Chuyên đề thực tập tốt nghiệp: A study on the Customer care service at ILA English center - ILA HN4

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITYFACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

NH TẾ z>

CHU DIEM HANH

A STUDY ON THE CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE AT ILA ENGLISHCENTER - ILA HN4

Hanoi, April 2023

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITYFACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

CHU DIEM HANH

A STUDY ON THE CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE AT ILA ENGLISHCENTER - ILA HN4

Supervisor: Pham Thi Quynh Hoa, M.A

skills, and knowledge.

Furthermore, I am truly thankful to my supervisor, Ms Pham Thi QuynhHoa for her guidance in conducting this study and for inspiring me to complete thethesis My graduation report would not have been finished on time if it weren't forher valuable time and excellent support from the very beginning to the very end.

Last but not least, I would like to send my deepest appreciation to the

Faculty of Foreign Languages, Business English Department at NEU for providingme the principal and adequate background knowledge and theory in both thelinguistics and business fields as preparation for my career orientation in overalland the internship program in particular, which have significantly contributed tomy finishing the report.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Vietnamese people have a growing need to learn English, thus Englishcenters must aim to offer the best customer service to attract the customers Thetopic was formed with the purpose of analyzing the actual customer care situationat the ILA English Center, thereby finding out the remaining issues with the systemand assisting the center in formulating recommendations to increase customersatisfaction and the center's competitiveness in comparison to rivals in the sameindustry.

The topic has studied theories related to service, customer, customer careprocess and conducted a survey of 70 clients at the center on the variablesinfluencing customer care service and their expectations The report has clarifiedthe state of customer service activities and identified the elements affecting

customer service at ILA, revealing certain restrictions on commitment and tuitionfee as well as the implementation of the services, facilities, Because of theserestrictions, the author has suggested solutions to these issues, enhancing the

company's competitive advantage and helping ILA develop at an increasing rate.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS: Centre Manager

: Education Planner: Operation Officer

: Operation Supervisor: Relation Supervisor

: Scheduling Executive

: Teaching and learning Manager

1

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Organizational strUCfUT€ c cccccs<sssss: 10Figure 2: Good Customer Service AtfrIbuf€S - ‹ 20Figure 3: ILA's business modelL -<c<- <<: 24Figure 4: Customer care DFOC©SS eee ee eee e eens eee se 25Figure 5: Customer care tasks process for the custOmefrs 2Ó

Figure 6: The proportion of the time that students have learned at ILA 29

Figure 7: Tang1bl€S ch nh cớ 30Figure 8: RellabilIty ng SE nh kh na 30Figure 9: ÑespO'SIV€T€SS SH nh hy 31Figure 10: ÀASSUTATC€ - c2 2n 2n SH nh kh nh re 32Figure 11: Empathy -. c2 hà s* 33

Figure 12: Changes the customers expect from IÙA 34

Figure 13: The reasons why the tuition fee isn’t worthy to the service 35Figure 14: Commitments the customers think ILA staff haven’t done well 35

Figure 15: The effectiveness of conveying information through talking or usingcommunication tools such as Zalo, Facebook, Gmail, SMS 36

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Complaint from the paren(s -.-. - 26Table 2: Re-enrollment rate of the January, 2023 - 29

11

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMA RRYY o5 5-5 5< S1 G0 09 00060005004 080 i

LIST OF ABBREVHA TIONNS 05-5 Họ HH 00000096 08 08 il

LIST OF FIGURES 25-5 5< < 5< HH 0 000 000909056 Hi

LIST OF TABLES 55 <5 5 << c0 0000 000609806 HiINTRODUCTION 5-55 sọ Họ HH Họ Họ 0.00 000004 00 1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPANY e<<<<< 51.1 General information eee Ố.ốồồ.Ồ 4 51.1.1 Company’s name and address ceccceesceeseceescesceceeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeaeenees 51.1.2 Establishment history 5 2c E3 21133911 831111118111 811 11 ky 5

1.1.3 Vision, mission and Core ValUe << «<< << <seeeeeeeeess 6

1.1.4 Teaching QuaÌTLy - 5 5 + kg HH TT ng 6In nnL haa 61.1.4.2 Teaching methodology cccccccscccessccsrsccsecessesesesseeenseeseseeseseenseseneeeaas 61.1.4.3 ILA's Teacher Training Department ccccccccccssccessesesseesseesssseseeeees 61.1.4.4 ILA Learning and Teaching Materidls c<<<<<<<<s+2 61.1.5 English 0.9 -ỏd 71.1.6 Business AWAT( Gv HH TH HH HH HH 9

