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7/28/2019 Customer Care Course Workbook
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A SELF STUDY WORKBOOK
Customer Service& Care
Including Self Assessment Questions
.
Copyright. Philip Clough.
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CONTENTS
Chapter One Who are Your Customers? Internal customers
Communicating with internal customers
External customers
Page No.
3
3
4
7
Chapter Two Promoting a Positive Impression of Yourself
and youre Organisation
Relaxing and assisting customers
Body language
Telephone skills
The physical environment
9
9
13
18
20
Chapter Three Giving Consistent Care and Service to
Youre Customer
Finding ways of improving service
Listening skills
Correct information
Knowing your organisation's limitations
Your rights - Your customer's rights
21
21
23
25
28
31
Chapter Four Solving Problems and Complaints
Identifying problems
Customer complaints
Compliments
33
33
38
41
Chapter Five Bringing It All Together
An overview of your skills
Achievements
Building on success
Final Assessment
42
42
43
44
46
Copyright. Philip Clough.
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CUSTOMER SERVICE & CARE
IntroductionThe purpose of this workbook
Service is directed to all types, nationalities, ages and disabilities. It is also directed at
people with differing requirements and attitudes. This workbook will look at how customer
service and care affects all of us, whether we deliver it or receive it.
Service is generic rather than specific; hence most of the content can be applied to any
sector of service. All the skills learnt in this workbook can be applied across all disciplines
and into your own personal life.
You will learn about:
1. Personal presentation
2. Dealing with complaints
3. How to prioritise
4. The pleasure of giving service
5. Listening
6. Communication
7. Effects on you and your organisation
How this will be achieved
You will learn the importance of providing excellent customer service and care through
various means, not least of all will be through your own experiences. This will be built upon through
observation, and specific activities.
Who is this workbook aimed at?
1. Anyone involved with customers, their managers and trainers.
2. Anyone wishing to enter customer based employment.
3. Management students.
4. Anyone self-employed or considering self-employment.
Outcome
Individuals will get a great deal of personal satisfaction from this programme.
Their awareness of others will be heightened.
Employers will see improved performance. Customers will be happier clients and this
will be shown in both their attitude and loyalty to the you and you will see a lot more smiles!
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CHAPTER ONE
Who are Your Customers?The aim of this Chapter is to:
1. Identify what internal customers are
2. Look at internal communications
3. Explore the extent of your customers
4. Look at customer's needs
A smile may help but it doesnot make for good customer service
and care; you need to know who is your customer.
Internal Customers
Most people think of customer care and service as something which is for those
customers and visitors who use you organisation and its services. But internal
customers are equally as important. No organisation, business or enterprise can
function correctly without interaction and communication between employees,
departments and managers.
For example you may work in the central purchasing department for your company,
therefore you are reliant upon warehouse staff, pickers and drivers. Both you and they
are INTERNAL customers.
Will you treat your customers well if your colleagues and managers treat you badly?
Equally so, if you treat other departments without respect and care how do you think
they will treat their customers, either internal or external?
We all need to treat our internal customers well by:
1. Responding reasonably to their requests2. Understanding their importance to the organisation
3. Taking shared responsibility for problems
4. Co-operating with them, not against them
5. Keeping shared confidential information confidential
6. Working as a team and not having an 'us' and 'them' situation
7. Respecting their role within the organisation
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Communicating with Internal Customers
The majority of internal problems in any organisation start with communication.
Lack of communication
An example of this is when a certain manufacturing company had a meeting of the
board of directors. They needed to cut costs and therefore decided that the staff
canteen could no longer be subsidised. It was agreed that prices had to go up the
following month and this would be the responsibility of the financial director. He asked
the chef to review all prices so that they covered all costs, but not to start them for a
month. At the beginning of the following month the prices went up. No one knew, other
than rumours, that this was going to happen.
How do you think the staff reacted?
After lunch what do you think happened to the production rate?
Some staff went out for lunch and were late back for work.
Everyone left work that evening feeling annoyed.
Lack of listening
How many times have we said to someone "I can't remember you telling me that" only
to hear someone reply "but I told you that last week?"
We are all guilty of hearing what is important to us at the time and not what is important
to the other person.
Do we always listen to our partners or children?
Lack of information
Do you remember the times when you have eaten out and asked the waiting staff,
"what is today's soup?" only to get the reply "I shall just check with the kitchen."
If you go into a department store and ask where the toilets are you don't expect "I don't know" as
the answer.
Messy informationIt is guaranteed that you will have gone past a notice board and couldn't be bothered to
read the notices.
Why?
Probably because there were too many; old notices, notices nothing to do with you,
notices all cluttered and badly organised. You just do not have the time to sift
through them.
Notice boards should sell information. Would you go into a cluttered supermarket with
the peas next to the toilet rolls or the tea by the soap powder?
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Junk information
How much junk mail do you get at home or on the internet each week?
Does this also apply to your department at work? Does it receive lots of communications from
other departments which have nothing to do with you or your colleagues?They sometimes end up on that cluttered notice board!
The larger an organisation the more paperwork it produces and a lot of it is unnecessary.
The important points about communicating with other departments and your
colleagues are:
1. Be clear in what you are saying and make sure the other/s has/have understood
2. Listen to requests and information - if in doubt ask questions
3. Do not send unnecessary information to people who don't need it
4. Keep all relevant people informed
5. Share ideas. Why keep good ideas to yourself?
6. When you need more time to do a job inform the people it may affect
7. Pass on information speedily and accurately to those it involves
8. Know what responsibility your colleagues have - there is no point asking the
gardener to change a fuse!
