Customer Service

One day

Course Description
Master the skills needed to face the challenges of a Customer Service Representative position. Guaranteed to turn out top-notch CSRs. Handle calls professionally and effectively. Learn how to keep a positive attitude, even in the most trying situations. Create a self-improvement plan for better service.

Course Outline
Part 1: The CSR--A Powerful Voice

• The CSR’s Valuable Role
• First Impressions Count
• The Call Center Challenge
• The Quality Call

Part 2: Gaining the Professional Edge

• Six Elements of Professionalism
• Element 1: Manage the Customer Call
• Element 2: Know Your Products and Services
• Element 3: Be a Team Player
• Element 4: Remain Customer Focused
• Element 5: Take Responsibility
• Element 6: Make a Commitment

Part 3: The All-Important Customer

• Recognizing the Customer’s Style
• Tailoring Your Responses
• Guidelines for Analytical and Assertive Customers
• Understanding Your Own Behavioral Style
• Eight Customer Needs

Part 4: Building Your Communication Skills

• Ten Essential Communication Skills
• Skill 1: Listening Effectively
• Skill 2: Extending Common Courtesy
• Skill 3: Avoiding Statements That Give the Wrong Impression
• Skill 4: Using the Customer’s Language
• Skill 5: Gathering Customer Information
• Skill 6: Satisfying the Angry Customer
• Skill 7: Managing Technology
• Skill 8: Writing Effective Email
• Skill 9: Mental Scripting
• Skill 10: Closing the Conversation

Part 5: Attitude--Your Most Important Asset

• Shaping Your Attitude
• Choosing a Positive Attitude
• The Impact of Stress on Your Attitude
• The Call Center Workload
• Avoiding Office Gossip and Drama

Part 6: A Plan for Self Improvement

• Three Steps to Self Improvement
• Step 1: Take Stock of Your Skills
• Step 2: Define Your Objectives
• Step 3: Develop Your Action Plan

Calming Upset Customers

One day

Course Description
This course will demonstrate communication techniques that build customer loyalty, and how to defuse customer anger with attentive listening and empathy, focus on the customer's needs without blaming, and respond to personal accusations without becoming defensive. Customers are your most important assets, but sometimes they get upset. It's critical to learn what steps to take to address the situation quickly and tactfully, and what can be done to keep the customer coming back. You will learn how listening, nonverbal communication, feedback, and management all help to deal with an unhappy customer, and turn the situation into a positive one.

Course Outline
Part 1: The Importance of Calming Upset Customers

• Customer Satisfaction: Everyone's Job
• Upset Customers Don't Come Back
• You Want Customers to Complain
• A Learning Opportunity

Part 2: Why Customers Get Upset

• Start by Looking for the Cause
• A Customer Could Be Upset Because...
• Avoiding Upsets
• Returning Calls

Part 3: Preventing Behaviors That Irritate Others

• Be Proactive in Preventing Escalation
• Personal Presentation
• Nonverbal Communication
• Words That Make a Difference

Part 4: Practicing Behaviors That Calm Customers

• Taking Action to Reverse Anger
• The Customer Wants
• Listening Habits
• More Words to Watch
• Additional Pointers
• Calming Customers over the Phone
• Calming Customers via E-Mail
• Steps for Dealing with an Upset Customer
• A Note about Case Studies
• After the Customer Has Gone
• Don't Take It Personally or Bore Your Co-Workers
• Review: What Did We Cover?

Part 5: Tips for Managers

• Guidelines for Managers
• Creating an Environment for Customer Satisfaction
• Using This Book for a Staff Meeting
• When Managers Calm Upset Customers
• Managing Upset Employees

Customer Satisfaction

One day

Course Description
After completing this course, you'll have the skills to build and maintain long-term customer relationships, handle difficult people, and overcome barriers to customer satisfaction. By learning to define targets for superior customer service, you will create repeat business with every customer contact you make. Providing superior service means solving problems, dealing with frustrations and stress, giving and receiving feedback, avoiding placing blame on others, and communicating effectively. This course will teach you all the critical skills to achieve outstanding customer satisfaction.

