EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background Customer is the center point of every enterprise and always depends on customer satisfaction. Therefore, high quality customer service is required for the pleasure of clients. Considering present economic volatile situation, offering excellent customer service will be one of the important factors of the success and failure in a business corporation. There is an increase over the past years on the requirement of performance level from customer service staffs which resulted in upgrading of customer service standards. Providing high quality customer service needs knowledge, foresight and effort aside from the appropriate skills to serve customer better. In this concept, training is a best action in this direction (Macaulay & Cook, 1994). Aside from this, in a highly competitive economy, many organisations have acknowledged the need of a high quality customer service not just to attract new clients but as well as to retain customers. Best customer service is considered as a critical success factor in an business organisation survival if management illustrates involvement in efforts, commitment, time, visibility and persistence (Macaulay & Cook, 1994). 1.2 Aims The purpose of this report is to examine the symptoms of management problems regarding the customers service division in the case study of YakkaTech Pty Ltd that can be found in textbook McShane et al. 2010, Organizational behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 3rd edn, pp 295296. It will also evaluate the main causes of these problems. Aside from this, the report focuses on the recommendations for actions to be taken by the Yakkatech Pty Ltd executives in order to take corrective actions to address these problems. 1.3 Scope The report examines the on-line resource that focuses on management approaches with regards to the understanding of the problems involve in the motivation of Yakkatech Pty Ltd workforce. It will also analyse web based management literature to illustrate employees values and attitudes towards positive work performance. Using theories from this management articles and after analysing the case, solutions are develop to the problems involve that will affect customers satisfaction with regards to customers service. 1.4 Summaries In Predicting autonomous and controlled motivation to transfer training, it studied using the combine theories of expectancy theory of motivation, self-determination theory and the theory of planned behaviour to show the importance of motivation for the transfer of learning

from training to the job in workplaces. The application of training to the workplace applications determines the effectiveness of human resource development involvement in motivating employees to transfer training. The study made and evaluated new perspective in examining motivation to effectively transfer training to be applied on the job (Gegengurtner, 2009). In the article of A processual analysis of customer service training, customer service training is considered as one of the critical factor of quality development process at the forefront of management priorities. The aim of this training has changed from building skills and discipline to process improvement. This process is the practice of continuously reviewing, analysing, evaluating changing clients expectations and the improvement of services. Aside from considering the behavioural and organisational aspects of customer service training, the study also considers from a managerial perspective championing customer, encouraging heuristic

2.0 YakkaTech Pty Ltd Customer Service Management Problems YakkaTech Pty Ltd encountered problems on its customer service division which are exhibited by the following enumerations:

2.1 Customer Complaints A single complaint coming from a client is a manifestation of dissatisfaction. Although this will serve as a feedback of the quality of YakkaTech Pty Ltd IT systems infrastructures, it should be considered as a significant factor. The management should be focused towards the complaints process and how it should be handled. Problems need to be defined and to clarify the firms policy towards complaint handling. Finally establishing procedures for implementing companys policies in order to satisfy clients plays an important role. The core in complaint handling engages in the synchronization of firms resources with the clients requirements. This will resolve the slow response to clients problem by achieving an acceptable match between a response required by the client and the response that consumer service should be rendered to them (Resnick & Harmon, 1983). It is important to address complaints at the soonest and in a fair approach rather than having a defensive manner in dealing the problems. One of the essentials for prevention of this is developing a structured costumer complaint management. In order to resolve a fast complaint response, a customer voice processing technique is made to translate complaints into factors of rectification. It composes of customer and technical information matrix for the purpose of transforming the complaints into attainable factor and defining and developing a problem statement. From this, complaints are processed according to its importance level to prioritize the complaints based on frequency (Shanmugaraja, Nataraj & Gunasekaran, 2010). On the other hand, Chan and Ngai illustrates that complaint handling refers to the adaptation of strategies use by the company to resolve and learn from failures of customers service to gain again the firms reliability and integrity (Chan & Ngai, 2010). 2.2 Employee Fast Turn-over The number of employee resignations in Yakkatech Pty Ltd had risen for the last eighteen months which there is a fast turnover above the industry average. As a result, labour increased in training new staffs and low productivity of new staffs. It is established that there is a relationship between employee satisfaction, employee turnover and customer satisfaction. Poor work environment is one of the indication of high employee turnover however will reflect the loss of veteran employees which will result in negative effects in the clients (Hurley & Estelami, 2005). It is essential to understand the causes of turnover in order to reduce it. Various reasons are cited for this phenomenon and these include poor management, low compensation and the desire to alleviate employees quality of life. It is an accepted theory that if employees received fair treatment and rewards from management employees will feel obligated to remain in the company (Kacmar & Andrews, ). 2.3 Customer Service Training

