What is good customer service

Customer ServiceWhat is good customer service

Welcome

• This learning resource has been designed for you to complete at a time and place to suit your own need.

• You can use this as a PowerPoint presentation or have a printed copy.

• Work through the activities at your own pace and prepare to discuss your answers with your Assessor.

What will you learn?

• What is customer service? You will learn about what customer service is and gain an understanding of your customers expectations.

• It’s all about YOU! You will understand how customer service affects you, and the skills you will need to be effective in your workplace.

• Types of Customer Service. You will learn how to define different types of customer service and the variety of customer needs. You will look at your own business and consider your customer needs and expectations.

• Keeping your customers. You will understand how you need to interact with your customers to keep them coming back.

• The 10 Rules of Customer Service. You will be introduced to the 10 rules of customer service and provide suggestions on what you will do differently when dealing with your own customers.

How to define “Customer Satisfaction”

Customer Satisfaction is the

feeling that a customer gets when he or she is happy with the customer service that has been provided.

What is Customer Service?

What is Good Customer Service?

Good customer service means:• Providing a quality product or service• Satisfying the needs/wants of a customer• Resulting in a repeat customer

Good customer service results in:• Continued success• Increased profits• Higher job satisfaction• Improved company or organisation morale• Better teamwork

Good Customer Service

What does the customer desire?• Friendliness

• Empathy

• Fairness

• Participation

• Alternatives

• Respect

Task 1 – Over to you!

Looking at the list of customer desires below, prepare to provide examples to your Assessor of how you have provided this support to your customers.

1. Friendliness

2. Empathy

3. Fairness

4. Participation

5. Alternatives

6. Respect

May I help you?

Have you thought of

trying another model?Shall I read that for you, the

Lights not very good in here.

Sorry about the mistake, let us refund the postage.

I totallyunderstand

It’s all about YOU!

Customer Service is all about YOU ......!

Your skills

Your

knowledge

Your attitude

Your team working

Your communication

It’s all about YOU!

Task 2 - Why me?

• Take a moment and think about the purpose of your job – why does it exist?

• The fact is, everyone’s job exists for one primary purpose to either make or do things for other people (customers).

• Prepare a statement explaining what customer service means to you in your job role.

Prepare to discuss this with your Assessor.

It starts and ends with you!

Ask don’t tell• By doing this you not only demonstrate that the right

person (the customer) is in charge, you also extend a common courtesy that lets them know they are valued and appreciated.

• Use phrases like “Do you mind waiting while I find out for you” instead of “Wait here and I’ll find out for you”

Never end an interaction with a negative – your inability to act (I can’t)• Next time you find yourself needing to tell a customer “I

can’t do that” add on this service phrase, “but here is what I can do”

Treat your customer how you would like to be treated• Listen, care and act

It starts and ends with you!

Watch your body language• To interact with customers effectively you need to

not only use the right words, but your body language needs to show that you really mean what you are saying

Do something extra• After you meet a customer’s needs – look for one

more thing, something EXTRA to do for them or give to them - under promise and OVER DELIVER

Develop an “attitude of gratitude”• Be responsive to customers requests make them

feel special, grateful that they have chosen your organisation

• Support colleagues, they are your customers too• Attitude is infectious

Who are your customers?

Take a moment and think about how you interact with customers and answer the following:1. On a piece of paper write two headings INTERNAL and

EXTERNAL. Under each heading list the customers you deal with on a daily basis.

2. What service do you deliver to the customers you have listed?

3. Name three skills you need to use when dealing with these customers?

Prepare to discuss this with your Assessor.

Types of Customer Service

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A RESTAURANT

Customer service before sale Welcoming the customer into the restaurant

Customer service during the sale

Serving the food in a friendly and efficient manner

Customer service after sale Asking the customer if everything was satisfactory

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A CAR DEALERSHIP

Customer service before sale Providing information and a test drive


Handling the finance for the customer’s purchase of a new car

Customer service after saleDealing with after sales servicing in a friendly and efficient manner


CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A HOTEL

Customer service before sale Confirming the availability of rooms for specific dates


Responding to a customer’s request to change to a quieter room

Customer service after sale Returning customers’ belongings that were left in the room in error

THINK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE IN YOUR ORGANISATION

Customer service before sale


Customer service after sale


“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”

Keeping Your Customers

Avoid making the customer feel WRONG Never ever tell your customers they were stupid/wrong to

call/email for assistance. That's the best way to LOOSE that customer – and possibly

many more!


Be Patient A customer who’s having to deal

with getting an issue or problem fixed is not going be on their best behaviour.

i. Understand this beforehand and you’re ahead of the game.

ii. Know that it’s not personal – it’s stress and anxiety. This is not really the normal person it’s the reactionary part of the psyche.


Empathise Empathising means you’d like to

help – you understand their position/opinion.

It does not mean you have to agree with it, listen to the customers explanation.

Allow the customer to have their say.......!


Take time to Listen – really listen! It takes time to win a customer, but

it only takes a second to loose one

Look interested while you listen, remember your body language!

Understand your company’s policies and procedures when managing complaints

• 80% of business leaders believe their companies are doing a good job in the way they treat customers. Only 8% of customers agree.