Self Assessment Questions
Question 1
Who are your internal customers within your department and your organisation?
Question 2
One of your co-workers is getting rather irate because supplies requested 2 days ago
have not arrived. How would you deal with the situation?
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Question 3
What products and services does your department supply?
Question 4
Why is it important to pass on information swiftly and accurately?
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External Customers
Every organisation has customers to care for and give service.
Commercial organisations that sell goods and services range from shops to banks and
from gas suppliers to baby sitters.
They all have to be competitive and give good customer service and care.
Hospitals, schools, colleges, charities, etc., are not as commercial as the above since
they are not completely dependent upon selling shoes, gas, loans, hotel rooms, meals etc. Yet they
nevertheless have to give customer service and care.
Every visitor to a shop, library, restaurant, hospital or solicitor is a customer.
They are still considered customers if they visit by 'phone'. They could be enquiring
about an advert in the paper, requesting a bank statement, making a dental
appointment or wanting information about a washing machine in the summer sale.
A manufacturer of fancy metal boxes for Johnny Walker whisky may think that his customer is
the purchasing manager for Johnny Walker but he isn't his only customer. He also has:
1. His own internal customers
2. Johnny Walker accounts department
3. Johnny Walkers board of directors
4. Johnny Walkers marketing department - is the image right?
5. The bottle packers - are they happy with the ease of filling the tins?
6. The shops that stock the tins - are they easy to display?
Do they have customer appeal?
7. The final purchaser - the whisky maybe great but is the tin attractive?
Is it re-usable?
All the above customers have different requirements and needs.
These needs are unique to themselves.
What about your customers? What needs do they have?
Who are your customers?
Customer needs are not static. They can vary and change from day to day, even
hour by hour.
Someone bought a torch >>>>>>>>> Now needs batteries
Someone took an overdraft >>>>>>>>> Now needs a loan
Someone broke a leg
Someone had a meal
>>>>>>>>> Now needs crutches
>>>>>>>>> Now needs a bill
Customer needs could also be:
Luxury gifts
Bargains
Lifts
Parking
Toilets
Baby changing facilities
Refreshments
Help desk
Confidentiality
Gift wrapping
Disabled access
Privacy
Guarantees
Free gifts
Etc. Etc. Etc.
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 5
Who are your customers?
Question 6
What specific needs do your customers have?
Question 7
What are your needs as a customer when you are:
1. At the Post Office?
2. At a restaurant, caf or bar?
3. At a supermarket?
4. At the dentist?
(Put a tick next to any of your needs which might be the same as the needs of your
customers at your place of work).
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CHAPTER TWO
Promoting a Positive Impression of Yourself andYour Organisation
The aim of this Chapter is to:
1. Develop skills, which exceed what your customers expect
2. Look at things through your customer's eyes
3. Read customer's moods and feelings
4. Review your telephone skills
Relaxing and Assisting Customers
Saying "hello" and "goodbye" should be as individual as you are.
Be genuine.
The Welcome
Before being able to help or assist anyone they need to be greeted and be made tofeel welcome.
The initial greeting is like breakfast; it sets them up for their visit. The correct open and
friendly greeting helps to make the customer feel at ease. It gives them a good
impression of both you and your organisation. This is why some larger department stores
and hotels have doormen who are simply there to greet the customer.
If you look at many office blocks, hotels and supermarkets there is always a desk, just
inside the entrance, where staff greet and offer help in directing the customer to the
right department.
Greeting and a warm welcome make customers feel valued and show them that you aretreating them as an individual and not just another customer.
The Unwelcome
Being ignored is what we all hate the most. We are all individuals who like to be
recognised. Children and babies react quickly if they are being ignored. Babies cry,
children play-up or show off. As adults we tend to get annoyed, we rarely complain and,
if we have other choices, leave the shop or organisation.
When a famous chain first opened their burger restaurants in the UK their staff were
trained in customer greetings and farewells just as they were in the USA.
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UK customers were asked about the service that they received in a countrywide
questionnaire. The company soon realised that the training needed to change in the UK.
The British did not like 'scripted' or 'parrot' like greetings such as 'Welcome, my name
is Sharon and I shall be serving you. Today we have a Super Deluxe Burger with a large
drink and fries for only 4.50. Can I get that for you?' OR 'Thank you for choosing ourrestaurant, enjoy your meal and have a nice day'.
Wisely, they changed tactics and trained staff to be warm and welcoming but to use
phrases that they, the staff, were happy using.
Self Assessment Questions
Question 1
Identify where you have been welcomed warmly and what you felt?
Question 2
Identify where you did not receive a warm welcome.
How did you feel?
Would you go back if you had a choice?
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Assisting
Your customers are now relaxed. You have given them a warm welcome and shown
them that you care and value them.
What is the purpose of their visit? Is it:
pleasure?
business?
necessity?
social?
You may work in a large department store and they are here shopping. But not all
shopping is a pleasure. Not everyone who is shopping looks upon it as retail therapy.
Compare these two scenes:
1. You are going to a special dinner dance and it's your wedding anniversary. You
have had 20 years of happy marriage. You have decided to buy a special dinnerdress with some of the money you won on the lottery.
