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Client
Background/Situation:
An international dry bulk shipping organization was
concerned that over the last couple of years they had lost contracts with
some of their larger customers due to an assortment of customer service issues.
Initiatives designed and implemented by The Focus Group
After meeting with the President and senior members of the marketing, traffic
and operations departments, TFG and the client organization agreed on the
following series of activities to identify and address the root causes of
this loss of customers:
>
A customer focused theme/service strategy was created and communicated.
> TFG in conjunction with
the client developed a customer satisfaction survey designed to obtain the
information that would satisfy the client's situational objectives.
> TFG then conducted two-hour
interviews with approximately fifty primary customers, obtaining verbal and
written comments, which were includedin a feedback report highlighting the
primary customer concerns.
> The survey instrument was
administered to the majority of the client's employees in a written format
with the results compared to those from the customers.
> TFG facilitated a series
of 1 or 2 day customer service workshops with both the corporate office and
the vessel leadership teams to enhance their skills as well as share the survey
results.
> A series of non-monetary
recognition programs were initiated to recognize employees who took extraordinary
steps to satisfy customers.
Outcomes of the initiatives:
> A significant increase
in employee generated suggestions for improving customer satisfaction
> Several customers indicated
that they would be giving the client more business as a result of the customer
survey follow through
> Each vessel was equipped
with an online customer database containing a multitude of standards of performance
for loading and unloading cargo which was developed - in part - from the customer
survey feedback
> Many favorable comments
were received regarding the vessel online customer data base and a perceived
reduction in loading and unloading errors
> The customer service workshop
information was converted to computer based for use on the vessels
> The traffic department
which has the majority of customer interactions was reorganized with staff
added to expedite and provide a broader array of customer services
> The new service strategy
and some of the customer feedback were the centerpieces of a new marketing
campaign
> A needs assessment was
conducted to enable the development of a computer based series of standards
of performance for typical front line employee duties on the vessels
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