Cares?Greet Me Respect Me Listen to Me Really

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This employee handbook is one of a series of fully-illustrated employee
handbooks, informative posters, broadcast-quality video and DVD
training programs, interactive CD-ROM and Web-based courses
produced by CoastalAMI. Each product is the result of painstaking
analysis, design, development and production by the instructional
designers and technical specialists on our staff.
Our catalog is constantly being revised and expanded, so we would
appreciate any comments on current titles or suggestions for future
ones. For further information on any CoastalAMI product, or to receive
a free catalog, call CoastalAMI (Virginia Beach, VA) at 800-767-7703
or send a FAX 757-498-3657. Visit us on the Web at www.coastal.com.
This handbook is for educational purposes only, and is designed to be
used in conjunction with a qualified trainer. Nothing herein is to be
regarded as indicating approval or disapproval of any specific practice
or product.
Copyright © 2006 Coastal Training Technologies Corp. All rights
reserved. No part of this handbook may be copied by any means
or for any reason without the written permission of Coastal Training
Technologies Corporation. Printed in U.S.A.
SCONTENTS
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Introduction
2
Facts About Customer Service
4
Greet Me
7
Respect Me
9
Listen to Me
10
Really Help Me
11
Handling Difficult Customers and Situations
13
Who Cares About Customer Service?
14
Quiz
15
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INTRODUCTION
When was the last time you complained
about a company’s customer service?
A. In the last 24 hours
B. In the last week
C. In the last month
D. In the last year.
If you answered A, B or C, you aren’t alone. These days,
complaining about customer service has become
routine. Why? Is customer service really worse than it
used to be? Do customer service representatives not
care about customers? Or do customers expect more
these days?
As a customer service representative, you are on the
front line dealing with customers day in and day out.
You have a very important position: you are the face
of your organization to the public. Are people happy
when they leave your organization? Or do they dread
coming there? What makes the difference?
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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In this handbook, you’ll learn how to make every
customer interaction a great customer service
experience. Surprisingly, all it takes is a few
simple, small actions to impress your customers
and keep them coming back for more.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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FACTS ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE
Most customers won’t complain when they aren’t treated well.
They will simply simmer in silence. Why? Some people are shy or
feel intimidated, others are embarrassed to speak up, and some
people were brought up to always be polite. The problem when
customers don’t speak out is that you won’t know the customer
is frustrated. They just won’t come back. But they will tell their
friends, family and coworkers about their bad experience.
YOUR ORGANIZATION NEEDS CUSTOMERS – without them,
you wouldn’t have a job. Since it costs much more to
bring in a new customer than it does to keep an old one,
it makes sense to ensure that your existing customers are
happy. In reality, most customer service representatives
want to please; they don’t set out to do a bad job. So when
a customer leaves unhappy, it’s often because the customer
service representative didn’t know a better way.
One way to know how to treat customers is to put yourself
in their shoes. Ask yourself:
•
How would I feel in this situation?
•
What message am I getting as a customer?
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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Another way to improve
customer service skills is
to think about what you
like and dislike.
Think of a recent customer
service incident when you were
the customer and things went
badly. What frustrated you?
Think of another experience when things went well.
• WHAT MADE IT A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE?
• DID THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
DO SOMETHING THAT PLEASANTLY
SURPRISED YOU?
It’s likely that your answers above involved small
efforts – or the lack of small efforts. The fact is that
you don’t have to go to a great deal of effort to
make a big impact.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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Simple, small acts can show
customers that you really do
care. In fact, customers say
they simply want you to:
GREET ME
RESPECT ME
LISTEN TO ME
REALLY HELP ME.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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GREET ME
How many times have you walked
into a business and felt like no one
noticed or cared you were there?
Acknowledging the customer is
critical to good customer service.
It doesn’t take much time or effort,
but this small act shows customers
that they are important.
What are some ways to acknowledge
a customer? You can simply say:
“Hello!”
“Good morning”, “Good afternoon”
or “Good evening.”
“How are you today?”
“Can I help you with something?”
“I’ll be right with you.”
“Let me know if I can help.”
“Welcome to (your organization)
”
Others:
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OTHER GUIDELINES INCLUDE:
•
Use the customer’s name if you know it.
•
Don’t act like a robot – use your personality.
•
If you’re having a bad day, greet your customers
pleasantly anyway – it’s part of your job and it might
help improve your mood.
When you’re busy with one customer, you still need to
greet or acknowledge other customers:
•
Say a brief hello and go back to the customer
you’re helping.
•
Look the person in the eye and smile.
Others:
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RESPECT ME
Respect is about an attitude. It’s about believing that each
customer is important.
HOW CAN YOU SHOW RESPECT?
•
Be polite.
•
Remember that every customer’s time is valuable and
shouldn’t be wasted.
•
Don’t judge customers by their clothes, accent, age,
race, gender or any other reason.
•
Be aware of your tone of voice, gestures and side
comments to coworkers.
•
Remember that you don’t know what others are going
through or what their lives are like, so give people the
benefit of the doubt.