2. Two of your three children are returning to school after the summer holidays and
need some new clothes and shoes. The bus was late due to flooding. You have a
dreadful migraine and your baby, Jamie, was sick just before you got off the bus.
You have to watch what you spend, as your husband has just been made redundant.
One is going to be a fun shop the other a nightmare experience.
If you were buying the dinner dress you would probably need little assistance in
comparison to when you had the three children with you. You might need someone to
amuse the children whilst you looked for bargains, perhaps a children's play area. Youmay need directions to the nappy changing room.
You can often tell when people need help and assistance. They may:
have children with them
be elderly
look lost or confused
be disabled
You can also tell by their body language.
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Body Language
When a stranger walks through your door you don't know them, have not yet greeted
them, have not spoken to them and know nothing about them. But you have made an
immediate impression of them, and they also of you, through BODY LANGUAGE.
10% of a message is conveyed through words.
20% through voice, pitch and emphasis.
70% through gesture, posture and body language.
Head MovementsThe way we position our head gives out signals to others:
Nodding slightly
Nodding violently
Nodding side to side
Head to one side
>>
>>
>>
>>
agreeing
agreeing with annoyance
disagreeing/ no
interested in what's being said
Facial Expression
Every picture tells a story.
Every face is a picture!
We give so much away by our facial expression, yet we can also hide a lot by our lack
of expression. Expressing happiness and joy, warmth and care is more pleasurable, to
both you and the customer, than showing boredom and disinterest.
Remember, it takes more energy and exercises more muscles to smile than to frown -
so get exercising!
Eye Contact
The right amount of eye contact shows interest and honesty. Too much can be
dominating and even intimidating.
Lots of blinking could mean anxiety or deception.
Looking deep into someone's eyes should be kept to lovers or when you are
being flirtatious.
Breaking eye contact may mean you are making the person uncomfortable
or embarrassed.Glazed eyes may mean boredom or lack of interest.
Downcast eyes can mean shyness, remorse or sometimes lack of interest.
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Facial Expression
It isn't what you say but
the way you say it.
How we say things tells a lot to the customer. It shows whether we are interested,
annoyed, caring, tired or fed-up etc.
For example, we can change what we say simply by:
inflection
emphasis
loudness
The way we emphasise a word in a phrase or sentence can change its meaning totally.You should only emphasise things which are positive.
Do you like been shouted at?
Shouting should be reserved for calling the dog back to the house.
(We shall look further at the effect of the voice in Telephone Skills).
Self Assessment Question
Question 6
Repeat the following sentences with a colleague or friend, putting emphasis on the
Highlighted word.
What does each statement really mean?
Statement:
Meaning:
Statement:
Meaning:
Statement:
Meaning:
Statement:
Meaning:
Statement:
Meaning:
Statement:
Meaning:Statement:
Meaning:
I did not say you stole the wallet
I did not say you stole the wallet
I did not say you stole the wallet
I did not say you stole the wallet
I did not say you stole the wallet
I did not say you stole the wallet
I did not say you stole the wallet
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Smell
The smell or odour of an establishment is extremely important as is your smell or odour!
When we are with customers we communicate through our personal hygiene and
grooming. We all prefer people who have:
clean hair
fresh breath
no body odour
are lightly perfumed
When you go into the changing room of a gym or sports club, the odour is acceptable,
but not in an office, shop or waiting room.
If we have bad breath, body odour, greasy hair, foisty clothes, dirty fingernails or
chipped nail varnish, we are saying to the customer; "I don't care about my
appearance" therefore we are saying, "I don't care about you".
Gestures
Gestures are like breathing:
automatic and difficult to control.
We all use gestures and we use them all the time without thinking:
Scratching
Itching
Biting nails
Stroking hair
Picking our nose
Chin rubbing
Ear lobe pulling
Hand waving
Finger clicking
Etc. Etc.
In the main, gestures are beyond our control. We need to identify them and, if they are
not appropriate or are negative, be conscious of them and stop or change them.
Negative gestures such as brushing down your clothes whilst someone is speaking to
you tend to irritate others. They also show a sign of disinterest or boredom.
Gestures are the most difficult of all body languages to control.
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Self Assessment Question
Question 7
Spend some time observing people's gestures. Make a note of them below and
indicate if they are negative or positive.
Do you make the same or similar gestures?
Loaded with this knowledge try and change your negative gestures to positive ones.
Posture
Walk tall, walk straight
and look the whole world in the eye.
The above is the best advice that Lee Marvin could give to a young man in the musical
film 'Paint your Wagon'.
Standing up straight indicates confidence.
Leaning slightly forward when someone speaks indicates interest.
Slouching indicates disrespect.
Arms folded means confrontation, superiority, lack of interest or boredom.
Hands on hips are a sign of aggression.
Wriggling and twitching is a sign of discomfort.
Personal space
Like animals we have our own territories of individual space or 'bubbles'. These 'bubbles' vary according to the person we are with
and our background i.e in China they hardly exist.
When dealing with customers we should be careful about invading their 'bubble' or space.
1. The 'bubble' hardly exists with lovers and close relations.
2. The 'bubble' surrounds people for about a metre when it comes to social friends
and colleagues. (Remember the expression 'keep him at arms length'?)
3. The 'bubble' is over a metre when it comes to customers and strangers in public
and professional life.
