customer care course workbook

7/28/2019 Customer Care Course Workbook

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A SELF STUDY WORKBOOK

Customer Service& Care

Including Self Assessment Questions

.

Copyright. Philip Clough.


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CONTENTS

Chapter One Who are Your Customers? Internal customers

Communicating with internal customers

External customers

Page No.

3

3

4

7

Chapter Two Promoting a Positive Impression of Yourself

and youre Organisation

Relaxing and assisting customers

Body language

Telephone skills

The physical environment

9

9

13

18

20

Chapter Three Giving Consistent Care and Service to

Youre Customer

Finding ways of improving service

Listening skills

Correct information

Knowing your organisation's limitations

Your rights - Your customer's rights

21

21

23

25

28

31

Chapter Four Solving Problems and Complaints

Identifying problems

Customer complaints

Compliments

33

33

38

41

Chapter Five Bringing It All Together

An overview of your skills

Achievements

Building on success

Final Assessment

42

42

43

44

46

Copyright. Philip Clough.


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CUSTOMER SERVICE & CARE

IntroductionThe purpose of this workbook

Service is directed to all types, nationalities, ages and disabilities. It is also directed at

people with differing requirements and attitudes. This workbook will look at how customer

service and care affects all of us, whether we deliver it or receive it.

Service is generic rather than specific; hence most of the content can be applied to any

sector of service. All the skills learnt in this workbook can be applied across all disciplines

and into your own personal life.

You will learn about:

1. Personal presentation

2. Dealing with complaints

3. How to prioritise

4. The pleasure of giving service

5. Listening

6. Communication

7. Effects on you and your organisation

How this will be achieved

You will learn the importance of providing excellent customer service and care through

various means, not least of all will be through your own experiences. This will be built upon through

observation, and specific activities.

Who is this workbook aimed at?

1. Anyone involved with customers, their managers and trainers.

2. Anyone wishing to enter customer based employment.

3. Management students.

4. Anyone self-employed or considering self-employment.

Outcome

Individuals will get a great deal of personal satisfaction from this programme.

Their awareness of others will be heightened.

Employers will see improved performance. Customers will be happier clients and this

will be shown in both their attitude and loyalty to the you and you will see a lot more smiles!

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CHAPTER ONE

Who are Your Customers?The aim of this Chapter is to:

1. Identify what internal customers are

2. Look at internal communications

3. Explore the extent of your customers

4. Look at customer's needs

A smile may help but it doesnot make for good customer service

and care; you need to know who is your customer.

Internal Customers

Most people think of customer care and service as something which is for those

customers and visitors who use you organisation and its services. But internal

customers are equally as important. No organisation, business or enterprise can

function correctly without interaction and communication between employees,

departments and managers.

For example you may work in the central purchasing department for your company,

therefore you are reliant upon warehouse staff, pickers and drivers. Both you and they

are INTERNAL customers.

Will you treat your customers well if your colleagues and managers treat you badly?

Equally so, if you treat other departments without respect and care how do you think

they will treat their customers, either internal or external?

We all need to treat our internal customers well by:

1. Responding reasonably to their requests2. Understanding their importance to the organisation

3. Taking shared responsibility for problems

4. Co-operating with them, not against them

5. Keeping shared confidential information confidential

6. Working as a team and not having an 'us' and 'them' situation

7. Respecting their role within the organisation

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Communicating with Internal Customers

The majority of internal problems in any organisation start with communication.

Lack of communication

An example of this is when a certain manufacturing company had a meeting of the

board of directors. They needed to cut costs and therefore decided that the staff

canteen could no longer be subsidised. It was agreed that prices had to go up the

following month and this would be the responsibility of the financial director. He asked

the chef to review all prices so that they covered all costs, but not to start them for a

month. At the beginning of the following month the prices went up. No one knew, other

than rumours, that this was going to happen.

How do you think the staff reacted?

After lunch what do you think happened to the production rate?

Some staff went out for lunch and were late back for work.

Everyone left work that evening feeling annoyed.

Lack of listening

How many times have we said to someone "I can't remember you telling me that" only

to hear someone reply "but I told you that last week?"

We are all guilty of hearing what is important to us at the time and not what is important

to the other person.

Do we always listen to our partners or children?

Lack of information

Do you remember the times when you have eaten out and asked the waiting staff,

"what is today's soup?" only to get the reply "I shall just check with the kitchen."

If you go into a department store and ask where the toilets are you don't expect "I don't know" as

the answer.

Messy informationIt is guaranteed that you will have gone past a notice board and couldn't be bothered to

read the notices.

Why?

Probably because there were too many; old notices, notices nothing to do with you,

notices all cluttered and badly organised. You just do not have the time to sift

through them.

Notice boards should sell information. Would you go into a cluttered supermarket with

the peas next to the toilet rolls or the tea by the soap powder?

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Junk information

How much junk mail do you get at home or on the internet each week?

Does this also apply to your department at work? Does it receive lots of communications from

other departments which have nothing to do with you or your colleagues?They sometimes end up on that cluttered notice board!

The larger an organisation the more paperwork it produces and a lot of it is unnecessary.

