A SELF STUDY WORKBOOK

Customer Service & Care

Including Self Assessment Questions

Copyright. Philip Clough.

CONTENTS
Page No.

Chapter One

Who are Your Customers?

3
3 4 7

Internal customers Communicating with internal customers External customers

Chapter Two

Promoting a Positive Impression of Yourself and youre Organisation

9
9 13 18 20

Relaxing and assisting customers Body language Telephone skills The physical environment

Chapter Three

Giving Consistent Care and Service to Youre Customer

21
21 23 25 28 31

Finding ways of improving service Listening skills Correct information Knowing your organisation's limitations Your rights - Your customer's rights

Chapter Four

Solving Problems and Complaints

33
33 38 41

Identifying problems Customer complaints Compliments

Chapter Five

Bringing It All Together

42
42 43 44

An overview of your skills Achievements Building on success

Final Assessment

46

Copyright. Philip Clough.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & CARE

Introduction
The purpose of this workbook
Service is directed to all types, nationalities, ages and disabilities. It is also directed at people with differing requirements and attitudes. This workbook will look at how customer service and care affects all of us, whether we deliver it or receive it. Service is generic rather than specific; hence most of the content can be applied to any sector of service. All the skills learnt in this workbook can be applied across all disciplines and into your own personal life. You will learn about: 1. Personal presentation 2. Dealing with complaints 3. How to prioritise 4. The pleasure of giving service 5. Listening 6. Communication 7. Effects on you and your organisation

How this will be achieved

You will learn the importance of providing excellent customer service and care through various means, not least of all will be through your own experiences. This will be built upon through observation, and specific activities.

Who is this workbook aimed at?

1. Anyone involved with customers, their managers and trainers. 2. Anyone wishing to enter customer based employment. 3. Management students. 4. Anyone self-employed or considering self-employment.

Outcome
Individuals will get a great deal of personal satisfaction from this programme. Their awareness of others will be heightened. Employers will see improved performance. Customers will be happier clients and this will be shown in both their attitude and loyalty to the you and you will see a lot more smiles!

CHAPTER ONE
Who are Your Customers?
The aim of this Chapter is to: 1. Identify what internal customers are 2. Look at internal communications 3. Explore the extent of your customers 4. Look at customer's needs

A smile may help but it does not make for good customer service and care; you need to know who is your customer.

Internal Customers
Most people think of customer care and service as something which is for those customers and visitors who use you organisation and its services. But internal customers are equally as important. No organisation, business or enterprise can function correctly without interaction and communication between employees, departments and managers. For example you may work in the central purchasing department for your company, therefore you are reliant upon warehouse staff, pickers and drivers. Both you and they are INTERNAL customers. Will you treat your customers well if your colleagues and managers treat you badly? Equally so, if you treat other departments without respect and care how do you think they will treat their customers, either internal or external? We all need to treat our internal customers well by: 1. Responding reasonably to their requests 2. Understanding their importance to the organisation 3. Taking shared responsibility for problems 4. Co-operating with them, not against them 5. Keeping shared confidential information confidential 6. Working as a team and not having an 'us' and 'them' situation 7. Respecting their role within the organisation

Communicating with Internal Customers

The majority of internal problems in any organisation start with communication.

Lack of communication An example of this is when a certain manufacturing company had a meeting of the board of directors. They needed to cut costs and therefore decided that the staff canteen could no longer be subsidised. It was agreed that prices had to go up the following month and this would be the responsibility of the financial director. He asked the chef to review all prices so that they covered all costs, but not to start them for a month. At the beginning of the following month the prices went up. No one knew, other than rumours, that this was going to happen. How do you think the staff reacted? After lunch what do you think happened to the production rate? Some staff went out for lunch and were late back for work. Everyone left work that evening feeling annoyed.

Lack of listening How many times have we said to someone "I can't remember you telling me that" only to hear someone reply "but I told you that last week?" We are all guilty of hearing what is important to us at the time and not what is important to the other person. Do we always listen to our partners or children?

Lack of information Do you remember the times when you have eaten out and asked the waiting staff, "what is today's soup?" only to get the reply "I shall just check with the kitchen." If you go into a department store and ask where the toilets are you don't expect "I don't know" as the answer.

Messy information It is guaranteed that you will have gone past a notice board and couldn't be bothered to read the notices. Why? Probably because there were too many; old notices, notices nothing to do with you, notices all cluttered and badly organised. You just do not have the time to sift through them. Notice boards should sell information. Would you go into a cluttered supermarket with the peas next to the toilet rolls or the tea by the soap powder?

Junk information How much junk mail do you get at home or on the internet each week? Does this also apply to your department at work? Does it receive lots of communications from other departments which have nothing to do with you or your colleagues? They sometimes end up on that cluttered notice board! The larger an organisation the more paperwork it produces and a lot of it is unnecessary. The important points about communicating with other departments and your colleagues are: 1. Be clear in what you are saying and make sure the other/s has/have understood 2. Listen to requests and information - if in doubt ask questions 3. Do not send unnecessary information to people who don't need it 4. Keep all relevant people informed 5. Share ideas. Why keep good ideas to yourself? 6. When you need more time to do a job inform the people it may affect 7. Pass on information speedily and accurately to those it involves 8. Know what responsibility your colleagues have - there is no point asking the gardener to change a fuse!