In YakkaTech Pty Ltd, employees find their job monotonous and have the feeling of disconnection from the consequences of their respective jobs. In this connection, training on customer service skills and behaviours has turn out to be an essential due to the fact that there is an increase complexity of the responsibilities performed by a customer service staff. These trainings should emphasize courtesy and patience as well as giving real effort to respond to customers problems. The important skills that should be incorporated in the training are better communication skills, customer retention, problemsolving capabilities, customer satisfaction and effective use of available technology (Mouawad & Kleiner, 1996). 2.4 Conflicts Ongoing conflicts between people in other department were observed in YakkaTech Pty Ltd. Since conflicts are primarily disagreements of ideas and interests as well as differences in opinions, teams must engage in learning behaviour in order to fully understand their working environment and clients and to coordinate teams action efficiently. Teams should learn effective self-management and process improvement and by this they will develop collective level of shared skills and knowledge which will result in a better team performance (van Woerkom & van Engen, 2009). 2.5 Team Motivation Increasing pay rates failed to improve morale and reduce employee turnover in YakkaTech Pty Ltd. In this regard, there is lack of motivation employed by the management to maintain effective team work and employee retention. Given that motivation is associated with forces acting on an employee causing that person to act a particular way, motivation factors should be used among employees in knowledge based work environment. Balance of work and personal life should be considered giving importance to family in work. Instead of money as a prime motivator, self-esteem is used in assigning work to innovate and result in better output (Amar, 2004). 3.0 Recommendations Based on the findings, several recommendations can be made. Customer service should have an effective complaint handling and service policies in customer retention. According to Chan & Ngai, these policies would be based on Justice Theory and Fairness Theory which is the primary basis of the framework for complaint management. In these theories, ethical judgement of employees is important and can be completed by reference to moral standards (Chan & Ngai, 2010). Synchronisation of YakkaTech Pty Ltd company resources is essential in complaint handling with consideration of clients needs and present business environment. An acceptable match should be achieved between responses required by a customer and the response made by

the customer service representative. This will result with the primary objective of response from the customer service the client satisfaction (Resnik & Harmon, 1983). Promoting good communication, cooperation and understanding between employees in YakkaTech Pty Ltd would be recommended since these will contribute in the elimination of conflicts within the division. This is based on the general concept of conflicts which is a disagreement regarding interests or ideas and differences of opinions. For the same reason, it will also address conflicts that are caused by negative emotions such as personal tensions, frustrations and anger (van Woerkom & van Engen, 2009). Perceptions of work environment and job design can influence YakkaTech Pty Ltd customer service employees attitudes, behaviours and work performance. These will also affect client perceptions of customer service quality, value and satisfaction. Management characteristics, social environment, over all perception of the job and personality are the factors that will influence these (Mascio, 2010). Management should strategically use self-esteem in assigning work to employees instead of monetary reward in a knowledge environment. This will motivate them successfully to innovate and result to a better performance. Motivation is the prime factor in retaining experienced employees within the company and reduced operation cost in training new employees. Management should emphasised the importance of family and other personal relationships of employees to make a new balance between job and family life (Amar, 2004). Major reorganisation should be taken into consideration In YakkTech Pty Ltd with the main objective of offering the fully integrated customer service to its clients. A series of workshops should be conducted on addressing issues such as customer relations, quality of communications between clients and customer service representatives. In investing on this training, systems are developed for the sole purpose of satisfying customers. In the case for the management point of view this will mean continually aiming for excellence. In addition to this, the importance of innovation made by employees for work effectiveness should be accepted. Developing, implementing and adopting new ideas for new work methods in customer service should be considered as an innovative behaviour and as an important factor in an effective business work environment (Yuan & Woodman, ). Effective management can make different practices by using this extensive workforce training. As this will provide specific task skills that is applicable for the present work requirements and also for developing future job functions. This training will also acknowledge the failure of the customer service division in satisfying clients (Smith & Rupp, 2004). Effective teamwork should be promoted by the management in YakkaTech Pty Ltd. Ray Hobbs states that teamwork is a critical operational practice for achieving excellent customer service. According to Hobbs, teamwork is reinforced through company rewards. In maintaining teamwork to work effectively, the following characteristics should be illustrated in a team which are cooperation, coordination, proper

communication, comforting environment and the ability to resolve conflicts (McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione, 2010).

4.0 Conclusions