Customer Service Training - Critical Elements of Customer Service

Specific learning objectives include:

• Understanding what a customer service approach is
• Understanding how your own behavior affects the behavior of others
• Demonstrating confidence and skill as a problem solver
• Applying techniques to deal with difficult customers
• Knowing how to provide excellent customer service

Course Overview

• You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

What is Customer Service?

• This session will define customer service, take a look at who your customers are, and how to meet their basic needs and expectations.

Pre-Assignment Review

• Next, participants will review the answers to the pre-assignment, which asked questions about common customer service assumptions.

Setting Goals

• During this session, we will look at setting long- and short-term goals and creating a personal vision.

The Critical Elements of Customer Service

• This session introduces the six elements of customer service that form the basis of this workshop. Participants will also learn about the first element: a customer service focus.

The Second Critical Element – Procedures

• In this session, you will think about what your organization expects of you, and how to ensure that those standards line up with what customers expect.

The Third Critical Element – Alignment

• Next, participants will explore why customer service must be a philosophy that is practiced by all employees.

The Fourth Critical Element – Problem-solving

• We will look at a seven-step plan for solving customer service problems. Then, participants will practice using the plan in a role play.

The Fifth Critical Element – Measurement

• The only way to know what’s really going right and wrong is to measure regularly. This session will give participants some ideas for measuring customer service.

The Sixth Critical Element – Reinforcement

• Next, participants will learn some ways to keep a customer service focus strong. We’ll also share some powerful phrases that can help you build a positive image.

Communication Skills

• This session will give participants an introduction to key communication skills, including empathy, body language, asking questions, and listening.

Telephone Techniques

• This brief lecture will look at an ideal telephone call, from the greeting to the conclusion. We will also look at common situations, such as placing a caller on hold and taking a message.

Dealing with Difficult Customers

• During this session, participants will work in small groups to complete a mix-and-match exercise on common types of difficult callers and appropriate responses.

Dealing with Challenges Assertively

• There are many types of unexpected challenges that we encounter every day. Participants will work in small groups to develop responses to some of these issues.

Dealing with Difficult People

• This session will give participants an opportunity to understand difficult behavior, identify some coping strategies, and discuss the difficult person they find most trying.

Reflective Practice

• This session takes a look at how to study your own experiences to improve the way you work.

Dealing with Stress

• This session will offer some quick, easy ways to destress in any place, at any time.

Workshop Wrap-Up

• At the end of the day, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.