The important points about communicating with other departments and your

colleagues are:

1. Be clear in what you are saying and make sure the other/s has/have understood

2. Listen to requests and information - if in doubt ask questions

3. Do not send unnecessary information to people who don't need it

4. Keep all relevant people informed

5. Share ideas. Why keep good ideas to yourself?

6. When you need more time to do a job inform the people it may affect

7. Pass on information speedily and accurately to those it involves

8. Know what responsibility your colleagues have - there is no point asking the

gardener to change a fuse!

Self Assessment Questions

Question 1

Who are your internal customers within your department and your organisation?

Question 2

One of your co-workers is getting rather irate because supplies requested 2 days ago

have not arrived. How would you deal with the situation?

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Question 3

What products and services does your department supply?

Question 4

Why is it important to pass on information swiftly and accurately?

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External Customers

Every organisation has customers to care for and give service.

Commercial organisations that sell goods and services range from shops to banks and

from gas suppliers to baby sitters.

They all have to be competitive and give good customer service and care.

Hospitals, schools, colleges, charities, etc., are not as commercial as the above since

they are not completely dependent upon selling shoes, gas, loans, hotel rooms, meals etc. Yet they

nevertheless have to give customer service and care.

Every visitor to a shop, library, restaurant, hospital or solicitor is a customer.

They are still considered customers if they visit by 'phone'. They could be enquiring

about an advert in the paper, requesting a bank statement, making a dental

appointment or wanting information about a washing machine in the summer sale.

A manufacturer of fancy metal boxes for Johnny Walker whisky may think that his customer is

the purchasing manager for Johnny Walker but he isn't his only customer. He also has:

1. His own internal customers

2. Johnny Walker accounts department

3. Johnny Walkers board of directors

4. Johnny Walkers marketing department - is the image right?

5. The bottle packers - are they happy with the ease of filling the tins?

6. The shops that stock the tins - are they easy to display?

Do they have customer appeal?

7. The final purchaser - the whisky maybe great but is the tin attractive?

Is it re-usable?

All the above customers have different requirements and needs.

These needs are unique to themselves.

What about your customers? What needs do they have?

Who are your customers?

Customer needs are not static. They can vary and change from day to day, even

hour by hour.

Someone bought a torch >>>>>>>>> Now needs batteries

Someone took an overdraft >>>>>>>>> Now needs a loan

Someone broke a leg

Someone had a meal

>>>>>>>>> Now needs crutches

>>>>>>>>> Now needs a bill

Customer needs could also be:

Luxury gifts

Bargains

Lifts

Parking

Toilets

Baby changing facilities

Refreshments

Help desk

Confidentiality

Gift wrapping

Disabled access

Privacy

Guarantees

Free gifts

Etc. Etc. Etc.

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Question 5

Who are your customers?

Question 6

What specific needs do your customers have?

Question 7

What are your needs as a customer when you are:

1. At the Post Office?

2. At a restaurant, caf or bar?

3. At a supermarket?

4. At the dentist?

(Put a tick next to any of your needs which might be the same as the needs of your

customers at your place of work).

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CHAPTER TWO

Promoting a Positive Impression of Yourself andYour Organisation

The aim of this Chapter is to:

1. Develop skills, which exceed what your customers expect

2. Look at things through your customer's eyes

3. Read customer's moods and feelings

4. Review your telephone skills

Relaxing and Assisting Customers

Saying "hello" and "goodbye" should be as individual as you are.

Be genuine.

The Welcome

Before being able to help or assist anyone they need to be greeted and be made tofeel welcome.

The initial greeting is like breakfast; it sets them up for their visit. The correct open and

friendly greeting helps to make the customer feel at ease. It gives them a good

impression of both you and your organisation. This is why some larger department stores

and hotels have doormen who are simply there to greet the customer.

If you look at many office blocks, hotels and supermarkets there is always a desk, just

inside the entrance, where staff greet and offer help in directing the customer to the

right department.

Greeting and a warm welcome make customers feel valued and show them that you aretreating them as an individual and not just another customer.

The Unwelcome

Being ignored is what we all hate the most. We are all individuals who like to be

recognised. Children and babies react quickly if they are being ignored. Babies cry,

children play-up or show off. As adults we tend to get annoyed, we rarely complain and,

if we have other choices, leave the shop or organisation.

When a famous chain first opened their burger restaurants in the UK their staff were

trained in customer greetings and farewells just as they were in the USA.

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UK customers were asked about the service that they received in a countrywide

questionnaire. The company soon realised that the training needed to change in the UK.

The British did not like 'scripted' or 'parrot' like greetings such as 'Welcome, my name

is Sharon and I shall be serving you. Today we have a Super Deluxe Burger with a large

drink and fries for only 4.50. Can I get that for you?' OR 'Thank you for choosing ourrestaurant, enjoy your meal and have a nice day'.

Wisely, they changed tactics and trained staff to be warm and welcoming but to use

phrases that they, the staff, were happy using.


Question 1

Identify where you have been welcomed warmly and what you felt?

Question 2

Identify where you did not receive a warm welcome.

How did you feel?

Would you go back if you had a choice?

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Assisting

Your customers are now relaxed. You have given them a warm welcome and shown

them that you care and value them.

What is the purpose of their visit? Is it:

pleasure?

business?

necessity?

social?

You may work in a large department store and they are here shopping. But not all

shopping is a pleasure. Not everyone who is shopping looks upon it as retail therapy.

