1. 6.00 Understand customer relations, professional development, and marketing.
6.01 Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance company image. Demonstrate a customer-service mindset (CR:004)

2. Identify beliefs held by employees who have a customer-service mindset.
You talk about positive customer interactions more often than negative.
You view negative customer interactions as opportunities to learn even more about the customer’s needs and expectations.
You create opportunities for customer contact.
You view your work from the customer’s perspective.
You define your function with the customer in mind.
Once you have determined whether or not you have the mindset, you can work on strategies for creating it in your company.

3. Describe the importance of exhibiting a customer-service mindset.
Source of Information and Ideas - Satisfying the needs of customers requires organizations maintain close contact with them. Marketers can get close to customers by conducting marketing research (e.g., surveys) and other feedback methods (e.g., website comments forms) that encourage customers to share their thoughts and feelings. With this information marketers are able to learn what people think of their present marketing efforts and receive suggestions for making improvements. For instance, research and feedback methods can offer marketers insight into new products and services sought by their customers.
Affects Activities Throughout Organization - For most organizations customers not only affect decisions made by the marketing team but they are the key driver for decisions made throughout the organization. For example, customer’s reaction to the design of a product may affect the type of raw materials used in the product manufacturing process. With customers impacting such a significant portion of a company, creating an environment geared to locating, understanding and satisfying customers is imperative.
Needed to Sustain the Organization - Finally, customers are the reason an organization is in business. Without customers or the potential to attract customers, a company is not viable. Consequently, customers are not only key to revenue and profits they are also key to creating and maintaining jobs within the organization.

4. Identify occasions when employees can exhibit a customer-service mindset.
A customer who is upset about the quality or delivery of our product/service.
A product return or a cancellation of services.
Incorrect information given to the customer.
A customer who is negative toward your company due to past experiences.
Confrontational issues and conflict.
Angry customers.
Explaining a company policy or procedure.
Fielding a request to escalate a call to management.

5. Describe guidelines for exhibiting a customer-service mindset.
1. Always tell your customer what you CAN do for them. Don't begin your conversation by telling them what you CAN'T do. 2. Allow irate customers to vent. Do not interrupt them or start to speak until they have finished having their say. 3. Diffuse anger by saying "I'm sorry or "I apologize." 4. Use your customer's name at different points in the call. 5. Make certain that your "solution" to the customer's problem is acceptable to them. Get their approval and agreement. 6. Always conclude each call with a "Thank you" or a verbal message of appreciation for their business. 7. Make certain that your tone of voice is in sync with your words. Remember, your tone of voice can completely contradict your message. 8. Listen attentively! There is nothing worse than asking an irate or troubled customer to REPEAT what they have just said. 9. Go the extra step by following up on your solution. Re-contact the customer to make certain that everything has been handled in a satisfactory manner, and they are pleased with the outcome. 10. Remember to ask if there is anything else that you can do for your customer. Taking the time to ask the question often results in increased business and a more committed customer.

6. Demonstrate a customer-service mindset
When customers call on the phone, we are provided with a tremendous opportunity to reinforce and grow the relationship. It makes good (economic) sense to take the extra time and effort to make these calls as meaningful and service oriented as possible. Attention to customer service will go a long way in helping you to satisfy your customers and make them feel as if they are truly special.
Process.
Strategize: Our strategy is to retain the customer whenever possible.  We want to provide the customer with a positive experience while balancing both the business and customer needs.  We don’t want to simply accept return merchandise since we know we will lose the customer.
A customer calls to complain about the quality of the product he received.
Acknowledge:  “I apologize that the product was not of the quality that you expected.  I understand your frustration.  I can help.”
Clarify:  “In order for us to improve on the quality – and for me to better serve you, may I ask what specific areas were of poor quality?”
Present Resolution:  “We would be happy to exchange the product for a similar product of higher quality.”
Checkback:  “Would that be satisfactory?”
Depending on the customer’s responses, we may actually have to go through the Five-Step Process many times during one customer interaction.  The Five-Step Process will help you to avoid becoming argumentative by lessening the conflict and opening dialogue with the customer.  It will assist you in providing a more positive customer experience.

7. Reinforce service orientation through communication (CR:005)
6.01 Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance company image.
Reinforce service orientation through communication (CR:005)

8. Define the term service orientation.
Listening to and understanding the customer (both inside and outside government); anticipating customer needs; giving high priority to customer satisfaction.
To most citizens, the contact person is the organization. In their eyes, the organization is only as competent, knowledgeable, courteous, and reliable as the person who represents it.