2.2.3 The role of the customer Care S€TVIC€ - - - << + + + << + + £££££reeres 152.2.4 CusfOImer CAFE ACTIVITIES ng nh ng nh 16

2.2.4.1 Process Of the CUStOMET CŒT ccSc SE SekSeeksreeeeere 162.2.4.2 Factors creating CUStOMEL SALISfACTION ccccccecccessetesseeeteeeteeeees 172.2.5 Characteristics of Good customer Service - sec ssvss 19CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 0S Ăn se 223.1 The reality of Customer care service of ILA HN4 . - ‹5- 223.1.1 The reality of customer Care S€TVIC€ - 52c S31 ssseeeeeres 223.1.1.1 ILA’s students and their expectation cccccccccessccerseessecesseeesseeenees 22S.T1.2 BUSineSS MOE] ececccccccesccessecenscseeesenecenseseeeseeeseeeceeeseaeeseeeeeaeenses 243.1.1.3 CUStOMEY CATE JDYOCSS SH HH ng ệt 243.1.2 Activities to support CUStOMEF CATE S€TVICC - 5 5< + sex 273.1.3 Customer care service achIeV€eIme€If§ - -s‹- ss cv svsesssseers 29

3.2 Factors affecting customer care service of ILA HN4 29

3.2.1 Tangibles c1 v.v 1 HH TH ng HH HH tr 30c8) 00 30

c0 5 ỐẦ 31

3.2.4 ASSUTATC© Ặ Q H H H H e 32E6 min 33

CHAPTER 4: SOME RECOMMENDA TIONS ccSSSSSsSS1sessee 374.1 Equipment and facilities upgradafIONI - s55 + +ksseseseeeree 37“2N oi 37

“0o 38

500 38

AS 9° 394.6 Implementation plans for the SOlUtIONS 6 + + kskEseeeseeek 40CONCLUSIONN G0 000000100 00 41

REFERENCES cscsscsssssccccsssncsssssccncsscsssscsssscsscessesssssessssssssscssesscseesssssscescossees

APPENDIX ccccssssssssscsssscseseseccessesssssrsesssssssseacsesesesssesesscssssessesseseseessesessasseseseess

INTRODUCTION1 Background

In recent years, with the trend of globalization, Vietnam has become moreand more integrated with the world, making English become more and morepopular and essential for children, adults, those who have not worked yet, thosewho have worked, employees, managers, In Vietnam, there are an increasingnumber of language centers that target different customer categories in order tosuit the need there These English-language programs are specificallyconcentrated in major cities including Hanoi, Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City, Da

As this is regarded as a service business, it is difficult to evaluate the qualityof the service, and purchasing a service is also riskier than buying commodities.As aresult, selling services is more complicated than selling commodities sincebuyers frequently hesitate to acquire services and carefully analyze theiroptions Making the customers aware that business service's quality is higher

than that of the competition and that the service needs to stand out is customer

care is what businesses can do to suit their needs and win over clients fromtheir rivals.

The majority of firms today, especially service-oriented businesses, relysubstantially on customer care services to strengthen their competitiveadvantages It assists companies in differentiating their brand, service qualityin the eyes of consumers, retaining current clients, fostering greater clientloyalty, luring new clients, and reducing expenses for companies An importantcomponent of a company's marketing strategy is customer care service, whichhelps the company target its management efforts at its target market in an effort

to increase customers’ satisfaction with the service they receive.2 Rationale

Currently, there are numerous foreign language centers established in Hanoiwith different orientations and customer segments For example, VUS targetsmost of the audiences who are children and adults, Wall Street English targetsadults over 16 years old When starting business in Vietnam, ILA also has itsown segment, the customers they target are students under 16 years old, thetuition fee of ILA is also relatively high Along with the market saturation ofEnglish centers and high tuition fees, how can ILA attract customers? How do

customers know about the center and how to retain customers or let customersrefer to their friends? Therefore, in addition to performing well on the quality

1

of teaching and learning at the Center, ILA needs to have specific programsand actions in customer care to create an excellent service in all aspects toattract more and more customers to the center Participating in the Vietnamesemarket since 2000, ILA has achieved remarkable accomplishments inimplementing effective methods of teaching and learning English.

