Introduction
Customer service excellence is not accomplished by accident, nor is it attained without effort and teamwork. It requires well–trained customer service professionals who are passionate about providing quality service. A customer service training program outline is essential in shaping a pathway toward excellence.
In today’s customer-oriented business environment, “people skills” are critical for career advancement and organizational effectiveness. The customer service excellence program emphasizes the importance of providing customer service excellence in a competitive environment, proven strategies for service recovery, and negotiation techniques for professionally dealing with demanding customers.
Earning a customer service excellence certification demonstrates a professional’s commitment to providing top-tier customer support and understanding the qualities of customer service that create exceptional experiences. This course gives participants the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue such certification.
What is Customer Service Excellence?
Understanding what customer service excellence means is foundational to any customer excellence program. It encapsulates the level of service that surpasses customer expectations, leading to customer satisfaction and loyalty. This customer service excellence course will address the importance of quality customer service and how it can be achieved through practical training and employee empowerment.
In the journey to service excellence, this course outlines a comprehensive customer service training outline, focusing on training objectives that align with an organization’s mission to deliver quality customer service. Through this program, participants develop customer service skills and qualities that meet and exceed customer expectations, driving business success through customer loyalty and advocacy.
Targeted Groups
- Head of customer service.
- Customer service supervisors.
- Customer service professionals.
- Receptionists.
- This customer service excellence course is for individuals who want to learn new skills to improve their profile.
Course Objectives
By the end of this customer service excellence course, participants will be able to:
- Establish the importance of setting and reviewing customer service standards.
- Develop an understanding of internal and external customer expectations.
- Communicate more effectively by utilizing active listening and questioning skills.
- Demonstrate how to deal with demanding customers effectively.
- Set SMART objectives and goals to increase daily productivity.
- Utilize stress management techniques to reduce tension.
- Identify key components that promote customer retention and loyalty.
- Describe the practices of a world-class customer service provider and model their performance on those practices.
- Utilize interpersonal skills as vital tools in the provision of customer service.
- Develop a customer-focused mindset for continuous improvement.
- Improve conflict resolution skills.
Targeted Competencies
At the end of this customer service excellence course, the target competencies will be able to:
- An increased appreciation for your role in helping their organization achieve customer support excellence.
- Up-to-date techniques and methods to help you provide world-class service.
- Enhanced leadership and communication skills are required to excel in your career.
- Increased confidence in your abilities to work professionally with demanding or upset customers.
- The insight to adjust your temperament style to become more versatile, adaptable, and highly successful.
- Improved time management skills and increased productivity.
- Improved intra/interdepartmental communication.
Course Content
Unit 1: Setting The Standards for Customer Service Excellence
- The benefits of quality customer service.
- Breakout session: How can customer service be used to promote customer loyalty?
- Case study: The best and worst customer service providers.
- The WOW Factor: Going the extra mile…and then some!
- The importance of managing internal and external customer expectations.
- First impressions: What do your customers see and hear?
- Understanding and working with the four customer styles.
- Practical exercise: What is your personality type?
Unit 2: Communicating the Customer Service Message
- How well does your organization communicate the importance of customer service?
- Understanding your customer’s nonverbal communication.
- Tips for building trust and rapport quickly, face-to-face or on the telephone.
- What is your preferred learning style?
- Develop your active listening skills to enhance communications.
- Use questioning techniques to identify a customer’s expectations and service requirements.
- Telephone tips to promote a professional image.
- The dos and don’ts of written communication.
Unit 3: Service Recovery: Handling Complaints and Difficult Customers
- The importance of customer complaints and why they should be encouraged.
- Six steps to service recovery.
- Case Study: Best Practices of Scandinavian Airlines and The Disney Corporation.
- Strategies to help calm upset customers.
- Managing emotions during stressful situations.
- Empower employees to get the job done.
- Breakout session: Step-by-step process for handling a customer complaint.
- Dealing with upset customers.
Unit 4: Principles of Persuasion
- Requesting feedback from customers and colleagues.
- The art of giving and receiving feedback.
- Case study: Best practices - Xerox’s five pillars of customer-focused strategy.
- Negotiating mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Words and tones to avoid.
- The RATER model: Five dimensions of customer service excellence.
- Best practices for call handling, documentation, and quality assurance.
- Measuring and monitoring for customer satisfaction.
Unit 5: Getting the Right Customer Service Attitude
- The importance of attitude and teamwork.
- Focusing on continuous improvement.
- Stress management tips to increase productivity.
- Practical exercise: What are your biggest “time wasters” that block productivity?
- The customer service mission and vision.
- Setting personal and professional goals.
- Practical exercise: What is your action plan?
