GLOSSARY OF INDUSTRY TERMS

CUSTOMER SERIVCE

Action Plans

Definition: Refers to specific actions that respond to short- and longer-term

strategic objectives. Action plans include details of resource commitments and
time horizons for accomplishment. Action plan development represents the
critical stage in planning when strategic objectives and goals are made
specific so that effective, organisation-wide understanding and deployment
are possible

Benchmarking

Definition: Comparing your organisation against another organisation on some

aspect of performance – process, product or service – at which the other
organization excels with the objective of finding ways in which you can
improve your performance

Behaviour

Definition: The way that you do things. You do things in a particular way
because of how you feel, what you want and how other people treat you. In
any customer service transaction, the behaviour of the customer and the
behaviour of the service deliverer is affected by the way they treat each other.
Behaviour therefore affects the quality of the customer experience because
the way the service deliverer behaves affects the way the customer feels
about the customer service

Body Language

Definition: We communicate using words but they don’t usually tell the whole
story. Body language is a collection of expressions on our face and gestures
we make. Very often body language tells us more about what somebody is
actually thinking than the words they use

Continuous Improvement

Definition: Constantly seeking to improve the quality of the process, product or

service, taking the view that we can always improve on current performance

Trainer Subject Resource: Customer Service Glossary © Reece Thomas, 2015

 GLOSSARY OF INDUSTRY TERMS

Customer

Also Known As: Client

Also Known As: Buyer or Purchaser

Two Types of Customers: Internal and External

Definition: A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer

or user of the products of an individual or organization, mostly called the
supplier or seller

Customer Relationship Management

Also Known As: CRM

Definition: Consists of the processes a company uses to track and organize

its contacts with its current and prospective customers

Customer Service

Definition: is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a

purchase

Complaint

Definition: When a customer feels strongly enough that his or her customer
expectations have not been met, he or she may make a complaint. A
complaint is when a customer brings a problem to the attention of the
organisation and expects some redress, probably over and above simply
supplying the original product or service that was the cause of the complaint.
Complaints are often used by regulators as one measure of the success of
the organisation’s customer service
Consistency
Definition: The same throughout. Every time exactly the same as last time
Front line Staff

Definition: Front line staff are people who have the most direct contact with
customers either face to face or at a distance. They need service teamwork
with support staff to produce effective customer service

Trainer Subject Resource: Customer Service Glossary © Reece Thomas, 2015

 GLOSSARY OF INDUSTRY TERMS

Governance

Definition: Refers to the system of management and controls exercised in the

stewardship of the organisation. Governance processes may include
approving strategic direction, creating and enforcing policy, monitoring and
evaluating senior leaders' performance, succession planning, financial
auditing, establishing senior leaders' compensation and benefits, and
managing risk. Ensuring effective governance is important to stakeholders'
and the larger society's trust and to organisational effectiveness

Measures and Indicators

Definition: Refers to quantitative or qualitative information that measures

input, output, and performance dimensions of programs, offerings, processes,
services, and the overall organisation (outcome) Measures and indicators
might be simple (derived from one measurement) or composite

Mission

Definition: Refers to the overall function of an organisation, the mission

answers the question. "What is this organisation attempting to accomplish?"
The mission might define students, stakeholders, or markets served;
distinctive competencies; or technologies used

Performance Indicators

Definition: A means of representing the outcomes for an organisation, or any

of its parts or processes. These need to be developed in close relation to
specified objectives and need to be interpreted in an informed way

Quality

Definition: Achieving quality in education involves two steps. The first step is
for institutions to set objectives that embody what is expected and required by
students, employers, legislation and statutes, in addition to responding to
broader issues, such as the demands arising from the characteristic nature of
academic activity and the rapid development of knowledge. The second step
is for the institution to ensure that it attains its objectives. Quality is related to
standards if the objectives include explicit specification of levels of attainment

Quality Assurance

Trainer Subject Resource: Customer Service Glossary © Reece Thomas, 2015

 GLOSSARY OF INDUSTRY TERMS

Definition: Policies, attitudes, actions, procedures designed to ensure

consistent outcomes of a high standard and meeting the various needs
served by the university. In assuring quality, the decision-making unit will
need to specify practices, resources and activities to ensure consistently high
standards in any project

Quality Control

Definition: Procedures for checking that a specified standard of requirement is

being achieved

Quality Enhancement

Definition: Raising quality standards further via continuous improvement of

strategies, processes, actions in response to results against targets and other
performance indicator

Quality Management

Definition: The management function that determines and implements quality

policy

Quality System

Definition: Encompasses the management function and the procedures by

which quality outcomes are achieved

Self-review

Definition: Process of analysis and reflection on success or otherwise of

achieving targets, objectives and goals outlined in the strategic plan for the
unit or area

Standards

Definition: A specification or other criterion designed to be used consistently

as a rule, guideline or definition of a level of performance or achievement

Strategic Objectives

Definition: Refers to an organisation's articulated aims or responses to

address major change and improvement, competitiveness issues, and/or
education advantages. Strategic objectives generally are focused externally

Trainer Subject Resource: Customer Service Glossary © Reece Thomas, 2015

 GLOSSARY OF INDUSTRY TERMS

and relate to significant student, stakeholder, market, program, service or

technological opportunities and challenges (strategic challenges)

Teamwork

Definition: Cooperative work by group: a cooperative effort by a group or team

work produced by group: work produced by a group or team

Trainer Subject Resource: Customer Service Glossary © Reece Thomas, 2015