ucets of e.mail and intermittent phone calls from curious* addled and upset users& 5hen 2alf&com receives a complaint from a !uyer a!out a seller* it is Mr& yan;s )o! to contact !oth  parties and mae sure there is no fraud occurring& 5oring conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Customer.service agents are split into t$o shifts covering  a&m& to midnight* seven days a $ee& 6 short drive from his home& The company is a single.story gray !uilding* $hich is a former tire factory in a colonial.era industrial to$n on the outsirts of Philadelphia The office has an open feel $ith tall ceilings& $ors in a lo$.slung* !lac cu!icle to$ard the !ac of the office The atmosphere at 2alf&com is decidedly young and casual& E:/0 6M* it;s time for a coffee !rea  The itchen* $hich is )ust do$n the hall& The itchen is a $ell.lit room* stoced $ith free cappuccino* )uice* soda* fruit* cereal* cooies and other munchies& The cafeteria also dou!les as a lounge $ith a satellite television playing +PN* a Foos!all ta!le and a Ping.Pong ta!le& &",&" AM Bathroom !rea& &",)# AM nac time. +nergetic& 8At;s e,citing to $or here*9 he says& &),&" PM >unch it;s tough to $or at a des  ! PM Bathroom !rea 

 

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.  PM The day is done oles . .

Customer.ervice agent handling the !ucets of e.mail and intermittent phone calls from curious* addled and upset users& 2e also does $hat the company calls 8trust and safety $or9: investigating fraud and looing for  things on the site that are 8funy&9

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.mplo'ee Characteristics

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Professional(technical no$ledge .

Trac do$n the details on transactions in the 2alf&com user data!ase

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Manual sills

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. %eans are the uniform . 2e $ears a $ell.groomed goatee and small round glasses* and sits up straight at his des  er!al sills . . .

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n a typical day fields !et$een 30 and 100 emails and half a do4en phone calls& The calls are the most stressful emains calm* calling on sills he learned in a one.day seminar called 8#ealing $ith #ifficult People&9 An the class* $hich he too !efore coming to 2alf&com* he learned to paraphrase $hat the customer is saying to mae sure he understands the complaint& 5ritten sills . .

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Taes a!out an hour to get through 10 messages. 2e doesn;t find the e.mails tedious& 8There is such a variety of a topic to respond to*9 he says& 8A never  get <0 of the same 7uestions in a ro$9& . 2e then tacs onto the end of the e.mail a salutation that he dra$s from a list of suggested message closers provided !y 2alf&com& The list* the company says* maes it easier for the agents to $rite so many e.mails& Huantitative sills .

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Mechanical sills .

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Trac do$n the details on transactions in the 2alf&com user data!ase Not re7uired

Conceptual sills .

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8Customers don;t mind if you tae a little more time to ans$er their specific 7uestion&9 Anstead of )ust firing off e.mails* Managerial sills .

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>eadership sills .

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Not mentioned Not mentioned

Anterpersonal sills . . .

emains calm and to paraphrase $hat the customer is saying to mae sure he understands the complaint& Taes care to spea clearly $ith a strong sense of empathy& preface it $ith a heartfelt

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Internal Relationships

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Boss I other superiors .

 

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Peers . .

 

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Not mentioned

Customer.service agents are split into t$o shifts covering  a&m& to midnight 6 ne$ shift of $orers pics up $here Mr& yan left off* toiling from  p&m& to 1= a&m& 5hen they finish* the customer.service staff in eBay;s facility in alt >ae City $ill tae over& u!ordinates

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Not mentioned

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./ternal Relationships

 

uppliers

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5hen 2alf&com receives a complaint from a !uyer a!out a seller* it is Mr& yan;s )o! to contact !oth  parties and mae sure there is no fraud occurring& . 6fter each purchase is made* the !uyer gets a chance to rate the seller;s performance on a scale from 1 to <@8poor9 to 8e,cellent&9 . +very rating sellers collect is displayed along $ith their user name ne,t to su!se7uent items they list& %ust one negative rating can ruin a seller;s reputation* depending on ho$ many sales he or she has made overall& Customers . .

#ealing $ith difficult people 2andling the !ucets of e.mail and intermittent phone calls from curious* addled and upset users&

 

egulatory

 

. 2e started $ith 2alf&com last 6ugust* $hich maes him something of an old.timer& Professional(Andustry

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2alf&com* an online maretplace o$ned !y eBay& >ie eBay* 2alf&com attempts to match !uyers and sellers in a vast flea maret featuring millions of products ranging from trading cards to camcorders& But unlie eBay* there;s no !idding& 2alf&com lists items only at fi,ed prices& there;s no $ay for !uyers and sellers to interact directly !uyers use their credit cards or checing accounts to pay 2alf&com

Community .

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Mr& yan eats up the office energy& 8At;s e,citing to $or here*9 he says& 85e;re gro$ing& 5e had the second launch of the site& J2alf&com e,panded its product line in 6prilK& 5e;re doing construction& At;s good to come to $or $hen the company is doing $ell&9 Union(+mployee Groups .

6 ne$ shift of $orers pics up $here Mr& yan left off* toiling from  p&m& to 1= a&m& 5hen they finish* the customer.service staff in eBay;s facility in alt >ae City $ill tae over&

!% 0hat additional information do 'ou re1uire Ho2 2ould that information help 'ou  No additional information is re7uired

% 0hat are some of the relational returns of the 3o+ . . .

+nergetic and e,citing $oring atmosphere satisfying $ages* $hich include 7uarterly !onuses +mployee security* as there $as no turnover in customer service since the company !egan a year  and a half ago&

*o+ description,

*o+ Title, L Customer.ervice agent L  *o+ Summar', #eals $ith customers !y email and through phone calls to handle customer in7uiries and complaints& • !tain all information from the customer and acts as a middleman on !ehalf of 2alf&com* !et$een the •

sellers and the !uyers to settle all disputes* in7uiries and complaints& Relationships, 5ill have and maintain $oring relationships $ith other Customer ervice 6gents on different shift •

schedules* as $ell as agents off sight in the alt >ae City customer service location& This )o! has only self.supervisory responsi!ilities& 4ualifications, 2igh school graduate • Prior e,perience in the customer service field preferred& 2ave a good grasp of the follo$ing sill set:

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trong customer service orientation& Communication sills* ver!al and $ritten& Pro!lem identification and effective pro!lem solving techni7ues& 6ccuracy and detail orientated& As patience* calm and speas clearly Dno$ledge of computer programs and operating systems such as email and $ord processing&

.ssential uties and Responsi+ilities, Must !e motivated and !e a!le to $or $ith limited supervision& Must have e,cellent computer sills& Must !e a!le to handle and prioriti4e assigned tass& espond to situations that arise !et$een !uyers and sellers* such as miscommunication !et$een the

 parties involved in the transaction& Provide phone and $e! !ased assistance !y ans$ering 7uestions and resolving occasional disputes as

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needed& Anvestigate allegations of fraud that are attempted to !e conducted !y sellers on the auction sight& Must !e a!le to $or in a team environment&