Customer service

Communicate effectively with customers Create a positive impression OBJECTIVE Communicate effectively with customers Create a positive impression Develop and maintain customer service standards Plan good customer service

Definition of a customer Internal/external customers Who are Customers? Definition of a customer Internal/external customers Customers are people who need your assistance. They are not an interruption to your job, they are the reason you have a job..

Communicating Effectively with customers Definition: What describes GOOD service and BAD service? Good customer service is taking that extra step to help without being asked! It’s all about attitude and skills.

15 Most-Needed Customer Service Skills 1. Patience Not only is patience important to customers, who often reach out for support when they are confused & frustrated, but its also important to the business at large. Great Service beats fast service every time. 2. Attentiveness It is important to pay attention to individual customer interaction but it is also important to be mindful & attentive to the feedback you receive at large. 3. Clear Communication Skills When it comes to important points that you need to relay clearly to customers, keep it simple & leave nothing to doubt. 4. Knowledge of your Business Without knowing your business from front-to-back, you won’t know how to help customers when they run into problems. 5. Ability to Use “Positive Language” Your Ability to make minor changes in your conversational patterns can go a long way in creating happy customers

Customer Service Skills That Matter, cont: 6. Acting Skills The basic acting skills necessary to maintain your usual cheery persona in spite of dealing with people who may be just plain grumpy. 7. Time Management Skills If you don’t know the solution to a problem the best kind of customer service is to get a customer to someone who does. 8. Ability to “Read” Customers Look and Listen for subtle clues about their current mood, patience level, personality, etc., & you’ll go far in keeping your customer interactions positive. 9. A Calming Presence The best customer service reps know that they cannot let a heated customer force them to lose their cool; in fact it is their job to try to be the “rock” for a customer who thinks the world is falling down due to their current problem. 10. Goal Oriented Focus Business goals + customer happiness can work hand-in-hand without resulting in poor service.

Customer Service Skills that Matter: cont. 11. Ability to Handle Surprises It’s best to be able to think on your feet, but it’s even better to create guidelines for yourself in these sorts of situations. 12. Persuasion Skills You need to have some mastery of persuasion so that you can convince customers that you have the best service. 13. Tenacity A great work ethic & a willingness to do what needs to be done (& not take shortcuts) is a key skill when providing the kind of service that people talk about. 14. Closing Ability Being able to end the conversation with confirmed satisfaction (or as close to it as you can achieve) & with the customer feeling that everything has been taken care of (or will be). 15. Willingness to Learn Those who don’t seek to improve what they do will get left behind by the people willing to invest in their skills.

Attitude Checklist Know about your organization Learn the technical parts of the job Communicate well Be consistent Be organized

Using Your Voice Do you Become loud when angry or upset Speak faster when nervous Speak slowly when tired or bored Have a cheerful voice My tone of voice is warm and understanding Find it easy to talk to people you don’t know Control your tone in most situations Sound bossy, weak or unsure Have a clear and easy-to-hear voice Speak in a very formal or very trendy manner? Think about how you might modify your voice in certain situations

Greeting Customers The purpose is to create and maintain a welcoming environment - how can we achieve this? Be attentive, acknowledge a person as soon as they appear, even if you’re busy SMILE! Establish eye contact Tell them your name Ask how you can help Give the customer your full attention Be polite and courteous……………

The Communication Equation What you hear Tone of voice 40% of the message Vocal clarity Verbal expressiveness What you see or feel WORDS…….. ONLY 10% of the message Facial expression Dress and grooming Posture/ Body Language Eye contact Touch Gesture 50% of the message

Effective Communication Skills Eye contact & visible mouth Body language Some questions Encouragement silence Checking for understanding what has been said Smiling face Effective Communication skills

Barriers to effective communications Language Noise Time Distractions Other people Put downs Too many Lack of interest Questions Distance Disability Discomfort Barriers to effective communication

How to Listen =Attending Skills ( being ready) Active listening = Attending skills (being ready) Attend to immediate needs (if you need to finish something before giving your full attention) Being available Eye contact Attentive posture Concentration

Telephone Skills Know how to use the phones Speak clearly and slowly Smile (you can hear it in your voice!) State your name and organization Write down the caller’s name and use it Don’t say rude things while someone’s on hold If they’re explaining something use words to show you’re listening (umm, yes …) Have pad and pencil ready to take notes or messages (check spelling and message content) Don’t eat or drink while on the phone

A Positive Organisational Image First impressions count and will affect the interaction. People make judgments in the first 30 seconds. Golden Rule – You only have one chance to make a first impression

Dealing with Difficult Behavior Label the behavior, not the customer Listen Don’t get defensive Don’t take it personally Find out what the customer wants Discuss alternatives Take responsibility for what you CAN do Agree on action

What to Avoid Saying ‘I don’t know’ without offering an option Saying you don’t know where a colleague is or saying they’re at lunch/ toilet/ gone for coffee etc. Leaving people on hold for a long time Ignoring people if you’re busy Treating people unequally

The Talkative Customer Ask closed questions Limit the time available for them to interrupt (don’t have long pauses) Provide minimal response Smile and be pleasant, but don’t encourage them Wind up – thank them for coming, walk them to the door but don’t be rude or dismissive

The Angry Customer Listen carefully without interrupting so you understand the problem Empathize in a broad way Stay calm and remain polite Don’t escalate the problem Don’t take it personally, be defensive or blame others Propose an action plan and follow it Seek support if you are scared, if you can’t agree on a solution or if the customer asks to see “whoever’s in charge”

The ‘know it all’ Customer Acknowledge what they say Compliment them on their research Be generous with praise Don’t put them in their place no matter how tempting Don’t try to be smart – you can’t win! Ask them questions and use them to improve your knowledge

Workshop Objectives Our Objectives were to learn how to Communicate effectively with customers Create a positive impression Develop and maintain customer service standards Plan good customer service

Finish thank you Any questions