Compare these two scenes:

1. You are going to a special dinner dance and it's your wedding anniversary. You

have had 20 years of happy marriage. You have decided to buy a special dinnerdress with some of the money you won on the lottery.

2. Two of your three children are returning to school after the summer holidays and

need some new clothes and shoes. The bus was late due to flooding. You have a

dreadful migraine and your baby, Jamie, was sick just before you got off the bus.

You have to watch what you spend, as your husband has just been made redundant.

One is going to be a fun shop the other a nightmare experience.

If you were buying the dinner dress you would probably need little assistance in

comparison to when you had the three children with you. You might need someone to

amuse the children whilst you looked for bargains, perhaps a children's play area. Youmay need directions to the nappy changing room.

You can often tell when people need help and assistance. They may:

have children with them

be elderly

look lost or confused

be disabled

You can also tell by their body language.

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Body Language

When a stranger walks through your door you don't know them, have not yet greeted

them, have not spoken to them and know nothing about them. But you have made an

immediate impression of them, and they also of you, through BODY LANGUAGE.

10% of a message is conveyed through words.

20% through voice, pitch and emphasis.

70% through gesture, posture and body language.

Head MovementsThe way we position our head gives out signals to others:

Nodding slightly

Nodding violently

Nodding side to side

Head to one side

>>

>>

>>

>>

agreeing

agreeing with annoyance

disagreeing/ no

interested in what's being said

Facial Expression

Every picture tells a story.

Every face is a picture!

We give so much away by our facial expression, yet we can also hide a lot by our lack

of expression. Expressing happiness and joy, warmth and care is more pleasurable, to

both you and the customer, than showing boredom and disinterest.

Remember, it takes more energy and exercises more muscles to smile than to frown -

so get exercising!

Eye Contact

The right amount of eye contact shows interest and honesty. Too much can be

dominating and even intimidating.

Lots of blinking could mean anxiety or deception.

Looking deep into someone's eyes should be kept to lovers or when you are

being flirtatious.

Breaking eye contact may mean you are making the person uncomfortable

or embarrassed.Glazed eyes may mean boredom or lack of interest.

Downcast eyes can mean shyness, remorse or sometimes lack of interest.

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Facial Expression

It isn't what you say but

the way you say it.

How we say things tells a lot to the customer. It shows whether we are interested,

annoyed, caring, tired or fed-up etc.

For example, we can change what we say simply by:

inflection

emphasis

loudness

The way we emphasise a word in a phrase or sentence can change its meaning totally.You should only emphasise things which are positive.

Do you like been shouted at?

Shouting should be reserved for calling the dog back to the house.

(We shall look further at the effect of the voice in Telephone Skills).

Self Assessment Question

Question 6

Repeat the following sentences with a colleague or friend, putting emphasis on the

Highlighted word.

What does each statement really mean?

Statement:

Meaning:

Statement:

Meaning:

Statement:

Meaning:

Statement:

Meaning:

Statement:

Meaning:

Statement:

Meaning:Statement:

Meaning:

I did not say you stole the wallet







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Smell

The smell or odour of an establishment is extremely important as is your smell or odour!

When we are with customers we communicate through our personal hygiene and

grooming. We all prefer people who have:

clean hair

fresh breath

no body odour

are lightly perfumed

When you go into the changing room of a gym or sports club, the odour is acceptable,

but not in an office, shop or waiting room.

If we have bad breath, body odour, greasy hair, foisty clothes, dirty fingernails or

chipped nail varnish, we are saying to the customer; "I don't care about my

appearance" therefore we are saying, "I don't care about you".

Gestures

Gestures are like breathing:

automatic and difficult to control.

We all use gestures and we use them all the time without thinking:

Scratching

Itching

Biting nails

Stroking hair

Picking our nose

Chin rubbing

Ear lobe pulling

Hand waving

Finger clicking

Etc. Etc.

In the main, gestures are beyond our control. We need to identify them and, if they are

not appropriate or are negative, be conscious of them and stop or change them.

Negative gestures such as brushing down your clothes whilst someone is speaking to

you tend to irritate others. They also show a sign of disinterest or boredom.

Gestures are the most difficult of all body languages to control.

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Question 7

Spend some time observing people's gestures. Make a note of them below and

indicate if they are negative or positive.

Do you make the same or similar gestures?

Loaded with this knowledge try and change your negative gestures to positive ones.

Posture

Walk tall, walk straight

and look the whole world in the eye.

The above is the best advice that Lee Marvin could give to a young man in the musical

film 'Paint your Wagon'.

Standing up straight indicates confidence.

Leaning slightly forward when someone speaks indicates interest.

Slouching indicates disrespect.

Arms folded means confrontation, superiority, lack of interest or boredom.

Hands on hips are a sign of aggression.

Wriggling and twitching is a sign of discomfort.

Personal space

Like animals we have our own territories of individual space or 'bubbles'. These 'bubbles' vary according to the person we are with

and our background i.e in China they hardly exist.

When dealing with customers we should be careful about invading their 'bubble' or space.

1. The 'bubble' hardly exists with lovers and close relations.

2. The 'bubble' surrounds people for about a metre when it comes to social friends

and colleagues. (Remember the expression 'keep him at arms length'?)

3. The 'bubble' is over a metre when it comes to customers and strangers in public

and professional life.

Never enter someone else's 'bubble' uninvited.

