| Who are the most important people in your | | | | provide high quality or timely turnaround to clients. A cell |
| organization? It may come as a surprise to learn that | | | | phone may be a critical tool for a sales person who is |
| the most important people are your employees - not | | | | frequently away from his or her desk. |
| your customers. Customers come second. Without | | | | 5) Let employees know their limits. Your employees |
| qualified and well-trained employees committed to | | | | need to know your policies and practices with regard |
| strong customer service all of your efforts to please | | | | to satisfying customers and responding to complaints. |
| customers will be fruitless. Customer service training | | | | The more flexibility you're able to offer and the more |
| has become a popular way for service organizations | | | | clearly you communicate these guidelines, the better |
| to provide employees with the information they need | | | | able employees will be to meet customer needs. |
| to meet customer needs. | | | | Customers benefit, too, when employees are able to |
| It should not, however, be considered a one-time or | | | | resolve situations "on the spot" instead of having to |
| annual event. Customer service training is an ongoing | | | | "talk to my manager." |
| process that needs to be incorporated into the | | | | 6) Gather common situations and scenarios to use as |
| organization's culture and way of doing business.Good | | | | examples. Your customer service training should be |
| customer service training will be based on the needs | | | | "real." Examples gathered from the real life experience |
| of your organization as well as the skill level of your | | | | if your employees can help to highlight bad/good/better |
| employees. Following are some key elements in | | | | best examples of working with clients and customers. |
| ensuring that your customer service training efforts get | | | | Involve employees in providing training. Enlist the aid of |
| results. | | | | your most service-successful employees in training |
| 1) Start with the end in mind. What do you want to | | | | and coaching others. |
| accomplish with your customer service training | | | | 7) Role play common challenging situations to provide |
| efforts? Your answer will be unique to your business, | | | | employees with an opportunity to "practice" their |
| the product or service you provide and the type of | | | | responses. Then, when a "real situation" occurs they |
| customer you serve. For example, if you run a dry | | | | will have a higher comfort level about their ability to |
| cleaning business, your expectation may be that | | | | respond effectively. |
| customers are greeted promptly when they come into | | | | 8) Encourage employees to talk to their "worst |
| your store, that clothing is cleaned to their | | | | nightmare" customers. Customers who are most |
| specifications and that any problems or issues are | | | | demanding, who complain the loudest or who are |
| resolved according to prescribed policies/practices that | | | | hardest to please can be a rich source of information |
| have been clearly communicated to customers. | | | | in your customer service improvement efforts. After |
| If you run a consulting business your customer service | | | | all, if you can please these "tough customers" you |
| expectations may include lengthy interactions with | | | | should be able to consistently delight your average |
| clients to clearly determine their needs, identified | | | | customers. Behind the complaints and the demands |
| check-points throughout the consulting process, etc. | | | | you'll often find very valid points and issues that you |
| Regardless of the specifics, the point is that you need | | | | can use to improve service. Resist the urge to "ignore" |
| to have a clear idea of the end results you're looking | | | | the tough customers; consider them your best |
| for. Then you can use these results to help direct the | | | | resource for good information on service improvement. |
| focus of your customer service training efforts. | | | | 9) Share failures - celebrate successes. Don't just |
| 2) Define success. Employees need to have clear | | | | focus on successes. Don't just point out failures. You |
| expectations; they want to succeed, but they need to | | | | need a good balance of both failure and success |
| know what success "looks like" and how you will be | | | | stories to build a strong service culture. Staff can learn |
| judging their efforts. Based on the objectives you | | | | from their own failures as well as the failures of others. |
| identified, quantify as best you can measures of | | | | Treat each failure not as an opportunity to "punish" |
| customer service success. Provide these measures to | | | | staff, but as an opportunity to learn. Why did the failure |
| employees as the goals they will be charged with | | | | occur? What could be done differently next time to |
| obtaining. | | | | avoid such a failure? What lessons might other staff |
| 3) Communicate your expectations - be specific. Don't | | | | learn to avoid these issues? Similarly, take time to |
| assume that employees know what you expect in | | | | celebrate your successes and to share these success |
| terms of service. Be specific and make sure you | | | | examples with all employees. Sometimes the best |
| "catch them early." A new employee's orientation is | | | | "customer service training" for staff can be a good |
| the time to let them know what your service | | | | debriefing of either a positive or negative customer |
| expectations are. | | | | situation. These debriefings can also be good |
| 4) Provide the tools that employees need to serve | | | | opportunities for role playing. |
| your customers. Employees need tools, and need to | | | | 10) The most effective training? The example you set. |
| know how to use those tools, to serve customers | | | | Your staff will watch not only how you interact with |
| effectively. For example, if employees don't have | | | | customers, but what you say about your customers. If |
| access to e-mail they may be hampered in | | | | your attitude toward customers is disparaging, this |
| communicating effectively with their customers. Or, if a | | | | sends a very strong, negative, message to employees. |
| graphic designer doesn't have the latest software and | | | | Make sure you're being a strong role model - both in |
| appropriate hardware, he or she may not be able to | | | | word and deed. |