Basic concept of customer service

Basic communication skills of dealing with

customers
What is customer service
Learn to identify and analyze customer needs and
problems.
Discover techniques to cultivate and maintain
special customer relationships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn0veQ7_stI - What is customer service ?

The 7 Essentials To Excellent Customer Service
 Definition of a customer

Internal/external customers

Remember

Customers are people who need your assistance.

They are not an interruption to your job, they are

the reason you have a job..
A Challenge

Please write a One Sentence

Definition of
CUSTOMER SERVICE.
 Customer service
An act of taking care of the customer's needs by
providing and delivering professional, helpful, high
quality service and assistance before, during, and
after the customer's requirements are met
 80% of business leaders believe their
companies are providing a good customer
service
Only 8% of customers agree.
 54% to 70% of customers who complain will do
business with you again if they feel their problem
is resolved.
95% - if the customer feels the complaint has
been resolved quickly.
Outstanding customer service - rated as being
more important than low prices and quality
products!
 How a company deals with its consumers
before, during and after a purchase or use of
a service.

A series of activities designed to enhance the

level of customer satisfaction

A proactive attitude as: I care and I can do.

 Businesses need to recognize:
The benefits of having satisfied customers;
The costs of having dissatisfied customers .
 Repeat customers spend 33% more than
new customers.
It costs 6 times more to acquire a new
customer than it does to keep an existing
one.
As little as a 5% increase in customer
retention can increase profits by 25 to 95%.
 Advocate

Supporter

Client

Customer

Prospect
 Building brand equity - - Brand loyalty
(brand equity is the measure of customer loyalty
to a brand.)

Creating customer satisfaction

Creatingand maintaining relationships

- Customer service
- CRM (customer relationship management)
 Do you think companies spend most of the
time and energy attracting new customers or
keeping existing customers?
Which one is more crucial to a company,
attracting new customers or keeping existing
customers? Why?
How do you understand the idea of
Customers are God?
 Excellent customer service is the ability of
an organization to constantly and
consistently exceed the customer's
expectations.

Its all about attitude and skills.

 Excellent customer service can only be
achieved by training all employees, even
those who do not have direct contact with
customers.
Happy employees make happy customers.

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 Customer care centre
Customer care representative
The two terms (customer service & customer
care) are often used interchangeably.
Customer care is the application of customer
service.
 Empathy

Positivity

Patience

Clarity

Improvement
 Know about your organization
Learn the technical parts of the job
Communicate well
Be consistent
Be organized
Know your place in the team and be a team
player
 Why do you need customer service?
Was the service provided over the phone or
in person?
How did the customer service
representative respond to your request,
inquiry or problem?
If you felt the service was excellent,
describe what made it so good.
If you felt the service was exceptionally
poor, describe what made it that way.
 1% die.

3% move away.

5% develop other relationships.

9% leave for competitive reasons.

14% are dissatisfied with

product or service.
68% leave because of rude or
discourteous service.
 Communication.
Customer Sensitivity.
Decisiveness.
Energy.
Flexibility.
Follow-up.
Impact.
Initiative.
Integrity.
 Job Knowledge.
Judgment.
Motivation To Serve.
Persuasiveness/Sales.
Planning.
Resilience.
Situation Analysis.
Work Standards.
 List five to eight excuses you hear
customer service representatives give
for offering indifferent or poor
customer service.
Think of one of more ways to counter
each excuse.
 I don't have enough time.
I don't get paid to be nice. I am
measured by my productivity and
accuracy.
How can we do a good job if the
computer is always down?
Every customer is totally bonkers
today.
 I can't deal with people who do not
show me respect.
How can we do a good job if the
other departments do not provide
the back-up we need?
I am having a bad day.
People are basically stupid.
I am always too busy.
 . . . Greet me.

. . . Value me.

. . . Help me.

. . . Listen to me.

. . . Invite me back.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyrjeDWQ0Vw
What attitudes assist in providing good service?