Only get closer when you need to take control.

Stepping back helps you make the other feel more comfortable.

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Question 8

When is it appropriate to invade someone else's personal space?

Question 9

What individuals or groups of people have smaller space personal space "bubbles?"

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Telephone Skills

No matter how much technology an organisation uses for its telecommunication system

we all hate: being kept on hold, told to press option 3, listening to repeated adverts or

monotonous cheap music or being told constantly that our call is important. How many

times do we just slam down the phone?

For many customers the telephone is the first point of contact -

you don't get a second chance in making the first impression.

BasicsEven if you hardly use the phone in your organisation you need to know:

how to transfer a call

how to put a caller on hold

You need at hand:

a pad

a pen

an internal telephone directory

You should never leave a phone ringing. Always answer it as quickly as possible, (unless it is against company

policy). Even if you cannot help the caller you can take a message and pass it on to the

appropriate person.

Answering the phone

How many times have you phoned an organisation and been given a garbled greeting or

the initials of the organisation? Have you got through to the Microsoft Helpline or

Messy Cloth Alpine? The person on the other end is sloppy, wasting your time

and money.

A suggested form of greeting:

Opening Greeting

Where?

Who?

Action

Hello/Good morning

Microsoft Helpline,

Philip speaking

How can I help you?

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When answering the phone you need to give an instant impression to the caller of:

your interest in them

how organised you are

your organisation

your willingness to help

your professionalism

Your voice is the main tool at your disposal and you should be aware of:

loudness

Pitch

Inflection

Tone

Speed

Emphasis

>>>>>>

>>>>>>

>>>>>>

>>>>>>

>>>>>>

>>>>>>

too much, too little?

squeaky, deep?

up or down?

monotonous, theatrical?

fast, slow?

appropriate, inappropriate


Question 10

Suggest how you would respond to someone phoning your department?

TRY THIS

Record your own voice when on the telephone. Do a recording when making

a call to:

a friend

a business

Listen to your voice.

What improvements could you make?

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The Physical Environment

First impressions = Lasting impressions

As a customer walks through your door they are hit by lots of different impressions, one

of which is the physical environment in which they find themselves.

How many places such as shops, offices, restaurants, cafs, churches, shopping

centres etc would you return to?

Why? Service possibly? Quality of products?

One factor would certainly be the physical environment i.e. what the place looked, smelt

and felt like.

These physical factors can be described by being:

cool

small

manic

quiet

homely

amateurish

comfortable

bigclean

badly signed

up-market

large

empty

artificial

welcoming

unloved

cosy

grottywell decorated

stylish

vibrant

messy

depressing

dirty

elegant

sleazy

modern

scruffypeaceful

smoky

caring

smelly

crowded

clean

hostile

littered

old fashioned

charmingairy

musty

warm

claustrophobic

noisy

well-lit

antiseptic

plastic

threatening

tattyuplifting

damp


Question 11

List the things which best describes the physical environment of your workplace.

Include in this the areas that only your internal customers visit.

Underline those which need improvement. Circle those which YOU and your colleagues

can change. Bring the ones, which have only been underlined to the attention of your

manager/supervisor and make suggestions on how they can be improved.

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CHAPTER THREE

Giving Consistent Care and Service To Your CustomerThe aim of this Chapter is to:

1. To build on the good service you give now

2. Further develop listening skills

3. Look at how to give the right information

4. Deal with the organisation's limitations

5. Examine the rights of both customer and provider

Finding Ways of Improving Service

Do you remember the last time you saw a school report? There is always a comment by

the teacher on one subject or another 'could do better'. It is true of all of us that no

matter what we do we can always find room for improvement.

Do you know anyone who is perfect?

It is only by knowing your, or your organisation's:

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)that you can improve your service and care for customers.

Doing a SWOB check can help us in everything from work to our personal lives.

A typical SWOB check for a restaurant could be:

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

well established restaurant

specialist in Italian cuisine

well known accomplished chef

quality premises

well priced product

badly signposted

lack of trained staff

poor supply of fresh fish

poor customer service

thriving market

local pub/restaurant closing down

no take-away pizzas for miles/km

no public transport

poor parking facilities

no staff accommodation

set in a village

Weaknesses and opportunities can overlap. Actions can be taken to make weaknesses

into opportunities. Threats may be physical or to do with people's attitude or

something which is totally impractical. Threats are limitations, which cannot be leapt

over. If you are 6' tall you cannot change that to 5'8"!

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Question 1

Write a SWOT check for your organisation or department in terms of the service and

care that you provide.

Look at all the aspects including dealing with your internal customers.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

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Listening Skills

We have seen how body language, a warm greeting, the physical environment and

gestures can make the customer feel at ease.

Yet another way of improving service, which we touched on in Chapter One, is listening.

Listening improves our ability to give the correct care and service.

We may hear someone but it does not mean that we have listened.

Probably the reason we don't listen goes back to childhood:

'Children should be seen and not heard'

'Shut up and listen'

'Don't interrupt your elders'

'Speak only when you are spoken to'

'Quiet, I want to watch television'

'Listen to your dad and do what he tells you'

'What did you do at school today?' Mum asks whilst preparing a meal and listening to

the radio.

If you have ever been to a good doctor, minister, priest or counsellor you will notice that

they listen intently and ask questions only when there is a need.