Its OKAY to say “I don’t know”. As long as ... You follow up with “but I will find out

for you!” This positive response will have

shown them respect and they will respect you and your business!

A bad customer service is often a result of not understanding what the customer really needs.


Make customer service a standard practice Cultivate a business culture where

customer service is key.Make customer service real Greet every customer as they enter your

premises. Let customers know you're available for

help, if needed with tips and advice. Provide services that are beyond the

customer's expectations.


Enlarge your idea of service Anyone who interacts with customers

MUST be trained in customer service. Role distinctions are meaningless to

customers - If any employee is untrained, customers may make harsh and often immediate evaluations.

Internal customers are just as important as external ones.

Your business type does not matter – anyone who needs or uses what you provide is a customer.


Don’t get too comfortable Business is cynical. Do something well

and soon your competitors do it just as well – or better!

Excellent Customer Service gives you an edge.

Continuous professional development increasing your knowledge and understanding of the business and sector you work in will give you and your business the head starter it needs.

How well are YOU doing?

Take a few minutes to consider: • How do you greet customers into your

business?• When did you last have a questions

from a customer you couldn’t answer, what action did you take?

• How often do you review the products and processes in your business?

• How do you record customer queries?Your Assessor will discuss these questions with you.

10 Rules for Great Customer Service


1. Commit to quality service:• Create a positive experience for the customer• Go above and beyond customer expectations

2. Know your products:• Helps win a customer’s trust and confidence

3. Know your customers:• Tailor your service approach to their needs and buying habits• Get to the root of customer dissatisfaction by talking to people and

understanding complaints4. Treat people with courtesy and respect:

• Every contact with a customer leaves an impression• Use phrases like “sorry to keep you waiting,” “thanks for your

order,” “you’re welcome,” and “it’s been a pleasure helping you.”5. Never argue with a customer:

• Be solution focused rather than problem focussed• Research shows that 7out of 10 customers will do business with

you again if you resolve a complaint in their favour.


6. Don’t leave customers hanging:• All communications with customer complaints need to be handed as a

matter of urgency• Research shows that 95% of dissatisfied customers will do business

with a company again if their complaint is resolved on the spot7. Always provide what you promise:

• Failure to do this is guaranteed to lose credibility with your customer• If you can’t commit to what you promised, apologise and offer some

type of compensation, such as a discount or free delivery8. Assume that customers are telling the truth:

• The majority of customers don’t like to complain; they’ll go out of their way to avoid it.

9. Focus on making customers, not making sales:• Focus on the quality rather than the volume of sale• Research shows that it costs six times more to attract a new customer

than it does to keep an existing one.10. Make it easy for your customers to buy products or services:

• Make the process simple and user-friendly

What will YOU do differently?

Think about the ten rules of customer service and provide three examples of how you will deal more effectively with the following customers:

1. An angry customer wanting to return a defective product

2. A customer whose order was delivered damaged

3. A customer who needs information about the features and benefits of a new product in your range

Your Assessor will discuss these questions with you.

Working in a team

Working in a team

Company Knowledge: • In order to interact with your

company’s customers, your customer service team needs to know your company.

• The lack of knowledge cannot be entirely blamed on the specialist.

• It’s your responsibility to establish a thorough, knowledgeable and meaningful understanding of your organisation’s services and products.

Working in a team

Personal Skills:

• Excellent phone etiquette• Interpersonal communication

skills• Customer relationship skills• Firm grasp on any telephone

systems or call centre technology that may apply within your organisation

• Understand how to work as part of a team

Working in a team

Quality and Achievement: • You must always take pride in your work

and aim to achieve the highest standards of communication with your customers and team members.

• Not only does this fuel job satisfaction, it personifies your company as a caring one.

• Aim to be a responsible member of the team and consider the outcomes of your actions aiming to achieve excellence at all times.

Working in a team

Attendance: • Look after yourself, eat well, exercise

and avoid illness where possible.• Frequent absences drags down

productivity and team morale.• Maintaining a good standard of

attendance is key to supporting your team.

• Don’t place undue pressure on other team members who may have to pick up your workload.

Working in a team

Compliance: • You must be aware of your

organisations policies and procedures in relation to customer service

• It’s your responsibility to learn them and understand who how everyone fits into the processes within your policies

• Failure to follow these instructions could affect the effectiveness of your whole team.

Final Activity

How effective is your team?Think about a task or project you have recently worked on with a team.

1. What was the task/project?2. What were your timescales?3. What were your personal objectives, explain

how you achieved them?4. How did the team perform?

• What went well?• What would you do differently?

5. What were the advantages of working as a team?

Your Assessor will discuss these questions with you.

Let’s Recap?

• What is customer service? You now understand how your customers expectations affect customer service within an organisation.

• It’s all about YOU! You now understand how customer service affects you, and the skills you will need to be effective in your workplace.

• Types of Customer Service. You can now define the different types of customer service and the variety of customer needs and considered this within your own organisation.

• Keeping your customers. You have explored how to interact with your customers to keep them coming back.

• The 10 Rules of Customer Service. You have been introduced to the 10 rules of customer service and provided suggestions on what you could do differently when dealing with your own customers.

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What is good customer service