Introduction

Front-line staff is the face of the organization. They represent the company as they have the opportunity to interact with the customers on a daily basis. Their actions promote or demote the corporate interest. the professional image portrayed by front-line staff depends on the quality of their customer service skill.

Organizations need superior front-line customer service skills to compete in today’s customer-oriented environment. Frontline staff should understand and act on customer wants, needs, and expectations. To effectively do this, they need to apply excellent interpersonal relationship skills to communicate effectively with the customer. Interacting with customers is potentially stressful and requires staff with the right attitude and skills for effective communication and high human contact situations.

This course is designed to empower frontline staff to create a positive impression, through effective communication with customers. Ultimately, the organization’s corporate image is enhanced and positive word of mouth increases goodwill toward the organization.

Objectives

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

• Understand the importance and concepts of customer care

• Understand what is excellent customer service.

• How to know your customer’s personality and expect his behavior.

• Demonstrate communication skills required for excellent customer care.

• Comprehend the main communication styles and develop your own style.

• Questioning, and Cultivating listening skills

• Handle and resolve customer complaints with emotional intelligence

• Manage stress that can build up from dealing with difficult customer situations.

• How to achieve to loyal customer state to deliver a positive organizational image  

Target Audience

The course is aimed at all members of staff working on the frontline who deal with customers on a regular basis.

These include:

• Secretaries.

• Receptionists.

• Cashiers.

• Clerks.

• Administrators.

• Institutional workers who have direct contact with customers and members of the public.

Outlines

Module 1: Customer care concepts

What Is Excellent Customer Care?

• How well does your organization communicate the importance of customer service?

• Good and not-so-good practices in customer care from personal experience

• Internal and external customer expectations

• The features of excellent customer service

• Barriers to excellence

• The principle of UPOD

• Quality of customer service

• The benefits of providing excellent customer service

• How to use customer service to promote customer loyalty

• Case study: The best and worst customer service experience

• The WOW Factor: Going the extra mile…and then some!

• First impressions: What do your customers see and hear?

Understanding your customer

• Customer Personalities and Profiles.

• Six personalities that lead to conflict and how to deal with them

• Understanding and working with different customer styles

• Practical exercise: What is your personality type?

• The Customer’s Body Language:

  • The different aspects of body language

  • Identify head movements that indicate someone’s communication channel

  • Distinguish postures that indicate someone’s communication channel.

• The Customer’s Vocal Characteristics

  • Classify vocal characteristics of visual speakers

  • Recognize vocal characteristics of auditory speakers

• Practical Exercise: Evaluate customer scenarios to determine the best approaches

• Customer needs wants, expectations, and perceptions

Module 2: Communication Skills

Communication Styles

• Four main communication styles

• Analysis of own preferred style(s)

• Achieve good communication

• Things to avoid in communication

• How this applies to each delegate's role

Communicating With the Customer

• How do my customers see me?

• Barriers to good communication

• Communication breakdown, how to avoid it

• Questioning skills

• Helpful and unhelpful phrases

• Importance of preparation, documentation

• The importance of listening to customers

• Listening skills and non-verbal communication

• Practical exercises: listening

• How to improve listening skills

• Recognize visual auditory and kinesthetic words

• Practical exercise: scenarios to determine best approaches, and evaluate responses of the participants

Module 3: Customers Handling and Challenging Customers

Handling Customers

• Owning & Managing the Front Desk

• Receiving & Handling Customers

• Poise, Appearance & Comportment Emotional Intelligence/Self Awareness

• Managing Difficult Customers with self-control, and patience and improving your emotional skills

• Developing Telephone Etiquette

• Professional Attitude & Behavior

• Elocution & Diction

• Toxic Traits to Avoid

The Challenging Customer

• How to pace a customer

• Stress and time management

• Leading customers to a more resourceful state

• Practical exercise: Evaluate customer scenarios to determine the best approaches and understand why conflict occurs in customer interaction.

Module 4: Building customer loyalty

• Communicating the importance of customer service?

• The role of frontline staff

• Organization image

• Behavioral aspects of services and service delivery

• Practical Exercise: What is the loyal customer, and how to reach that stage?