Self Assessment Questions

Question 1 Who are your internal customers within your department and your organisation?

Question 2 One of your co-workers is getting rather irate because supplies requested 2 days ago have not arrived. How would you deal with the situation?

Question 3 What products and services does your department supply?

Question 4 Why is it important to pass on information swiftly and accurately?

External Customers
Every organisation has customers to care for and give service. Commercial organisations that sell goods and services range from shops to banks and from gas suppliers to baby sitters. They all have to be competitive and give good customer service and care. Hospitals, schools, colleges, charities, etc., are not as commercial as the above since they are not completely dependent upon selling shoes, gas, loans, hotel rooms, meals etc. Yet they nevertheless have to give customer service and care. Every visitor to a shop, library, restaurant, hospital or solicitor is a customer. They are still considered customers if they visit by 'phone'. They could be enquiring about an advert in the paper, requesting a bank statement, making a dental appointment or wanting information about a washing machine in the summer sale. A manufacturer of fancy metal boxes for Johnny Walker whisky may think that his customer is the purchasing manager for Johnny Walker but he isn't his only customer. He also has: 1. His own internal customers 2. Johnny Walker accounts department 3. Johnny Walkers board of directors 4. Johnny Walkers marketing department - is the image right? 5. The bottle packers - are they happy with the ease of filling the tins? 6. The shops that stock the tins - are they easy to display? Do they have customer appeal? 7. The final purchaser - the whisky maybe great but is the tin attractive? Is it re-usable? All the above customers have different requirements and needs. These needs are unique to themselves. What about your customers? What needs do they have? Who are your customers? Customer needs are not static. They can vary and change from day to day, even hour by hour.

Someone bought a torch Someone took an overdraft Someone broke a leg Someone had a meal

>>>>>>>>> Now needs batteries >>>>>>>>> Now needs a loan >>>>>>>>> Now needs crutches >>>>>>>>> Now needs a bill

Customer needs could also be: Luxury gifts Bargains Lifts Parking Toilets Baby changing facilities Refreshments Help desk

Confidentiality Gift wrapping Disabled access Privacy Guarantees Free gifts Etc. Etc. Etc.

Self Assessment Questions

Question 5 Who are your customers?

Question 6 What specific needs do your customers have?

Question 7 What are your needs as a customer when you are: 1. At the Post Office?

2. At a restaurant, caf or bar?

3. At a supermarket?

4. At the dentist?

(Put a tick next to any of your needs which might be the same as the needs of your customers at your place of work).

CHAPTER TWO
Promoting a Positive Impression of Yourself and Your Organisation
The aim of this Chapter is to: 1. Develop skills, which exceed what your customers expect 2. Look at things through your customer's eyes 3. Read customer's moods and feelings 4. Review your telephone skills

Relaxing and Assisting Customers

Saying "hello" and "goodbye" should be as individual as you are. Be genuine.

The Welcome Before being able to help or assist anyone they need to be greeted and be made to feel welcome. The initial greeting is like breakfast; it sets them up for their visit. The correct open and friendly greeting helps to make the customer feel at ease. It gives them a good impression of both you and your organisation. This is why some larger department stores and hotels have doormen who are simply there to greet the customer. If you look at many office blocks, hotels and supermarkets there is always a desk, just inside the entrance, where staff greet and offer help in directing the customer to the right department. Greeting and a warm welcome make customers feel valued and show them that you are treating them as an individual and not just another customer.

The Unwelcome Being ignored is what we all hate the most. We are all individuals who like to be recognised. Children and babies react quickly if they are being ignored. Babies cry, children play-up or show off. As adults we tend to get annoyed, we rarely complain and, if we have other choices, leave the shop or organisation. When a famous chain first opened their burger restaurants in the UK their staff were trained in customer greetings and farewells just as they were in the USA.

UK customers were asked about the service that they received in a countrywide questionnaire. The company soon realised that the training needed to change in the UK. The British did not like 'scripted' or 'parrot' like greetings such as 'Welcome, my name is Sharon and I shall be serving you. Today we have a Super Deluxe Burger with a large drink and fries for only 4.50. Can I get that for you?' OR 'Thank you for choosing our restaurant, enjoy your meal and have a nice day'. Wisely, they changed tactics and trained staff to be warm and welcoming but to use phrases that they, the staff, were happy using.

Self Assessment Questions

Question 1 Identify where you have been welcomed warmly and what you felt?

Question 2 Identify where you did not receive a warm welcome.

How did you feel?

Would you go back if you had a choice?

10

Assisting Your customers are now relaxed. You have given them a warm welcome and shown them that you care and value them. What is the purpose of their visit? Is it:

pleasure? business? necessity? social?

You may work in a large department store and they are here shopping. But not all shopping is a pleasure. Not everyone who is shopping looks upon it as retail therapy. Compare these two scenes: 1. You are going to a special dinner dance and it's your wedding anniversary. You have had 20 years of happy marriage. You have decided to buy a special dinner dress with some of the money you won on the lottery. 2. Two of your three children are returning to school after the summer holidays and need some new clothes and shoes. The bus was late due to flooding. You have a dreadful migraine and your baby, Jamie, was sick just before you got off the bus. You have to watch what you spend, as your husband has just been made redundant. One is going to be a fun shop the other a nightmare experience. If you were buying the dinner dress you would probably need little assistance in comparison to when you had the three children with you. You might need someone to amuse the children whilst you looked for bargains, perhaps a children's play area. You may need directions to the nappy changing room. You can often tell when people need help and assistance. They may:

have children with them be elderly look lost or confused be disabled

You can also tell by their body language.