Never enter someone else's 'bubble' uninvited.
Only get closer when you need to take control.
Stepping back helps you make the other feel more comfortable.
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 8
When is it appropriate to invade someone else's personal space?
Question 9
What individuals or groups of people have smaller space personal space "bubbles?"
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Telephone Skills
No matter how much technology an organisation uses for its telecommunication system
we all hate: being kept on hold, told to press option 3, listening to repeated adverts or
monotonous cheap music or being told constantly that our call is important. How many
times do we just slam down the phone?
For many customers the telephone is the first point of contact -
you don't get a second chance in making the first impression.
BasicsEven if you hardly use the phone in your organisation you need to know:
how to transfer a call
how to put a caller on hold
You need at hand:
a pad
a pen
an internal telephone directory
You should never leave a phone ringing. Always answer it as quickly as possible, (unless it is against company
policy). Even if you cannot help the caller you can take a message and pass it on to the
appropriate person.
Answering the phone
How many times have you phoned an organisation and been given a garbled greeting or
the initials of the organisation? Have you got through to the Microsoft Helpline or
Messy Cloth Alpine? The person on the other end is sloppy, wasting your time
and money.
A suggested form of greeting:
Opening Greeting
Where?
Who?
Action
Hello/Good morning
Microsoft Helpline,
Philip speaking
How can I help you?
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When answering the phone you need to give an instant impression to the caller of:
your interest in them
how organised you are
your organisation
your willingness to help
your professionalism
Your voice is the main tool at your disposal and you should be aware of:
loudness
Pitch
Inflection
Tone
Speed
Emphasis
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
too much, too little?
squeaky, deep?
up or down?
monotonous, theatrical?
fast, slow?
appropriate, inappropriate
Self Assessment Question
Question 10
Suggest how you would respond to someone phoning your department?
TRY THIS
Record your own voice when on the telephone. Do a recording when making
a call to:
a friend
a business
Listen to your voice.
What improvements could you make?
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The Physical Environment
First impressions = Lasting impressions
As a customer walks through your door they are hit by lots of different impressions, one
of which is the physical environment in which they find themselves.
How many places such as shops, offices, restaurants, cafs, churches, shopping
centres etc would you return to?
Why? Service possibly? Quality of products?
One factor would certainly be the physical environment i.e. what the place looked, smelt
and felt like.
These physical factors can be described by being:
cool
small
manic
quiet
homely
amateurish
comfortable
bigclean
badly signed
up-market
large
empty
artificial
welcoming
unloved
cosy
grottywell decorated
stylish
vibrant
messy
depressing
dirty
elegant
sleazy
modern
scruffypeaceful
smoky
caring
smelly
crowded
clean
hostile
littered
old fashioned
charmingairy
musty
warm
claustrophobic
noisy
well-lit
antiseptic
plastic
threatening
tattyuplifting
damp
Self Assessment Question
Question 11
List the things which best describes the physical environment of your workplace.
Include in this the areas that only your internal customers visit.
Underline those which need improvement. Circle those which YOU and your colleagues
can change. Bring the ones, which have only been underlined to the attention of your
manager/supervisor and make suggestions on how they can be improved.
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CHAPTER THREE
Giving Consistent Care and Service To Your CustomerThe aim of this Chapter is to:
1. To build on the good service you give now
2. Further develop listening skills
3. Look at how to give the right information
4. Deal with the organisation's limitations
5. Examine the rights of both customer and provider
Finding Ways of Improving Service
Do you remember the last time you saw a school report? There is always a comment by
the teacher on one subject or another 'could do better'. It is true of all of us that no
matter what we do we can always find room for improvement.
Do you know anyone who is perfect?
It is only by knowing your, or your organisation's:
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)that you can improve your service and care for customers.
Doing a SWOB check can help us in everything from work to our personal lives.
A typical SWOB check for a restaurant could be:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
well established restaurant
specialist in Italian cuisine
well known accomplished chef
quality premises
well priced product
badly signposted
lack of trained staff
poor supply of fresh fish
poor customer service
thriving market
local pub/restaurant closing down
no take-away pizzas for miles/km
no public transport
poor parking facilities
no staff accommodation
set in a village
Weaknesses and opportunities can overlap. Actions can be taken to make weaknesses
into opportunities. Threats may be physical or to do with people's attitude or
something which is totally impractical. Threats are limitations, which cannot be leapt
over. If you are 6' tall you cannot change that to 5'8"!
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Self Assessment Question
Question 1
Write a SWOT check for your organisation or department in terms of the service and
care that you provide.
Look at all the aspects including dealing with your internal customers.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
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Listening Skills
We have seen how body language, a warm greeting, the physical environment and
gestures can make the customer feel at ease.
Yet another way of improving service, which we touched on in Chapter One, is listening.
Listening improves our ability to give the correct care and service.
We may hear someone but it does not mean that we have listened.
Probably the reason we don't listen goes back to childhood:
'Children should be seen and not heard'
'Shut up and listen'
'Don't interrupt your elders'
'Speak only when you are spoken to'
'Quiet, I want to watch television'
'Listen to your dad and do what he tells you'
'What did you do at school today?' Mum asks whilst preparing a meal and listening to
the radio.
If you have ever been to a good doctor, minister, priest or counsellor you will notice that
they listen intently and ask questions only when there is a need.