Nonetheless, there are long-established English centers in Vietnam,

including VUS, Apollo, the British Council, Cleverlearn, Language Link, etc.;

as aresult, they are ILA's main rivals Even while there are employees in chargeof providing customer care, some of them lack the necessary expertise, whichlimits the extent to which customer care may be provided The customer servicepersonnel frequently receive complaints since the target customers that the

Center is aiming for are high-income customers or wealthy families who

frequently have strict requirements Customers’ complaints regarding theCenter's services include: the system is still quite monotonous, the tuition isexpensive, the Center seldom ever arranges student exchanges, and customersaren't always taken care of as promised

Participating in customer care activities at the Center, I understandsomewhat the difficulties and challenges of the market for the Center, and atthe same time I also recognize how important customer care activities are tothe Center I would like to employ the theories of business administration ingeneral, the theory of quality management in particular, and the idea ofcustomer service quality in a case study at the ILA English Center to observe

and offer viable answers.

With the knowledge equipped in the process of studying at National

Economics University, along with the need for the perfection of customer care

work in the future at the Center, I would like to conduct a research project “Astudy on the Customer care service at ILA English center - ILA HN4” for

my final report.

3 Objectives

There are three goals for the study:

e Analyze the current status of customer care activities of ILA HN4;e Identify the factors influencing customer care service;

e Propose solutions to improve the quality of customer care service.

4 Research questions

This research is carried out specifically to respond to the followingquestions:

1 What is the real situation of Customer care service of ILA HN4?

2 What are the factors affecting the customer care service at ILA HN4?

3 What are viable measures to improve the quality of customer care service

at ILA HN4?

Scope of the research

The research is carried out in the scope of

Time: The data used for analysis was collected during the period February,2022 to February, 2023.

Audience: Customer care team, related departments of ILA English Centerand the customers of the centre.

e Information processing: using the comparative method to review the

results before and after the customer care activities at the center, andusing the evaluation method to analyze the secondary information to

find out issues in the customer care process, summarizing the reasons

why customers are not satisfied with customer service, combine withprimary data and expert opinion method to find out the main causes,

thereby proposing solutions to improve the quality of customer careservice at the center.

7 Research structure

The study includes four chapters in addition to the introduction, conclusion,list of abbreviations, list of tables, graphs, and list of references.

Chapter |: Introduction of ILA English Centre The author briefly introduce

ILA English Centre

Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework, presenting both the theories related to

the topic of study and the fundamental definitions that are applied in theresearch progress.

Chapter 3: Analysis and findings, analyzing the current situation ofcustomer care activities of ILA, then describing factors influencing thecustomer care service of ILA.

Chapter 4: Recommendations, which suggests solutions to the company andadditional researcher.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPANY

In this chapter, which goes into an understanding of the company'sfunctions, organizational structure, history, and core principles, the specifics ofILA will be presented The chapter will concentrate on the workplace where theauthor works as an intern in order to assure the accuracy of the information.

1.1 General information

1.1.1, Company’s name and address

The head office of ILA is located in 146 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Vo Thi SauDistrict, Ho Chi Minh City There are 7 branches in Hanoi and the main center is

ILA HN4 which is located in 6-8b Pho Hue, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi All LA’s

customers can contact via email: info @ilavietnam.edu.vn and visit ILA’s website:https://ila.edu.vn/ to get more information about ILA.

1.1.2 Establishment history

ILA was established in 2000 by Tony Williams and became one of thelargest and most successful English language schools in Vietnam Ms Dzu Tran

has been a CEO since ILA was founded ILA’s first large training centre (on Hai

Ba Trung Street, District 3) opened its doors on 1st May 2000 ILA on Hue streetwas established in 2016.

ILA is a foreign-owned education and training company with more than800 staff and 650 foreign teachers In operation for over 20 years, ILA teaches awide range of educational programmes to over 28,000 children and adults everyyear, with 44 language centres in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Vung Tau, DaNang, Hanoi, Hai Phong

ILA has high standards, creative and dedicated teachers, and operateswithin international ELT industry standards Since founded in 2000, they have

devoted themselves with unbridled passion to overcome the ever-evolvingchallenges of teaching to become best-in-class in the education and training

industry in Vietnam They are keen on offering a broad range of educational

programmes and services, including:

e English language programmes for children and adultse International test preparation

e Teacher training

e Corporate training

e Overseas study consultancy and placement services

1.1.3 Vision, mission and core value

Mission: To build a future-ready education platform that aligns with themodern workplace, developing local and global citizenship values.

