LEARNING PAPER 02

SCENARIO: BUILDING A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC WORKPLACE

Fictive organization: NET-PRO SOLUTIONS

1. Introduction: Identify and briefly describe the organization and the problems it faces.

NET-PRO SOLUTIONS is a small and medium-sized company specializing in information

systems. Its mission is to promote the information systems of Start Ups companies by providing
them with solutions adapted to effective information management based on new information and
communication technologies (design and implementation of solutions). In addition to providing
coaching on new IT solutions, it also provides state-of-the-art network equipment along with
training in the use and maintenance of the IT systems provided. This company is mostly oriented
to providing quality customer-oriented service; and is a typical example of new era organization
where supervisor plays an important role in decision making.

In order to fulfill its crucial goal of turning NET-PRO SOLUTIONS into a customer-centric
workplace, a department responsible for customer services was set up and equipped with qualified
staff (12 members originally) and adequate equipment. Unfortunately, this department, which
should have been the spearhead of the company, currently appears as its Achilles heel. Thus, due
to a disastrous leadership that translates into catastrophic customer service, the company has lost
more than a third of its once loyal customer base. On the verge of bankruptcy, the management
took the decision to dismiss Mr. Patel, the head of the department. Under his leadership, the
department sadly distinguished itself by a large number of problems - unhappy customers, poorly-
performing staff, bad attitudes, etc. He had no idea what a customer-centric company was. Above
all, he was disrespectful to women and minorities (mostly immigrants), which caused some distrust
toward management.

2. Challenges:
a. Discuss the challenges you will face as a new supervisor.
Newly promoted as supervisor, replacing Mr. Patel, I am likely to face many contests. But the
most challenging would definitely be the ability to support political, psychological, social
influence on the other 10 members of the department. In other words, I will have to demonstrate
personal skills which would give me a difference and would allow me to be listened to and
followed by the whole department.

b. How do you expect being promoted from within to affect how you are treated by staff?
In any social group with no integrity, there is a sort of dichotomy between the group of subordinate
employees and that of supervisors. Affinity and complicity in the group of employees are often
better provided than in that of supervisors, mainly since they share the same concerns, that of
hating their supervisors (Mr. Patel). The fact of being promoted as supervisor will have a nuanced
effect in two tendencies. The first group will be suspicious, since I am now passing into the camp
of the so-called "exploiters" (supervisors). Some resistance is to be expected from this group. The
second group, often made up of close or intimate friends, will hope for a certain favoritism from

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me, and will want to use this affinity to benefit from more favors. What in addition to knotting the
cohesion of the whole, would undermine the performance of my leadership.

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c. Will prior relationships complicate or assist your efforts to improve the department? How will
you deal with those who refuse to follow your lead?
Of course yes. the performance of my leadership will be seriously affected. To deal with the
situation, six strategic action need to be put in place:

 A priori, introduce changes slowly and carefully. Here there is need to be tactful with the
group of recalcitrant. It will be necessary to find a way to keep good relationships with
your employees while earning their respect as a leader.
 Promote fairness and no favoritism. This, by establishing a climate guided by sincerity and
honesty.
 To make sure you can back your decisions with facts.
 To invite and encourage knowledgeable employees to take initiative,
 To listen while taking into account the needs of each of the team members. Discussion and
expression of everyone should be encouraged, whatever the hierarchical level.
 Finally, to work as much as possible in collaborative mode in order to promote motivation.

d. Which supervisory skills do you already have, and which will you need to develop further?
Honesty, sincerity, openness and patience, In short, I have a clear vision of the objectives to be
achieved, the ability to influence and motivate, and good listening and communication skills.
However, I need to develop management and leadership skills to smoothly drive my team towards
objectives effectively and efficiently.

Technical competence: Job knowledge, comprehension of internal management parameters and a

clear vision of the objectives to be achieved (the results orientation).

Career related skills: Good listening and communication skills, ability to influence and motivate
(leadership), flexibility and ability to adapt the change, then to demonstrate a certain ease in
integrating the group and maintaining its cohesion.

Personal characteristics: Honesty, integrity, credibility & dedication, perseverance, initiative,

positive attitude, and dependability.

e. Who will judge your performance, and by what criteria?