The people who give the greatest customer service are also great listeners because they
really care.
A good listener finds out what is really being said. It takes practice. Follow the eight
rules of listening:
1. Don't interrupt
2. Ask only essential questions
3. Don't jump to conclusions
4. Take notes if needed
5. Concentrate on the speaker6. Avoid distractions
7. Put yourself in the speaker's shoes
8. When the speaker has finished review what was said
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Self Assessment Question
Question 2
Do you have any bad habits when you are listening to others?
Answer the questions below. Be honest with yourself and look back on this section
to see how you can improve your listening skills.
Question Yes No
1. Do you let your mind wander/daydream?
2. Are you easily distracted?
3. Do you allow others to interrupt?
4. Do you fill in the end of other's sentence?
5. If you do, do you often get it wrong?
6. Do you turn off when others are long winded?
7. Do things around you distract you?
8. Do you show you are listening?
9. Do certain phrases or words annoy you?
10. Do certain accents put you off?
11. Do you fidget when listening?
12. Do you show impatience when listening?
13. Do you interrupt people?
14. Do you read between the lines?
15. Do you question if you don't understand?
16. Do you only listen to interesting people?
17. Do certain people prejudice you?
18. Do you show positive body language?
19. Do you review what has been said?
20. Do you jump to conclusions?
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Correct Information
Product Knowledge and Information
'Have you got this jumper in a larger size?'
'When will you have a new delivery?'
'Will this work overseas?'
'What's the soup of the day?'
'How much will it cost when you get them?'
'How long is it guaranteed for?'
We ask the above questions all the time when out shopping. Yet how many times do we
hear 'I don't know' in response?
You need to know, as far as is reasonably possible, about the products and services
your organisation supplies.
Granted, you cannot know everything and even your customer knows this. But they also
know that there is someone in your organisation that does know the answer to their query.
Never be afraid of saying
'I don't know, but let me find out for you'.
Over Information
Ever been confused by someone?
At the electrical store:
"the diactronic heating coil axiaposes the cylindrical
electrodes to defuse the magnetic field in a counterclockwise
movement which...................makes it spin faster"
At the hospital:
"Your father has had a myocardial infarction hence he
has an autonomic dysfunctional syndrome aggravated
by a cerebo cranial incident"
At the computer supplier:
"The HDD on the principal RPF drive of the MSDOS
function should be reconfigured and an XPC
signal transferred to the P25BN vortex"
Only if the customer is an expert or asks for this information should it be given to them.
Too much technical information or use of meaningless abbreviations does not
necessarily give the customer confidence in you. More often he/she:
1. feels inadequate
2. thinks you are a clever clogs
3. is frightened off4. goes elsewhere for simpler and understandable information
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 3
When have you had a great customer service that was beyond your expectations?
What happened?
How did you feel?
Will you return to this provider given the opportunity?
Question 4
What could you do in your department or organisation to give that extra 1%?
Try doing this as soon as possible and write down the reaction of your customers.
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Knowing Your Organisation's Limitations
Never agree or promise anything that you cannot deliver. This is one of the biggest let
downs that people encounter. Some organisations do this just to gain customers. These
are the organisations which we all talk about, and consumer television programmes are
always warning us about.
All too often we agree something with a customer and then cannot deliver:
"I will call you tomorrow!"
"The cheque will go first class tonight"
"Your appointment is at 2.30pm"
"Your pizza will be ready in 5 minutes"
"We shall deliver on Monday morning"
"The red skirts will be in on Tuesday"
If you can't deliver your promise you will end up with a complaint. Do you need the
hassle? Do you want an unhappy and irate customer who will never return?
The above statements are all based on time. Time, lack of it and other people wasting it.
It seems to be one of our most precious commodities.
Waiting and queuing is part and parcel of life. We all hate it but have to grin and bare it.
All organisations have limited resources. If we could all attend to our customers as soon
as they demanded the cost would be enormous. Yet we should never make promises
that we cannot keep.
People will wait happily for:
a great meal
a roller coaster ride
a film or play
a betting office for your winnings
out of necessity:
at the supermarketat the bank for some cash
at the bus stop
with grudging impatience:
at the dentist
on the phone to query a bill
at a shop exchanging faulty goods
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 5
What would it be better to say, or to add, to the following phrases?
"I will call you tomorrow"
"The cheque will go first class tonight"
"Your appointment is at 2.30pm"
"Your pizza will be ready in 5 minutes"
"We shall deliver your oven on Monday morning"
"The red skirts will be in on Tuesday"
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Question 6
In what situations do people wait in your organisation or department, whether in
person or on the phone?
For each situation identify whether they wait:
1. happily
2. out of necessity3. impatiently/grudgingly
How could you make their visit more pleasurable?
When talking to your customers ask them how your organisation, department or you
yourself could make their wait a better experience. Discuss this with your
manager/supervisor.
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Your Rights - Your Customer's Rights
Providers and customers alike have rights. We tend to think of rights in terms of the law
e.g. when we buy a certain article by weight we know we are protected by various laws.
But our basic rights go far beyond legislation.
Legal rights in the purchase of goods or services protect the consumer and are
governed by legislation.
Basic rights are embedded in the notion of RESPECT, which is the right of both
provider and customer.
Give Respect = Receive Respect
Respect should start with the provider. If you start dealing with a customer in an off-hand or rude manner you have no right to expect respect from the customer. If you start
by giving respect you will gain respect in return. This is the basis of all relationships, no
matter how brief.
