Introduction:

Achieving customer service excellence is not accomplished by accident, nor is it attained without effort and teamwork. It requires well-trained customer service professionals who have a passion for providing quality service. This course emphasizes the professional communication skills and actions that create the foundation for continuous improvement. In today’s customer-oriented business environment, people skills are critical for career advancement and organizational effectiveness. The course emphasizes the importance of providing customer service excellence in a competitive environment, proven strategies for service recovery and negotiation techniques for dealing with difficult customers in a professional manner.

• Identify key components that promote customer retention and loyalty
• Describe the practices of a world-class customer service provider and model their own performance on those practices
• Utilize interpersonal skills as vital tools in the provision of customer service
• Develop a customer-focused mindset for continuous improvement
• Improved conflict resolution skills

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, delegates will be able to:

• Establish the importance of setting and reviewing customer service standards
• Develop an understanding of internal and external customer expectations
• Communicate more effectively by utilizing active listening and questioning skills
• Demonstrate how to deal with difficult customers effectively
• Set SMART objectives and goals to increase daily productivity
• Utilize stress management techniques to reduce tension

Who Should Attend?

Executives, Managers, Team Leaders, PR Managers, PR Assistants, PR Executives, PR Researchers, Marketing Assistants, Marketing Executives, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supervisors, Product Managers, Marketing Managers, Marketing Assistants, Marketing Executives, Business Unit Managers, Sales Managers, Customer Care Managers and Supervisors, Directors of Public Relations, Directors of Marketing, Senior Public Relations Managers, Company Directors, General Managers, Senior Managers, Engineers, Foremen, Analysts, marketing staff at any level in the organization, market research, loyalty scheme managers, Those in PR in public sector, private sector and not-for-profit organizations, Those in PR at the national, regional and community level, those working for international, global or supranational organizations, those who are keen on improving performance by taking their customers to higher levels of satisfaction, as well as customer service managers and supervisors interested in advanced customer service tools

Course Outline:

Setting the Standards for Customer Service Excellence  

• The benefits of providing excellent customer service
• The WOW Factor
• The importance of managing internal and external customer expectations
• First impressions: what do your customers see and hear?
• Understanding and working with the four customer styles

Communicating the Customer Service Message  

• How well does your organization communicate the importance of customer service?
• Understanding your customer’s nonverbal communication
• Tips for building trust and rapport quickly, face-to-face or on the telephone
• What is your preferred learning style?
• Developing your active listening skills to enhance communications
• Use questioning techniques to identify a customer’s expectations and service requirements
• Telephone tips to promote a professional image
• The dos and don’ts of written communication

Service Recovery: Handling Complaints and Difficult Customers

• The importance of customer complaints and why they should be encouraged
• Six steps to service recovery
• Strategies to help calm upset customers
• Managing emotions during stressful situations
• Empower employees to get the job done

Principles of Persuasion  

• Requesting feedback from customers and colleagues
• The art of giving and receiving feedback
• Negotiating mutually beneficial outcomes
• Words and tones to avoid
• The RATER Model: five dimensions of customer service excellence
• Best practices for call handling, documentation and quality assurance
• Measuring and monitoring for customer satisfaction

Getting the Right Customer Service Attitude

• The importance of attitude and teamwork
• Focusing on continuous improvement
• Stress management tips to increase productivity
• The customer service mission and vision
• Setting personal and professional goals

COURSE LOCATIONS