Vision: To grow a generation who is capable of adapting to the changingworld, and changing the world themselves.

Core Values: To place people-growth at the core of all we do, commit toinnovation, operate with integrity and efficiency and create positive impacts onour community.

1.1.4 Teaching quality1.1.4.1, Teachers

ILA teachers are fully certified and experienced native-level speaking teaching professionals Teachers are aware of the needs of their studentsand are dedicated to helping each one achieves his/her learning goals.

English-1.1.4.2 Teaching methodology

ILA prepares students to be global citizens, concerned about global issuesand able to interact effectively with cultures and communities around the world.Our students become confident, adaptable and ready to face future challenges andchanges in the world with a positive and open-minded attitude At ILA, “21stCentury Learning” means that we are no longer just teaching English, we goBEYOND ENGLISH by including skills such as: Creativity, Critical thinking,

Communication, Collaboration, Self-development and Digital literacy.1.1.4.3 ILA's Teacher Training Department

ILA is one of the world’s leading teacher training centres for University ofCambridge English language teaching awards Each year, hundreds of peopletravel from around the world to train as English teachers at ILA The unparalleledlevel of expertise that ILA has in this area ensures that our students always benefitfrom the very latest developments and advances in teaching methodologies,materials and equipment.

1.1.4.4 ILA Learning and Teaching Materials

Students study with a complete set of the most appropriate and up-to-datelearning materials In addition, teachers incorporate a wide range of learningtechnologies and supplementary materials into each course to provide studentswith extra practice in areas of need and to ensure lessons are engaging, effectiveand enjoyable! All ILA centres have Teaching Support Centres - dedicatedfacilities for teachers, with extensive ranges of learning and teaching technology,equipment and resources.

1.1.5 English courses

e English for Young learners

ILA offers 3 English courses according to international standards, which isa solid foundation for students to develop comprehensively.

ILA Jumpstart: English for children from 3 to 6 years old ILA brings a new

approach to learning English: interactive learning environment, interesting andinspiring class activities, together with the support of modern technology.

ILA Super Juniors: English for children from 6 to 11 years old The learningfocuses on developing language proficiency across all four skills Thecoursebook English World is used to aid this Students will do projects toenhance their presentation skills, collaborative skills, creativity, Preparation

for Cambridge exams is fully integrated into all ILA Super Juniors classes.

ILA Smarteens: English for children from 11 to 16 years old The learning

focuses on developing language proficiency and confidence across all fourskills The coursebooks are from National Geographic learning and are rich in

images, videos and contemporary topics Smart Teens use project-based

learning (PBL) Students will do projects to enhance their presentation skills,collaborative skills, creativity Preparation for Cambridge exams is built intoour courses with practice tests to help students develop skills for taking the realKET, PET, FCE or CAE test.

e Global English

Global English is specifically designed for adults who want to improve their

English communication skills Alongside making sure students have thenecessary language input (grammar, new vocabulary, etc) at their level, the

programs include extended focus on: Real-world practical life skills(Socializing; asking for and giving information; making suggestions orrecommendations; ), Real-world practical work skills ( Holding interviews;making telephone calls; socializing; writing reports; ) and Real-worldpractical study skills ( Conducting debates or academic discussions; reading,

understanding and summarizing texts and articles)

e IELTS Success

IELTS Success is an IELTS test preparation program for all students aged14 and over The IELTS SUCCESS program helps students have an enjoyablelearning experience with 5 outstanding points:

OPTIMIZED RESULTS-TIME SAVING: students can increase their band

score from 4.0 to 7.0 in 360 hours of in-class time This is also achieved through7

completing 216 hours of tailored self-study activities via Cambridge’s digitallearning platform.

PRECISE CONSULTATION-CLEAR STUDY PATHWAY: ILA will adviseon a personalized learning pathway based on students' goals, motivations andIELTS band score targets after being carefully tested with an IELTS mock test.

LATEST CURRICULAR-UNIQUE LEARNING PLATFORM: The

curriculum is a combination of the latest international standard materials(Mindset for IELTS) and the Cambridge Learning Management System(CLMS).

