Essentials of Customer Service Training Course

Duration

1 Day

What is this course about?

Customers are our livelihood and we have become increasingly aware that customer satisfaction is what maintains our business. If, however, we are to succeed, grow and enjoy relationships with our customers we must do more. We must excite and delight so that our customers never want to go elsewhere and they become advertisers of our service to others. This course focuses on the goals of service excellence and the refining of current skills.

Who would benefit?

Anyone involved in any customer-facing (internal or external) element of the business.

Objectives

By the end of this course delegates will:

• Have identified opportunities to excel
• Understand the significance of their actions upon a company's reputation and success
• Be able to manage a customer's heightened expectations and demands
• Work positively with dissatisfaction
• Maintain professionalism under pressure at all times

Key topics covered

1. Introduction

• Personal introductions
• Programme overview
• Needs and expectations

2. Customer Care - desirable or essential?

• Reasons for emphasis on service
• A practical definition of excellent service
• The service complement - competence and care
• Consequences of good / bad service experience
• Gaining and retaining customers' loyalty
• Current evaluation of your own / company service

3. The Key impression points

• When do we have a chance to impress?
• First impressions - the influences at work
• The medium and changing influences - your priorities
• Plain English
• Language pluses - improving understanding by being specific and positive
• Words worth deleting

4. Maintaining professionalism

• Attitudes - company and individual
• Developing varieties of response
• 'Responding' rather than 'reacting' under pressure
• The assertive approach
• Taking responsibility - the project angle
• Persuasion

5. Creating a professional image over the telephone

• Creating a personal exchange
• Refining stages of the call
• Dealing with different types of call
• The package not a veneer - action links

6. Listening - the gentle art

• Hearing and listening - the difference
• Rapport - 'useful and harmonious' communication
• Clarifying and gaining insight
• Empathy / sympathy / apathy - validating / acknowledging
• The questioning spectrum

7. Dealing Positively with Challenging Situations

• The difficult customers - nature or nurture?
• The confident / assertive approach to mutual success
• When to apologise - benefits of active / passive language choices
• Saying 'no' constructively
• Giving bad news
• Giving thanks
• Managing complaints - formulae for success

8. Personal Action Plan

• Personal review of discussions
• Review of personal and company standards
• How to get suggestions accepted (the 5p method)
• Establishing your protocol - the right mix for you