Topic 11

Word

Definition

Example

customer care

the process of looking after customers to best ensure their satisfaction

Colombian telecoms operator ETB is in the process of modernising its customer care service centres

customer relations

are the relationships that a business has with its customers and the way in which it treats them

Good customer relations require courtesy, professionalism and effective response.

emotional capital

When people refer to the emotional capital of a company, they mean all the psychological assets and resources of the company, such as how the employees feel about the company

U.K. organisations are not nourishing their intellectual and emotional capital.

service with a smile

when a company treats its customers in a friendly and helpful way

Attention to detail, comfort and service with a smile are what you can expect and count on.

loyal

if customers are loyal to a particular product, they continue to buy it and do not change to other products

The chain is trying to appeal to customers loyal to other fast-food companies.

customer satisfaction

when customers who have paid for a product or service feel happy with it

Our main goal is to achieve customer satisfaction at all times.

corporate hospitality

when companies entertain clients, take them on trips etc in order to get business

Companies use corporate hospitality to improve relationships with their customers and suppliers.

code of practice

a set of written rules which explains how people working in a particular profession should behave

The auctioneers are violating a code of practice by dealing in stolen goods.

serve

perform duties or services for (another person or an organization)

He was elected to serve another six years.

repeat business

if a company gets repeat business, customers return to it to buy more of its products or services

The firm continued to grow, owing mainly to a high level of repeat business.

client

a customer or someone who receives services

A client receives a service from a professional person.

consumer

a person who buys goods, products or services for their own use, not for business or to re-sell

Consumers are demanding more choice and variety

customer

a person who buys goods or a service

A customer is someone who buys goods or services.

customer base

the customers or potential customers of a particular business, considered collectively

They are trying to find ways to expand the customer base.

repeat customer

client who buys products or services more than once

Last year, 55% of revenues came from repeat customers.

turn away

to stop supporting someone, or stop using or being interested in something, or to make someone do this

Consumers are turning away from credit cards.

after-sales service

repairs and advice given to a customer by a company after the customer has bought a product from the company

The company offers three years of after-sales service.

warranty

a written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time

The car comes with a three-year warranty.

guarantee

to promise to do something or to promise that something will happen

I guarantee you'll love this film.

training

the action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behaviour

All new staff will receive training.

staff training

training to improve the performance or knowledge of the employees or workforce or a company, etc

And employers are spending more on staff training.

staff development

the process whereby employees of an organisation enhance their knowledge and skills in directions that are advantageous to their role in the organisation

Local government is showing an increased commitment to staff development.

incentive

a positive motivational influence

Another incentive is the tax and duty-free importation of raw materials to be used for book publishing.

commit

to do something illegal or something that is considered wrong

Carl and Adam committed a crime. They robbed a large supermarket.

induction

the introduction and training of someone into a new job

A team from personnel will conduct the inductions.

apprentice

a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer

He became an engineering apprentice with a local firm.

supervisor

a person who supervises a person or an activity.

If you have a problem, go to your supervisor.

head of department

a leader or person in charge of a department in an organization

He's the head of department in Purchasing.

on-the-job training

education at the workplace

The company provides on-the-job training for sales managers

off-the-job training

the training method wherein the workers/employees learn their job roles away from the actual work floor

A quarter had received off-the-job training in their jobs.

mentor

a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice

A great mentor could assess your current experience and identify areas that require improvement

mentoring

the practice of assigning junior members of staff to the care of more experienced people who assist them in their careers

A further 19 will be placed on a support programme, offering mentoring from successful business people.

public relations

the activity of keeping good relationships between an organization and the general public

I'm a public relations officer, so I answer questions from journalists.

publicity manager

also referred to as public relations managers, work with individuals and companies in an attempt to help them earn favorable press in the media

She works as a publicity manager for a multinational company.

press release

an official statement giving information to the newspapers, radio, or television

The company didn't comment on the charges, but will be issuing a press release today.

press conference

a meeting at which someone makes an official statement to the people who write for the newspapers, radio, or television

The Green Party held a press conference the next day.

corporate image

is the perception held about an organisation by the various stake holders in the company (like investors, customers, vendors & government), public and the society at large

The company has perfect corporate image.

corporate values

things that are important for the company

It is important for employees to support corporate values.

corporate advertising

the advertising done for an entire institution/ company/ organization and not for individual brands or products

The company launches a massive corporate advertising campaign.

below the line promotion

relating to a company's spending on marketing activities other than advertising, for example research

Agencies offer strategic advice as well as below the line services like market research, pack design and direct marketing.

above the line promotion

relating to forms of advertising that will be seen by a lot of people, such as advertisements in newspapers and on television, rather than other forms of marketing

In contrast to traditional above the line marketing, it's almost impossible to measure the short-term effect of product placement.

consumer laws

consists of regulations and statutes that seek to create a more equitable balance for a buyer in the marketplace

It is important to follow the consumer laws.

caveat emptor

the principle that the person who buys something is responsible for checking that it is not broken, damagedetc

My final words would be caveat emptor - let the buyer beware.

consumer rights

are generally a reference to a body of law that pertains to things the producers of goods must do to protect customers from harm

The lawyer protects consumer rights.

customer data

is information held on file about customers by a store or other business, usually including names, contact details, and buying habits

In general, customer data tend to be more accurate than information on income.

Trade Descriptions Act

is a law designed to prevent companies from presenting their goods or services in a dishonest or misleading way

Last year it was convicted and fined under the Trade Descriptions Act for placing For Sale boards on empty homes in the area.

Data Protection Act

a United Kingdom act of parliament designed to ensure the proper handling of information stored about individuals on computers and entitling individuals to find out what information is stored about th

It is all stated in the Data Protection Act.

Internet security

s defined as a process to create rules and actions to take to protect against attacks over the Internet

An example of Internet security is an online system that prevents credit card numbers from being stolen on a shopping website.