The people who give the greatest customer service are also great listeners because they

really care.

A good listener finds out what is really being said. It takes practice. Follow the eight

rules of listening:

1. Don't interrupt

2. Ask only essential questions

3. Don't jump to conclusions

4. Take notes if needed

5. Concentrate on the speaker6. Avoid distractions

7. Put yourself in the speaker's shoes

8. When the speaker has finished review what was said

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Question 2

Do you have any bad habits when you are listening to others?

Answer the questions below. Be honest with yourself and look back on this section

to see how you can improve your listening skills.

Question Yes No

1. Do you let your mind wander/daydream?

2. Are you easily distracted?

3. Do you allow others to interrupt?

4. Do you fill in the end of other's sentence?

5. If you do, do you often get it wrong?

6. Do you turn off when others are long winded?

7. Do things around you distract you?

8. Do you show you are listening?

9. Do certain phrases or words annoy you?

10. Do certain accents put you off?

11. Do you fidget when listening?

12. Do you show impatience when listening?

13. Do you interrupt people?

14. Do you read between the lines?

15. Do you question if you don't understand?

16. Do you only listen to interesting people?

17. Do certain people prejudice you?

18. Do you show positive body language?

19. Do you review what has been said?

20. Do you jump to conclusions?

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Correct Information

Product Knowledge and Information

'Have you got this jumper in a larger size?'

'When will you have a new delivery?'

'Will this work overseas?'

'What's the soup of the day?'

'How much will it cost when you get them?'

'How long is it guaranteed for?'

We ask the above questions all the time when out shopping. Yet how many times do we

hear 'I don't know' in response?

You need to know, as far as is reasonably possible, about the products and services

your organisation supplies.

Granted, you cannot know everything and even your customer knows this. But they also

know that there is someone in your organisation that does know the answer to their query.

Never be afraid of saying

'I don't know, but let me find out for you'.

Over Information

Ever been confused by someone?

At the electrical store:

"the diactronic heating coil axiaposes the cylindrical

electrodes to defuse the magnetic field in a counterclockwise

movement which...................makes it spin faster"

At the hospital:

"Your father has had a myocardial infarction hence he

has an autonomic dysfunctional syndrome aggravated

by a cerebo cranial incident"

At the computer supplier:

"The HDD on the principal RPF drive of the MSDOS

function should be reconfigured and an XPC

signal transferred to the P25BN vortex"

Only if the customer is an expert or asks for this information should it be given to them.

Too much technical information or use of meaningless abbreviations does not

necessarily give the customer confidence in you. More often he/she:

1. feels inadequate

2. thinks you are a clever clogs

3. is frightened off4. goes elsewhere for simpler and understandable information

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Question 3

When have you had a great customer service that was beyond your expectations?

What happened?

How did you feel?

Will you return to this provider given the opportunity?

Question 4

What could you do in your department or organisation to give that extra 1%?

Try doing this as soon as possible and write down the reaction of your customers.

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Knowing Your Organisation's Limitations

Never agree or promise anything that you cannot deliver. This is one of the biggest let

downs that people encounter. Some organisations do this just to gain customers. These

are the organisations which we all talk about, and consumer television programmes are

always warning us about.

All too often we agree something with a customer and then cannot deliver:

"I will call you tomorrow!"

"The cheque will go first class tonight"

"Your appointment is at 2.30pm"

"Your pizza will be ready in 5 minutes"

"We shall deliver on Monday morning"

"The red skirts will be in on Tuesday"

If you can't deliver your promise you will end up with a complaint. Do you need the

hassle? Do you want an unhappy and irate customer who will never return?

The above statements are all based on time. Time, lack of it and other people wasting it.

It seems to be one of our most precious commodities.

Waiting and queuing is part and parcel of life. We all hate it but have to grin and bare it.

All organisations have limited resources. If we could all attend to our customers as soon

as they demanded the cost would be enormous. Yet we should never make promises

that we cannot keep.

People will wait happily for:

a great meal

a roller coaster ride

a film or play

a betting office for your winnings

out of necessity:

at the supermarketat the bank for some cash

at the bus stop

with grudging impatience:

at the dentist

on the phone to query a bill

at a shop exchanging faulty goods

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Question 5

What would it be better to say, or to add, to the following phrases?

"I will call you tomorrow"

"The cheque will go first class tonight"

"Your appointment is at 2.30pm"

"Your pizza will be ready in 5 minutes"

"We shall deliver your oven on Monday morning"

"The red skirts will be in on Tuesday"

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Question 6

In what situations do people wait in your organisation or department, whether in

person or on the phone?

For each situation identify whether they wait:

1. happily

2. out of necessity3. impatiently/grudgingly

How could you make their visit more pleasurable?

When talking to your customers ask them how your organisation, department or you

yourself could make their wait a better experience. Discuss this with your

manager/supervisor.

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Your Rights - Your Customer's Rights

Providers and customers alike have rights. We tend to think of rights in terms of the law

e.g. when we buy a certain article by weight we know we are protected by various laws.

But our basic rights go far beyond legislation.

Legal rights in the purchase of goods or services protect the consumer and are

governed by legislation.

Basic rights are embedded in the notion of RESPECT, which is the right of both

provider and customer.