11

Self Assessment Questions

Question 3 Within your organisation/department list when people visit and whether it is a: 1. Pleasurable visit 2. Uncomfortable experience

Question 4 In what practical ways can you help and assist people in your organisation?

Is this part of your job description? If not discuss this with your manager/supervisor.

Question 5 What areas of assistance need improving in your organisation/department?

Discuss these with your colleagues/manager/supervisor.

12

Body Language
When a stranger walks through your door you don't know them, have not yet greeted them, have not spoken to them and know nothing about them. But you have made an immediate impression of them, and they also of you, through BODY LANGUAGE.

10% of a message is conveyed through words. 20% through voice, pitch and emphasis. 70% through gesture, posture and body language.

Head Movements The way we position our head gives out signals to others: Nodding slightly Nodding violently Nodding side to side Head to one side >> >> >> >> agreeing agreeing with annoyance disagreeing/ no interested in what's being said

Facial Expression Every picture tells a story. Every face is a picture!

We give so much away by our facial expression, yet we can also hide a lot by our lack of expression. Expressing happiness and joy, warmth and care is more pleasurable, to both you and the customer, than showing boredom and disinterest. Remember, it takes more energy and exercises more muscles to smile than to frown so get exercising!

Eye Contact The right amount of eye contact shows interest and honesty. Too much can be dominating and even intimidating. Lots of blinking could mean anxiety or deception. Looking deep into someone's eyes should be kept to lovers or when you are being flirtatious. Breaking eye contact may mean you are making the person uncomfortable or embarrassed. Glazed eyes may mean boredom or lack of interest. Downcast eyes can mean shyness, remorse or sometimes lack of interest.

13

Facial Expression It isn't what you say but the way you say it.

How we say things tells a lot to the customer. It shows whether we are interested, annoyed, caring, tired or fed-up etc. For example, we can change what we say simply by:

inflection emphasis loudness

The way we emphasise a word in a phrase or sentence can change its meaning totally. You should only emphasise things which are positive. Do you like been shouted at? Shouting should be reserved for calling the dog back to the house.
(We shall look further at the effect of the voice in Telephone Skills).

Self Assessment Question

Question 6 Repeat the following sentences with a colleague or friend, putting emphasis on the Highlighted word. What does each statement really mean?

Statement: Meaning: Statement: Meaning: Statement: Meaning: Statement: Meaning: Statement: Meaning: Statement: Meaning: Statement: Meaning:

I did not say you stole the wallet

I did not say you stole the wallet

I did not say you stole the wallet

I did not say you stole the wallet

I did not say you stole the wallet

I did not say you stole the wallet

I did not say you stole the wallet

14

Smell The smell or odour of an establishment is extremely important as is your smell or odour! When we are with customers we communicate through our personal hygiene and grooming. We all prefer people who have:

clean hair fresh breath no body odour are lightly perfumed

When you go into the changing room of a gym or sports club, the odour is acceptable, but not in an office, shop or waiting room. If we have bad breath, body odour, greasy hair, foisty clothes, dirty fingernails or chipped nail varnish, we are saying to the customer; "I don't care about my appearance" therefore we are saying, "I don't care about you".

Gestures Gestures are like breathing: automatic and difficult to control.

We all use gestures and we use them all the time without thinking:

Scratching Itching Biting nails Stroking hair Picking our nose Chin rubbing Ear lobe pulling Hand waving Finger clicking Etc. Etc.

In the main, gestures are beyond our control. We need to identify them and, if they are not appropriate or are negative, be conscious of them and stop or change them. Negative gestures such as brushing down your clothes whilst someone is speaking to you tend to irritate others. They also show a sign of disinterest or boredom. Gestures are the most difficult of all body languages to control.

15

Self Assessment Question

Question 7 Spend some time observing people's gestures. Make a note of them below and indicate if they are negative or positive.

Do you make the same or similar gestures? Loaded with this knowledge try and change your negative gestures to positive ones.

Posture Walk tall, walk straight and look the whole world in the eye.

The above is the best advice that Lee Marvin could give to a young man in the musical film 'Paint your Wagon'.

Standing up straight indicates confidence. Leaning slightly forward when someone speaks indicates interest. Slouching indicates disrespect. Arms folded means confrontation, superiority, lack of interest or boredom. Hands on hips are a sign of aggression. Wriggling and twitching is a sign of discomfort.

Personal space Like animals we have our own territories of individual space or 'bubbles'. These 'bubbles' vary according to the person we are with and our background i.e in China they hardly exist. When dealing with customers we should be careful about invading their 'bubble' or space. 1. The 'bubble' hardly exists with lovers and close relations. 2. The 'bubble' surrounds people for about a metre when it comes to social friends and colleagues. (Remember the expression 'keep him at arms length'?) 3. The 'bubble' is over a metre when it comes to customers and strangers in public and professional life. Never enter someone else's 'bubble' uninvited. Only get closer when you need to take control. Stepping back helps you make the other feel more comfortable.

16

Self Assessment Questions

Question 8 When is it appropriate to invade someone else's personal space?

