Customer Care Analysis

Introduction

Quality assurance means developing operational controls that will ensure that the results match the desired outcomes. Quality Assurance in customer service refers to the process of monitoring and grading representative interactions that will ensure a customer experience that is quality. Customer service operations are designed to keep customers satisfied while at the same time protecting the organization. The main goal of customer service is to help customers solve problems. Therefore for this function to be carried out effectively, customer service has to be accessible, knowledgable, reliable and deliver results. To ensure that customer service achieves it set goal quality assurance should be carried out as they apply to how the customers will be served best. Therefore quality assurance identifies the requirements and measures how well customer service is performing with respect to each other. In a nutshell quality assurance in customer service can be defined as a means that is used to evaluate the characteristics that make customer service effective.

Quality assurance in customer service can be done both internally and externally. This paper will therefore look at the various regulations and requirements for internal and external quality assurance in customer service. Internal quality assurance is the driving factor in qualifications in the national framework and also within quality and management systems of organizations that are approved. The role, in terms of managing the assessment so that the customer service meets the set standards, is central in maintaining the confidence of the customers whenever services are provided. External quality assurance on the other hand enhance value as they ensure internal quality assurance are able to evaluate conformance with the standards that have been set by bodies such as NVQ.NVQ code of practice sets out responsibilities for the NVQ awarding bodies and their approved centers for the administration, assessment and verification. The NVQ code of practice therefore suppliments,where applicable the requirements of statutory regulations of external qualifications in UK.This it achieves by specifying the additional quality assurance and control requirements that apply and reflect the distinctive character of NVQ.Therefore when external quality assurance is done it has to be in line with the qualifications accredited against these standards in customer service as meeting the assessor and verifier qualification requirements that are set out in the NVQ code of practice.

The requirements and responsibilities for quality assurance in customer service therefore include; reliability which entails the comparison of what the customer service organization promises the customer to what the expectations of the customer are and what the customer service delivers. If the delivered services are in line with the customer’s expectations and what had been promised to be delivered, then quality with respect to this customer service is high. If there are any gaps then quality assurance can be used to track improvements. It is therefore a requirement in quality assurance to regularly survey customers so to determine what they expect so that they can match up against promises and deliveries (Markgraf,2012).

Another requirement is competence, customers expect that their services are delivered competently and therefore quality assurance in customer service entails tracking of competence. This is evaluated through training and the results that are archieved.Every employee that is delivering customer service has to have acquired training that allows competent delivery and competent services. In quality assurance it is a requirement to keep records of training and regular survey of customers to evaluate competence of delivery.

Customers always have the expectation of reliable and competent service delivery in a form that is easily accessible. Customer service delivery is done over electronic means of communication. Factors that reduce the quality of delivery are tracked under quality assurance, reasonable levels defined and ensuring the maintenance of these levels over time.

Customer service aims to offer solutions to customer’s problems, therefore quality assurance ensures documentation of complaints from customers, tracking actions that are taken to resolve these problems and surveying on the satisfaction of customers with the results. Therefore quality assurance compares high levels of reliability, competence and delivery with the levels of customer satisfaction. Therefore quality assurance is very important in customer care service (Markgraf, 2012).

References

Markgraf, B. (2012) Definition of Quality Assurance in Customer Service.Retrieved November 6,2012 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/definition-quality-assurance-customer-service-39829.html