Customer Service and Customer Service and Team BuildingTeam Building

Mrs. FlowersMrs. FlowersFinance & Business TechnologyFinance & Business Technology

Importance of Training for Importance of Training for Customer ServiceCustomer Service

Customer Perceptions Customer Perceptions To the Customer you ARE the companyTo the Customer you ARE the company

Organizations with Happy Customers are Organizations with Happy Customers are more successfulmore successful Financial BenefitsFinancial Benefits Happy Customers come backHappy Customers come back Happy Customers tell their friendsHappy Customers tell their friends

Providing good Customer Service doesn’t Providing good Customer Service doesn’t come naturally to everyone.come naturally to everyone.

What skills are needed?What skills are needed?

FriendlinessFriendliness HelpfulnessHelpfulness Effective use of body languageEffective use of body language Good product knowledgeGood product knowledge Listening skillsListening skills CourtesyCourtesy Effective complaint handling skillsEffective complaint handling skills

Methods Methods of Delivering Serviceof Delivering Service

Customer service can be delivered through Customer service can be delivered through three main methods:three main methods:

Written (letters, faxes, emails)Written (letters, faxes, emails) Face-to-faceFace-to-face TelephoneTelephone

How do customers evaluate service How do customers evaluate service Quality?Quality?

RR

A A

TT

EE

RR

Reliability – Reliability – Deliver on Promises with dependability & Deliver on Promises with dependability & accuracyaccuracy

Assurance - Assurance - Knowledge, courtesy, ability to convey trust, Knowledge, courtesy, ability to convey trust, competence and confidencecompetence and confidence

Tangibles - Tangibles - Facilities appearance, comfort, look and feel of Facilities appearance, comfort, look and feel of Marketing materials, etc.Marketing materials, etc.

Empathetic - Empathetic - Degree of caring and individual attention the Degree of caring and individual attention the customer receivescustomer receives

Responsive - Responsive - Willingness to help promptly – without Willingness to help promptly – without distractiondistraction

Reliability - The Service PromiseReliability - The Service Promise

Organizational commitments Organizational commitments Promises made via advertising, marketing, policies, Promises made via advertising, marketing, policies,

contracts, etc.contracts, etc. Common ExpectationsCommon Expectations

Customer expectations are often based on Customer expectations are often based on assumptions and past experienceassumptions and past experience

Personal PromisesPersonal Promises Agent to customer promisesAgent to customer promises

Assurance & TangiblesAssurance & Tangibles

Assurance FactorAssurance Factor Product Knowledge & Company KnowledgeProduct Knowledge & Company Knowledge Listening Skills – Active listening skillsListening Skills – Active listening skills Communications Skills - includes verbal and written Communications Skills - includes verbal and written

(in-person, phone, and email service)(in-person, phone, and email service) Problem-Solving SkillsProblem-Solving Skills

TangiblesTangibles Take pride in your environment, yourself, your Take pride in your environment, yourself, your

workspace and any forward-facing delivery workspace and any forward-facing delivery mechanisms (online and marketing materials too!)mechanisms (online and marketing materials too!)

Empathy & ResponsivenessEmpathy & Responsiveness

EmpathyEmpathy Recognize the Emotional State of the Customer; Recognize the Emotional State of the Customer;

validate their feelingsvalidate their feelings Treat each person as an individualTreat each person as an individual

ResponsivenessResponsiveness Respond quicklyRespond quickly Set Expectations – deliver on those expectationsSet Expectations – deliver on those expectations

Research shows that the most frustrating part of waiting Research shows that the most frustrating part of waiting is is not knowing how long the wait will be.not knowing how long the wait will be.

Training for Customer ServiceTraining for Customer Service

Train for Active Listening, Questioning, Train for Active Listening, Questioning, etc.etc.

Use Case Studies to open discussionsUse Case Studies to open discussions Group ActivitiesGroup Activities

Role Playing, scavenger hunts.Role Playing, scavenger hunts.

Active ListeningActive Listening

Pay attention to Pay attention to ContentContent & & IntentIntent Ask great questionsAsk great questions

Use activities that hone questioning skillsUse activities that hone questioning skills Use OPEN ended questions!!! Not CLOSED.Use OPEN ended questions!!! Not CLOSED.

Tips: Tips: Tune in to the other personTune in to the other person Limit distractionsLimit distractions Don’t jump to conclusionsDon’t jump to conclusions Take notes and reflect information backTake notes and reflect information back Be prepared – use a Question Map/FlowchartBe prepared – use a Question Map/Flowchart Turn off your own worriesTurn off your own worries

Example of an IcebreakerExample of an Icebreaker

Finish the SentenceFinish the Sentence Go around the room and have each Go around the room and have each

person complete one of these sentences person complete one of these sentences (or something similar): (or something similar):

The best job I ever had was... The best job I ever had was...

The worst project I ever worked on was... The worst project I ever worked on was...

The riskiest thing I ever did was... The riskiest thing I ever did was...

Create an IcebreakerCreate an Icebreaker

Get into groups of 3 to 4Get into groups of 3 to 4 Create an ice breaker for your companyCreate an ice breaker for your company You are making introductions for all new You are making introductions for all new

employeesemployees Demonstrate to classDemonstrate to class BE CREATIVE!BE CREATIVE!