Union County Health Department Customer Service Training

UCHD - Agenda  Introduction  Messages  Service  Expectations and Success  Caregivers  Where from here  Adjourn

Messages There are so many messages we send without ever saying a word. What did you see? What messages were sent via film?

Messages - Worksheet What do you want people to know about UCHD? About your division?? How do you want them to feel about UCHD? About your division?? How can you change the environment/workplace to send a better message?

Messages – Take away Is there a system in place for employees to share information about what they see and experience? Is there a way for staff to make suggestions on how they can improve the service? Is there a system in place to celebrate and build on success?

Definition of customer service Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. According to Turban et al. (2002), “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation.” Source: Wikipedia

Service Theme - Definition Defines the organizations purpose Aligns that purpose with customers’ expectations Communicates that alignment to employees The service theme is the mission statement in work clothes. Source: The Disney Institute

Service Theme Answers these questions: What is our product/service? How do we deliver the product/service? To whom do we deliver it?

Sample - Disney Service Theme Sample - Disney Service Theme We create happiness (product/service) by providing the finest in entertainment (how we deliver) for people of all ages everywhere (to who) Source: The Disney Institute

Sample - SPCC Service Theme South Piedmont Community College delivers high-quality education and training (what we do - product) through traditional classroom, online environments and customized settings/locations (how we deliver) to the residents of and visitors to Union and Anson Counties. (for who)

UCHD – Mission Statement The mission of the Union County Health Department is to promote health, prevent disease and protect the health of the county.

Service Theme Worksheet Develop a service theme for the UCHD? What is your product/service? How do you deliver the service? For whom do you deliver?

Sample - UCHD Service Theme UCHD provides a wide range of health services… ◦ What is your product/service? through clinical settings and on-site consultation and review… ◦ How do you deliver the service? for the residents and businesses of Union County, NC ◦ For whom do you deliver?

Service Theme & Service Standards Service Standards Service Theme The Service Theme supports the Service Standards

Service Standards Definition Translates the Service Theme into actionable items. Sets organizational/departmental parameters for decision-making. Prioritizes the details of service delivery. Allows consistent measurement and delivery of service.

Sample Service Standards - SPCC SPCC Service Standard Superior Performance Consistent with Customer expectations We accomplish this through our Staff, Processes, Customs and Culture.

Service Standard Matrix Service Standard Matrix How we deliver StaffProcessCulture/Custom What we deliver Superior Performance Consistent with Customer Expectations

Service Standard Matrix Service Standard Matrix How we deliver StaffProcessCulture/Custom What we deliver Superior  Staff has professional appearance  Staff has professional demeanor  Staff is welcoming, supportive, knowledgeable  Hire right  Ongoing appropriate Training  Forum for an open exchange of ideas  Staff relates to one another as ‘colleagues in service’  Employees see SPCC as a great place to work  All staff (PT/FT) treated equally Performance  Staff and Institutional performance goals incorporate the Service Standards  Constant reminders of service standards  Ongoing review for best practices  Customer Feedback loop and reports for all to review  Campus/classroom are clean and ready to deliver service  Rapid response to customer queries  Classrooms/grounds/campus is conducive to learning.  Services available in varied formats convenient to customer. Consistent with  Staff seeks and reviews customer feedback  Annual goals  See a job, do a job  Timely response to customer service feedback  Measurement/feedback/surveys are ongoing  Regular review and dissemination of customer data  Address feedback with measurable improvements Customer Expectations  Staff has outlet to channel customer feedback  Staff is dedicated to understanding the expectations  Department Level review of customer issues  Ongoing review of customer data  We ask, “how are we doing?” “How can we be better?”  SPCC has a reputation for superior customer service.

Service Theme – Take away Developing a Service Theme and Service standards will get the agency focused on service and provide parameters for providing the required level of service. Measureable standards help to focus staff on what is important across the agency.

Definition of customer service Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. According to Turban et al. (2002), “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation.” Source: Wikipedia

Expectations Often are the source of disconnection between: Clients and Staff Staff and Management Management and Community Results are a diminished level of service either real or perceived.

Expectations - Worksheet What expectations do you have for the clients? Are these expectations realistic? Are they meeting YOUR expectations?

Expectations - Worksheet What expectations do clients have for UCHD? Are you meeting client expectations? Review Survey

Expectations – Take away Aligning agency competencies, client expectations and the agency’s ability to deliver on those expectations will ensure customer satisfaction Customer service can be summed up in two words. Exceed customer expectations.

Success in organizations Organizations often focus on shortcomings. Instead organizations could build on successes How? Replicate the conditions where successes occurred. What happened when things were working? What were the conditions when things were working?

Success - Worksheet Think about a time when you were most proud to be a member of the UCHD. Describe at time when you were most successful (home/work/play) What was that situation? What were the conditions?

Success – Take away By focusing on what is working, we position the organization to do more of what works. Organizations move in the direction of the questions they ask? Be the change you want to see. Act as if.

Caregivers You are the community’s caregivers If you are not successful, people suffer You are either providing care, or helping someone who is. What can we learn from the film.

Caregivers - Worksheet How does the film relate to what you do? How is what they do in the film different from what you do? Why does the elephant/caregiver relationship work? How do you deal with people who are less than completely honest?

Taking Care vs Giving Care As an organization, are you taking care of yourselves? Do you take care of one another? How you care for one another effects how you take care of the clients/community.

Caregivers – Take away The film showed the great compassion the caregivers had for the elephants. UCHD is built on the idea of giving care to others. If you take care of one another, you’ll be better able to take care of the community.

Where from here? Consider this as a first step in a process that maintains high-quality service Consider the creation of service standards that outline the level of service Institutionalize the standards. Make them part of the performance evaluation. Consider a team that can carry on the conversation long-term. You are defined by the questions you ask and the words you use.

Final thoughts Customer service does not come from a seminar/book. It comes from the heart Customer service is 80% attitude, 20% technique There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed. Albert Schweitzer