Providing Excellent Customer Service in HFS Customer Service Training

Introduction to HFS Customer Service How does this apply to the work we do?

Why Customer is Important University Goals: Improve Reputation and Retention HDS Core Value: Innovative – We challenge ourselves and other to incorporate new ideas, technologies, and tools to efficiently and effectively deliver client- and customer-centric solutions. HFS 3-Year Strategic Goal: Increase Customer Satisfaction to over 90% on the TMA survey. Each of these goals/values can be directly affected and improved by our daily interactions with customers.

Who Are Our Customers Students Residents Live-in Staff Other Staff Faculty Conference Attendees Anyone using our facilities

Five Factors of Excellent Customer Service

RATER… Reliability: The ability to provide what was promised dependably and accurately. Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy shown to customers; the conveyance of trust, competence, and confidence. Tangibles: Personal appearance and the appearance of facilities and equipment. Empathy: The degree of caring and individual attention shown to customers. Responsiveness: The willingness to help customers promptly.

Reliability Organizational Commitments: Promises made through Service Level Agreement, websites, and other marketing materials by University and/or department. Common Expectations: Expectations the customer brings with them based on past experiences, with us or other provides. Personal Promises: Promises from an individual (or you) in our department. Example: “I’ll get right back to you” or “someone will be right over to look at that”.

Reliability Cont’d. Reliability Customer Service Video What did you notice in this video? What affected the reliability of the car rental business? Promised to hold a mid-size vehicle, and failed to do so Customer got frustrated/annoyed that the promise was broken

Assurance Product Knowledge: Know your services, what HFS offers Company Knowledge: Know how your organization works so you can guide customers to the resources they may need. Listening Skills: Listen, try to understand, and respond. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” – Steven R Covey. Problem-Solving Skills: Be able to recognize customers’ issues/needs and address them through HFS services.

Assurance Cont’d. Active Listening Video “A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something.” –Wilson Mizner Barriers to Effective Listening We “know” what we are going to hear and miss what’s actually being said We judge delivery (how they say it), not content (what they say) We are seeking confirmation, not information What’s being said is getting in the way of what needs to be said

Tangibles Personal Appearance: Take pride in your appearance and remember you’re representing the University. Work Space and Materials: Your office, shop, vehicle, cart, or other workspace should look clean and organized. Contact: Emails, texts, websites, etc… should be laid out in a way that’s easy to read and understand. Confirmation emails: A great tangible for a response, confirmation, or notification to the customer

Tangibles Cont’d. Think about an experience you may have had at a restaurant… When you drive up… You see the cleanliness of the building, state of the building and parking lot, location, smell Inside… You notice whether or not the staff are friendly, if you get a welcome, the cleanliness of the inside During your meal… You notice if the waiter/waitress is wearing clean or dirty clothes, is presentable or sloppily dressed, how the menu is laid out (can you find what you want?), how your food is presented After the meal… You will get the bill; is it easy to read, do you know where to put the tip? Our customers have similar tangible experiences with our services, think about a typical customer interaction you have: before, during, and after. How should it look?

Empathy Empathy Video Listen to the customer, let them tell their story. Customers who feel heard are more likely to report having a positive experience. Building Empathy Statements Lead-in I hear that… I see that… I understand that… Description of the feeling Are: angry, frustrated, anxious, disappointed, nervous, confused, surprised Description of the situation Because… Example: I hear that you are frustrated because I am unable to turn up the heat in your room.

Responsiveness Responsive action: Doing things in a timely fashion Setting and Meeting Deadlines – Find the happy medium Everything doesn’t need to be “right this instant” – too rushed Do give yourself too much “wiggle room” – too slow A deadline is a promise to the customer, so be realistic “I’ll finish this project today” is an expectation for the customer, and a deadline for you. When the customer must wait Dissatisfaction is often due to uncertainty Notify customers of any delays, issues, that may cause the deadline to change

Responsiveness Cont’d. Work Order Priorities (Service Level Agreement) Priority 1: 4 hours or end of shift (whichever comes 1st) Priority 2: 8 hours or end of shift (whichever comes 1st) Priority 3: 24 work hours (rolls over shifts, approximately 3 work days) Priority 5: 5-30 days (rolls over shifts) Work must be completed within the priority… use statuses to communicate with customers if something has delayed the work (Delay – Parts on Order, or Urgent Issue Addressed – More Work Needed)

Tips & Tricks Smile Don’t say what you can’t do I don’t know is OK In person or on the phone, a smile makes you seem more approachable and puts the customer in a more positive mindset. Don’t say what you can’t do Say what you can do. Instead of “I can’t fix this problem today”, say “I can do a patch then come back tomorrow to complete the work”. I don’t know is OK As long as you follow-up. “I don’t know where the Hall Director Office is, but I can show you to the 24 hour desk and they should be able to help you”.

Resources Kotelnikov, Vadim. Active Listening. http://http://ventures.powweb.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/listening_active.html Performance Research Associates. Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service. Fifth Ed.