•
Use terms of respect such as “Sir” and “Ma’am.”
•
Take customer requests and concerns seriously.
•
Value customer’s feelings.
•
Avoid using overly familiar terms like “Sweetie,”
“Honey” and “Sugar,” which can come across as rude
or condescending.
•
Don’t talk about customers in front of other customers.
•
Say “Thank you” – it’s a small gesture that tells
customers you appreciate their choice to come
to your organization.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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LISTEN TO ME
When you work in customer service for awhile, it can be easy
to assume you know what a customer wants or needs. You may
not even realize you’re doing it. Unfortunately, when you make
assumptions, it is difficult to determine what the customer really
wants or needs, which can:
•
Waste the customer’s time
•
Waste your time
•
Cause frustration.
"Make the decision to listen
attentively to what your
customer is telling you. You’ll find
your interactions are more
efficient and you can avoid
many problems."
Reflective Listening
Reflective listening is an important communication skill and is
easy to practice. All you have to do is:
•
Let customers talk without interrupting
•
Repeat in your own words what you heard to make sure
you understood correctly.
Reflective listening helps you understand your customer’s
perspective. He or she may see things differently than you do.
Listen for clues about your customer’s mindset because it’s his
or her perspective (not yours) that makes or breaks a sale.
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REALLY HELP ME
Just about anybody can help a customer. But really helping
them is different. It means doing more than just the minimum
by going the extra mile or adding the extra touch.
HOW CAN YOU REALLY HELP CUSTOMERS?
•
Know your stuff. Be knowledgeable about your products
or services.
•
Communicate clearly. Use everyday language and don’t
speak too fast. Respectfully ask your customers if they
understand what you are saying.
•
Keep customers informed. If customers have to wait, give
updates so they know what is going on. Tell them what
they can expect to happen.
•
Keep your word. If you make a promise, follow through on it.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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Sometimes you won’t know how to go beyond the minimum.
When this happens, ask questions to find out how you can
really help. Some examples of questions include:
•
Do you have any questions about how to use that product?
•
Have you ever been to our store before? Do you know
where to find what you need?
•
Is there something else I can help you with today?
•
Others:
One other thing you can do to really help customers is to look
back on each of your customer interactions. Ask yourself:
•
How did I do?
•
What actions could I have taken to make my customer’s
life easier?
TAKE WHAT YOU LEARN FROM
LOOKING BACK AND USE IT TO
HELP CUSTOMERS IN THE FUTURE.
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© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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HANDLING DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS & SITUATIONS
If you work in customer service long enough, you will be faced
with a difficult customer or situation. No one enjoys being
involved in an uncomfortable and stressful situation, but you
can learn how to keep the incident from getting worse by
being prepared.
There are three easy steps for dealing with
a difficult situation:
1 Stay calm.
2 Don’t argue, no matter who is wrong or right.
3 Always apologize for the inconvenience.
And remember that difficult customers want the same things
as any other customer:
Greet me – Acknowledge the customer’s presence.
Respect me – Now might be the hardest, but the most
important time to be respectful. Don’t stoop to an angry
customer’s level. Remain polite and professional.
Listen to me – Often people just need to vent and you are the
easiest target. However, listening carefully will help you get to
the root of the problem.
Really help me – Go the extra mile to resolve the customer’s
concern pleasantly and efficiently. If you make a promise to do
something, make sure you follow through.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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WHO CARES ABOUT
CUSTOMER SERVICE?
The foundation of customer service is caring about your
customers and their needs. This caring will come across
naturally in your attitude and your actions. The opposite
is also true: if you don’t think each customer is important,
your attitude and actions will send a negative message.
Make a commitment to improve the service you give. Not
only will your customers be happier, you might also find
that your job becomes more fulfilling.
Who cares about customer service?
You do.
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© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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QUIZ
1. TRUE FALSEMost customers will complain if they don’t
like the service they are getting.
2. TRUE FALSEIt costs a company more to keep an existing
customer than to attract a new one.
3. TRUE FALSEOne way to figure out how to better serve
customers is to put yourself in their shoes.
4. TRUE FALSEIt takes a great deal of effort to provide
good customer service.
5. TRUE FALSEThe four things customers want you to do
for them are: “Greet me, respect me, listen to
me, and really help me.”
6. TRUE FALSEIf you are busy with a customer, you don’t
have to greet a newly arrived customer.
7. TRUE FALSESaying “thank you” is a small gesture that
has a big positive effect on customers.
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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QUIZ (continued)
8. TRUE FALSEReflective listening involves two steps: 1) Letting
customers talk without interrupting, and 2) Asking
customers to repeat what they said to make sure you
understood correctly.
9. TRUE FALSELooking back on customer interactions helps you
provide better customer service in the future.
10.TRUE FALSEWhen dealing with a difficult customer, always
apologize for the inconvenience he or she has
experienced.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF TRAINING
I have read and understand this Who Cares? handbook. I have also
completed and passed the comprehensive quiz.
Employee’s Signature
Date
Trainer’s Signature
Date
NOTE: This record may be included in the employee’s personnel or training file.