EXPERT TEACHERS-50% NATIVE/50% VIETNAMESE: ILA’s IELTS

courses are taught by both native and Vietnamese teachers Native teachershave CELTA certificates and excel in enhancing the writing, speaking and

pronunciation skills of their students Vietnamese teachers have achieved

IELTS 7.5 or higher themselves and are experts in training Listening, Readingand successful exam strategies.

COMMITMENT TO OUTCOME-GUARANTEED SUCCESS: ILA commits

that for every 60 hours of face-to-face learning (equivalent to 15 weeks),students will increase their IELTS score by 0.5 At the end of each module,students will be tested and assessed through a competency test system,equivalent to a real IELTS test.

e English for Corporate communication

ILA offers a wide range of specialized short courses for specific industryand skills Each course focused on a particular profession or industry andbusiness situation or skill With courses for specific industries, participantslearn specific vocabulary and essential skills to be able to communicateconfidently and effectively in various fields: Pharmaceutical, IT, Logistics,

Marketing & Advertising, Sales & Purchasing, Banking & Finance For

specific skills participants learn vocabulary and essential skills about Business

Writing, Meetings, Presenting, Telephoning, Negotiating, Pronunciation

e ILA Maths

IMATHS uses CPA and "Rich" Maths methods to both visualize and help

actualize Mathematics CPA stands for Concrete - Pictorial (Image) - Abstract,this is a concrete learning method for difficult and abstract Math concepts,invented by the American psychologist Jerome Bruner in his research onchildren's cognitive development “Rich” Maths is flexibly incorporated intothe CPA methodology using a variety of activities “Rich” Maths problems8

have more than one correct answer and thereby develop children's problemsolving, complex logical thinking, creativity, curiosity,

e ILA OSC

ILA's Overseas Study Centre (OSC) was one of the first overseas studyservice providers in the country The center offers 20 years' of experience inthe industry, sending students to countries like the US, the UK, Canada,Singapore, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain OSC hastwo products: Long-term study (for students who want to finish high schoolthen move on to university level overseas) and Summer study (for studentsfrom 7 to 18 who want to experience studying overseas for a short period oftime).

e ILA International Preschools

The ILO Academy Kindergarten System is a combination of the

quintessence of Finnish education, the Vietnamese preschool program alongwith fun activities resources from ILA after many years of research with

Vietnamese children.

1.1.6 Business Award

For the last few years, ILA has always contributed dedicatedly to theeducation field and to society Therefore, ILA has received numerous internationaland domestic awards and recognition for its quality programmes and services aswell as its contributions to local communities In 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, ILAreceived Golden Dragon Awards, issued by the Vietnam Economic Times In2010, ILA was awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Hearts-to-Hearts

organization board, for its charitable activities ILA also was awarded the

Cambridge ESOL Platinum Centre status in recognition of its extemporary levelof service and expertise in exam administration and teacher training awards.

Figure 1: Organizational structure1.3 Responsibilities of each position

CM: observe the sales and care team as they perform their customer serviceduties, respond to customer comments and complaints, confirm customer requests,suggest events and activities for the center as needed, assist with events, andprovide workshops and training for the sales and care team.

TLM: provide educational resources for teaching and learning, preparetraining programs for foreign teachers, plan events, clubs, and extracurricularactivities, monitor them, and evaluate their success.

Senior Teacher: support teachers when TLM is not in the centre, support tomake lesson plans for teachers, conduct workshops for teachers.

SE: determine the monthly pay for teachers, plan for new classes, assignteachers to carry-on classes and level testing, and organize teachers to cover

IT Operations Officer: manage the company's computer system, establishthe intranet system, oversee networks and servers, provide assistance in resolvingnetwork system-related issues, and oversee network transmission.

Tax and Treasury Officer: control new projects/facilities, produce paymentslips/authorizations or bank statements, make accounting and management offixed assets, and manage the center's spending operations.

RS: CM and RS will jointly organize and carry out weekly, monthly,quarterly, and annual activities observe/monitor the sales team, lead sales teamworkshops/trainings, organize and plan all regional marketing activities at thecenter while keeping an eye on all contracts.

OS: observe/monitor the performance of the operation officer and ensurethey are adhering to all internal rules, regulations, and standards.