Who will judge my performance? Well, both internal clients and external clients will certainly
judge me. And above all, my superior (manager). Generally, supervisors, as well as other
employees, are judged upon how well they manage the resources that are available to them to
accomplish their goals, ‘Efficiency’, and the quality of your results, ‘Effectiveness’.

Thus, internal client, mostly employees, will certainly judge my leadership qualities, which
combines both personal qualities and technical knowledge. External clients would certainly stick
on quality, quantities, time and service delivery. My superior will definitely focus on how well I
meet the objectives and at what cost (Effectiveness & Efficiency).

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3. Rebuilding the department:

a. Discuss what it means to be customer centric (…)
Being customer-centric is being able to take into account the impact of brand decisions on
customers, and to show empathy. It is therefore making your decisions by systematically
evaluating their impact on your customers. More than saying to yourself "the customer is
important", it is saying to yourself "we are going to put the customer at the heart of our concerns
and all our actions must be thought out accordingly".

(…) and what I will need to do to instill a service culture and philosophy in the department?
b. Identify key elements that need to be established and discuss how you will establish them.

- First and foremost, a mindset of customer excellence. It will therefore be necessary to train
all employees on the fact that the decisions they make can affect customers. Therefore,
employees must be trained in the importance of customer service as soon as they're hired
and shown examples of people who carry out good customer service.
- Manage according to the symmetry of attentions to create the conditions for customer
excellence by implementing a real team support strategy focused on customer excellence.
- Cultivate transparency in the service of customer excellence.
- Become an essential partner of its customers. In addition to providing a quality product, in
the required quantity and on time, the company must seek to touch the emotional to achieve
excellence.
- Dare to confront internally to progress on the path to excellence. Learn from failures to
achieve customer excellence.
- Putting self-esteem at the heart of customer excellence, analyzing their customer journeys
to achieve excellence and finally driving customer excellence.

c. Ask yourself why customers are unhappy and what you will do to change that.

Customers have multiple reasons to be unhappy. But the most important reasons and which could
be under our control, are those related to the product itself, and those related to the service to be
provided them. Product quality and quantity might be provided on time and at required standard
but the way our department welcome customers is hopeless. Same for the way we accompany them
after they have purchased our products. In both optics, consumers were not satisfied at all under
Mr. Patel leadership. If we want to make our clients happy and keep them so, we need to sustain
both the product characteristics and the service provided by turning our business into a customer-
centric workplace; Henceforward, we need to take into consideration the training of all of our
staff on promoting customer service. Finally, the steady way of doing that, again, is by cultivating
customer centric policy and setting up proper procedures to implement customer service
excellence at all levels and all dimensions.

We have got also to pay attention to the customers current and anticipated needs and put forth the
same amount of effort both before and after the sale to attract and retain customers and drive
profits.

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d. How will you reach out to customers who defected and win them back?
Every channel of communication should be used to reach the defected client, from direct
communication (bidirectional) such as email, phone call, to multicast facilities (social media, radio
& TV broadcast). Here is how we will proceed to win them back our clients:

We shall identify our flaws, causes of rupture.

Before taking action, my team and I must analyze the reasons for the loss of a customer. Although
Mr. Pater's leadership was disastrous, for me it is only one dimension of the problem. Assuming
that the consumer is not inherently unfaithful, he is rather volatile and opportunistic; In most cases,
lost customers have in fact opted for another supplier because of the too high price, then come the
case of a defective product, dissatisfaction with products or services, that of too late delivery, too
long response times, disappointing service before, during and after sales. Hence, a scorned
reputation, degraded brand image, loss of confidence. We must understand the real causes of the
rupture in order to react in a targeted manner.

We need to improve our offers.

There is no point in trying to win back a customer who has turned their backs on us if we offer
them the same thing. We will have to review our offer to make it more attractive in its eyes.
Improve and personalize your product or service offering according to expectations so that it
becomes personalized and compelling. Create a tailor-made offer. Thanks to the analysis of
customer data, you know him better than the competitor who seduced him.

We need also to play on opportunities for change.

Sometimes you have to know how to seize the opportunities for change inherent in customers.
Internal movements in the decision-making chain or the establishment of a new interlocutor are
conducive to starting a more serene relationship with a former client. The operational
implementation of a win-back strategy can be programmed during changes in your business. A
merger, the appointment of a new director or the launch of a new product or service are good
excuses to reconnect on a new basis.