The Rights of the Customer
The customer has the right:
> to value for money
> to the attention of the
service provider
> to access to lines of
communication to complain or
compliment
> to have allowances made for
their particular situation
> not to be rushed or hassled
and given time to cool off
> to say no
> to have promises kept
> to explanations and apologies
> to be listened to
> to compensation for loss
or inconvenience
> not to have their taste
questioned
> to respect
> not to have their time wasted
The Rights of the Provider
The provider has the right:
> not to have their taste
questioned
> to be given time to
explain
> to be listened to
> not to be held
responsible for other's
mistakes
> to say no
> to be given time to
rectify mistakes
> not to be treated
like a servant
> to respect
In addition to the above rights many organisations have codes of conduct, mission
statements or charters.
Mission statements are found in all types of organisations whether commercial, charitable or institutional.
Codes of conduct tend to be used by members of professional bodies i.e. accountants, solicitors.
Charters are more commonly found in institutions such as colleges, hospital, government departments and town/city councils.
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 7
What legislation, codes of conduct, charters or mission statements affect you in your
organisation or department?
Legislation
Charters, mission statements etc.
If you have a charter, mission statement or code of conduct, make a list below of the
areas that deal with customer care and service.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Solving Problems and ComplaintsThe aim of this Chapter is to:
1. Examine the nature of complaints
2. Look at the cost of complaints
3. Understand why complaints don't damage organisations
4. Discover how to deal with complaints and compliments
Identifying Problems
Complaints need to be looked at within their broader context. Very often before a
complaint arises it can be seen as a problem which needs solving. No one yet has
registered a complaint but it is just waiting to happen.
Complaint Observation Opinions
Actual
Complaints
Potential
Complaints
Potential
Complaints
Customer Staffor customer
Staffor customer
Your Organisation/Department
Opinions
Both you and your customer may have an opinion regarding some part of your
organisation. It could be to do with quality, service, physical environment etc. These
opinions may be to do with changes and they need to be looked at as potential
problems and hence they are possible future complaints.
These are opportunities which, if acted upon, will turn into compliments.
Opinions can come from questionnaires, a serious concern or just a passing remark.
They are a source of opportunity to make better the organisation and its service.
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Observation
We all see physical things in our workplace which could be made better if they
were changed:
dim lighting in the toilets
poor quality carrier bags
uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area
We also see situations which could develop into complaints:
someone waiting a long time for their appointment
someone with empty glasses at the bar
a wet floor
Whether seen by a customer or a member of staff action needs to be taken to resolve
these potential complaints.
Self Assessment Question
Question 1
What areas in your department/organisation are potential volcanoes ready to erupt
into complaints?
Speak with your supervisor/manager and explain to him/her your cause for concern.
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Complaints
Complaints fall into five main categories;
1. time related
2. quality related3. cost related
4. personnel related
5. environment related
1. Time related
As discussed, in Chapter Three, time is a precious commodity which none of us
like to waste. This is one area where people complain the most. No one likes
being kept waiting.
2. Quality related
This can be anything from the quality of merchandise to the quality of technical
support. It is often the easiest form of complaint to rectify.
3. Cost related
We all want value for money. In the main people examine goods and decide that
they are happy with the price that is being asked.
Buying a service is a different matter and this is where the main complaints come
from, such as badly cleaned windows, stained dry cleaning, package holidays
going wrong, etc.
4. Personnel related
Being treated badly or rudely is a common form of complaint. A significant
amount of this type of complaint happens in the service industries.
5. Environment related
As we discussed in Chapter Two, the physical environment in your place of work
is very important. It is important in:
shops
restaurants
hospitals
homes for the elderly
buses
offices
bars
etc.
This is an area in which most people don't complain - they just never return.
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 2
How would you deal with:
1. someone waiting a long time for their appointment?
2. a wet floor?
3. dim lighting in the toilets?
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The Cost of Complaints
Financial
Most people complain because they want to return, they want to be your customer i.e.
they want a problem resolving and, if resolved to their satisfaction, they will return. If acomplaint is handled badly they will not return. If they don't complain, as said above,
they will never return.
Not all organisations are commercial i.e. churches, hospitals, government departments
and schools.
Commerce, retail, even colleges and universities need to make money to survive.
Unresolved complaints lead to a fall off of business and could eventually contribute to
the collapse of an organisation.
Personal
Unresolved complaints are demoralising. They upset the customer and you. Leaving
work at the end of the day after making some achievements gives you a good feeling.
You will moreover tend to have a pleasant evening with your family and friends.
Possibly more important is that if you don't give good service to your customers, and
there have been unresolved complaints, you could be dismissed.
Reputation
Complaints not dealt with properly leave a nasty taste in the customer's mouth. They
need to get rid of that taste so they spit it out like venom at the first chance. In other
words they tell everyone about the bad service that they have received.
A bad reputation is easy to acquire because we all like to gossip. The news is 95%
bad news!
A bad reputation has a knock on effect. Less customers, lower profits, collapse of the
organisation and possibly your job.
Self Assessment Questions
Question 3
In your experience, what specific organisations have:
1. a good reputation?
2. a bad reputation?
How do you know this:
by word of mouth?
by personal experience?
COMPLAINTS lead to SOLUTIONS for the future SATISFACTION of your CUSTOMERS.