10

EP: consult and introduce to customers about English courses, answercustomer questions about training programs, plan for clients about courses that fittheir needs and finances, support customers in class placement test and enrollmentfor students, record/handle and report to the direct management on incidentsrelated to students/parents.

OO: Counsel students, survey parents and students about the class, handlecustomer service issues, persuade parents to re-enroll their children in the class,and monitor their re-enrollment, among other administrative duties.

Classroom Assistant: support teachers and students throughout the course,inform parents periodically of the progress and achievements of their children,assistance with distributing and gathering the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS)

from parents, support in dealing with parent requests and grievances, assistance

with re-enrollment activities as needed, and assistance with program promotion.

1.4 Customer care service

All ILA training centers maintain high, professional standards in theircommunication with students, parents, customers, employees and the public ILA

always follows clear and complete paperwork processes when dealing with studentcomplaints and problems.

The ILA team:

e Dedication: all about teaching and learning, with high standards andcommitment.

e Enthusiasm: full of creativity and focus on possibilities and the future.

e International: in standards and vision We have high standards andreliability, with processes and facilities of international quality.

e Friendly: focus on building relationships with partners, parents and studentsin a friendly and humane manner.

e Dynamic: always improving, expanding and leading, with quick intuitionsabout development and energy sources showing the dynamism of theVietnamese economy and people.

ILA's customer care team including OS, OO, Classroom assistant arepeople with advanced degrees in English language teaching, teacher training andeducational administration In addition, they bring to ILA the extensive knowledge

and experience they have gained from all over the world.

In chapter 1, general information of the workplace where the author did theinternship is provided detailedly and clearly.

11

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, the researcher will thoroughly examine ideas concerningcustomer care service with the aim of laying the foundation for the next chapter.The chapter will mainly concentrate on knowledge of customer and customer careservice.

According to Philip Kotler, the meaning of a customer is all individuals and

households that buy or obtain an item or service for personal consumption.

e The conclusion that can be drawn from the perspectives of the experts above

is that the term "customer" refers to all parties, including both individualsand groups of people who acquire products or services for their ownpurposes Customers do not always purchase goods for their ownconsumption, though As an illustration, a parent may frequently buy fishfor his child In contrast to the father, who is referred to as a client, theyoungster who eats the fish is referred to as a consumer.

With a comprehensive understanding of the notion of customer, only whenthe organization cares for its workers, creates employee loyalty, and theemployees in the enterprise are able to work They will have a good workingspirit together, care about satisfying the requirements of colleagues, and willbe able to service the business's external clients efficiently and consistently.

12

e External customers

They are individuals who undertake transactions with firms in a variety ofsettings, including face-to-face encounters, phone transactions, and internettransactions The company cannot operate without these clients.

Customers have the freedom to choose; if our products and services do notmeet their expectations, they will go with another provider The firm will sufferas a result Customers who are satisfied are the source of earnings for thecompany, and they are the ones who make the company successful.

2.1.3 The role of customer

Dissemination of information: Every consumer is a constant propagandistfor the company's services The function of the customer is more significant thanthat of the salesman, assuming that the consumer spreads accurate informationabout the company On the other hand, clients can function as rivals of thecompany Gaining trust requires a lot of time and work when customers spreadunfavorable information about the company Customers also offer suggestions toassist businesses enhance their products and services Clients also have a profound

impact on the survival and growth of the company Customers can choose to

purchase goods from any company, which is why many companies declare thattheir clients are "the most important person in our business." Customers will justchoose the goods or services of another firm if they don't like yours Customerswho act in this way in sufficient numbers have the capacity to harm and even shutdown companies whose goods are not in demand (Doan Thi Thanh Vy, 2012)

“The only profit center is the customer.” - Peter Drucker Customers either

drive sales and profits for organizations or serve as revenue-generating levers that

encourage innovation so that companies may rely on them to find novel solutionsand stand out in order to satisfy and grow client demand.

2.2 Customer care service

2.2.1 Definition of the customer care service

Customer care can be defined as: The process of delivering high qualityservice to internal and external customers Customer care results in high levels of

customer satisfaction leading to long-term ‘buying’ relationships between

suppliers and customers (Frank Atkinson, 2011).

Philip Kotler (2003) defines a service as, “Any act or performance that oneparty offers to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the

ownership of anything Its production may or may not be tied to the physical

13

— Customer care service means conducting work in an orderly manner thatallows customers' problems about products and services to be handledeffectively; inquiries to be answered politely; concerns to be quicklyrelieved.