Then to establish a customer recovery plan

You have identified your weaknesses that explain the loss of the customer and your strengths that
allow you to win him back. Now, let's get down to business: build a hard-hitting win back plan by
targeting our win back actions.

4. Communication:
a. Explain why communicating with people inside and outside the company will be crucial.
The exchange of information is necessary for the performance of many business activities.
Technology has also greatly changed these internal and external information exchanges within the
company. Information is not only a support for individual knowledge but also an instrument for
connecting with the environment. Likewise, quality information will have a positive effect on the
social climate within organizations. Information is a factor of motivation, of interest, of social
cohesion in companies. Taking the individual into account in the operation of the business is
nowadays the basis around which most of business needs revolve. This consideration of the
individual is reflected in the implementation of internal communication where information is

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transparent, accessible and circulates freely (whether upward, downward or transversal) at all
levels of the company.

b. Discuss how you will reach people most effectively.

In favor of the progress made in information technology (software, databases), companies can now
collect, process, store and disseminate large volumes of information, and all these operations are
increasingly carried out quickly and at a reasonable cost. Technology has also greatly changed
these intra and inter-company information exchanges. We can think of databases, messaging
systems, e-mail and social media (the internet of course, but also corporate intranets).

c. What guidelines will you follow?

Information management results in actions of inventory, processing (analysis), storage and finally
dissemination to the required audience. Information is content of a physical nature (mail or
otherwise), or digital. It can be structured or not. When it covers all "internal" and "external" clients
of the company. Therefore, the following guidelines need to be taken into consideration:
1. Collect information:
- Gather all the useful information about Customers
- Know the expectations of Customers
2. Use the information collected:
- Structure customer portfolio
- Improve sales information
- Personalize the commercial offer
- Increase responsiveness
3. Improve the flow of information:
- facilitate the reporting of information
- Structure the exchanges between the different services
4. Improve management:
- Process information for the development of strategies and action plans
- Create customizable dashboards (measurement of gaps, etc.)
- Improve the efficiency of the customer service team.

d. What methods will be best for reaching customers? What methods will be best for reaching
employees and communicating with your boss and other higher-ups?

In business, the methods of collecting and disseminating information are defined according to the
destination and expected interests. Globally, we can see three types of corporate communication:
Communication down; Upward communication; and Horizontal communication. For downward
communication, the information is either intended for decision-making (employer), for the
establishment and maintenance of social cohesion (employees) and as a catalyst to restore and
promote competitiveness vis-à-vis the customers. Up-to-down communication consists of the
following:

- The different transmission channels and information dissemination media can allow the
business manager to transmit the different needs to identified people with predefined
recipient lists in the messaging system (e-mails). Orders, directives and various inquiries
are generally transmitted face-to-face, by telephone or emails (mostly unicast). For

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meetings, it is necessary to define precisely who can and must participate It is therefore
convenient to use messages with several recipients (multicast).

Telephone communication or face-to-face interview may also be considered when prompt

decisions are to be taken.

- In the case of employees, likewise, the intended objective will determine the method of
transmission. Generally, professional directives are transmitted through administrative
circulars (electronic for more efficiency).

Bulletin boards or chat rooms, regular newsletters and internal newspapers will be
published over the Intranet to promote social cohesion, or for discussions open to a group
of employees.

- As for the customers, Extranet applications and social media are effective and efficient
means for marketing, to reach the general public. But when it comes to targeting certain
customers for some specific reason such as handling complaints, claims or other targeted
transaction, email is preferred. The phone call is suitable for urgent matters, but would be
professional accompanied by a secure official email preferably.

Upward communication within the company concerns of various reports, feedback and inquiries
from employees to upper management. These information are usually required for decision-
making and monitoring. A secure targeted messaging system (unicasting e-mail) would be the
most recommendable.

Horizontal communication between peers generally happens through direct dialogue or

telephone calls. They also can be shared through Intranet chatrooms and emails.

5. Managing Diversity:
a. Discuss how your predecessor treated women and minorities in the department and the ill effects
that caused.