Question 9 What individuals or groups of people have smaller space personal space "bubbles?"

17

Telephone Skills
No matter how much technology an organisation uses for its telecommunication system we all hate: being kept on hold, told to press option 3, listening to repeated adverts or monotonous cheap music or being told constantly that our call is important. How many times do we just slam down the phone?

For many customers the telephone is the first point of contact you don't get a second chance in making the first impression.

Basics Even if you hardly use the phone in your organisation you need to know:

how to transfer a call how to put a caller on hold

You need at hand: a pad a pen an internal telephone directory

You should never leave a phone ringing. Always answer it as quickly as possible, (unless it is against company policy). Even if you cannot help the caller you can take a message and pass it on to the appropriate person.

Answering the phone How many times have you phoned an organisation and been given a garbled greeting or the initials of the organisation? Have you got through to the Microsoft Helpline or Messy Cloth Alpine? The person on the other end is sloppy, wasting your time and money.

A suggested form of greeting:

Opening Greeting Where? Who? Action

Hello/Good morning Microsoft Helpline, Philip speaking How can I help you?

18

When answering the phone you need to give an instant impression to the caller of:

your interest in them how organised you are your organisation your willingness to help your professionalism

Your voice is the main tool at your disposal and you should be aware of: loudness Pitch Inflection Tone Speed Emphasis >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> too much, too little? squeaky, deep? up or down? monotonous, theatrical? fast, slow? appropriate, inappropriate

Self Assessment Question

Question 10 Suggest how you would respond to someone phoning your department?

TRY THIS Record your own voice when on the telephone. Do a recording when making a call to: a friend a business Listen to your voice. What improvements could you make?

19

The Physical Environment

First impressions = Lasting impressions

As a customer walks through your door they are hit by lots of different impressions, one of which is the physical environment in which they find themselves. How many places such as shops, offices, restaurants, cafs, churches, shopping centres etc would you return to? Why? Service possibly? Quality of products? One factor would certainly be the physical environment i.e. what the place looked, smelt and felt like. These physical factors can be described by being:

cool small manic quiet homely amateurish comfortable big clean badly signed

up-market large empty artificial welcoming unloved cosy grotty well decorated stylish

vibrant messy depressing dirty elegant sleazy modern scruffy peaceful smoky

caring smelly crowded clean hostile littered old fashioned charming airy musty

warm claustrophobic noisy well-lit antiseptic plastic threatening tatty uplifting damp

Self Assessment Question

Question 11 List the things which best describes the physical environment of your workplace. Include in this the areas that only your internal customers visit.

Underline those which need improvement. Circle those which YOU and your colleagues can change. Bring the ones, which have only been underlined to the attention of your manager/supervisor and make suggestions on how they can be improved.

20

CHAPTER THREE
Giving Consistent Care and Service To Your Customer
The aim of this Chapter is to: 1. To build on the good service you give now 2. Further develop listening skills 3. Look at how to give the right information 4. Deal with the organisation's limitations 5. Examine the rights of both customer and provider

Finding Ways of Improving Service

Do you remember the last time you saw a school report? There is always a comment by the teacher on one subject or another 'could do better'. It is true of all of us that no matter what we do we can always find room for improvement. Do you know anyone who is perfect? It is only by knowing your, or your organisation's:

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

that you can improve your service and care for customers. Doing a SWOB check can help us in everything from work to our personal lives. A typical SWOB check for a restaurant could be: Strengths well established restaurant specialist in Italian cuisine well known accomplished chef quality premises well priced product badly signposted lack of trained staff poor supply of fresh fish poor customer service thriving market local pub/restaurant closing down no take-away pizzas for miles/km no public transport poor parking facilities no staff accommodation set in a village

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Weaknesses and opportunities can overlap. Actions can be taken to make weaknesses into opportunities. Threats may be physical or to do with people's attitude or something which is totally impractical. Threats are limitations, which cannot be leapt over. If you are 6' tall you cannot change that to 5'8"!

21

Self Assessment Question

Question 1 Write a SWOT check for your organisation or department in terms of the service and care that you provide. Look at all the aspects including dealing with your internal customers.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

22

Listening Skills
We have seen how body language, a warm greeting, the physical environment and gestures can make the customer feel at ease. Yet another way of improving service, which we touched on in Chapter One, is listening.

Listening improves our ability to give the correct care and service.

We may hear someone but it does not mean that we have listened. Probably the reason we don't listen goes back to childhood: 'Children should be seen and not heard' 'Shut up and listen' 'Don't interrupt your elders' 'Speak only when you are spoken to' 'Quiet, I want to watch television' 'Listen to your dad and do what he tells you' 'What did you do at school today?' Mum asks whilst preparing a meal and listening to the radio. If you have ever been to a good doctor, minister, priest or counsellor you will notice that they listen intently and ask questions only when there is a need. The people who give the greatest customer service are also great listeners because they really care. A good listener finds out what is really being said. It takes practice. Follow the eight rules of listening: 1. Don't interrupt 2. Ask only essential questions 3. Don't jump to conclusions 4. Take notes if needed 5. Concentrate on the speaker 6. Avoid distractions 7. Put yourself in the speaker's shoes 8. When the speaker has finished review what was said

23

Self Assessment Question

Question 2 Do you have any bad habits when you are listening to others? Answer the questions below. Be honest with yourself and look back on this section to see how you can improve your listening skills.

