CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY CACCRAO – Shairon Zingsheim

Who are our customers? We must first know “WHO” are the people we serve.. In order to serve them  High School Students  Recent High School graduates  Students who don’t want to attend a CC but may be forced to…  Re-entry Students  Continuing students  Parents  Internal  All 4 Generations: Veterans; Baby Boomers, Xers and Nexters

WHAT TYPE OF SERVICE ARE THEY USED TO GETTING?  Fast…  On the spot..  Hearing – YES – SURE….WHY NOT?  All their needs met….  Full attention…  Personalized…

WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM US?  They want us to listen..  They want us to read their minds….  They want us to say YES..  They want us to make deals…  They don’t want to hear NO…

CAN WE DELIVER WHAT THEY WANT?  Is it realistic to think we can serve each and every customer with their uniqueness?  How has the economy affected your workplace?  What are some ways we can serve customers without compromising the level of service?  What things have to change in order for us to weather this economy and not lose our minds?

How is the economy changed the “face” of our customers?  Less disposable income..  Have to work and go to school..  May be homeless…  School may be their final attempt to make things better…  Juggling several components..kids, job, aging parents..

What is our response? We have chosen this profession for a reason. We want to help, we want to solve problems, we want to make things happen in a positive way. We want to say YES… We want to make things easy. We want to give them hope. We want to encourage them. We want them to return. We want them to be successful.

Techniques for coping  Choose your attitude  Be interested in them  LISTEN… with your ears and your heart  Make eye contact  Positive Body Language  Smile  Don’t rush  Follow up

Taking care of yourself  Signs of Stress: Fatigue Headaches Intestinal distress Depression Anxiety Unusual/Frequent errors

What to do if you are stressed  Recognize the signs of stress  Take a walk  Reflect on what has happened  Let your supervisor know you need a break  Take a mental health day  Learn a quick relaxation process

Defusing Anger and Aggression  Listen  Empathize  Use empathetic phrases “I understand how frustrating this can be” “I know what you mean” “This must be very upsetting” “I hear what you are saying” “I understand why you feel this way”

Defusing Anger and Agression  Don’t return aggression  Admit mistakes  Accept responsibility  Take action to solve the problem

Staying Calm under pressure IS possible  Adopt the”triage” attitude  Depersonalize the interaction  Focus on the core cause and the appropriate action

The Loud – Irate - Customer  PRACTICE – How to handle the disruptive customer  ASSESS the situation  Listen  Speak in a tone much lower than the customer  Check to see if you can get assistance from your co- workers to take over the other customers  Keep eye contact  Listen  Move the customer to a less open space

Practice  Show interest  CLARIFY the issues  Stay calm  If there is a conference room available – ask the customer to come in  Listen  Offer the customer some water  EVALUATE alternative approaches  Respond with good or bad news  Listen  SOLVE THE PROBLEM

DEBRIEF  What happened  What worked  What would you have done differently