Prior to my appointment, the department paid no attention to respect for diversity. Even less on
the rights of women as well as those of minorities. Sexual harassment was rife. Clichés and
mockery of minorities were part of the daily picture. Mr. Patel, by his carelessness, fueled the
frustration of women, homosexuals and Muslims (to name them all). However, some of this
neglected staff have rich skills that can greatly benefit the entire business. This sad behavior was
very damaging to the company.

Secondly, the social climate, team cohesion and ultimately the overall functioning of the company
were strongly affected. Thirdly, the increase in sanctions, particularly legal ones, due to the
numerous complaints from the well-off. Sanctions with serious consequences, both in financial
terms and in terms of image. And lastly (not the least), the customers are now less and less
motivated to deal with a company with a such tarnished image. Some categories (e.g. Muslims)
have even united to completely turn their backs on dealing with our business.

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b. What will you do differently to improve relations with your workers and make maximum use
of all of your workforce?

To improve relations with staff and thus take advantage of all the potential that each employee can
bring to the department, I will invest myself into three axes:
(1) Inventory of diversity in the organization; We need to facilitate the professional integration
of populations of diversity. This axis aims at guaranteeing equal opportunities in access to
certain employment-related privileges, in particular in the case of delegation of power or
the distribution of tasks.
(2) Diversity policy (Definition and implementation); It will be necessary to design and
implement a full-fledged Diversity Policy as-well-as an Action Plan specifically tailored
for our business. That policy must be integrated into the deep values of the department and
vision of the company, so that it can be reflected in actions and behaviors of all employees
(starting with myself). We must also make this policy a force, rather than endure it. In
addition.
(3) Internal communication, awareness and training. This axis brings together
recommendations making it possible to create a virtuous dynamic around the diversity
label, by mobilizing all stakeholders (employees, mid-management & top management) to
the issue of diversity through awareness-raising actions, training and sensitization
workshops, in particular through the sharing of good practices.

c. How will you prove your intentions are good and earn employees’ trust?
By promoting best values and to ban all kinds of discrimination
In order to create a strong sense of belonging, it is essential that employees can identify with the
company's values: ethics, communication, self-esteem, integrity, flexibility, respect, know-how ,
are all universal values shared by most working people, and found in the human characteristics
necessary for a quality work environment. A simple survey in your company will allow you to
gauge the feeling of belonging and identity of your employees.

To lead by example while encouraging dialogue & communication

I must set an example through my own actions and actions. Applying the above values on a daily
basis will prove to other employees that I really care about them. Communication within and outer
the department, at Mr. Patel's time, was often one-sided: He demanded at the top of the pyramid,
and employees had to perform at the bottom without littering. However, this unilateral
communication has the immediate effect of erecting barriers between the different hierarchical
levels and causing a feeling of exclusion in the teams. If I take the time to listen to the employees,
I will value their individuality and they will give it back to me. I must also take their ideas into
account, take an interest in their private life, ask their opinion. By promoting two-way
communication, will prove that I trust them and that they can also trust me. They will more easily
speak up to share otherwise repressed concepts or ask for help when they need it. The quality of
individual and collective work and personal and general productivity will be immediately
enhanced.

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d. How will you bring the department together as a unit?

The following strategic actions would help me bring back cohesion and unity in the department:

To provide a good working environment

Creating a work environment where every employee feels good is to improve everyone's
confidence, loyalty and motivation. The entire company gains in productivity. Optimal quality of
life at work is the guarantee of more productive staff for the company. Employees are first and
foremost individuals. In business, the individual tends to blend into the collective for the benefit
of efficiency and productivity. Giving employees the opportunity to refocus on themselves also
improves their quality of life at work and gives them the keys to professional growth.

To promote team building

The goal of team building is to weld the links between members of the same team or the same
company, in order to strengthen the feeling of belonging and improve collaborative relationships.
This can be done by initiating various team building activities in the form of seminars, physical
activities or other more creative activities.

To strengthen the sense of belonging and team spirit

In this context, I must do everything in my power to make employees want to go to work rather
than drag their feet there. A successful staff will always be more motivated to concentrate on their
tasks and perform quality work. By giving them the importance they deserve as individuals, I will
strengthen the feeling of trust, security and satisfaction in the department.