Treat them as Positive Criticism.
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Customer Complaints
Customers mainly complain because they wish to continue doing business with your
organisation; otherwise, if they had a choice, they would just go elsewhere.
A complaint is an opportunity to:
win over the customer
provide good care and service
give 1% more
create a better reputation
gain more business
gain personal satisfaction
achieve promotion
Customer complaints are Positive.
The art of dealing with complaints relies on coming up with an acceptable solution for
both the customer and the provider.
Consider this scene in a restaurant on Christmas Day;
"We decided to have Christmas dinner in a restaurant this year. On arrival the restaurant
was very busy and there was no one to greet us, never mind seat us. Fortunately we
saw a table reserved with our name on it so we sat ourselves down rather than have a
drink at the bar.
After ordering our dinner we waited nearly an hour for it to arrive. No one came to
apologise or explain what was happening.
The food was cold. After complaining to the waiter he took our food away and returned
with it shortly. It had obviously been put in the microwave as the gravy was crusty and
the centre of the food was only warm."
"We asked to see the manager and told him our problem. He said, "So you don't wantme to charge for the meal?" Taken aback we agreed with his suggestion and left."
The diners did not have either a good meal or a good experience. At least they didn't
have to pay. Although the complaint was dealt with it was not really resolved.
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Handling Complaints
If the manager of the restaurant above had fulfilled the following 17 rules of handling
complaints he would have won over the diners.
The 17 Essentials in Handling Customer Complaints
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Use their name
Say "I" am sorry not "We"
Never be on the defensive
Be relaxed - use positive body language
Apologise and admit blame
Don't take criticism personally
Empathise by saying "I realise how you feel", "that's understandable" and I would feel the same
Don't blame others or your organisation
Give them your undivided attention. Take notes if needed
Review what they have said so that you have a proper understanding of the
nature of their complaint
Don't lie - if you cannot resolve the problem immediately say that you will get
back to them within a specified time scale
Don't make promises that you cannot keep
Make them part of the solution - what will make them happy
Get them to agree a solution
Tell them what you CAN do not what you cannot do
Once a solution is agreed act quickly
Follow up and check that the problem is resolved
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Self Assessment Questions
Question 4
Go back to the scene at the restaurant on Christmas Day and answer the following
questions.
1. At what point did things go wrong?
2. What should have happened?
3. If you were the diners what solution would you have been happy with?
4. If the solution was acceptable to both you and the manager would you have gone
back to the restaurant?
5. Why?
6. What are the procedures within your organisation/department for dealingwith complaints?
You can never win an argument with a customer.
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Compliments
The majority of people cannot take compliments easily:
"lovely dress" response "oh this old thing""fabulous meal" response "very easy recipe"
"thanks for cleaning the office" response "it's just my job"
"thanks for the lift" response "it was on my way home"
This false modesty not only puts down the person that is giving us the compliment but
belittles oneself. You leave the situation without taking away the intent of the compliment.
Nothing positive or negative comes out of it.
A compliment that is accepted graciously will affect that person for the rest of the day.
This is the "feel good" factor of compliments. After being complimented they will leave
work with a positive attitude to the care and service that they deliver. This includes you!
Pass it on
Don't be greedy with the compliments that you receive, share them.
Remember that you are the member of a team. Perhaps someone compliments you on
the way the office looks; the plants, how tidy it is, the atmosphere. Yet 5 others who are
all out to lunch share it. Tell them when they return; we all want to feel good.
Don't just take compliments, give them out as well, but be honest and don't exaggerate.
Compliment your internal customers and colleagues when they have been particularly
helpful or have reached a deadline.
Your customers compliment you because you have probably exceeded their
expectations - you have given that extra 1%, pass it on and share that 1% feeling!
Self Assessment Question
Question 5
Next time you get good service whether at a shop, supermarket, over the
phone, in a bar or restaurant, give the provider a serious and honest compliment.
Write down the situation below.
How did they react?
How did you feel?
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CHAPTER FIVE
Bringing It All TogetherThe aim of this Chapter is to:
1. Link all Chapters
2. Look at the skills you have gained and how they have affected:
a. your work
b. your department/organisation
c. your customers
3. Examine continuing improvement
An Overview of Your Skills
You are now in possession of some important communication skills, which are enabling
you to deal with both internal and external customers in a positive, professional and
caring manner.
CHAPTER ONE
You know about the internal customer and that the effect of good communication
with them improves the information that you receive. You now understand that internal
co-operation makes for a happy customer. If we are happy at work our customers
sense this.
You understand your external customers and that they all have differing needs.
CHAPTER TWO
You are skilled in welcoming and assisting them. You are able to read and to use your
own body language and how this helps you read your customer. You know how the
right amount of eye contact shows interest, how smells affect people and that by
controlling your gestures and posture you create a positive impression. You know
when it is appropriate to enter or leave someone's space "bubble".
When answering the telephone you are now well equipped to deal with most
situations and understand the importance of loudness, pitch, inflection, tone, speed
and emphasis.
You realise the importance of a quality physical environment.
CHAPTER THREE
By looking at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats you have
been able to improve your service and care for both internal and external customers.
You have learnt that listening in not just hearing and that by under promising and
over-delivering, you give that extra 1%.
You know your rights and those of your customer and that by giving respect you
get respect.
