Customer Service Training Course - One Day

Introductions

Customer service is important because people respond emotionally to every aspect of your product or service. You need to be able to create a lasting positive impression in the mind of your customer, whilst at the same time, building your business.

There are six parts to the customer service experience

• Greetings and introduction
• Analysis of customer needs
• Presentation of product and service
• Close to action
• Delivery of product and service
• After sales service and request for referral

Let us look at each in turn.

Greetings and introduction

First impressions do count.
First impressions set the scene for the relationship.

Once a person has made up his-her mind about someone, then he tends to engage in a process of selective perception whereby he will tend to gather supporting evidence to justify the original impression.

For instance, if on meeting someone, you form a BAD first impression, based on something bad they said, or did, then you tend to see other BAD things the other does and you downgrade the good things they may do.

If you form a good first impression, then you tend to see the good things the other does and you excuse the bad things they may do.

People do “judge books by their covers”

People do make emotional judgements of others, based upon what they see and hear.

People will judge you by everything you say and everything you do.
And everything you FAIL to say and everything you FAIL to do.

For instance:

• If you smile, and say "good morning", then that says one thing.
• If you don't smile, and if you fail to say "good morning", then that says another thing.

Elements of first impressions

What you should do in the first few minutes of meeting someone?

• Visual - what they see
• Sound - what they hear
• Emotions - how they feel

Analysis and investigation of customer needs

When you meet someone your overarching principle is this:

How can your products and services be of genuine assistance to make this person’s life better?

In order to help someone, you need to keep your eyes, ears, and mind open.

• Ask them questions about what they have now.
• Ask them questions about what they would like, or need in the future.

The difference between what the customer has now and what the customer would like in the future is the way you can add value to the customer.

It is your opportunity to help them (and your own business, at the same time).

Success is essentially simple

To succeed you need to find ways to make your customers lives better.

You do that by finding ways you can add value to them.
You do that by providing them with your skills, knowledge, products and services.

Communication: The proper use of language:

Question: How can you gain a mutual understanding and a sense of cooperation?

Your use of words. Good use of words

Five polite phrases you need to use as a speech habit:

1. Yes, please.
2. No, thank you.
3. Would you mind if we ...?
4. Would you please ...?
5. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

In addition, show genuine interest in anything of note.

Bad use of words

Any form of profane language.
Moaning, whining and complaining about anything.

Complaining to your customer about other parts of your own business. (The office staff, the bosses, etc.).
Anything which may create a negative thought in the mind of the customer.

For example, if the customer ever thinks:

• They don’t care about me.
• How long is this going to take?
• This person is rude!

Then your chances of pleasing your customer are gone.

Tones: Pace and intensity of the message

Speed: how much information can you give to someone before they become confused?

It is an error to give too much information to quickly.

Intensity of your own emotion

Any expression of annoyance, anger, frustration or bad mood will trigger a negative customer response in return.

Politeness, proper sense of humour and good sense of etiquette. Timelines

Humour is a double edged sword

• Amusing with a nice sense of humour.
• Silly and a bit of a clown, or a joker.

Timeliness and its effect on the mind of the other

If you are inexplicably late or slow, then it makes a big dent in the mind of your customer.
You need to be on time, or at least keep them informed of any changes in your ETA.

Time is precious.

Professionalism

What does the term professional mean to you?

What are the six key distinguishing characteristics that separate a professional attitude from a non-professional attitude?

1. Caring
2. Helpful
3. Knowledgeable
4. Good listener
5. Friendly
6. Consistent

Ask for referrals

In order to build the business, we would like more customers. And we can get more customers by gaining referrals.
A referred lead is when someone recommends a product or service to a friend or a colleague, based upon a personal experience.

Remember this: Everyone knows someone who needs your products or service.

• If you ask them for referrals, then you may get one.
• If you don't ask them, then you won’t.

We need to figure out a way to gain more referrals

Referrals should come at the successful completion of the task and when the customer is pleased with the service you have given.

Summary and Action Plan