Customer Service Training: Critical Elements of …€¦ · Web view1 Exceptional Service Training ( 2013, California Coast Training Materials ( Workbook Material While many companies

Exceptional Service Training

Instructor GuideDefining Exceptional Service WorkshopOne Day Training CourseCalifornia Coast Learning & Quality Service Department

2013, California Coast Training Materials

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Materials Required

o Flip chart papero Markerso Customer cards, from the Handouts folder (Day One Energizer)o Caller Behaviors Cards, from the Handouts folder (Session Eleven)o Small prizes, if desired (Session Eleven)o One copy of Session Thirteen – Images, from the Handouts folder (Session Thirteen)o One copy of Session Thirteen – Answers, from the Handouts folder, if desired

(Session Thirteen)o One sticky note per participant (Day Two Morning Wrap-Up)

Related Courses

o Communication Strategieso Conflict Resolution - Dealing With Difficult Peopleo Emotional Intelligenceo Business Etiquette

Additional Resources

If you would like more information on training, please take a look at the following books:o The Trainer’s Tool Kit, by Cy Charney and Kathy Conway o Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit, by Leonardo IngHilleri

If you have a favorite resource, please share it with us!


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AGENDA: DAY ONE

8:15-8:30 Icebreaker: Spinning a Tale

8:30-9:00 Session One: Course Overview

9:00-9:45 Session Two: What is Exceptional Service?

9:45-10:00 Session Three: Who Are Your Customers?

10:00-10:15 Session Four: Exceeding Expectations

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-10:45 Session Five: Pre-Assignment Review

10:45-12:00 Session Six: Setting Goals

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:15 Energizer: Our Customers

1:15-1:45 Session Seven: California Coast Core Competencies

1:45-2:15 Session Eight: Challenging California Coast scenarios

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:15 Session Nine: Communication Skills

3:15-3:45 Session Ten: Telephone Techniques

3:45-4:15 Session Eleven: Dealing With Difficult Customers

4:15-4:30 Day One Wrap-Up


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Session One: Course Overview

(8:30-9:00)

Setting the Stage

IntroductionsIntroduce yourself. Establish credibility by giving examples of customer service experiences. Share your own experiences with today’s topic, including some war stories if you have them.

Give the participants a chance to introduce themselves to you. Ask the participants to share their name, their department, their position title, and what their interest is in today’s topic.

Course Overview

Ask participants to turn to Session One in their workbooks. Read the introduction below.

Workbook Material

While many companies promise to deliver an incredible customer experience, some are better at delivering than others. This one-day course is designed to help participants identify and create that exceptional customer service experience which customers have grown accustomed to expect at California Coast Credit Union.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:o Demonstrate an Exceptional Service approach o Apply techniques to deal with difficult customers

Give participants a moment to write down their own learning objectives in their workbook.

Action Plans and Evaluations

Next, pass out Evaluations and Action Plans. (Both of these items are in the Handouts folder and the Student Guide.) Ask participants to work on these throughout the day. They will also have a few minutes at the end of the workshop to finalize their ideas.


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Session Two: Defining Exceptional Service?

(9:00-9:45)

Definitions

Handy Quotes

Golden RuleCustomer service is something you do for customers, not to them. California Coast members are the heart beat of the business and once you lose them, you are lost.

What is Customer Service?

Customer service is the way you treat the people who support your company. These can be California Coast members or staff members (internal customers). The customer’s perception of that service is what brings them back to you for repeated service.


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Pre-assessment Exercise – Identifying Bad, Basic and Exceptional Service

(15 minutes)

In order to understand Exceptional Service, we need to be able to recognize and understand what defines Bad service and Basic service.

Video Activity

Watch a video. Ask the group to identify the Bad, Basic and Exceptional service witnessed in the video; ask the group to make some brief notes and be prepared to share with the group.

Flipchart Exercise

List on the flipchart the Bad, Basic and Exceptional service witnessed in the video.

Bad Serviceo No eye contact, poor etiquette, poor communication

Basic Service o Service met, but did not exceed customer expectations.

Exceptional Serviceo Service exceeded customer expectations. Employee provided a helpful pamphlet

and telephoned another branch in order to resolve customer’s problem.


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Level of Service Inventory

Take this quick inventory and determine if each item, situation or phrase is an example of Bad service, Basic service or Exceptional Service. Mark the appropriate column.

Question Bad Basic Exceptional

1. No eye contact

2. Walking past a member in the lobby without smiling or saying anything

3. Paying attention to details

4. Using the member’s name when interacting with them

5. “Umm, I’m not sure”

6. Acknowledge/apologize to members waiting in line and/or sitting in the lobby

7. When I give a receipt, I only say “here you go”

8. “Next”

9. Saying “You’re welcome” whenever someone says “Thank You” to me

10. Saying “No Problem” whenever someone says “Thank You” to me

11. Having gum in my mouth when talking to members

12. “You need to fill out this form”

13. “I’m gonna place you on hold”

14. Smile, nod for the next member… process transaction efficiently without saying a word

15. When at Spectrum Center, saying “hello” to all employees I pass in the hallway


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What Is Exceptional Service?

We’ve begun the task of identifying certain levels of service. Each of us may have slightly different definitions of what constitutes great service. Together, we will define what Exceptional Service is according to California Coast Credit Union.

Let’s continue with classifying service into several levels.

Bad The lowest level of service (or perhaps the lack of) is Bad service. Bad service is probably the easiest to define and provide examples of. On a survey, Bad service is usually rated as “poor” and the providers of this service level can be as obvious as being rude, or as ambiguous as being indifferent. Bad service is below the member’s expectations and such service leaves members with an empty or cheated feeling.