Give Respect = Receive Respect

Respect should start with the provider. If you start dealing with a customer in an off-hand or rude manner you have no right to expect respect from the customer. If you start

by giving respect you will gain respect in return. This is the basis of all relationships, no

matter how brief.

The Rights of the Customer

The customer has the right:

> to value for money

> to the attention of the

service provider

> to access to lines of

communication to complain or

compliment

> to have allowances made for

their particular situation

> not to be rushed or hassled

and given time to cool off

> to say no

> to have promises kept

> to explanations and apologies

> to be listened to

> to compensation for loss

or inconvenience

> not to have their taste

questioned

> to respect

> not to have their time wasted

The Rights of the Provider

The provider has the right:

> not to have their taste

questioned

> to be given time to

explain

> to be listened to

> not to be held

responsible for other's

mistakes

> to say no

> to be given time to

rectify mistakes

> not to be treated

like a servant

> to respect

In addition to the above rights many organisations have codes of conduct, mission

statements or charters.

Mission statements are found in all types of organisations whether commercial, charitable or institutional.

Codes of conduct tend to be used by members of professional bodies i.e. accountants, solicitors.

Charters are more commonly found in institutions such as colleges, hospital, government departments and town/city councils.

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Question 7

What legislation, codes of conduct, charters or mission statements affect you in your

organisation or department?

Legislation

Charters, mission statements etc.

If you have a charter, mission statement or code of conduct, make a list below of the

areas that deal with customer care and service.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Solving Problems and ComplaintsThe aim of this Chapter is to:

1. Examine the nature of complaints

2. Look at the cost of complaints

3. Understand why complaints don't damage organisations

4. Discover how to deal with complaints and compliments

Identifying Problems

Complaints need to be looked at within their broader context. Very often before a

complaint arises it can be seen as a problem which needs solving. No one yet has

registered a complaint but it is just waiting to happen.

Complaint Observation Opinions

Actual

Complaints

Potential

Complaints

Potential

Complaints

Customer Staffor customer

Staffor customer

Your Organisation/Department

Opinions

Both you and your customer may have an opinion regarding some part of your

organisation. It could be to do with quality, service, physical environment etc. These

opinions may be to do with changes and they need to be looked at as potential

problems and hence they are possible future complaints.

These are opportunities which, if acted upon, will turn into compliments.

Opinions can come from questionnaires, a serious concern or just a passing remark.

They are a source of opportunity to make better the organisation and its service.

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Observation

We all see physical things in our workplace which could be made better if they

were changed:

dim lighting in the toilets

poor quality carrier bags

uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area

We also see situations which could develop into complaints:

someone waiting a long time for their appointment

someone with empty glasses at the bar

a wet floor

Whether seen by a customer or a member of staff action needs to be taken to resolve

these potential complaints.


Question 1

What areas in your department/organisation are potential volcanoes ready to erupt

into complaints?

Speak with your supervisor/manager and explain to him/her your cause for concern.

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Complaints

Complaints fall into five main categories;

1. time related

2. quality related3. cost related

4. personnel related

5. environment related

1. Time related

As discussed, in Chapter Three, time is a precious commodity which none of us

like to waste. This is one area where people complain the most. No one likes

being kept waiting.

2. Quality related

This can be anything from the quality of merchandise to the quality of technical

support. It is often the easiest form of complaint to rectify.

3. Cost related

We all want value for money. In the main people examine goods and decide that

they are happy with the price that is being asked.

Buying a service is a different matter and this is where the main complaints come

from, such as badly cleaned windows, stained dry cleaning, package holidays

going wrong, etc.

4. Personnel related

Being treated badly or rudely is a common form of complaint. A significant

amount of this type of complaint happens in the service industries.

5. Environment related

As we discussed in Chapter Two, the physical environment in your place of work

is very important. It is important in:

shops

restaurants

hospitals

homes for the elderly

buses

offices

bars

etc.

This is an area in which most people don't complain - they just never return.

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Question 2

How would you deal with:

1. someone waiting a long time for their appointment?

2. a wet floor?

3. dim lighting in the toilets?

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The Cost of Complaints

Financial

Most people complain because they want to return, they want to be your customer i.e.

they want a problem resolving and, if resolved to their satisfaction, they will return. If acomplaint is handled badly they will not return. If they don't complain, as said above,

they will never return.

Not all organisations are commercial i.e. churches, hospitals, government departments

and schools.

Commerce, retail, even colleges and universities need to make money to survive.

Unresolved complaints lead to a fall off of business and could eventually contribute to

the collapse of an organisation.

Personal

Unresolved complaints are demoralising. They upset the customer and you. Leaving

work at the end of the day after making some achievements gives you a good feeling.

You will moreover tend to have a pleasant evening with your family and friends.

Possibly more important is that if you don't give good service to your customers, and

there have been unresolved complaints, you could be dismissed.

Reputation

Complaints not dealt with properly leave a nasty taste in the customer's mouth. They

need to get rid of that taste so they spit it out like venom at the first chance. In other

words they tell everyone about the bad service that they have received.

A bad reputation is easy to acquire because we all like to gossip. The news is 95%

bad news!

A bad reputation has a knock on effect. Less customers, lower profits, collapse of the

organisation and possibly your job.


Question 3

In your experience, what specific organisations have:

1. a good reputation?

2. a bad reputation?

How do you know this:

by word of mouth?

by personal experience?

