Every front-line employee needs a solid grounding in ‘customer service’ skills. As can be expected in this five-day course, the subjects covered tackle most of what is needed by anyone interacting directly with internal or external customers. This certified course will cover everything from the most appropriate behaviour and communication with customers, to tools and techniques used to analyse the level of service and improve it to ensure customer delight.

Course Methodology

This course uses a mix of interactive techniques, such as brief presentations by the consultant followed by questions, oral and written, case studies, role plays, exercises, video clips and more.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Define customer service and break it down to its most basic dimensions
• Explain the critical link between 'attitude' and 'technique' to consistently deliver an excellent level of service
• Use a variety of tools such as 'gap analysis' and 'RATER' to provide a level of service that is second to none
• Analyse basic behavioural patterns of different customer personalities and the best way to deal with them
• Discuss and practice the techniques of effective communication skills with customers

Target Audience

Managers, supervisors, and customer service staff as well as staff in departments who deal directly with external customers or whose job is to support other entities or employees inside the organization.

Target Competencies

• Communicating with customers
• Customer orientation
• Emotional control
• Empathic outlook
• Flexibility
• Reading people
• Self confidence

Course Outline

• Customer service
• Introduction to customer service
• Definition of customer service
• Service dimensions
• Addressing customer needs
• Attaining customer satisfaction through quality measures
• Customer service excellence
• Components of quality service:
• Service quality
• Service quality gaps
• The 'RATER' model
• What customers pay attention to
• Dimensions of the 'RATER' model
• Flying over customer expectations
• Establishing service quality performance standards
• The customer complaint system
• Definition of ‘complaint’
• Types of complainants
• Sources of complaints
• Why most customers won’t complain
• Types of complaints
• Handling complaints: the 'PEPSI' model
• Inspiring staff
• Principles of inspiring people ('AEPA' philosophy)
• Arousing interest
• Engaging them
• Practicing new skills
• Applying to real world
• Customers loyalty
• Principles of success
• Who is a loyal customer?
• Strategies to keep customers loyal
• Reasons why companies lose customers
• Keys to delivering exceptional service
• A profile of different customer personalities
• Difficult people and difficult behaviour
• Characteristics of difficult people
• Suggested responses
• Six personalities that lead to conflict and how to deal with them
• Effective communication with customers
• Definition of communication
• Communication goals
• Communication as a critical success factor
• Communication with customers
• Reading the body language of customers
• Characteristics of a good listener
• Behaviours that block listening
• How to be an active listener