Question 1. Do you let your mind wander/daydream? 2. Are you easily distracted? 3. Do you allow others to interrupt? 4. Do you fill in the end of other's sentence? 5. If you do, do you often get it wrong? 6. Do you turn off when others are long winded? 7. Do things around you distract you? 8. Do you show you are listening? 9. Do certain phrases or words annoy you? 10. Do certain accents put you off? 11. Do you fidget when listening? 12. Do you show impatience when listening? 13. Do you interrupt people? 14. Do you read between the lines? 15. Do you question if you don't understand? 16. Do you only listen to interesting people? 17. Do certain people prejudice you? 18. Do you show positive body language? 19. Do you review what has been said? 20. Do you jump to conclusions?

Yes

No

24

Correct Information
Product Knowledge and Information 'Have you got this jumper in a larger size?' 'When will you have a new delivery?' 'Will this work overseas?' 'What's the soup of the day?' 'How much will it cost when you get them?' 'How long is it guaranteed for?' We ask the above questions all the time when out shopping. Yet how many times do we hear 'I don't know' in response? You need to know, as far as is reasonably possible, about the products and services your organisation supplies. Granted, you cannot know everything and even your customer knows this. But they also know that there is someone in your organisation that does know the answer to their query. Never be afraid of saying 'I don't know, but let me find out for you'.

Over Information Ever been confused by someone? At the electrical store: "the diactronic heating coil axiaposes the cylindrical electrodes to defuse the magnetic field in a counterclockwise movement which...................makes it spin faster" At the hospital: "Your father has had a myocardial infarction hence he has an autonomic dysfunctional syndrome aggravated by a cerebo cranial incident" At the computer supplier: "The HDD on the principal RPF drive of the MSDOS function should be reconfigured and an XPC signal transferred to the P25BN vortex" Only if the customer is an expert or asks for this information should it be given to them. Too much technical information or use of meaningless abbreviations does not necessarily give the customer confidence in you. More often he/she: 1. feels inadequate 2. thinks you are a clever clogs 3. is frightened off 4. goes elsewhere for simpler and understandable information

25

Under Promise, Over Deliver We are all customers. We all want the same thing: quality care and service. A customer expects the provider to carry out their promises. This is not exceeding customer service, it is just carrying it out to the customers expectations. Doing something extra exceeds customer's expectations. Great customer service is giving just 1% more than what is expected. It doesn't have to be a lot. It may be simple things such as:

a stamped addressed envelope a cup of tea or coffee a piece of paper and crayon for a child while dealing with the customer free gift wrapping paper not just giving directions but escorting the customer an after dinner drink an offer to phone a taxi

Give a customer that extra 1% and that customer will remember both you and the organisation. They will talk about you and your organisation and it will be POSITIVE.

26

Self Assessment Questions

Question 3 When have you had a great customer service that was beyond your expectations? What happened?

How did you feel?

Will you return to this provider given the opportunity?

Question 4 What could you do in your department or organisation to give that extra 1%?

Try doing this as soon as possible and write down the reaction of your customers.

27

Knowing Your Organisation's Limitations

Never agree or promise anything that you cannot deliver. This is one of the biggest let downs that people encounter. Some organisations do this just to gain customers. These are the organisations which we all talk about, and consumer television programmes are always warning us about. All too often we agree something with a customer and then cannot deliver: "I will call you tomorrow!" "The cheque will go first class tonight" "Your appointment is at 2.30pm" "Your pizza will be ready in 5 minutes" "We shall deliver on Monday morning" "The red skirts will be in on Tuesday" If you can't deliver your promise you will end up with a complaint. Do you need the hassle? Do you want an unhappy and irate customer who will never return? The above statements are all based on time. Time, lack of it and other people wasting it. It seems to be one of our most precious commodities. Waiting and queuing is part and parcel of life. We all hate it but have to grin and bare it. All organisations have limited resources. If we could all attend to our customers as soon as they demanded the cost would be enormous. Yet we should never make promises that we cannot keep. People will wait happily for:

a great meal a roller coaster ride a film or play a betting office for your winnings

out of necessity:

at the supermarket at the bank for some cash at the bus stop

with grudging impatience:

at the dentist on the phone to query a bill at a shop exchanging faulty goods

28

Self Assessment Questions

Question 5 What would it be better to say, or to add, to the following phrases? "I will call you tomorrow"

"The cheque will go first class tonight"

"Your appointment is at 2.30pm"

"Your pizza will be ready in 5 minutes"

"We shall deliver your oven on Monday morning"

"The red skirts will be in on Tuesday"

29

Question 6 In what situations do people wait in your organisation or department, whether in person or on the phone?

For each situation identify whether they wait: 1. happily 2. out of necessity 3. impatiently/grudgingly

How could you make their visit more pleasurable?

When talking to your customers ask them how your organisation, department or you yourself could make their wait a better experience. Discuss this with your manager/supervisor.

30

Your Rights - Your Customer's Rights

Providers and customers alike have rights. We tend to think of rights in terms of the law e.g. when we buy a certain article by weight we know we are protected by various laws. But our basic rights go far beyond legislation. Legal rights in the purchase of goods or services protect the consumer and are governed by legislation. Basic rights are embedded in the notion of RESPECT, which is the right of both provider and customer.