Course Outline
Personal Customer Satisfaction Action Plan

Part 1: Clearing the Barriers
Chapter 1: How Customer Relationship Skills Can Build Your Success

• Building Customer Relationships for Repeat Business
• Success Stories

Chapter 2: Dealing with Difficult People

• Job Frustrations and Difficult People
• The Secret of Success
• Save Time by Taking Situations Professionally
• Keep the Spotlight on the Issue

Chapter 3: Burnout Threat to Customer Satisfaction

• Eight Common Signs of Burnout
• Additional Signs of Burnout
• Five Techniques for Preventing Burnout

Chapter 4: The Secret to Getting More Cooperation

• Updating Your Beliefs
• A Selfish and Successful Strategy for Getting More Cooperation
• Roadblocks to Avoid
• Working as Partners Treating Your Boss as a Customer

Part 2: Building the Foundation
Chapter 5: The Problem with Customer Service

• Satisfaction Is Defined by the Customer
• Meet the Requirements of the People You Serve
• Customer Satisfaction Is Easier When You Have Targets
• A Shortcut for Defining Targets
• The Pleasant Payoff

Chapter 6: The Customer Is Not Always Right, But¿

• The Customer Is Always the Customer
• Blaming a Barrier to Problem Solving
• Shortcut to Stopping the Blame Habit
• Seven Practical Steps to Customer Problem Solving

Part 3: Using the Tools
Chapter 7: Getting What You Want

• Make It Easy for Others to Cooperate with You
• Six Cooperation Techniques

Chapter 8: Building Motivation with Customer Feedback

• People Need to Know How They Are Doing
• A Simple System for Obtaining Feedback
• Protect Yourself with Ongoing Feedback
• Get Systematic Feedback from Your Customers
• The Best Kind of Customer Feedback
• Talk About Customer Feedback

Chapter 9: How to Keep It Going

• Success Secret 1: Give Yourself More Blue Ribbons
• Success Secret 2: Hand out More Blue Ribbons
• Success Secret 3: Treat This Book as a Tool Kit

• Remember the Customer Satisfaction Essentials

Customer Service in the Information Age

One day

Course Description
Customer service has changed dramatically over the past few decades. New technology has given customer service personnel more options for reaching customers, even as it has given consumers easier access to data and information. CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE INFORMATION AGE explains how businesses can still provide great customer service with a personal touch--whether it is through e-mail, the telephone, or a company Web site. The tips presented in this course will give organizations concrete suggestions for how to use the technological options available today to elevate their customer service to the next level and build relationships that will result in loyal and satisfied customers.

Course Outline
Part 1: Customer Service Basics with a New-Century Twist

• Choose Common Sense Over Technology
• Understand the Whys Behind Company Policies
• Help Customers Feel Like Insiders, Not Onlookers
• Keep Current on Your Company’s Promotions
• Show Respect for Your Customers Time
• Promise Less and Deliver More
• Tell Customers You Appreciate Their Business
• Review

Part 2: Customer Service on the Web

• Supplement the Software with Human Interaction
• Facilitate Customer Service with Technology
• Monitor Your Company’s Internet Customer Service
• Design Your Web Site to Be Customer-Focused
• Include Contact Information on the Site
• Make Contact Information Easy to Find
• Offer After-the-Sale Help Through Multiple Means
• Post Your Privacy Policy in Plain Language
• Test Your Company’s Web Site for Effectiveness
• Review

Part 3: Providing E-Mail Customer Service

• Consider E-Mails to Be Public, Legal Documents
• Know Your Company’s E-Mail Policies
• Present a Positive Impression to Your Customers
• Offer Apologies as Needed
• Respond Promptly to All Customer E-Mail
• Personalize Your E-Mail Responses
• Give Complete Information in Everyday Language
• Quote Senders¿ Queries to Craft Your Responses
• Review

Part 4: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Service

• What Is Customer Relationship Management, or CRM?
• Emphasize Customer Retention
• Provide Customer Service Based on the 80/20 Rule
• Mine Referral Business from Existing Customers
• Keep Your Promises to Customers
• Build Customer Loyalty with After-the-Sale Service
• Work to Eliminate Irritating Policies and Procedures
• Keep Up with Changing Customer Expectations
• Reward Customers for Staying with Your Company
• Review

