The Customer Service Agent Case Study

German University in Cairo Faculty of Management Technology Technology

Course Name

Compensation and Performance Management

Case 1

The Customer-Service Agent Prepared By:

Naglaa Ahmed Raouf Hamed (I !"-"!#"$

u!mitted To

Prof% r% Ahmed Amin

&% oes the the da' diar' diar' includ includee sufficient sufficient information information "es the provided #iary in this case does provide sufficient information to ena!le the process of $riting a %o! description& Nevertheless it is !etter to collect the data from different data sources 'other incum!ents()o!holders* supervisors* +,pertise and(or analysts- to ensure consistent* accurate* useful* and accepta!le data&

)% Identif' the specific information in the article that 'ou found useful 

 

•

•

•

*o+ Identification Title . customer.service agent #epartment in $hich )o! is located . The customer.service department Num!er of people $ho hold )o! . /0 customer.service agents



*o+ Content

 

Tass

•

. . . .

 

•

#ealing $ith difficult people 2andling the !ucets of e.mail and intermittent phone calls from curious* addled and upset users& Fields !et$een 30 and 100 emails and half a do4en phone calls& Customer.service agents are the crucial lin !et$een the faceless 5e! site and the consumer& 6nd ho$ they deal $ith the pu!lic can mae or !rea a !usiness& . ome customer pro!lems re7uire research and deep digging to find the resolution . They have to ans$er routine 7uestions that generate stoc responses& . #o $hat the company calls 8trust and safety $or9: investigating fraud and looing for things on the site that is 8funy&9 . 5hen 2alf&com receives a complaint from a !uyer a!out a seller* it is Mr& yan;s )o! to contact !oth  parties and mae sure there is no fraud occurring& . Trac do$n the details on transactions in the 2alf&com user data!ase& 6ctivities .

•

The customer.service department receives a!out 1*ess than 1? of the site;s transactions re7uire customer service;s involvement& . Time to noc do$n some $alls& >ively human.resources $orer 6licia #iCiacco invites Mr& yan and his colleagues to pic up sledgehammers and noc through a $all at the end of the office& 2alf&com;s staff has dou!led in the past year* and the company is e,panding into ad)acent space in the old tire factory& Constraints on actions . .

. . . . . . . . .

6fter each purchase is made* the !uyer gets a chance to rate the seller;s performance on a scale from 1 to unch it;s tough to $or at a des  ! PM Bathroom !rea 

 

•

.  PM The day is done oles . .

Customer.ervice agent handling the !ucets of e.mail and intermittent phone calls from curious* addled and upset users& 2e also does $hat the company calls 8trust and safety $or9: investigating fraud and looing for  things on the site that are 8funy&9



.mplo'ee Characteristics

•

Professional(technical no$ledge .

Trac do$n the details on transactions in the 2alf&com user data!ase

•

Manual sills

•

. %eans are the uniform . 2e $ears a $ell.groomed goatee and small round glasses* and sits up straight at his des  er!al sills . . .

•

n a typical day fields !et$een 30 and 100 emails and half a do4en phone calls& The calls are the most stressful emains calm* calling on sills he learned in a one.day seminar called 8#ealing $ith #ifficult People&9 An the class* $hich he too !efore coming to 2alf&com* he learned to paraphrase $hat the customer is saying to mae sure he understands the complaint& 5ritten sills . .

•

Taes a!out an hour to get through 10 messages. 2e doesn;t find the e.mails tedious& 8There is such a variety of a topic to respond to*9 he says& 8A never  get eadership sills .

•

Not mentioned Not mentioned

Anterpersonal sills . . .

emains calm and to paraphrase $hat the customer is saying to mae sure he understands the complaint& Taes care to spea clearly $ith a strong sense of empathy& preface it $ith a heartfelt



Internal Relationships

•

Boss I other superiors .

 

•

Peers . .

 

•

Not mentioned

Customer.service agents are split into t$o shifts covering  a&m& to midnight 6 ne$ shift of $orers pics up $here Mr& yan left off* toiling from  p&m& to 1= a&m& 5hen they finish* the customer.service staff in eBay;s facility in alt >ae City $ill tae over& u!ordinates

.

Not mentioned



./ternal Relationships

 

uppliers

•

.

 

•

5hen 2alf&com receives a complaint from a !uyer a!out a seller* it is Mr& yan;s )o! to contact !oth  parties and mae sure there is no fraud occurring& . 6fter each purchase is made* the !uyer gets a chance to rate the seller;s performance on a scale from 1 to ie eBay* 2alf&com attempts to match !uyers and sellers in a vast flea maret featuring millions of products ranging from trading cards to camcorders& But unlie eBay* there;s no !idding& 2alf&com lists items only at fi,ed prices& there;s no $ay for !uyers and sellers to interact directly !uyers use their credit cards or checing accounts to pay 2alf&com

Community .

•

Mr& yan eats up the office energy& 8At;s e,citing to $or here*9 he says& 85e;re gro$ing& 5e had the second launch of the site& J2alf&com e,panded its product line in 6prilK& 5e;re doing construction& At;s good to come to $or $hen the company is doing $ell&9 Union(+mployee Groups .

6 ne$ shift of $orers pics up $here Mr& yan left off* toiling from  p&m& to 1= a&m& 5hen they finish* the customer.service staff in eBay;s facility in alt >ae City $ill tae over&

!% 0hat additional information do 'ou re1uire Ho2 2ould that information help 'ou  No additional information is re7uired

% 0hat are some of the relational returns of the 3o+ . . .

+nergetic and e,citing $oring atmosphere satisfying $ages* $hich include 7uarterly !onuses +mployee security* as there $as no turnover in customer service since the company !egan a year  and a half ago&

*o+ description,

*o+ Title, L Customer.ervice agent L  *o+ Summar', #eals $ith customers !y email and through phone calls to handle customer in7uiries and complaints& • !tain all information from the customer and acts as a middleman on !ehalf of 2alf&com* !et$een the •

sellers and the !uyers to settle all disputes* in7uiries and complaints& Relationships, 5ill have and maintain $oring relationships $ith other Customer ervice 6gents on different shift •

schedules* as $ell as agents off sight in the alt >ae City customer service location& This )o! has only self.supervisory responsi!ilities& 4ualifications, 2igh school graduate • Prior e,perience in the customer service field preferred& 2ave a good grasp of the follo$ing sill set:

. . . -

trong customer service orientation& Communication sills* ver!al and $ritten& Pro!lem identification and effective pro!lem solving techni7ues& 6ccuracy and detail orientated& As patience* calm and speas clearly Dno$ledge of computer programs and operating systems such as email and $ord processing&

.ssential uties and Responsi+ilities, Must !e motivated and !e a!le to $or $ith limited supervision& Must have e,cellent computer sills& Must !e a!le to handle and prioriti4e assigned tass& espond to situations that arise !et$een !uyers and sellers* such as miscommunication !et$een the

 parties involved in the transaction& Provide phone and $e! !ased assistance !y ans$ering 7uestions and resolving occasional disputes as

•

needed& Anvestigate allegations of fraud that are attempted to !e conducted !y sellers on the auction sight& Must !e a!le to $or in a team environment&