Bad service almost always:

Guarantees you a complaint or unhappy member Produces strong, negative feelings about the person and organization providing it

We probably all have horror stories we don’t forget of people or businesses that provide bad service. Take a few moments and list some specific examples of what you would consider bad/poor service…

KEY POINT: At California Coast, we do not allow bad service.

Factoid: It takes 12 good service experiences to overcome a single bad one.


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Bad/Rude


Activity

Ask the group to share a Bad experience witnessed or encountered at California Coast

Flipchart Exercise

List the following questions on the flipchart; get input from the group.

What went wrong?What could have happened to make this an exceptional experience for the member?

Basic Unfortunately, in today’s world we seem to have settled for mediocrity and witness this level of service the most… whether as a receiver or a provider.

On a survey, Basic service is frequently rated not only as “fair” but also as “good.” Basic is generic, nothing special and “okay” service. The providers of this service generally just do the bare minimum or just satisfy the business need and that’s it. The providers of Basic service aren’t necessarily rude but they are not truly engaged or focused on the members. They’ve become robots and their service is robotic.

Take a few moments and list some specific examples of what you consider Basic service…

Ask yourself: Do you consider yourself a basic individual? Do you consider that you work at a basic organization?

KEY POINT: Nothing about California Coast is basic. Basic doesn’t work here. At California Coast, Basic service means bad service.

Golden RuleCalifornia Coast strives to provide Exceptional Service, every day to every member.


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Group Activity

Flipchart Exercise

List the following questions on the flipchart; get input from the group.

Where did you get Basic service this past week?Where did you get Exceptional Service this past week?

Handy Quotes

Golden RuleIt is very hard to find a customer and harder to make them your permanent customer. One small mistake in your business you make, your customer becomes another one’s customer.

Factoid: Of customers and members who switch to a competitor, up to 80 percent say that they were satisfied before making the switch.


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ExceptionalThe highest level of service is Quality Service or Exceptional Service. Exceptional Service sets us apart from the crowd; it’s the exception to the norm. It’s outstanding, fantastic; knock-your-socks-off service!

Exceptional Service is going above and beyond; exceeding the ordinary or expected; doing something to make a member’s experience positive and memorable. It’s natural, not forced, because it’s a part of who you are. Exceptional Service is delivering service customized for the individual person (whether they are in front of you or on the phone). It’s about being engaged and focused on your member. It’s all about details and paying attention to those details... which are the little things that make a BIG difference. Exceptional Service is also being professional, courteous, respectful, and sincere.

Take a few moments and list some specific examples of what you consider Exceptional Service…

Exceptional Service occurs: ________________________

KEY POINT: Exceptional Service is delivered not just as a onetime event or because you are in a good mood - but is provided to every member, every employee, every day!


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(15 minutes)

Group ActivityAsk the group to share a Bad experience witnessed or encountered at California Coast

Flipchart Exercise

Ask a few in the group to share some of their Exceptional Service experiences.List the following questions on the flipchart; get input from the group.

What works well for you?o A smile, a warm, friendly conversation

What is Exceptional Service? o Exceeding customer expectations

Ask for a show of hands to identify the top (3) ways to promote Exceptional service. Circle those (3) items on the list.

Ask participants to turn to Ten Rules for Great Service in their workbooks. Did we identify any of these items on the flipchart? Highlight or circle any of the Ten Rules on the flipchart

Workbook Material

Ten Rules for Exceptional Service

o Show them you careo Commit to Quality Serviceo Know your productso Know your customero Treat customers with courtesyo Never argue with the customero Never leave customers in limboo Always provide what you promiseo Assume customers tell the trutho Focus on customers, not saleso Make it easy to buy

Published on All Business.com


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Here’s to Exceptional Service!


The First Critical Element – A Customer Service Focus

(30 minutes)

The first critical element of exceptional service is a customer service focus.

Group Activity

Divide participants into groups of three to four and have them discuss the points below. They will have fifteen minutes to discuss these three beliefs. Tell them that they should be prepared to share with the whole group what their team believes the phrase means, and what that means for them in their role.

Slide and Workbook Material

o Service is a philosophy—not a department, a program or a policy.o Exceptional Service at California Coast means exceeding customer expectations.o Service is not always natural, automatic, or coincidental.


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Debrief

(15 minutes)

Discussion Points

Bring the group back together and combine all the information gathered onto a flip chart. Below are some possible talking points.

Service is a philosophy — not a department, a program or a policy.

All members of a company must understand the concepts of providing service. We cannot leave it up to one department to do it all. Providing Exceptional Service means that each member will have their needs met respectfully and completely each day and every day. This doesn’t mean the customer always gets what they want, nor does it mean the customer is always right. It means that the company makes a commitment to providing exemplary service. It also means the employees of California Coast Credit Union understand that they are all responsible for contributing to a reputation of excellence in service.

Exceptional Service means exceeding member expectations.

We should always strive to exceed member expectations. Customers expect a lot more than they did thirty years ago. They know that if you cannot give them what they want at a price they are willing to pay, it’s quite likely that a competitor will. This means that your service has to be exceptional in order to make the members feel welcome and be loyal to California Coast Credit Union. It’s essential, then, to understand who your customers are and what they need, as well as what they want.

Exceptional Service is not always natural, automatic, or coincidental.

Some of us have to work harder than others to demonstrate exceptional service. Providing exceptional service is not natural to everyone. Service isn’t coincidental, either. It doesn’t happen coincidentally when you buy a new car or a new coat or pay your power bill. We have to be aware of the need for service, and then have a way or a process to make it happen.


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Documents

Customer Service Training: Critical Elements of …€¦ · Web view1 Exceptional Service Training ( 2013, California Coast Training Materials ( Workbook Material While many companies