2. Welcome! Simply the best training company in the world training for tomorrow…

3. Effective Telephone Skills Customer Service Jaqui Hodgetts Training Director Quasar training for tomorrow…

4. Agenda What is a Customer Customer Service or Customer Care – What is it? Presenting an Image Communication Meeting the Needs Difficult or Challenging Callers

5. Thinking along the right lines 3 Organisations with a reputation for good customer service Why? 3 Organisations with a reputation for bad customer service Why?

6. What is a Customer Internal External In short the person who pays your salary! Two Types

7. Wants and the needs Wants A Ferrari Needs A Smart car

8. Meet the Needs How? – Proactivity – Anticipation

9. Customer Service is what you do Customer Care is what you give Customer Service vs Customer Care For example: Good customer service ensures the sale Good customer care should ensure repeat business

10. What is Customer Service? A department of a business that deals with routine enquiries and complaints from or disputes with customers What is Good Customer Service?

11. Presenting an Image Why is image important? What impression to your callers get? – about you – your office

12. Questions you may want to ask What does your organization look like from the outside? When customers deal with you, what do they experience? When they use a service, what information, support and follow-up do they get? When they have a problem, do they get it resolved?

13. What goes on in your office? Why is image important?

14. Start each day from a ten What impact does your frame of mind have on the calls you receive? How can you change it?

16. What will burst your bubble?

17. 6 Stage of the Communication Cycle Obtain or give info Note the body language Work out what the other person is thinking Listen to the response Understand the response

18. Obtain or give info Note the body language Work out what the other person is thinking Listen to the response Understand the response Obtain or give info

19. Customer Service Research by the ICS* identified the most important elements of service : – timeliness – appearance – courtesy – quality and efficiency – ease of doing business – problem-solving Institute of Customer Service

20. The 3 R’s In other words: – responsive – reliable – respectful

21. Which processes touch the customer, where and how? “moments of truth” “touch points” Customer Experience Mapping

22. Where and what are your customer “Touch Points”? Who? What? Why?

23. Customer Experience Mapping Which of these moments of truth are salient? Do they have a determining impact on the total customer perception of value received? What is the customer perception created during customer interactions?

24. What are your customers' needs in each stage of the life cycle? As the customer does business with you, what are the most common experiences (rational and emotional!) from the salient touch points? What proportion of present customers consider themselves dissatisfied, satisfied, loyal or advocate?

25. Does this leave them wanting to do business with you in the future, or vowing never to work with you in the future?

26. Basic Products & Services

27. Circle of Influence Say what you can Not what you can’t Promise what you can Do what you can Not what you can’t

28. Take Responsibility Many of us have brothers and sisters, so take a moment to think about this particular family - A family of four who had a task to do - lets call the family the Body family… A & E & S & N

29. A tale of the family Every _ _ _ _ thought Any_ _ _ _ could do it, they thought that Some _ _ _ _ would, but in actual fact No _ _ _ _ did it.

30. Difficult Callers Don’t’ take it personally Never argue back Use your ears more than your mouth Show that you care: De-stress yourself from time to time

31. Be patient Be positive in your approach Control your anger Let the customer know what you can do for them rather than what you cannot do

32. Easier Said than done? P A C R

33. Pause Remember, don't take the call personally The anger is not aimed at you but at the company Hold back on your impulsive response Diffuse your tension by breathing out – quietly Give the caller a chance to let off steam, then move on to Acknowledge

34. Acknowledge Show the caller that you have clearly been listening by reflecting back their words and feelings. 'I appreciate why you are upset‘ 'I can understand how annoying this must be‘ Use the caller's name but not too much

35. Clarify At this point you should start to take control of the call Start to ask about the details of the problem 'Could you tell me exactly what happened‘ Link the request to what the benefit will be 'I need to make sure I have all the facts so that I can help you, could you just explain..."

36. Check that your understanding is clear - and use this process to keep control of the conversation "I need to make sure I understand everything correctly“ Signpost the conversation - review what you have covered and where this is leading Highlight how you are moving towards solving the problem

37. Respond Offer suggestions confidently If you can't do something say why not and immediately link it with a can "We are not able to do...because... However, what I can suggest is..." If the person still insists on asking for what you can't do, reiterate why this can't occur but with understanding and empathy Try to work together towards a solution

38. At the end of the call confirm what is going to happen next Clarify what they need to do and what you are going to do Finally thank them for their call!

39. Abusive language Don’t take offence too soon Concentrate on the facts Get to grips with the issue But You do have a right to confront it

40. Enough is Enough Use a linking statement “Miss Jones, I can help sort this out if you could please stop shouting/interrupting” Empathise but explain again what is unacceptable to you “I want to help, but I find your language unacceptable”

41. Consequences If it continues, then warn the caller what the consequences will be “Mr Smith I am not prepared to be spoken to in this way, I can see you are angry, but if you continue to be personally abusive I will have to put the phone down”

42. Finally Talk to someone After a difficult call, don't rush straight into the next call Look after your health, with sensible exercise and eating habits Learn breathing exercises to calm your stress levels

43. Any Questions?

44. Thank You