Give Respect = Receive Respect

Respect should start with the provider. If you start dealing with a customer in an offhand or rude manner you have no right to expect respect from the customer. If you start by giving respect you will gain respect in return. This is the basis of all relationships, no matter how brief. The Rights of the Customer The customer has the right: > to value for money > to the attention of the service provider > to access to lines of communication to complain or compliment > to have allowances made for their particular situation > not to be rushed or hassled and given time to cool off > to say no > to have promises kept > to explanations and apologies > to be listened to > to compensation for loss or inconvenience > not to have their taste questioned > to respect > not to have their time wasted The Rights of the Provider The provider has the right: > not to have their taste questioned > to be given time to explain > to be listened to > not to be held responsible for other's mistakes > to say no > to be given time to rectify mistakes > not to be treated like a servant > to respect

In addition to the above rights many organisations have codes of conduct, mission statements or charters. Mission statements are found in all types of organisations whether commercial, charitable or institutional. Codes of conduct tend to be used by members of professional bodies i.e. accountants, solicitors. Charters are more commonly found in institutions such as colleges, hospital, government departments and town/city councils.

31

Self Assessment Questions

Question 7 What legislation, codes of conduct, charters or mission statements affect you in your organisation or department?

Legislation

Charters, mission statements etc.

If you have a charter, mission statement or code of conduct, make a list below of the areas that deal with customer care and service.

32

CHAPTER FOUR
Solving Problems and Complaints
The aim of this Chapter is to: 1. Examine the nature of complaints 2. Look at the cost of complaints 3. Understand why complaints don't damage organisations 4. Discover how to deal with complaints and compliments

Identifying Problems
Complaints need to be looked at within their broader context. Very often before a complaint arises it can be seen as a problem which needs solving. No one yet has registered a complaint but it is just waiting to happen.

Complaint

Observation

Opinions

Actual Complaints

Potential Complaints

Potential Complaints

Customer

Staff or customer

Staff or customer

Your Organisation/Department
Opinions Both you and your customer may have an opinion regarding some part of your organisation. It could be to do with quality, service, physical environment etc. These opinions may be to do with changes and they need to be looked at as potential problems and hence they are possible future complaints. These are opportunities which, if acted upon, will turn into compliments. Opinions can come from questionnaires, a serious concern or just a passing remark. They are a source of opportunity to make better the organisation and its service.

33

Observation We all see physical things in our workplace which could be made better if they were changed:

dim lighting in the toilets poor quality carrier bags uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area

We also see situations which could develop into complaints: someone waiting a long time for their appointment someone with empty glasses at the bar a wet floor

Whether seen by a customer or a member of staff action needs to be taken to resolve these potential complaints.

Self Assessment Question

Question 1 What areas in your department/organisation are potential volcanoes ready to erupt into complaints?

Speak with your supervisor/manager and explain to him/her your cause for concern.

34

Complaints Complaints fall into five main categories; 1. time related 2. quality related 3. cost related 4. personnel related 5. environment related

1. Time related As discussed, in Chapter Three, time is a precious commodity which none of us like to waste. This is one area where people complain the most. No one likes being kept waiting.

2. Quality related This can be anything from the quality of merchandise to the quality of technical support. It is often the easiest form of complaint to rectify.

3. Cost related We all want value for money. In the main people examine goods and decide that they are happy with the price that is being asked. Buying a service is a different matter and this is where the main complaints come from, such as badly cleaned windows, stained dry cleaning, package holidays going wrong, etc.

4. Personnel related Being treated badly or rudely is a common form of complaint. A significant amount of this type of complaint happens in the service industries.

5. Environment related As we discussed in Chapter Two, the physical environment in your place of work is very important. It is important in:

shops restaurants hospitals homes for the elderly buses offices bars etc.

This is an area in which most people don't complain - they just never return.

35

Self Assessment Questions

Question 2 How would you deal with: 1. someone waiting a long time for their appointment?

2. a wet floor?

3. dim lighting in the toilets?

36

The Cost of Complaints Financial Most people complain because they want to return, they want to be your customer i.e. they want a problem resolving and, if resolved to their satisfaction, they will return. If a complaint is handled badly they will not return. If they don't complain, as said above, they will never return. Not all organisations are commercial i.e. churches, hospitals, government departments and schools. Commerce, retail, even colleges and universities need to make money to survive. Unresolved complaints lead to a fall off of business and could eventually contribute to the collapse of an organisation. Personal Unresolved complaints are demoralising. They upset the customer and you. Leaving work at the end of the day after making some achievements gives you a good feeling. You will moreover tend to have a pleasant evening with your family and friends. Possibly more important is that if you don't give good service to your customers, and there have been unresolved complaints, you could be dismissed. Reputation Complaints not dealt with properly leave a nasty taste in the customer's mouth. They need to get rid of that taste so they spit it out like venom at the first chance. In other words they tell everyone about the bad service that they have received. A bad reputation is easy to acquire because we all like to gossip. The news is 95% bad news! A bad reputation has a knock on effect. Less customers, lower profits, collapse of the organisation and possibly your job.

Self Assessment Questions

Question 3 In your experience, what specific organisations have: 1. a good reputation?

2. a bad reputation?

How do you know this: by word of mouth? by personal experience?