Enjoy helping people

Handle people well
Care for your customers
Give fair and equal treatment to all
Be understanding of people with special needs
 Rules for good customer service
Answer your phone
Make sure that someone is picking up the phone when
someone calls your business.
Listen to your customers
Let your customer talk and show him that you are
listening by making the appropriate responses, such as
suggesting how to solve the problem .
Deal with complaints
Be helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable
 The 10 Pillars of Excellent Customer Service
If your customer service is poor youll lose out on repeat
customers.
When you have outstanding customer service youll be able to
edge your prices a few points above your competition
1. Be Accessible
2. Always Respond in a Timely Manner
3. Listen to What Your Customers Have To Say
4. Treat Your Customers With Respect
5. Never Argue With Your Customers
6. Honor Your Commitments
7. Do What You Say / Dont make promises unless you WILL
keep them
8. Focus on Customer Relationships Not Sales!
9. Admit When Youve Made a Mistake
10: Train Your Staff
 Communication skills of dealing with
complaints

Customer complaints
Telephone complaints
Handling difficult situations
Resolving conflict
Active listening
Words & phrases that damage customer relationship
Ill find out for you;
Ill need to check on that and
You dont understand.
get back to you;
I dont know. Ill have to look that up, when
is a good time for me to call you
I cant
back?
You dont see my point.
Hold on (or hang on) a second.
Our policy says (or prohibits)
Thats not my job/responsibility.
You must/should
Youll have to
What you need to do is
Whats your problem?
Why dont you?
I never said
Words & phrases that build customer relationship

Please.
Thank you.
I can/will
How may I help?
I was wrong.
Youre right.
I understand how you feel.
May I ? / Could we try ?
Have you considered
Im sorry for
Its my/our fault.
What do you think?
Would you mind?
 Excellent customer service
Study these winners
Customer service stars:
2009 BusinessWeek Top 25

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mer_service/1.htm
 Implement a Customer Service Culture

Sales
Order Processing
Telemarketing
Credit
Collections
Technical Support
Customer Service
How to deal with
different types of
customers?
 Dealing with Difficult Behaviour

Label the behaviour, not the customer

Listen
Dont get defensive
Dont take it personally
Find out what the customer wants
Discuss alternatives
Take responsibility for what you CAN do
Agree on action
 Customers with Special Needs

People for whom English is not their first language

People with disabilities
People from other areas who may not be familiar
with the way things are done here
People with limited mobility
Unaccompanied children
 The talkative customer

Ask closed questions

Limit the time available for them to
interrupt (dont have long pauses)
Provide minimal response
Smile and be pleasant, but dont encourage
them
Wind up thank them for coming, walk
them to the door but dont be rude or
dismissive
 Angry and rude customer
Listen carefully without interrupting so you
understand the problem
Empathize in a broad way
Stay calm and remain polite
Dont escalate the problem
Dont take it personally, be defensive or blame
others
Propose an action plan and follow it
Seek support if you are scared, if you cant agree
on a solution or if the customer asks to see
whoevers in charge
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6Qp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACKbkmO9rLg 6 ways to get angry

customer back down
 The know it all customer

Acknowledge what they say

Compliment them on their research
Be generous with praise
Dont put them in their place no matter
how tempting
Dont try to be smart you cant win!
Ask them questions and use them to
improve your knowledge
 The indecisive customer

Find out what they really want

Ask them for the options
Reflect back to them what theyve said
Assume control gently and point out the
best course of action from what theyve
told you they need
Be logical
Confirm a plan of action with them
Maybe even put it in writing
 The suspicious customer

Establish your credibility

Ensure you know your product or service
They will try and catch you out so dont
guess or tell them something youre not sure
of
Be careful what you say
Be polite
Dont take it personally, they dont trust
anyone!
 Guaranteeing Return Business
Leave a positive impression, smile
Check customers have everything they need
If youve said youll follow-up, do so
Tell them something that may be useful to them later
(e.g. new service starting soon)
Invite them back
Say goodbye

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032969
 A Positive Organisational Image
First impressions count and will affect the
interaction.
People make judgment in the first 30 seconds.

Golden Rule You only have one chance to

make a first impression!
 Role play (work in pairs)

You have bought a cell phone and its broken

after only one week and youre very angry
about products not being made to last
anymore. You want the salesperson to do
something immediately. She is offering you a
replacement and you want a refund.
 Homework

Listening
Case study
http://www.julienrio.com/marketing/en
glish/importance-good-customers-
service-lufthansa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb2rv77YO-w - The Seven Secrets of

Exceptional Customer Service