Memo

Date: June 25, 2009 To: ** Chips-n-bytes, President **
 * From: Group 3, Customer Service **
 * Subject: Solving Customer Complaints **

This memo presents the results of our research on customer service in your industry. Based on our findings and on the success of a local company, we propose that Chips-n-bytes implement a customer service department program that can be easily accessed and that will allow for a fast response time.

//What are the advantages? //  The key advantage to Chips-n-bytes is that overall customer satisfaction would increase and result in customer loyalty. Our team studied questionnaires from the largest local company that is in your industry and other websites that explain their customer service process and how to increase customer satisfaction. In conversations with customer service representatives at competing companies, they mention how complaints generally arise only when a customer service rep denies warranty to a customer, which they have at their disposal several options to offer customers. Another important advantage is that a customer service program would help Chips-n-bytes create repeat purchases and also new customers from word-of-mouth marketing. A local company reported that customer service programs can save the company time and money, and also reduce customer complaints, allowing your employees to focus on their sales job and not problem solving. Your competitors also state that they have a process that involves customers that do not agree with your customer service rep, which they get sent to an upper-level management that will solve their problem. This will be an important asset that your company can offer to customers, which will support your sales as well.

//How will this program work at Chips-n-bytes? //  Of course a new program like this will evaluated by everyone working for the company, as well the customers using the new program. The main issue is solving the problem and getting back to the customer as soon as possible. Chips-n-bytes is set up for this program to help the company benefit from having an actual department, rather than any employee trying to solve the problem. In this department, each employee will have a specific task that they will accomplish and it will allow them to grow accustomed to customer service, rather than selling products. By implementing a customer service department, this will allow the employees selling the products and services to be focused on selling the products, as well as promoting good customer service. Obviously the company needs to vastly improve their customer service and this would allow them to become efficient at it. You could have a monthly test from before you created a customer service department, to after you created the department. As for the expense side of the balance sheet, there will not be a whole lot of money needed for the start up costs because you can designate two employees to be in charge of this department and then you would need to designate a section of the store to become the new customer service department, which would make it more convenient for future customers wanting help. This is where the main costs would come from because you would have to by new furniture for the department. For additional expenses, the store might want to send the two new customer service employees through a training program that emphasizes customer service and how to become proficient and excel in this department area, which Chips-n-bytes needs mostly.

//Can we protect customer information? //  Customer information would definitely be protected because only two people in the company would be storing it into the company’s computers, where it should be easily accessible to them when needed. When someone buys a product from the store, they can purchase a warranty of some sort and sign up through the customer service department, which will proceed to file all the required information that the customer and only be accessible to if they show their drivers license or some form of secondary identification.

//Can we make it happen? //  Chips-n-bytes have a proven record of poor customer service and needs to create something to change this and we believe that designating a customer service department is a necessity. The employees are focused on selling the products, rather than fixing the products so by designating two people to become the new department, will allow the company to be organized and efficient in customer service. We look forward to discussing this option with you at your convenience.