To be available
To build trust, I also need to make myself available to employees. When they feel comfortable
enough to come and communicate with me (their supervisor), it boosts both their performance and
their morale. In addition to letting members of the department understand that they are free to
come to me if they have any questions, I will be setting up regular slots in my office where
employees can meet with me. This can also be done by email. By implementing this system at
least once a month, and even more if possible, I will instill confidence in employees.

To get to know and motivate employees

The best way to get to know employees is to talk to them individually. You don't have to be best
friends, but at least be friendly with them. It shows that I care about them on a personal level and
don't see them as just underlings.

To ask employees if I can help them

This simple question can make all the difference. By making myself available and accessible, I
will earn their trust and loyalty. A simple quick exchange with the members of my team can do
wonders for their cohesion and their well-being. Every employee likes to feel supported by their
supervisor and by offering to help I will give exactly what they need.

To share my impressions
Feedback is essential for teams to perform at their best. Too often, feedback is only negative and
is given in the form of criticism, when it should also serve both to highlight the qualities of
employees and to address their weaknesses. There are many ways to give feedback, from informal

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debriefs to scheduled meetings. The important thing is to communicate a set of feedback that meets
the needs of the employees. The youngest (generations Y and Z) will prefer regular but rapid
feedback, while the oldest (generations X and baby boomers) will be more open to weekly or even
bi-weekly reviews.

To avoid blaming mistakes

Employees need to know that they will not be penalized if they make mistakes. In fact, being
wrong can sometimes provide a lot of lessons. If people in my department aren't afraid to make
mistakes, they're more likely to work harder and be more creative in finding a solution to every
problem without giving up.

To encourage autonomy and innovation

As a supervisor, I need to encourage employees to take full ownership of their work. Empower
them to make their own decisions and dare to take risks. By empowering employees, I will also
feel free from the burden to concentrate on other tasks, without having to answer their questions
throughout the day.

6. Conclusion: Identify the steps you will take to rebuild the department in their order of
importance. Synthesize your findings into a logical conclusion that addresses how to accomplish
the goals that have been set for your department. Identify issues that may threaten success.

To sum up, I have just inherited a department that is far from being on the path that was intended
for it. Instead of being a department dedicated to customer service, it excels in repelling and
discriminating against internal customers (employee relations, supervisors and managers) and
external customers (partners, buyers and suppliers).

A priori, being new to the position of supervisor, I need to go through a gradual and structured
transition to take full control of the department; because it cannot happen after a night by wave of
a magic wand. In fact, the transition consists of five overlapping stages that take place over a
shorter or longer period.

The first step is called getting started. This is usually a short phase where the focus is on learning
how to manage the department, establishing personal credibility and therefore building a
foundation of leadership. This is where I must use honesty, sincerity and impartiality to build trust
within the department.

The second step is immersion. This is the period during which I will learn to know the real
problems of the department to be fully informed of the operational mechanism of the department.
It is also this step that will allow me to diagnose the symptoms and causes of the department's
malfunction. Particular attention will have to be paid to this step because it is from the information
thus gathered that I will be able to develop an inclusive corrective strategy.

The third step is remodeling. During this period, it will be necessary to move on to the
implementation of the corrective strategy that I will have developed in an inclusive manner (in
concert with my team). We will therefore gradually rebuild the department to adapt it to its initial
objectives, namely, to make it a customer-centric entity, that is to say, giving priority to customer

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satisfaction. At the same time, restore cohesion between employees and banish all kinds of
discrimination. This step will certainly be more laborious because promoting change in any human
organization is always complicated. It will be necessary to use tact, guide instead of imposing, set
an example while basing oneself on concrete facts. Not to mention that the team will perform much
better if confidence, motivation and morale are at their highest.

The fourth step is consolidation. In this phase, me and my team, will have to try to eliminate the
deeply rooted problems while perfecting the changes made in previous periods.

The fifth and final step is refinement. This step provides an opportunity to refine the operations of
the department, consolidate team spirit, and seek new opportunities to make creative
improvements in customer service.

Eventually, certain difficulties and risks are to be expected. Resistance to change, recalcitrant and
reluctant will certainly not miss. Trust, respect and recognition are strong values that effectively
motivate these people. We will therefore need to establish a plan to counter these difficulties and
minimize their impact on the final result of our interventions. It is also in the interest of the
department to develop team spirit on the management side by promoting transparent
communication and interactions between the different working groups.

--- END ---

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