Suggested Length: One Day

Front Line Customer Service Skills

This workshop is designed to enhance the customer service awareness, skills, and the professionalism of front line staff and those who have regular interaction with job seekers, business customers, and the public.

A look at what we see in today’s customer service 

• The relationship between customer service and customer satisfaction.
• Defining customer service vs customer satisfaction
• Describing “stellar” customer service experiences
• Thoughts on how we view our customers

The Language of Excellent Customer Service

• Increasing your awareness of what you say and where you say it
• How to replace bureaucratic jargon and lingo with plain English
• Are there words that need to be replaced or titles that need to be renamed?
• How to communicate so customers will understand the benefit or value
• Describing your services in terms of the FABs – (features, advantages, benefits) to the customer
• How much impact is communicated through non-verbal means?
• Various ways we demonstrate good, customer-focused non verbal communication

Customer service etiquette throughout the office

• Establishing appropriate workspace etiquette
• Problems that arise from a “Cubicle Mentality”
• Personal conversations customers have probably overheard at your desk
• Effects of gossip in a workplace setting
• What you must know about privacy and confidentiality
• Taking responsibility for what we say about customers in and out of the workplace
• The importance of keeping your personal business personal
• Twenty-five tips for being a better workspace neighbor

Effective email, telephone and written communications

• Blunders to avoid in emails
• Getting your point across clearly and concisely
• Top 12 guidelines for effective email communications
• Considerations for handling a customer transaction via telephone
• Your phone personality – undivided attention, tone of voice
• Personal information shared when you are on the telephone
• The phone call as an opportunity to “make the sale”
• Helpful hints for improving your customer telephone contacts
• Written notes – What to include, what not to include

Dealing with the tough situations with customers

• Conflict as a natural aspect of working with colleagues, One Stop partners, job seekers, and/or business customers
• What happens when we avoiding conflict
• Effective approaches for dealing with conflict
• Constructive behaviors that lead to conflict resolution
• Dealing with angry customers
• Understanding the feelings associated with anger
• Techniques for asking questions that get at the root of the problem and defuse the anger
• Managing emotions, reactions, and anger when it isn’t easy
• Foundations of Attitude & Behavior
• Understanding Self-Image

Improving Customer Relationship Management

• Observing how your attitude has an affect on others
• The impact that attitude has on customer relationships: internal and external
• Is an attitude – positive or negative – contagious?
• Customer relationship management can always be improved!
• Why your professional image plays a role in customer satisfaction
• What does your professional image convey to your customers?
• What first impression do you present to your customer?
• Helpful hints you can use to organize your work area
• 20 things you can do to improve your professionalism and customer relationships