COMPLAINTS lead to SOLUTIONS for the future SATISFACTION of your CUSTOMERS.

Treat them as Positive Criticism.

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Customer Complaints

Customers mainly complain because they wish to continue doing business with your

organisation; otherwise, if they had a choice, they would just go elsewhere.

A complaint is an opportunity to:

win over the customer

provide good care and service

give 1% more

create a better reputation

gain more business

gain personal satisfaction

achieve promotion

Customer complaints are Positive.

The art of dealing with complaints relies on coming up with an acceptable solution for

both the customer and the provider.

Consider this scene in a restaurant on Christmas Day;

"We decided to have Christmas dinner in a restaurant this year. On arrival the restaurant

was very busy and there was no one to greet us, never mind seat us. Fortunately we

saw a table reserved with our name on it so we sat ourselves down rather than have a

drink at the bar.

After ordering our dinner we waited nearly an hour for it to arrive. No one came to

apologise or explain what was happening.

The food was cold. After complaining to the waiter he took our food away and returned

with it shortly. It had obviously been put in the microwave as the gravy was crusty and

the centre of the food was only warm."

"We asked to see the manager and told him our problem. He said, "So you don't wantme to charge for the meal?" Taken aback we agreed with his suggestion and left."

The diners did not have either a good meal or a good experience. At least they didn't

have to pay. Although the complaint was dealt with it was not really resolved.

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Handling Complaints

If the manager of the restaurant above had fulfilled the following 17 rules of handling

complaints he would have won over the diners.

The 17 Essentials in Handling Customer Complaints

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

Use their name

Say "I" am sorry not "We"

Never be on the defensive

Be relaxed - use positive body language

Apologise and admit blame

Don't take criticism personally

Empathise by saying "I realise how you feel", "that's understandable" and I would feel the same

Don't blame others or your organisation

Give them your undivided attention. Take notes if needed

Review what they have said so that you have a proper understanding of the

nature of their complaint

Don't lie - if you cannot resolve the problem immediately say that you will get

back to them within a specified time scale

Don't make promises that you cannot keep

Make them part of the solution - what will make them happy

Get them to agree a solution

Tell them what you CAN do not what you cannot do

Once a solution is agreed act quickly

Follow up and check that the problem is resolved

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Question 4

Go back to the scene at the restaurant on Christmas Day and answer the following

questions.

1. At what point did things go wrong?

2. What should have happened?

3. If you were the diners what solution would you have been happy with?

4. If the solution was acceptable to both you and the manager would you have gone

back to the restaurant?

5. Why?

6. What are the procedures within your organisation/department for dealingwith complaints?

You can never win an argument with a customer.

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Compliments

The majority of people cannot take compliments easily:

"lovely dress" response "oh this old thing""fabulous meal" response "very easy recipe"

"thanks for cleaning the office" response "it's just my job"

"thanks for the lift" response "it was on my way home"

This false modesty not only puts down the person that is giving us the compliment but

belittles oneself. You leave the situation without taking away the intent of the compliment.

Nothing positive or negative comes out of it.

A compliment that is accepted graciously will affect that person for the rest of the day.

This is the "feel good" factor of compliments. After being complimented they will leave

work with a positive attitude to the care and service that they deliver. This includes you!

Pass it on

Don't be greedy with the compliments that you receive, share them.

Remember that you are the member of a team. Perhaps someone compliments you on

the way the office looks; the plants, how tidy it is, the atmosphere. Yet 5 others who are

all out to lunch share it. Tell them when they return; we all want to feel good.

Don't just take compliments, give them out as well, but be honest and don't exaggerate.

Compliment your internal customers and colleagues when they have been particularly

helpful or have reached a deadline.

Your customers compliment you because you have probably exceeded their

expectations - you have given that extra 1%, pass it on and share that 1% feeling!


Question 5

Next time you get good service whether at a shop, supermarket, over the

phone, in a bar or restaurant, give the provider a serious and honest compliment.

Write down the situation below.

How did they react?

How did you feel?

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CHAPTER FIVE

Bringing It All TogetherThe aim of this Chapter is to:

1. Link all Chapters

2. Look at the skills you have gained and how they have affected:

a. your work

b. your department/organisation

c. your customers

3. Examine continuing improvement

An Overview of Your Skills

You are now in possession of some important communication skills, which are enabling

you to deal with both internal and external customers in a positive, professional and

caring manner.

CHAPTER ONE

You know about the internal customer and that the effect of good communication

with them improves the information that you receive. You now understand that internal

co-operation makes for a happy customer. If we are happy at work our customers

sense this.

You understand your external customers and that they all have differing needs.

CHAPTER TWO

You are skilled in welcoming and assisting them. You are able to read and to use your

own body language and how this helps you read your customer. You know how the

right amount of eye contact shows interest, how smells affect people and that by

controlling your gestures and posture you create a positive impression. You know

when it is appropriate to enter or leave someone's space "bubble".

When answering the telephone you are now well equipped to deal with most

situations and understand the importance of loudness, pitch, inflection, tone, speed

and emphasis.

You realise the importance of a quality physical environment.

CHAPTER THREE

By looking at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats you have

been able to improve your service and care for both internal and external customers.

You have learnt that listening in not just hearing and that by under promising and

over-delivering, you give that extra 1%.

You know your rights and those of your customer and that by giving respect you

get respect.