Part 5: Effective Automated Telephone Service

• Determine Telephone Service by Customer Needs
• Set Up Automated Systems Correctly
• Check Regularly for Proper Operation
• Keep Automated Messages Brief
• Return Voice Mail Calls Promptly
• Review

Quality Customer Service

One day

Course Description
The techniques and tools covered in this course will help you understand the basic needs of customers, outline four reasons why quality service is important, teach you how to handle complaints and difficult customers, and help you anticipate your customer's needs. Everyone in an organization has something to do with customers daily. Customer service is the foundation on which success and profitability can be built. This course guides you through the establishment of quality customer service procedures to build your company's business. The principles covered can be applied for internal and external customers alike.

Course Outline
Part 1: Winning with the Customer

• Do You Have What It Takes to Win with the Customer?
• Comparing Customer Service to a Refrigerator
• What Is Quality Customer Service?
• Four Reasons Why Quality Service Is Important
• Adopting a Customer Service Perspective
• Why Winning at Customer Service Is Important to You

Part 2: Four Steps to Quality Customer Service

• Quality Customer Service
• Step 1: Transmit a Positive Attitude
• Be Attentive to Your Appearance
• Monitor the Sound of Your Voice
• Use the Telephone Effectively
• Stay Energized
• Summary and Follow-Up
• Step 2: Identify Customer Needs
• Understand Basic Needs
• Be Aware of Timing Requirements
• Stay One Step Ahead of Your Customers
• Remain Attentive
• Practice Skillful Listening
• Obtain Feedback
• Summary and Follow-Up
• Step 3: Provide for the Needs of Your Customers
• What Are the Characteristics of the Services You Provide?
• Meet Basic Needs
• Perform Important Back-Up Duties
• Send Clear Messages
• Say the Right Thing
• Sell Your Organization's Uniqueness
• Meet the Computer Challenge
• Prepare for the Unexpected
• Summary
• Step 4: Make Sure Your Customers Return
• Handle Complaints Effectively
• Get Difficult Customers on Your Side
• Take That One Extra Service Step
• Summary

Part 3: Notes and Comments

• Assess Your Customer Service Skills
• Service Provider Self-Assessment Scale
• Scoring the SP SAS
• Conclusion
• Author's Notes and Comments
• Additional Reading
• To the Supervisor and/or Trainer
• Upon Completion of the Program

Telephone Courtesy & Customer Service

One day

Course Description
Give employees effective telephone skills and you will see what a powerful business tool the phone can be. Everything from voice inflection to follow-up calls is covered in this course. Understand customers' needs. Ask effective questions. Master proper telephone techniques.

Course Outline
Part 1: Quality Customer Service

• You Play a Key Role
• Customer Service is everyone’s Responsibility
• The Importance of the Telephone within Your Organization

Part 2: Proper Telephone Skills

• Skill 1: Handing the Telephone
• Skill 2: Mastering Voice Inflection
• Skill 3: Using Your Best Voice
• Skill 4: Addressing the Caller
• Skill 5: Answering the Telephone
• Skill 6: Practicing Effective Listening
• Skill 7: Managing Objections
• Skill 8: Learning the Art of Negotiation
• Skill 9: Making the Service Follow-up Call
• Skill 10: Asking Questions
• Skill 11: Making the Outbound Service Call
• Skill 12: Delivering Bad News
• Skill 13: Managing Different Caller Behaviors
• Skill 14: Managing Telephone Messages
• Skill 15: Managing the Customer Callback
• Skill 16: Avoiding Statements that Give the Wrong Impression
• Skill 17: Managing Technology
• Skill 18: Closing the Conversation

Part 3: Understanding Customer Needs

• Take Time to Understand
• What Your Customer Wants
• Interpreting Customer Needs
• Attitude Is Your Key to Success
• Quality Customer Service Defined

Part 4: Managing the Customer’s Perception

• Create a Positive Image
• Your Telephone Service Skills Inventory
• Your Action Plan for Better Service