9. Explain the relationship between communication and service.
What's missing in most "customer service" encounters is the simple courtesy of providing information.
The best customer service people are able to put themselves aside and realize that when someone is frustrated by lack of understanding, they become angry. And when they become angry, they can't think or talk straight. The best customer service people forgive angry customers for their inability to consciously think through their frustration. They help the customer articulate wants and needs more directly, and assume the want or need is a valid one.
The best customer service people know it's not what you say, but how you say it. They eliminate "no," "can't," "won't," "impossible," and other negative tone language from the conversation. They approach the situation with a "Here's what we can do" optimism that makes their customers feel taken care of. And when customers feel taken care of, they come back.

10. Identify ways in which employees in business management can demonstrate a service orientation.
Key Behaviors:
Greets the person promptly and courteously.
Pays attention to the person.
Asks questions to determine the person's needs.
Listens carefully and empathizes with the person's concerns.
Offers relevant information.
Summarizes to check for understanding.
Acts or agrees on a clear course of action.
Tries to do better than expected.
Asks questions to check for satisfaction.
Follows through.
Thanks the individual.
Takes surveys to determine people's needs.
Is courteous to citizens, clients, patients, etc.
Does not "pass the buck."
Key Words -- quality, responsiveness, courtesy, follow-through

11. Student Activity

12. Respond to customer inquiries (CR:006)
6.01 Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance company image.
Respond to customer inquiries (CR:006)

13. Explain the nature of customer inquiries.
A customer’s request to a company that they provide a quotation or sales information without obligation.
An inquiry can relate to materials or services, conditions and if necessary delivery dates.
A customer inquiry comprises one or more items that contain the quantity of a material or service that the customer asked for often handle by a help desk specialist .

14. Identify the types of customer inquiries.
Provide Customer Support services. An inbound call center offers cost-effective answering services, which aid in allowing customers to save on time and money. A customer may call this center any time to have their many queries resolved by seasoned and qualified professionals who are tasked to answer calls on behalf of their business clients, and provide helpful product or service information. An inbound call center service is also driven by the need to provide efficient and timely product or service-related solutions on a 24-hour, 7 days-a-week basis. Ensuring a constant and healthy relationship with customers is a vital part of a company's survival or growth, therefore it is important that a call handling firm gives the best possible customer service levels to their clients.
Order taking. An inbound call center also does this important task. This ensures that a firm is always ready and able to take product orders without the need to miss out on any sales call. An order taking process will also enable a firm to store vital information regarding a customer's product purchase, as well as store these types of information on a secure server or electronic database.
Technical support & Help Desk service - For high-technology resellers or manufacturing firms, an inbound call center provides efficient, on-time and relevant technical support services to their customers. These could include product repair/troubleshooting, as well as product installation assistance. A Help Desk service is often viewed as a focal point where customers can discuss about any business-related inquiries, and get solutions from professional call handlers and subject matter experts.

15. Discuss the importance of possessing knowledge of the company
It is very important to make a good impression when responding to inquiries from potential customers. Of course, the best impression will be made by providing the materials or information that the perspective client has asked for, this positive impression will be improved by a well written response or conversation.
The best responses are those when employee has knowledge about the companies policies, it’s history, and their capabilities of serving their clients/customers.

16. Discuss the importance of possessing adequate product knowledge.
Whether a help desk specialist provides assistance in the resolution of a wide range of problems or specializes in a particular area, he is commonly expected to be able to satisfy customer needs. If he does not have an answer readily available, he is typically expected to know how to research the topic and correctly reply in a time frame agreeable to the consumer. In cases where the specialist isn't able to help the customer, he is customarily required to refer the matter to a better informed associate or superior.
To excel in this position, a help desk specialist is ordinarily required to regularly seek out educational resources within the company to keep current on products and services. The customer is often informed on a company’s new offerings before the employees, so aggressive self-education is normally required to be helpful and able to fully address concerns. This information may be obtained through online research of the organization. Studying internal company materials regarding new product developments or plans to extend the company’s service offerings are often useful as well.
Large companies frequently require a help desk specialist to promote sales as well as address questions and concerns. The specialist may also be responsible for tracking the nature of customer inquiries and gathering profiling data. This information is normally used to improve employee training to better serve consumers and enhance marketing efforts.

17. Describe guidelines for handling customer inquiries.
Patience and compassion are typically traits of a successful help desk specialist. Customers are often unclear in their inquiries or their frustration, which may make them anxious or demanding. A specialist who can effectively calm a customer and discern their problem is normally a highly-valued employee.
Good organizational skills are also helpful attributes for a help desk specialist. He is customarily required to keep detailed records of his interactions. This documentation normally includes the frequency of inquiries, the nature of questions and complaints and the rate of resolution.
Put in place sound internal systems, processes and training necessary to improve your responsiveness and handling of customer inquiries.
Respond to s within 24 hours and proactively contact the customer by phone.

