Customer Service Training Module

INTRODUCTION

The Customers Service workshop is designed to teach companies how to deliver high levels of customer satisfaction based on people skills vs. technical skills. Technically oriented persons too often become so focused on providing a technical solution that they overlook the human side of the equation. This is a very common trait among support personnel who come to their position from technical or non-service backgrounds. The course teaches companies how to treat the customer as an important human being, an individual which is the most basic element of customer satisfaction.

Companies find that effectively handling customers with problems is critical to their reputations as well as their bottom lines. When customers complain and they are satisfied with the way their complaint is handled, they are more likely to purchase another product or service from the same company. Companies that resolve complaints on the first contact increase customer satisfaction and product loyalty, improve employee satisfaction, and reduce costs. Companies even encourage complaints. Most dissatisfied customers do not complain. By making it easy for customers to complain, more customers will come to you with their problems, giving you greater opportunity to correct your service delivery or production processes. Customers who get their problems satisfactorily and quickly solved tell their friends and neighbors, and they are not easily won over by the competition.

There are costs associated with a poor complaint system and there are benefits associated with a good one. Studies have shown that handling customer complaints well can be a critical part of a turnaround strategy. If a complaint is handled well, it sustains and strengthens customer loyalty and the company's image as a leader. It also tells the customer that the company cares and can improve because of their contact.

Customer complaints also represent valuable information about recurrent problems. They can point the way to understanding the root causes of customer problems and help an organization target core processes that need improvement. If acted upon to improve core processes, customer complaints can be a source of information that can reduce costs as well as improve services.

This training module is designed for:

Ð'* Executives

Ð'* Managers

Ð'* Sales People

Ð'* Customer Service Representatives

Ð'* Anyone in a customer focused position

Capacity: 30-50 persons

OBJECTIVES

This Training will enable you:

1. To respond to complaints quickly and courteously with common sense.

2. To resolve complaints on the first contact and (1) save money by eliminating unnecessary additional contacts that escalates costs and (2) build customer confidence.

3. To have a framework to work with to anticipate your customers needs and to eradicate potential problems ad complaints before they even happen.

4. To be able to build up trust and effortless rapport with your customers.

5. To understand what customer satisfaction is all about and what the needs and requirements are of your customers.

6. To have techniques and strategies to handle complaints effectively.

OUTLINE

Day One: Success With Customers

"When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word - succeed - you find that it simply means to follow through."

8:30-9:00 Registration, distribution of name tags, assigning table seats according to company division.

Ð'* The trainor will prepare for the program proper to start. The participants will settle down according to their respective seats. 30 minutes will be the time allocated.

9:00-9:25 PROGRAM PROPER

Introduction of the Training Program

Statement of the Objectives

Ð'* The program will start headed by the facilitator by introducing the training program and its objectives.

9:25-9:45 TRAINING PROPER

"Customer Service Challenge"

Ð'* The Customer Service Challenge is a practical, inspiring, motivational customer service training experience, which presents real situations, professional solutions and winning techniques. It is aimed at all Customer Service professionals that have daily contact with internal and external customers.

9:45-10:00 ACTIVITY/ICEBREAKER

"Expectation Icebreaker"

Required: less than fifteen minutes timeframe

This combines introductions with a sharing of expectations. The survey results provide valuable information for course planning or possible modification.

The following are samples of questions that will open Pandora's box:

-I want to learn to ...

-I learn best when I'm involved in the following activities: ...

-My expectations of the facilitator are ...

-My expectations of the other participants are ...

-My contribution to this course could be ...

Once everyone has responded, compile the data or, better, delegate this task to small groups. Assign separate groups to each of the questions and ask them to present their summary to the course group.

10:00-10:30 DISCUSSION PROPER: Module 1

"Handling Customer Complaints"

Ð'* Customer complaints are a valued source of information. You need to have the feedback even if it's not that constructive. The great thing about someone complaining, is they are given you a chance to do something. What you have to do is impress them so they go to their colleagues with good news rather than bad.

10:30-11:00 GROUP ACTIVITY/WORKSHOP