COMPLAINTS lead to SOLUTIONS for the future SATISFACTION of your CUSTOMERS. Treat them as Positive Criticism.

37

Customer Complaints
Customers mainly complain because they wish to continue doing business with your organisation; otherwise, if they had a choice, they would just go elsewhere. A complaint is an opportunity to:

win over the customer provide good care and service give 1% more create a better reputation gain more business gain personal satisfaction achieve promotion

Customer complaints are Positive.

The art of dealing with complaints relies on coming up with an acceptable solution for both the customer and the provider.

Consider this scene in a restaurant on Christmas Day; "We decided to have Christmas dinner in a restaurant this year. On arrival the restaurant was very busy and there was no one to greet us, never mind seat us. Fortunately we saw a table reserved with our name on it so we sat ourselves down rather than have a drink at the bar. After ordering our dinner we waited nearly an hour for it to arrive. No one came to apologise or explain what was happening. The food was cold. After complaining to the waiter he took our food away and returned with it shortly. It had obviously been put in the microwave as the gravy was crusty and the centre of the food was only warm." "We asked to see the manager and told him our problem. He said, "So you don't want me to charge for the meal?" Taken aback we agreed with his suggestion and left." The diners did not have either a good meal or a good experience. At least they didn't have to pay. Although the complaint was dealt with it was not really resolved.

38

Handling Complaints If the manager of the restaurant above had fulfilled the following 17 rules of handling complaints he would have won over the diners.

The 17 Essentials in Handling Customer Complaints

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Use their name Say "I" am sorry not "We" Never be on the defensive Be relaxed - use positive body language Apologise and admit blame Don't take criticism personally Empathise by saying "I realise how you feel", "that's understandable" and I would feel the same Don't blame others or your organisation Give them your undivided attention. Take notes if needed Review what they have said so that you have a proper understanding of the nature of their complaint Don't lie - if you cannot resolve the problem immediately say that you will get back to them within a specified time scale Don't make promises that you cannot keep Make them part of the solution - what will make them happy Get them to agree a solution Tell them what you CAN do not what you cannot do Once a solution is agreed act quickly Follow up and check that the problem is resolved

11.

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

39

Self Assessment Questions

Question 4 Go back to the scene at the restaurant on Christmas Day and answer the following questions. 1. At what point did things go wrong?

2. What should have happened?

3. If you were the diners what solution would you have been happy with?

4. If the solution was acceptable to both you and the manager would you have gone back to the restaurant?

5. Why?

6. What are the procedures within your organisation/department for dealing with complaints?

You can never win an argument with a customer.

40

Compliments
The majority of people cannot take compliments easily: "lovely dress" response "oh this old thing" "fabulous meal" response "very easy recipe" "thanks for cleaning the office" response "it's just my job" "thanks for the lift" response "it was on my way home" This false modesty not only puts down the person that is giving us the compliment but belittles oneself. You leave the situation without taking away the intent of the compliment. Nothing positive or negative comes out of it. A compliment that is accepted graciously will affect that person for the rest of the day. This is the "feel good" factor of compliments. After being complimented they will leave work with a positive attitude to the care and service that they deliver. This includes you! Pass it on Don't be greedy with the compliments that you receive, share them. Remember that you are the member of a team. Perhaps someone compliments you on the way the office looks; the plants, how tidy it is, the atmosphere. Yet 5 others who are all out to lunch share it. Tell them when they return; we all want to feel good. Don't just take compliments, give them out as well, but be honest and don't exaggerate. Compliment your internal customers and colleagues when they have been particularly helpful or have reached a deadline. Your customers compliment you because you have probably exceeded their expectations - you have given that extra 1%, pass it on and share that 1% feeling!

Self Assessment Question

Question 5 Next time you get good service whether at a shop, supermarket, over the phone, in a bar or restaurant, give the provider a serious and honest compliment. Write down the situation below. How did they react?

How did you feel?

41

CHAPTER FIVE
Bringing It All Together
The aim of this Chapter is to: 1. Link all Chapters 2. Look at the skills you have gained and how they have affected: a. your work b. your department/organisation c. your customers 3. Examine continuing improvement

An Overview of Your Skills

You are now in possession of some important communication skills, which are enabling you to deal with both internal and external customers in a positive, professional and caring manner.

CHAPTER ONE You know about the internal customer and that the effect of good communication with them improves the information that you receive. You now understand that internal co-operation makes for a happy customer. If we are happy at work our customers sense this. You understand your external customers and that they all have differing needs.

CHAPTER TWO You are skilled in welcoming and assisting them. You are able to read and to use your own body language and how this helps you read your customer. You know how the right amount of eye contact shows interest, how smells affect people and that by controlling your gestures and posture you create a positive impression. You know when it is appropriate to enter or leave someone's space "bubble". When answering the telephone you are now well equipped to deal with most situations and understand the importance of loudness, pitch, inflection, tone, speed and emphasis. You realise the importance of a quality physical environment.

CHAPTER THREE By looking at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats you have been able to improve your service and care for both internal and external customers. You have learnt that listening in not just hearing and that by under promising and over-delivering, you give that extra 1%. You know your rights and those of your customer and that by giving respect you get respect.

