CUSTOMER SERVICE A Relationship for Success

Customer Service Is:  Complete Worksheet # 1  Where did you receive excellent customer service?  Why was that service exceptional?  What do customers like least about doing business with your organization?

Communication Style  How important is communication to good customer service?  Does everyone communicate in the same style?  Complete Worksheet 2 by circling ALL the words that describe you when you are at WORK.

1 Critical Indecisive Systematic Picky Cautious Precise Careful Diplomatic Conscientious Serious Logical Orderly Accurate Thorough 2 Pushy Impatient Tough Dominating Competitive Brave Assertive Strong-willed Independent Practical Decisive Out-spoken Goal-oriented Persistent 3 Conforming Unsure Helpful Satisfied Cooperative Easy-going Patient Supportive Respectful Considerate Dependable Agreeable Approachable Loyal 4 Manipulating Optimistic Talkative Reacting Egotistical Out-going Convincing Ambitious Extrovert Enthusiastic Sociable Friendly Creative Charming

Communication Style  Draw 2 lines: one down the middle of the page & another through the center-between Careful and conforming and across forming 4 Quadrants  Count the circles in each Quadrant  Which Quadrant has the most circles? 1,2,3,or 4?  Turn the page to Handout #1

My Communication Style  Are you:  1Analytical  2Driver  3Amiable  4Expressive Read about your style. Does it sound like you?

Communication with Different Styles  High Analytical  High Driver  High Amiable  High Expressive

Worksheet 2 Understanding communication styles can be useful in customer service. How does communication impact customer service?

Exceptional Customer Service  Benefits of Exceptional Customer Service:  Goodwill in the community  Community support when real problems occur  Pride in your agency and your career  Better working environment-internal and external customer service  Increased success with clients

What Customer’s Value  Tangibles: Appearance of equipment and personnel  Reliability:Ability to perform the expected service  Responsive:Willingness to help customers  Assurance:Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence  Empathy:Providing caring, individualized attention to customers

What Customers Want  Dignity and Respect  Services meet expectations  Success  Help with problems  Treated as individuals  Respect their self-image  Respect their time  Someone on their side  Correct information

Put a Smile in Your Voice  Turn to the person next to you  Decide who will be the caller and will answer  Turn your back to each other  With a frown on your face, introduce yourself to your partner: tell them your name and ask them if you can do anything to help them  Now with a smile on your face, ask the same  Can you tell a difference?

Tools of the Telephone Business  Be Direct  Be Helpful  Be courteous when screening calls  Be careful with transfers  Be knowledgeable  Offer an explanation for delay  Thank the caller  Take good messages

Customer Service Barriers  Company policy may inhibit  Job specialization  Lack of coordination between departments  Decision making power is remote  Arbitrary policies-inflexibility  Top priority is cost cutting  Indifferent employees  Not enough creative problem solving  Failure to listen to customers

Service Recovery  Mistakes are made. What angers customers is the way the mistake is handled  70% of disgruntled customers will return if the business apologizes for an error  95% will return if the frontline employee recovers impressively

What is “Service Recovery?”  Make it easy and convenient for customers to complain  Identify unhappy customers before they complain or go away  Turn mistakes into positive service stories  Keep track of reasons customers complain so problems can be eliminated

Service Recovery Steps  Apologize  Listen and Empathize  Fix he Problem  Offer Atonement  Keep your Promises  Follow up

My Customer Service Plan  Plan for improving INTERNAL customer service with my co-workers  Plan for improving EXTERNAL customer service with my customers