Customer Service Training Courses:
Our customer service course 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 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 in a customer service training course customized
for you!
Course Objectives:
In our Exceptional Customer Service one-day
course
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:
Customer Service Training Course Best Practices You Should Adopt Now
One of the most common catch-phrases in retail is "customer service," yet it appears that there are very few companies that either emphasize it, or effectively communicate this to their employees. With the advent of online selling, and the growing market share of the "big box" stores, such as Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, BJ's, etc., one would think that smaller and middle- sized retailers would realize that the effective niche they can create and fill is providing some sort of superior shopping experience. If one walks through some of the major department stores, it is more the rule than the exception to find few cashiers open, long lines, not enough employees, and the majority of the employees that are seen appear grumpy and dissatisfied. I often find it comical that many of these stores ask you to go online and fill out a survey about their shopping experience, but appear to make little attempt to improve it.
Several months ago, I went with my wife and three sons (all in their 20's) to a brand-new "double decker" diner, which, with much hoopla was replacing the diner next door. The double- decker diner opened months behind schedule due probably to construction and government permit delays, and was quite attractive. However, the service was both inattentive and unknowledgeable, the menu was certainly fancier than the previous version but also far more expensive and offered only a fraction of the previous version. The food quality was mediocre at best, and everything from getting the salad and bread, to getting the side dishes and beverages seemed to be disappointing. No one in our group was happy with his meal, and we all decided that we probably would not return. My wife, wanting to give the owner a chance to explain, wrote a letter to the diner, explaining all that went wrong. With all the start-up expenses, overhead, and competition, I logically believed that at the very least, she would receive a note apologizing for the experiencing, and pledging to improve. Instead - - - NOT a word - - - NO response! So, obviously, poor customer service is not only employees fault, but often begins at the ownership or management level.
How then, should a company improve its customer service? What steps should it take?
First and foremost, management must meet with employees and explain what it wants. It is important that a policy manual be developed so that employees know how to respond to stressful situations, because the reality of retail is that everything will not always go right!
Employees must first be trained in the basics of customer service - - - the ABCs. The "A" stands for attitude- - - employees attitudes. It is management’s responsibility to indoctrinate their employees so that they feel good about the company they are working for. The "B" stands for benefits - - explaining how the employees also benefit if the company does, and creating a realistic, do-able, goal-oriented incentive and bonus package for employees based on both company profitability and revenues, as well as the employee meeting certain customer service levels. The "C" stands for creativity. An effective company has leaders that create an atmosphere of customer service being the norm. That means creating training, and spending time on the importance of quality customer service.
Those companies that emphasize customer service do far better over the long term than those that don't. So the question is, why don't more companies emphasize customer service? The answer is probably because small company's management often gets so involved in the day-to-day events, that they don't step back and evaluate their true needs.
Often, the first time a former owner hears that customers or past customers or potential customers were displeased, is after they go out of business! We often hear store owners with stores located in town complain that people go the mall, rather than shop locally. Yet, if these store owners would spend time nurturing customers by providing a degree of customer service not offered at mall stores, this challenge could be easily addressed.
Once you follow the ABCs, it is far easier to develop an effective, productive and intuitive customer service program that adds to the "bottom line" of a company by creating an atmosphere that consumers want to do business with.
Source:
Richard Brody: link
Article Content: Customer Service Training Course
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