16
© Coastal Training Technologies Corp. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
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Training Topics Available From CoastalAMI
Change
• Finding the Up in Upheaval
• Managing People Through Change
Communication
• Communication Cornerstones:
Building Trust
• Communication Nightmares
• Relationship Strategies
• Straight Scoop on E-mail
• You’re Not Listening
Conflict Resolution
• Between You and Me
• Solving Conflict
• A Win/Win Approach
Customer Service
• But I Don’t Have Customers
• Difficult Customer Alert
• Just Incredible!
• Quality Service in the Public Sector
• The Royal Treatment
• Telephone Courtesy
• Telephone Courtesy Pays Off II
• The Secret
Diversity
• Clown
• Diversity: Food for Thought
• Diversity Advantage
• Diversity in the Real World
• Diversity Now
• Diversity: The Real Scene
• It’s About Respect
Drug & Alcohol Abuse
• Creating a Drug-Free Workplace
• DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing
• Recognizing Drug and Alcohol
Abuse
• Substance Abuse
Employee Development
• 40 Hours: Invest in Yourself
• WorkSmarts™
Goal Setting
• Gung Ho!
• Personal Goal Setting: Journey to
Success
• Smart Goals
• The Goal
Harassment
• Beyond Sexual Harassment
• Harassment Is... Series:
– Office
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
•
Government
Hospitality
Industrial
Retail
Harassment: The Real Scene
It Can’t Happen Here
It’s About Respect
Respect in the Workplace
Interviewing Skills
• Get Hired! How to Ace the Interview
• Getting Beyond the Image
• Interviewing for Industr y
• More Than a Gut Feeling III
Legal
• Avoiding Litigation Landmines
• HR Case Files Series:
– Sexual Harassment
– The ADA
– The FMLA
– The FSLA
• Legal Peril
• Legal Issues for Managers
• Legal Issues in E-mail
• You Be the Judge II
Performance Management
• Care and Candor
• Documenting Discipline II
• Human Touch Performance
Appraisal
• Legal and Effective Employment
Series:
– Interviewing
– Performance Appraisals
– Progressive Discipline
– Employment Terminations
• Let’s Talk
• Looking Forward
• Not Just another Meeting
• We Need To Talk: Coaching
Employees
Sales
• Business to Business Prospecting
Series:
- D etermine and Reach Key
Decision Makers: Sticking to It
- Listening and Addressing
Resistance: Prepare for the
Obstacles
- Verify the Decision Maker and
Ask for the Business: Develop
the Thirst
Sexual Harassment
• A Manager’s Guide
• Avoiding Sexual Harassment
• Ending Sexual Harassment
• Identify. Stop. Prevent. II
• Is It or Isn’t It Series:
– Hospitality
– Office
– Manufacturing
– Retail
• Know Your Rights
• New Perspectives
• You Make the Call
Stress Management
• Dealing with Stress
• Life Meets Work: Overcoming
Stress, Fear and Anxiety
• Fear and Stress in the Workplace:
Managing the Global Challenge
Supervisor y Development
• After All, You’re the Supervisor
• Leadership: Reach for the Stars
• Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em: Employee
Retention
• Managing From the Heart
• Motivation: Igniting Exceptional
Performance
• Supervisor y Skills: Take Control
• The Sid Stor y
Teamwork
• How Synergy Succeeds
• Self-Directed Work Teams
• Team Nightmares
• Team Player
Time Management
• Time Management: A Productivity
Plan
• Time Trap II
Workplace Violence
• Responding to the Threat of
Terrorism Series
• Violence in the Workplace: Calm
before the Storm
• Workplace Violence: First Line of
Defense
Safety
• Defensive Driving
• First Aid on the Job
• ISO 9000
• Motor Vehicle Awareness
• Office Ergonomics: It’s Your Move
• Office Safety: It’s A Jungle Out
There
• OSHA Record Keeping
• Pro-Active Safety Series Safe
Driving: Real, Real Life
• Safety Attitudes: Food for Thought
• Safety Motivation
Available in DVD, VHS and Web formats
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CUS042-HBK-ENG-0000
www.coastal.com
®
10-2006
Who Cares?
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Answers to Quiz
1. False
ost customers don’t complain when they receive poor
M
customer service, but they will share their frustrations with
other people.
2. False
I t is much more costly to attract new customers than to retain
existing customers.
3. True
4. False
Simple, small acts can show customers that you really care.
5. True
6. False
A
lways acknowledge a customer upon arrival.
7. True
8. False
The second step in reflective listening is to repeat back what
you heard to ensure understanding.
9. True
10. True
Note to Supervisor: This handbook training system has be specifically designed for employee training
documentation. After taking the quiz, have the worker sign the Acknowledgement of Training. The
quiz can be detached from the handbook, so the employee can keep the handbook for reference.
The quiz page should then be signed by the trainer, graded and placed in the worker’s personnel or
training file as a record of training.
Copyright © 2006 Coastal Training Technologies Corp. Virginia Beach, VA
All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
CUS042-HBK-ENG-0000 / 10-2006