18. 6.01 Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance company image.
Adapt communication to the cultural and social differences among clients (CR:019)

19. Discuss the purpose of adapting communication to a client’s cultural or social community.
In the international scene, knowing and identifying cultural differences can make a big difference between successful business negotiations and mortifying rejections. International business communication plays a major role in this, as knowing how to communicate through their point of view is a great advantage.
Each country has their own way of saying things, what may not be offending to you may be offending to them. International business communication is all about knowing the important thing that lies behind peoples words in the international arena.
International business communication is communicating across cultures and the first thing you must always put in mind is the basic understanding that one size doesn’t fit all. Always putting in mind that the cultural practices or habits you have does not mean that everyone else around the globe does. As they say, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

20. Explain the importance of context in communication.
High-Context Cultures
Low-Context Cultures
Infer information from message context, rather than from content.
Prefer indirectness, politeness & ambiguity.
Convey little information explicitly.
Rely heavily on nonverbal signs.
Asian
Latin American
Middle Eastern
Rely more on content
rather than on context.
Explicitly spell out information.
Value directness.
See indirectness as manipulative.
Value written word more than oral statements.
European
Scandinavian
North American

21. Discuss reasons for adapting communication to the cultural or social differences among clients.
Each of us views the world through “cultural lenses” constructed by us or imposed on us by society. Most of the time, we are not aware of our lenses. Most important, we forget to recognize that others wear lenses too; and that their lenses may be different than ours.
Businesses employing foreign workers must interact and be productive with sometimes more than a dozen different nationalities. Eye contact, physical distance during interactions, handshake styles and even a “yes” response can vary by culture
The first and major step toward successful interaction with others whose lenses are different from our own is to become aware of the presence and the impact of these lenses in our daily attitudes and professional behaviors. Developing an understanding of our cultural biases, fears and stereotypes, and how they affect our perceptions and interactions with each other in the workplace, is a giant step toward reducing stress and increasing productivity.

22. Explain skills associated with adapting communication
Adaptation
A more proactive effort is made to use cultural differences and intercultural skills to maximize understanding and relationships with people from other cultures
People say:
“To solve this dispute I’m going to have to change my approach”
“I can maintain my values and behave in culturally appropriate ways”
“The more I understand this culture the better I get at the language”
Stage appropriate skills:
Empathy
Risk-taking skills
Problem-solving skills
Social adaptability
The ability to adapt communication patterns

23. Describe ways to adapt communication to the cultural or social environment of clients.
Businesses can benefit tremendously from language training. You can enhance workplace relationships by learning another language and encouraging foreign workers to learn English terms specific to the company’s industry.
At least take the time to learn how to pronounce employees’ names correctly. This may seem minor, but it may become a big deal if it affects work relationships. Foreign names often are difficult to pronounce for English speakers because they contain unfamiliar vowel and consonant combinations, sounds and accents.
Often, foreign names carry specific meanings assigned by their families or cultures. Pronouncing these names correctly shows respect for the person and for the overall culture. On the other hand, a mispronounced name may have a different meaning that hurts the owner’s feelings. Most people appreciate it when you ask how to pronounce their name.
Respect others’ values and beliefs, be open-minded and ready to learn. Develop nonjudgmental views of situations and interactions, and be tolerant of ambiguity. Interacting with diverse cultures requires that you be flexible and socially adaptable.
Develop the discipline to maintain personal control. Astute observations along with good listening and interaction skills will help you learn the nuances of a culture. When interacting in an unfamiliar culture, develop the mindset of seeing things as different, rather than negative. Refining your problem-solving skills and being a prudent risk-taker will help you be more comfortable in your ability to manage in unfamiliar territory.
Do not rush to the “bottom line.” In the U.S. this would mean: “I am here for business only.” Most people around the world spend more time interacting on a personal level before moving on to business. They like to build trust and a relationship before engaging in business.

24. Demonstrate how to adapt communication to the cultural or social differences among clients.
Examples of Cultural Observations
A U.S. military officer student attended a military meeting at the French Embassy. At the end of the keynote speech, the student was the only person in the room to applaud. Everyone else turned and looked at the student. It was embarrassing. Why? In the French Army, you don’t applaud after speeches.
In the People’s Republic of China, a U.S. businessman had his credit card confiscated for signing the bill in red ink pen. In China, writing notes in red ink pen suggests the writer will die soon. In Central Africa, writing and or signing a letter with red ink suggests that you wish death to the receiver.
In a Central African village, a Peace Corps Volunteer got a crowd of village children following her home as she repeatedly waved the U.S. “hello” sign (opening and closing the four fingers). Why? In the village, the same sign was an invitation to receive gifts. She was embarrassed and the children were disappointed.
A U.S. woman who worked with an African national, announced to a male colleague with great enthusiasm that she was “expecting,” even though she was not yet showing. In a defensive tone, he asked why she chose to inform him of the pregnancy. The woman walked away disappointed and offended. On his part, the man reported to their boss that she had falsely accused him. Why? By telling her colleague about her pregnancy, the lady was sending a message that he was suspected to be the father. In his African culture, only the father should be aware of an early pregnancy.