The capacity of a business to constantly provide clients with all they wantand need is known as customer care service.

The Company's activities that are directly tied to or have an effect oncustomers are referred to as customer care services.

Customer service is all the work a service provider is permitted to do toaccommodate customers’ needs and wants.

2.2.2 Purposes of the customer care service

"Customer is God" was derived from the Japanese motto of customerservice This saying in Japanese reads as "okyakusama wa kamisama desu" -meaning that every customer is an honored guest, and we need to show specialrespect and reverence as inherently Customers therefore hold a crucial position inbusiness The people who offer us everything are our customers Customers arethus regarded by businesses as capital that must be managed and promotedsimilarly to other forms of capital Peter Drucker (1954), the father ofmanagement, argues that the company's goal is to "create customers" Theindividuals that mean the most to us are our customers We depend on them; theydon't rely on us Customers help us when we serve them because they provide uswith an opportunity to do so Customer care service thus becomes important andnecessitates a significant expenditure of time and money Customer care involves

more than just providing clients with goods and services; it requires you to create

absolute satisfaction for customers with your products and services.

14

2.2.3 The role of the customer care service

Nguyen Thuong Thai (2007) stated four major roles of customer care serviceas below:

e Increase the satisfaction of current customers

Businesses that satisfy their customers keep those customers for longerbecause happy consumers are more likely to return for more products or

services A business must prioritize customer retention above everything else.Customer service in particular helps organizations build a loyal consumerbase Customers visit the company in the same way that two people becomefriends; they must pass through many phases before they can trust and interactwith the company Over the period of time, the level of friendliness is gradually

available and effective business influencers.

Conversely, if a customer is not satisfied, they will notify others about theirdissatisfaction Depending on the speaker's frustration, the story of thecompany can be altered through these retellings Bad words will frequently flyfarther and be remembered longer, which causes businesses to lose not onlytheir current clients but also a large number of potential customers Aseveryone is aware, "bad news flies fast, good news flies slowly." This is

extremely concerning for organizations since losing clients also means losing

credibility, which reduces sales, revenues, and may even push them to the vergeof bankruptcy without the support of clients In general, it can be claimed thatproviding excellent customer service aids in business expansion.

e Reduce business costs

Your company won't face complaints or legal action if you treat yourconsumers well It is true that if a company treats its customers withconsideration from the start, resolving and making up for any mistakes won'tcost any money By taking these steps, the expenses associated with dealing

15

with the consequences will be avoided Not to mention the damage to thecompany's reputation, which is difficult to repair in a single day.

Excellent client service thereby prevents firms from wasting time andresources on handling those concerns The most crucial thing, though, is toavoid allowing the company's reputation to deteriorate in the minds of itsclients Otherwise, businesses would have to begin over again to acquire new

clients, incurring higher costs than client retention.

Because companies only need to update additional information whenselling to existing clients, the cost of establishing a customer databasedecreases as the number of active customers increases So, the expenseassociated with advertising per unit of product lowers as a company retains

clients for a longer period of time Because the company doesn't have to spend

as much money on advertising or marketing, it costs 3 to 5 times more to sell acertain volume of merchandise to a new client than it does to sell a similarvolume to an existing customer.

e Strengthen the position of the business in the competitive market

In addition to minimizing expenses, offering outstanding customer servicebuilds a company's reputation and attracts a considerable quantity of devotedclients, increasing the company's ability to compete and reinforce its positionin the market In contrast to their rivals, companies that offer outstanding clientservice are growing at a rate that is twice as fast And yet, only companies thatprovide excellent customer service can endure the rapid changes in the

2.2.4 Customer care activities

2.2.4.1 Process of the customer care

According to Tran Thi Kieu Oanh (2018), customer care can be conductedto the stages of the purchase process: The purchase process is usually divided into3 stages (pre-purchase phase, purchase decision phase, post-purchase phase) Allthree of the aforementioned stages require the provision of customer service; yet,the implementation varies according to each level.

At the pre-purchase stage, whereas the business might intentionallyencourage customers’ desire to buy the product or service, the demand does notalways arise from the customer Companies can notify clients by using directmarketing techniques like flyers, direct mail, banners, etc Then each careconsultant will be assigned a set of target consumers Staff members will confirmwhether this customer presents a possibility for the company during the follow-up.