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CHAPTER FOUR

You can identify problems even before they arise by opinion and observation.

You understand the nature of complaints whether they be related to time, quality,

cost, personnel or the physical environment and also their cost in financial, personal

or reputation terms.You realise that complaints lead to solutions for the satisfaction of customers and

you treat them as positive criticism.

You can now handle complaints and compliments.

All these skills, which you have developed, can now be used by you on a daily basis.

Your senses have been heightened to the needs of others not only at work but also at

home and in your social life.

From entrance to departure your skills will enable you to look after your customer with

care and respect.

Key Stages from Entrance to Departure

Stage

Be Attentive

The Welcome

The Customer's

Needs

Attention

Knowledge

Problems

Farewell

Backup

Action

Acknowledge the customer, even if you cannot deal

with them straight away. Say "hello" and "I will be

with you in a moment".

Greet warmly and, if appropriate, find out the

customer's name and give them yours.

Listen to the customer, read between the lines.

Read their body language. Ask them questions.

Be attentive, show positive interest using your eyes,

body and voice.

Know what your products and services are. Inform

the customer of their options without over information.

If you don't know don't bluff - find out.

If there is a problem make the customer be part of

finding the solution; "how would you like me to

resolve this?" Under promise and over deliver.

Be warm in saying goodbye. Thank them for their time

and co-operation.

Follow up all complaints and make sure they have

been resolved completely to the customer's

satisfaction. Involve your colleagues as required.

Achievements

Throughout Chapter One to Four there have been various self assessment questionsand activities.

Drawing from these activities and the practical skills you have both gained and put into

practice, complete the final assessment which will be in the form of a SWOT check.

.

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Building On Success

If you get it wrong the customer will go elsewhere!

You don't get a second chance at being the customer's first choice.

Even if the customer cannot go elsewhere e.g. your supermarket is the only one in the town ,they need a hospital, or they use a wheelchair and your restaurant is the only one

with a ramp, they will not enjoy their experience. They will always be unhappy with your

organisation and complain even at minor things. They will spread the word.

Get it right the first time and you will have customer loyalty, faith, trust and respect.

The 10 Commandments of Success

Follow these commandments and you will never go wrong in giving exceptional

customer care and service.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Empathise

Always put yourself in your customer's shoes. How would you like to be treated if

you were they?

Listen

Don't speak, let the customer do all the talking, and listen to everything they say.

Say "Yes"

Always say "yes". The word "no" does not exist in customer service. The phrases

that do exist are:"Yes, I shall see what I can do" OR "Yes, I can do that"

"Yes, that might be possible" OR "Yes, I will try"

Under promise and over deliver

Customers expect you to do what you promise. Giving that little bit more makes

them feel valued.

Never argue

You can never win an argument with a customer, and who wants the hassle and

tension of an argument anyway?

Be an expert

Know your products and services. If not, know where to get the information.

Be spick and span

Ensure that you, your establishment and the tools that your organisation uses are

clean and tidy.

Be polite and friendly

Be warm and welcoming, it sets the customer up like breakfast sets you up for the day.

Use complaints as positive criticism

React to a complaint as something which will enable you to do the job better the

next time.

10. Give that extra 1%

Giving 1% more means you exceed expectations.

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The buck does not stop there!

Great customer service is constant. It doesn't just last a moment but is continuous and

is only as good as your last encounter with a customer.

If you just can't be bothered one day, you will ruin all the care and attention you have

given up to that moment.

Customer care and service is a way of life.

Remember that extra 1%?

Perhaps you have under promised and over delivered. That counts as that extra 1%!

Perhaps you have 30 colleagues in your department. All of them are dealing with

customers whether internal or external.

Each of them give 100% good customer service and also give an average of 5

customers that extra 1% each day. That is an extra 5% given by your colleagues.

But as a department of 30 people you have given an extra 150% of great customer service.

That is truly exceeding your customers' expectations!!!

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CHAPTER FIVE

Final AssessmentUsing the SWOT check that you did in Chapter Three self assessment questions, your

new skills and the practical care and service that you have been delivering, complete

this new SWOT check.

Points to follow:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Be completely honest.

Examine everything no matter how small or insignificant.

Discuss and go over the SWOT check with your colleagues,

manager/supervisor.

Discuss with people in other departments.

Be careful not to indicate that a particular individual or department is the cause

of a specific problem.

Areas which you may wish to include could possibly be:

welcoming customers

caring for specific needs

how you handled a complaint

the physical environment

internal communication

your listening skills

knowledge gained of other departments

how you have dealt with queues

your telephone skills

7.

8.

9.

Remember that your individual strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

threats will tend to be more skill related and your department's more

facility related

Use the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers that you knew existed

before you started this course.

Under the heading: "Possible Action", include all the things that could be done

even if they are not practicable.

10. If there was any "Action Taken" include it all no matter how small. Remember

that action does not just have to be physical, it could be a meeting to discuss

something or a change in policy.

11. List all "Results" including customer reaction. If you gave that extra 1% include

this information here.

12. If you don't wish to use the sheets provided devise your own, but keep to the

same headings. If there is not enough space continue on a separate sheet of

paper.

The aim of this assessment, in a nutshell, is for you to demonstrate how you have bothused and changed, in providing excellent customer service and care.

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

customer care course workbook

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