270 Unit 4 Bank Management What Is Customer Service? A customer enters the bank to buy traveler’s checks for an upcoming vacation. The teller smiles, says hello, and issues the traveler’s checks as quickly as possible. The teller then asks a few questions about how satisfied the customer is with checking and savings accounts service at the bank. The customer responds, “quite pleased” and leaves the bank. When did the customer service begin? When the customer entered the bank? When standing in line? When purchasing the traveler’s checks? Customer service includes all interactions between a customer and the bank. A customer is an individual, organization, or business that purchases a product or service. Customer service starts when the bank and the customer interact for the fi rst time. This could be a click on a fi website, a comment about the bank that the customer overhears at work, or the use of an ATM at the mall. Every interaction is an opportunity to impress. Good customer service adds value to the bank and increases the customer’s loyalty. It is the customer who judges the quality of the service. The difference between poor customer service and great customer service is the difference between losing and keeping a customer. Employee Behavior Every bank employee is a customer service representative. Even though the bank may have dedicated customer service employees, each employee provides some type of customer service. Bank personnel must avoid any behavior that is unethical or inappropriate. Customers do not have to put up with rude or ignorant responses. It is easy for them to take their business to another bank that treats them well. Figure 11-6 shows examples of behaviors that refl ect poor customer service and those that refl ect good customer service. Remember that happy customers become loyal customers who will return to fi ll other banking needs. It costs much less to retain satisfied customers than it does to acquire new ones. To provide positive customer service, employees should always: • address the customer by name • know the products and services that the bank offers • apply their expertise to the customers’ needs to fi nd the product that is right for him or her, not just what is profi table for the bank and • exceed in the customer’s expectation for service. The diffe service i Emp Ev though e ach pers Cus It i s th p shoul d • add • kno w • app Source: Shutterstock (Alexander Raths) Ba n ks bu i l d ra p po rt w ith c usto m e rs th ro u g h pe rso n a l i nte racti o n a n d q u a l ity c usto m e r se rv i ce.