Page 175 - DMGT546_INTERNATIONAL_TRADE_PROCEDURE_AND_DOCUMENTATION

International Trade Procedures and Documentation

Notes QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework) level 2, compared to the industry norm of
52% (as identified by Skills for Logistics Research).
This case study examines how TNT’s Customer Promise reflects its core strategy of customer
focus and aligns with its corporate values to influence the organisation’s culture.
Why is Customer focus so Important?
Customer service is a series of activities designed to deliver customer satisfaction. The
process of providing customer satisfaction is based on an understanding of what customers
want and need. Effective businesses aim to anticipate and meet or exceed these needs. It
also requires effective communication.
A high quality customer experience needs to apply from initial contact through to after-
sales care, whether the customer generates a one-off transaction or regular repeat business.
There are many different aspects which underpin customer satisfaction in a business.
These include:

ease of use – educating customers so that they know how to get the best from the
service or product and designing services that are easy to use and access.

personal relationships – building a rapport with customers to make them feel valued
and that their needs are important, so that they develop an attachment to the service.
appropriate payment systems – enabling customers to pay in ways that are
convenient to them and at appropriate time, such as on satisfactory completion of
service.

an effective complaints process – dealing with any problems or complaints promptly
and making sure customers know of the outcome.
after-sales service – checking that customers have had a satisfactory experience and
offering other potentially relevant services to extend the customer relationship.
The various elements of providing a satisfactory customer experience should relate to
customer needs. Relevant factors for TNT customers involve:

on-time delivery – TNT aims to deliver all documents, parcels and freight to the
customer’s required timescale through its door-to-door integrated air and road
network.
24/7 tracking – TNT’s sophisticated online technology makes it possible for customers
to track where their consignments are at any time of day, giving them reassurance.

personal attention – TNT can accommodate specific customer requirements for safe
delivery of unusual or fragile items. For example, on one occasion, the company
transported a lifesized fibreglass Friesian cow from Scotland to a farm in Northern
Ireland!
The Customer Experience at TNT

TNT’s market is highly competitive. In TNT’s market there are at least 13 direct competitors.
TNT’s Customer Promise is designed to deliver a competitive advantage, something that
competitors will find hard to copy. As well as providing a ‘superior customer experience’,
the Promise:

supports TNT’s market-leading position
helps to retain existing customers and attract new ones
Contd...

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