Customer Service Training Programs:
Our customer service training
workshop teaches by doing with less than 15% lecture and 85% hands on
activities. Participants learn by Doing and not by being told. Exercises are
practical, realistic, fun and are skill based.
To maximize your customer
service teams effectiveness we suggest our custom, private
customer service training
courses offered in house at the location of
your choice, usually in groups of 6 or more.
Contact
us for a free consultation on how we can best service your
training needs.
Program Objectives:
In our Exceptional Customer Service one-day
training workshop
participants will:
- Understand how to handle inquiries and/or complaints in
ways that create improved, lasting relationships with your
customers or clients.
- Learn to promote positive "chemistry" between
your company and your clients by recognizing and
responding to the needs of each individual.
- Learn how to handle doubt, misunderstandings, and
objections.
- Acquire techniques for seeing issues from clients'
perspectives, creating value-adding options for clients,
and making sure clients recognize the added value they are
getting.
- Learn how to gain agreement from clients and reinforce
mutually satisfying long-term relationships.
Customer Service Training:
Whatever Customer Service Is, It's Not This
You see and hear it everywhere it seems. We're the best because we really care about our customers and we provide great customer service. So if every business out there offers great customer service, then why does it seem that we as consumers are getting worse service all the time? So, the question is not only what is customer service, but what is good customer service?
To help illustrate what we all go through every day, I'm going to share with you a story about a recent customer service experience I had with a franchisee of a company we're all familiar with, McDonald's. On this particular evening I went to the drive-thru and ordered the following: Two double cheeseburgers with no onions. A quarter pounder with cheese, hold the slivered onions, but add the minced onions. A small order of fries.
A few minutes later I was making the seven minute drive back to my home. No, I did not fully check the order before driving off. I did look into the bag to make sure the count was right. When I was taking the order out of the bag, I noticed the fries were cold and limp. The double cheeseburgers not only had the minced onions, but slivered onions too. And finally my quarter pounder with cheese (that by the way I was craving all day) did not have minced onions at all, but what seemed to be twice the normal amount of slivered onions!
Now you're probably thinking a couple of things. One, you should have checked the order before you left and two, just scrape off the onions and live with it. Yes, you're probably right, but I wasn't going to open every burger and check the condiments right there in the drive-thru lane, and heck, my fries were not only cold, but limp too! And you wouldn't be getting this valuable lesson on customer service and what not to do.
At this point I call the restaurant and talk to the "Assistant Manager." He tells me to bring it on back and they'll re-make the order. About seven minutes later I'm back at McDonald's and I show the "Assistant Manager" my receipt which clearly states my order. He is going to take care of re-making this himself. About five minutes later, the order is ready. It's all bagged nicely and ready to go, no, I did not open every burger to check the condiments, but I did make the point of specifically ask the "Assistant Manager" and he assured me that everything was correct. This error in judgment may come back to haunt me.
I know this story is a little long, but it will pay off in the end. So, I make the seven minute drive back to my home. I start taking everything out of the bag; The fries are warm and crisp. The double cheeseburgers do not have onions. The quarter pounder with cheese... has the freakin' slivered onions!
Yes, yes, I know. Just scrape them off. It's not that big of a deal. It's a principle thing for me now. I call the restaurant and speak with another "Assistant Manager" as the person I was originally dealing with has left for the evening. I explain everything I have been through, and quite calmly I might add. His response; "Bring it back and we'll re-make the order."
Hmmm. I think I've already done that. I let this person know that I've already been back. I'm not going to do that again. "Well then, what do you want sir?" I'd like to get what I ordered, twice now I might add. "If you bring it in, we'll re-make it for you..." I'm not driving back there. "Then I can't help you..."
This is the perfect example of the seemingly indifferent and poor level of customer service we all receive each and every day. Now I'm not one to cut off his own nose to spite his own face. And, having small children would make it nearly impossible to forever avoid going there. So, I will continue to go to McDonald's, just not that one. That's right, my own little revolt. It may seem meaningless and trivial, but, if we all started boycotting those businesses that didn't treat us right and rewarding those who do with our business, I believe we'd all be the better for it.
Now, I have never worked at a fast food restaurant so I don't know exactly what those people deal with. But what I do know is what makes for good customer service. What could and should have been done differently in this situation? Both people I dealt with should have kept in mind the adage; It's cheaper to keep a customer than to attract a new one. That being said, when I called the first time, I should have been offered the choice of returning to have my order re-done, or been offered a credit for the same meal another time. (No, they should not have offered my money back. I'll get more into that in a later post.) Additionally, when I did choose to have my order re-made, I should have been given a coupon or credit or some item of value as a gesture of their remorse.
Remorse. Did you say remorse? Yes I did. Not in the dramatic sense, but with the idea that they can empathize with what you've experienced. Now I can't fully blame the people I dealt with directly. Yes, they should take more care and pride in what they're doing. However, most of the blame lies with their management. Every organization should have systems, processes and procedures for dealing with situations just like this. It would be naive to think that every business can operate flawlessly. People are fallible and mistakes are going to happen. How you handle those mistakes determines the quality of your customer service.
Source:
Tony Rose:
link
Article Content: Customer Service Training
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