Un efect pozitiv al crizei economice va fi disparitia de pe piata a firmelor necompetitive si/sau care nu ofera servicii de calitate. Un alt efect pozitiv: unele firme vor scapa de faliment prin restructurarea activitatii si imbunatatirea serviciilor oferite. In ambele cazuri, clientul are de castigat. ---------------------------- Vali "Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of greatness." "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Aboneaza-te la <mailto:[email protected]> ngo_list: o alternativa moderata (un pic) la [ngolist] Please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email? http://www.vivid.ro/index.php/issue/98/page/Economics%20And%20Business/tstam p/1234521013 Romanian customer service By Vivid writer: <http://www.vivid.ro/writers.php/writer/Ray%20Breden/wrid/105/issue/98> Ray Breden Posted: 13/02/2009 Customer service standards have often been questionable in Romania, a legacy of its communist past All of us are wondering how the world recession will affect Romania, and how our businesses, our jobs and our way of life will be affected. The wellbeing of the service sector in Romania is essential to the economy. I would like to tell you about two things that happened to me on the same day recently, which got me thinking.
I will only describe the facts, and will leave you to draw your own conclusions. I was in a supermarket with my wife, and had done a lot of shopping. So much so, in fact, that we had three full trolleys. Two members of staff were doing some cleaning. When they saw us with three trolleys, they asked whether we had finished shopping, and when we said yes they took the trolleys from us, opened up a new check-out, packed all of our purchases and then took them to our car. Later that day I wanted to buy some racks for my CDs. A few weeks previously I had bought a rack which, as it turned out, was very good, but did not have sufficient space for my CDs, so I went back to the same store. The store was empty, even though it was in the run up to Christmas, and all of the staff were standing around unoccupied. I did not see the CD rack on display, and so I asked whether they had any. The response was "No", and nothing more. I then asked whether this item might be in stock. The response was "Don't know". I asked then whether it was possible to look at the computerised catalogue to see whether this item was still sold, and if so, was it in stock in that store or another branch of the same store. The answer - yes you have guessed - "Not possible". Reluctant to give up, I asked the assistant what she suggested I do. She shrugged her shoulders and turned her back on me. Both of the above stores are well known in Bucharest. My question for you, the reader, is which one you are more likely to return to? This is almost a no-brainer, because unless you positively like bad service, then obviously you would go again to the same supermarket but would not return to the store where I attempted to buy a CD rack. The service sector is very important to the economy of Romania. It provides jobs. It adds value to business users and private consumers alike. Or at least it should do. At a time when there is the clear possibility of a downturn in the economy, with cutbacks in consumer spending and business investment, it is even more important that the service sector does what it is supposed to do, which is to provide a service. If businesses and consumers are dissatisfied, then they will not spend. I often give presentations as to what customers value, and why they choose one service supplier instead of another. If you consider the case of supermarkets, the likelihood is that the things that you want to buy can be found in most supermarkets, and so the choice of supermarket is not made on the basis of the quality of product because this is the same. Consumers choose supermarkets for a variety of other reasons, two of which are the helpfulness of the staff and whether there are plenty of check-outs where you don't have to wait. If you then consider more widely the service sector, all studies have shown that the successful service suppliers give good service. They are attentive to the needs of their client. They find out what the client really needs and then they supply it. They react quickly and efficiently. They deliver on time. I think that it is only a question of time before the bad, and even the just-about-acceptable, service suppliers in Romania begin to feel the effects of recession in Romania. I also believe that the good service suppliers who understand what service is all about, and deliver good service, will continue to grow. The real question is whether the bad service suppliers in Romania will recognise in sufficient time that they have a problem. Addressing the problems of bad service is relevant to all employees, from the owner down to the most junior employee. If the owner does not do anything to improve service he or she will see a drop in profits at the very least and at worst will go out of business. The employee who regards customers as an irritation (and we see so many of those!) will no longer have a job. I am not confident that the inefficient service suppliers will recognise their problems in sufficient time. Of course some people will say that the bad service suppliers should go out of business. My preference is that the bad service suppliers become good suppliers, but realistically I do not think this will happen. It takes a lot to make businesses get rid of their bad practices, and my guess is that by the time they realise that their bad practices will not enable them to survive an economic downturn, it will be to late. So good luck to those who are prepared, and who are preparing, to learn and take on board the principles of good service! Ray Breden is a Director of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Director of Taxation Services at KPMG Romania. Copyright C 2008 Vivid Magazine Romania