16

The staff records and updates the customer's information in the list of possibleclients after confirming there is an opportunity from the target customer.

At the purchase decision stage, The customer decides what to buy afterconsidering their options So far, there are still a lot of challenges between makingthe decision to buy and actually making the purchase, like purchasing terms,purchase locations, payment methods, post-sale services, and unforeseencircumstances Businesses must remove barriers from the business itself in orderto encourage the purchasing process.

At the post-purchase stage: It doesn't signify that the firm and the customer'srelationship ends after the sale or that the task of providing customer service isover While making a purchase, every buyer considers the after-sales supportprovided by the company to be important and uses it as a selection criterion At

this point, efforts are focused on providing advice and assistance to customers asthey use products and services, developing customer-business relationships,

planning events or workshops, gathering feedback on any shortcomings of the

business and addressing them as soon as possible in order to increase the likelihoodthat customers will return.

2.2.4.2 Factors creating customer satisfaction

10 criteria were presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) for how customerswould rate the quality of their services: tangibles, dependability, responsiveness,competence, courtesy, credibility, security, access, communication, andunderstanding the client The advantage of the previously mentioned model of 10service quality criteria is that it covers practically every facet of the service Thedrawback of this model, unfortunately, is challenging to quantify It's also feasiblethat some dimensions don't attain discriminant value because this model is onlytheoretical Following extensive testing, Parasuraman et al (1988) condensed theSERVQUAL service quality model to 5 dimensions by merging and reselectingthe scale, specifically as follows:

e Tangibles

Parasuraman et al identify tangibles as physical facilities (equipment,personnel, and communications materials) It is the physical image of the

service that customers will use to assess quality For example: The company

has very modern equipment, The company's facilities look eye-catching,Employees are well-dressed, Brochures related to the company are attractive.

17

e Reliability

According to Parasuraman et al., reliability refers to how well anorganization does its job the first time Also, it demonstrates how firms makean effort to keep their word and focus on the outcomes This demands forconsistency in service delivery and adherence to client commitments and

promises According to the following scales, this criterion is evaluated:

When the company promises to do something at a certain time, they will do itWhen there is an obstacle, the company shows a genuine interest in solving itThe company does the right service right the first time.

The company provides the service on time as promised.The company tries best not to make a mistake.

e Responsiveness

In consonance with Parasuraman et al., the qualities of willing employeesinclude being able to give clients their entire attention, provide them a reliableestimation of when things will be completed, promote services, and complywith their demands In other terms, service efficiency is the way in which aservice provider meets a client's needs, specifically:

Company’s staff let you know when to perform the service.Company’s staff quickly perform service for you.

Company’s employees are always willing to help you.

Company’s employees are never too busy to respond to your requests.

e Assurance

The ability of personnel to instill confidence and trust in customers, as well

as their etiquette and knowledge, are all considered aspects of assurance.Customers are made to feel comfortable by this factor, which fosters their senseof trust and credibility:

Employee’s behavior gives you trust.

You feel safe while dealing with the company.Employees are always welcoming to you.

Employees are knowledgeable enough to answer your questions.e Empathy

The company delivering the services must ensure that consumers feelvalued Offering customers services and showing them that you care aboutthem is what empathy is all about The fundamental element of empathy isexpressing the notion that the client is special and unique, and that sympathywill increase the more the service provider values the client:

18

The company always pays close attention to you.

The company provides an employee to take care you.The company considers your benefits as their mind.Company employees clearly understand your needs.The company works at convenient hours.

2.2.5 Characteristics of Good customer Service

To provide excellent service, an organization needs to exceed customer

expectations The service providers themselves can often condition customers’expectations An important factor in providing a good service, therefore, is alwaysmaintaining promises and not making commitments that the company cannot

deliver To provide excellent service, an organization needs to ‘under promise,over deliver’ As Tom Peters says, “we can no longer afford to merely satisfy the

customer To win today, you have to delight and astound your customers with

products and services that exceed their expectations” (Cook, 2008).

Good customer service means different things to different people, but

essentially it means treating customers the way in which they expect to be treated.

By implication, this means that a business views customers as important and thatit values their patronage and support This means that sales staff should be preparedto go the extra mile for their customers According to Lapshinoff (2001:138), abusiness that wants to develop a good relationship with its customers must provide

quality customer service.

A company that looks after its customers and provides good service is shownbelow.

19