25. Student Activity

26. Interpret business policies to customers/clients (CR:007)
6.01 Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance company image.
Interpret business policies to customers/clients (CR:007)

27. Define the term business policy.
"Policy" is a predetermined course of action which is established to provide a guide toward accepted business strategies and objectives. In other words, it is a direct link between an organization's "Vision" and their day-to-day operations.
Policies identify the key activities and provide a general strategy to decision-makers on how to handle issues as they arise. This is accomplished by providing the reader with limits and a choice of alternatives that can be used to "guide" their decision making process as they attempt to overcome problems.

28. Identify characteristics of effective business policies.
An effective business policy must have following features-
Specific- Policy should be specific/definite. If it is uncertain, then the implementation will become difficult.
Clear- Policy must be unambiguous. It should avoid use of jargons and connotations. There should be no misunderstandings in following the policy.
Reliable/Uniform- Policy must be uniform enough so that it can be efficiently followed by the subordinates.
Appropriate- Policy should be appropriate to the present organizational goal.
Simple- A policy should be simple and easily understood by all in the organization.
Inclusive/Comprehensive- In order to have a wide scope, a policy must be comprehensive.
Flexible- Policy should be flexible in operation/application. This does not imply that a policy should be altered always, but it should be wide in scope so as to ensure that the line managers use them in repetitive/routine scenarios.
Stable- Policy should be stable else it will lead to indecisiveness and uncertainty in minds of those who look into it for guidance.

29. Describe reasons for having business policies.
Business Policy defines the scope or spheres within which decisions can be taken by the subordinates in an organization.
It permits the lower level management to deal with the problems and issues without consulting top level management every time for decisions.
Business policies are the guidelines developed by an organization to govern its actions.
They define the limits within which decisions must be made.
Business policy also deals with acquisition of resources with which organizational goals can be achieved.
Business policy is the study of the roles and responsibilities of top level management, the significant issues affecting organizational success and the decisions affecting organization in long-run.

30. Explain types of business policies that affect customers.
Return policies
Customer Service policies
Online purchases
Sales/Coupons/Rebate policies
Business Conduct policies

31. Discuss the role of employees in interpreting business policies.
A policy that is unclear or open to many interpretations can lead to potential discord both internally and externally.
A policy that can be interpreted in different ways leaves a company open to complaints and potential litigation.
The governance exists to foster a strong working environment that allows employees to efficiently perform their functions. This occurs while maintaining compliance with state and federal laws.
If management doubts the effectiveness in their interpretation, they must reassess, revise and re-implement the policy.

32. Explain when business policies should be interpreted.
Interpreting business policies typically involves explaining company procedures, often written in bureaucratic language, to customers who are already irritated and upset.
By acknowledging their frustration and using plain and ordinary language to describe what's required from the customer to proceed, customer service representatives can diffuse a tense situation, maximize the opportunity to conduct a successful transaction and provide pointers to other information, such as brochures, website links and other phone numbers for help and support

33. Explain guidelines for interpreting business policies to customers.
Back up the business policy by describing how it helps streamline business transactions that actually help customers in the long run. Provide details about why changes to previous policies make the current policy more advantageous in terms of long-term gains.
Involve customers in the interpretation of any business policy. Ask for candid feedback about how the rules impact their business. Publish your findings so that customers can see that you have taken their feedback seriously and intend to act on their suggestions.
Explain alternatives. If the current interpretation of the business policy for your organization makes it impossible for a customer to do business with you, examine options, particularly if the customer account presents lucrative opportunities or shows significant loyalty. Avoid damaging your company's reputation by taking a firm stance without considering other possibilities. Educate customers on training opportunities and resources available on the company website to defer and offset dissatisfaction with business policies.
Leave strict interpretation for implementation if the customer resists. Propose an implementation date that allows the customer time to adjust to your new policy and enforcement of a current policy. Ensuring customer satisfaction involves validating that new support mechanisms meet the needs of existing customers and future customers alike. Provide seminars, training, workshops and other forms of support on interpreting your company's business policies before terminating a service that impacts a customer's business.

34. Student Activity