42

CHAPTER FOUR You can identify problems even before they arise by opinion and observation. You understand the nature of complaints whether they be related to time, quality, cost, personnel or the physical environment and also their cost in financial, personal or reputation terms. You realise that complaints lead to solutions for the satisfaction of customers and you treat them as positive criticism. You can now handle complaints and compliments. All these skills, which you have developed, can now be used by you on a daily basis. Your senses have been heightened to the needs of others not only at work but also at home and in your social life. From entrance to departure your skills will enable you to look after your customer with care and respect. Key Stages from Entrance to Departure Stage Be Attentive Action Acknowledge the customer, even if you cannot deal with them straight away. Say "hello" and "I will be with you in a moment". Greet warmly and, if appropriate, find out the customer's name and give them yours. Listen to the customer, read between the lines. Read their body language. Ask them questions. Be attentive, show positive interest using your eyes, body and voice. Know what your products and services are. Inform the customer of their options without over information. If you don't know don't bluff - find out. If there is a problem make the customer be part of finding the solution; "how would you like me to resolve this?" Under promise and over deliver. Be warm in saying goodbye. Thank them for their time and co-operation. Follow up all complaints and make sure they have been resolved completely to the customer's satisfaction. Involve your colleagues as required.

The Welcome

The Customer's Needs Attention

Knowledge

Problems

Farewell

Backup

Achievements
Throughout Chapter One to Four there have been various self assessment questions and activities. Drawing from these activities and the practical skills you have both gained and put into practice, complete the final assessment which will be in the form of a SWOT check.
.

43

Building On Success
If you get it wrong the customer will go elsewhere!

You don't get a second chance at being the customer's first choice.

Even if the customer cannot go elsewhere e.g. your supermarket is the only one in the town , they need a hospital, or they use a wheelchair and your restaurant is the only one with a ramp, they will not enjoy their experience. They will always be unhappy with your organisation and complain even at minor things. They will spread the word. Get it right the first time and you will have customer loyalty, faith, trust and respect.

The 10 Commandments of Success Follow these commandments and you will never go wrong in giving exceptional customer care and service. 1. Empathise Always put yourself in your customer's shoes. How would you like to be treated if you were they? Listen Don't speak, let the customer do all the talking, and listen to everything they say. Say "Yes" Always say "yes". The word "no" does not exist in customer service. The phrases that do exist are: "Yes, I shall see what I can do" OR "Yes, I can do that" "Yes, that might be possible" OR "Yes, I will try" Under promise and over deliver Customers expect you to do what you promise. Giving that little bit more makes them feel valued. Never argue You can never win an argument with a customer, and who wants the hassle and tension of an argument anyway? Be an expert Know your products and services. If not, know where to get the information. Be spick and span Ensure that you, your establishment and the tools that your organisation uses are clean and tidy. Be polite and friendly Be warm and welcoming, it sets the customer up like breakfast sets you up for the day. Use complaints as positive criticism React to a complaint as something which will enable you to do the job better the next time.

2. 3.

4.

5.

6. 7.

8. 9.

10. Give that extra 1% Giving 1% more means you exceed expectations.

44

The buck does not stop there! Great customer service is constant. It doesn't just last a moment but is continuous and is only as good as your last encounter with a customer. If you just can't be bothered one day, you will ruin all the care and attention you have given up to that moment.

Customer care and service is a way of life.

Remember that extra 1%? Perhaps you have under promised and over delivered. That counts as that extra 1%! Perhaps you have 30 colleagues in your department. All of them are dealing with customers whether internal or external. Each of them give 100% good customer service and also give an average of 5 customers that extra 1% each day. That is an extra 5% given by your colleagues. But as a department of 30 people you have given an extra 150% of great customer service. That is truly exceeding your customers' expectations!!!

45

CHAPTER FIVE
Final Assessment
Using the SWOT check that you did in Chapter Three self assessment questions, your new skills and the practical care and service that you have been delivering, complete this new SWOT check. Points to follow: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Be completely honest. Examine everything no matter how small or insignificant. Discuss and go over the SWOT check with your colleagues, manager/supervisor. Discuss with people in other departments. Be careful not to indicate that a particular individual or department is the cause of a specific problem. Areas which you may wish to include could possibly be:

7.

welcoming customers caring for specific needs how you handled a complaint the physical environment internal communication your listening skills knowledge gained of other departments how you have dealt with queues your telephone skills

Remember that your individual strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats will tend to be more skill related and your department's more facility related Use the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers that you knew existed before you started this course. Under the heading: "Possible Action", include all the things that could be done even if they are not practicable.

8. 9.

10. If there was any "Action Taken" include it all no matter how small. Remember that action does not just have to be physical, it could be a meeting to discuss something or a change in policy. 11. List all "Results" including customer reaction. If you gave that extra 1% include this information here. 12. If you don't wish to use the sheets provided devise your own, but keep to the same headings. If there is not enough space continue on a separate sheet of paper. The aim of this assessment, in a nutshell, is for you to demonstrate how you have both used and changed, in providing excellent customer service and care.

46

47

48

Str engths
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y our Dept . /Or ganisation

49

50

W eaknesses
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y ourself

W eaknesses
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y our Dept . /Or ganisation

51

52

Oppor tunities
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y ourself

Oppor tunities
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y our Dept . /Or ganisation

53

54

Threats
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y ourself

Threats
Name:
Possible Action Action T aken Results

Y our Dept . /Or ganisation

55

Notes

56

Notes

57

Notes

58