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CHAPTER FOUR
You can identify problems even before they arise by opinion and observation.
You understand the nature of complaints whether they be related to time, quality,
cost, personnel or the physical environment and also their cost in financial, personal
or reputation terms.You realise that complaints lead to solutions for the satisfaction of customers and
you treat them as positive criticism.
You can now handle complaints and compliments.
All these skills, which you have developed, can now be used by you on a daily basis.
Your senses have been heightened to the needs of others not only at work but also at
home and in your social life.
From entrance to departure your skills will enable you to look after your customer with
care and respect.
Key Stages from Entrance to Departure
Stage
Be Attentive
The Welcome
The Customer's
Needs
Attention
Knowledge
Problems
Farewell
Backup
Action
Acknowledge the customer, even if you cannot deal
with them straight away. Say "hello" and "I will be
with you in a moment".
Greet warmly and, if appropriate, find out the
customer's name and give them yours.
Listen to the customer, read between the lines.
Read their body language. Ask them questions.
Be attentive, show positive interest using your eyes,
body and voice.
Know what your products and services are. Inform
the customer of their options without over information.
If you don't know don't bluff - find out.
If there is a problem make the customer be part of
finding the solution; "how would you like me to
resolve this?" Under promise and over deliver.
Be warm in saying goodbye. Thank them for their time
and co-operation.
Follow up all complaints and make sure they have
been resolved completely to the customer's
satisfaction. Involve your colleagues as required.
Achievements
Throughout Chapter One to Four there have been various self assessment questionsand activities.
Drawing from these activities and the practical skills you have both gained and put into
practice, complete the final assessment which will be in the form of a SWOT check.
.
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Building On Success
If you get it wrong the customer will go elsewhere!
You don't get a second chance at being the customer's first choice.
Even if the customer cannot go elsewhere e.g. your supermarket is the only one in the town ,they need a hospital, or they use a wheelchair and your restaurant is the only one
with a ramp, they will not enjoy their experience. They will always be unhappy with your
organisation and complain even at minor things. They will spread the word.
Get it right the first time and you will have customer loyalty, faith, trust and respect.
The 10 Commandments of Success
Follow these commandments and you will never go wrong in giving exceptional
customer care and service.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Empathise
Always put yourself in your customer's shoes. How would you like to be treated if
you were they?
Listen
Don't speak, let the customer do all the talking, and listen to everything they say.
Say "Yes"
Always say "yes". The word "no" does not exist in customer service. The phrases
that do exist are:"Yes, I shall see what I can do" OR "Yes, I can do that"
"Yes, that might be possible" OR "Yes, I will try"
Under promise and over deliver
Customers expect you to do what you promise. Giving that little bit more makes
them feel valued.
Never argue
You can never win an argument with a customer, and who wants the hassle and
tension of an argument anyway?
Be an expert
Know your products and services. If not, know where to get the information.
Be spick and span
Ensure that you, your establishment and the tools that your organisation uses are
clean and tidy.
Be polite and friendly
Be warm and welcoming, it sets the customer up like breakfast sets you up for the day.
Use complaints as positive criticism
React to a complaint as something which will enable you to do the job better the
next time.
10. Give that extra 1%
Giving 1% more means you exceed expectations.
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The buck does not stop there!
Great customer service is constant. It doesn't just last a moment but is continuous and
is only as good as your last encounter with a customer.
If you just can't be bothered one day, you will ruin all the care and attention you have
given up to that moment.
Customer care and service is a way of life.
Remember that extra 1%?
Perhaps you have under promised and over delivered. That counts as that extra 1%!
Perhaps you have 30 colleagues in your department. All of them are dealing with
customers whether internal or external.
Each of them give 100% good customer service and also give an average of 5
customers that extra 1% each day. That is an extra 5% given by your colleagues.
But as a department of 30 people you have given an extra 150% of great customer service.
That is truly exceeding your customers' expectations!!!
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CHAPTER FIVE
Final AssessmentUsing the SWOT check that you did in Chapter Three self assessment questions, your
new skills and the practical care and service that you have been delivering, complete
this new SWOT check.
Points to follow:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Be completely honest.
Examine everything no matter how small or insignificant.
Discuss and go over the SWOT check with your colleagues,
manager/supervisor.
Discuss with people in other departments.
Be careful not to indicate that a particular individual or department is the cause
of a specific problem.
Areas which you may wish to include could possibly be:
welcoming customers
caring for specific needs
how you handled a complaint
the physical environment
internal communication
your listening skills
knowledge gained of other departments
how you have dealt with queues
your telephone skills
7.
8.
9.
Remember that your individual strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats will tend to be more skill related and your department's more
facility related
Use the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers that you knew existed
before you started this course.
Under the heading: "Possible Action", include all the things that could be done
even if they are not practicable.
10. If there was any "Action Taken" include it all no matter how small. Remember
that action does not just have to be physical, it could be a meeting to discuss
something or a change in policy.
11. List all "Results" including customer reaction. If you gave that extra 1% include
this information here.
12. If you don't wish to use the sheets provided devise your own, but keep to the
same headings. If there is not enough space continue on a separate sheet of
paper.
The aim of this assessment, in a nutshell, is for you to demonstrate how you have bothused and changed, in providing excellent customer service and care.
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Results
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ganisation
/Or
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Action
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Action
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eaknesses
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/Or
.
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/Or
.
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Notes