strategies from the best - from the frontline to the board ... · pdf filestrategies from the...

Customer Service

Strategies from the BestStrategies from the Best- from the Frontline to the

Board OfficePresented byPresented by

Mary Beth Corace, Ph.D.Director, Strategic Planning and

Policy Pinellas County Schools

5/10/2017 PCS/MBC 1

Customer Service

Understand how to prioritize the selection or “volunteer” the right attitudes for the first contact to your organizationthe right attitudes for the first contact to your organization

Learn how to provide training, practice, mentoring, and easy acronyms to guide best ever customer service behaviorsLearn how to deal with hard to please customers

5/10/2017 PCS/MBC 2

Customer ServiceLearn about customer service

what it is

what impacts itwhy we need to improve it

Identify examples of

Good customer service Good customer serviceLess than good customer service

Define current versus desired state

Define barriers and solutions5/10/2017 QA PCS 3

What are we improving?

Responsiveness

Customer Service

pSafety EfficiencyImage“We Care About You” Teamwork

Standards

Customer Service Standards

Define the Improvements

of Performance Excellence -WE CARE

Problem Solving Model - TakeHEARTHEART

5/10/2017 QA PCS 5

What is Customer Service?

Answering questions

Solving problemsg p

Untangling bureaucratic procedures

Fixing what’s broken

Finding what’s lost

Soothing the irateSoothing the irate

Reassuring the timid

Pulling a rabbit out of a hat

Hard work5/10/2017 QA PCS 6


The customer is not always correct

BUT...

5/10/2017 QA PCS 7

The customer is always the customer and deserves to be treated


and deserves to be treated

with respect, courtesy, and fairness

as if he or she is important

as if his or her opinions, needs, and wantsas if his or her opinions, needs, and wantsare important to listen to

with maximum effort even if his or her expectations, wants, and needs may beimpractical5/10/2017 QA PCS 8

What Impacts Customer Service?

C t i i t f l j bCustomer service is a stressful job

Burn out

Customers are in a nasty mood

Unrealistic customer expectations

Management wants customers to be happyManagement wants customers to be happy

Customers make assumptions about what you can and can’t do

5/10/2017 QA PCS 9

Employees have to sound pleased that an


agitated customer bothered to call

The way employees are treated influences theway they treat customersAbility to resolve a problem on the first contactCustomers don’t know how things get done in -g gand don’t care

Lack of identification of systemic issues – (Sowe solve the same problems over and over)

5/10/2017 QA PCS 10

Service standards in other sectors


Fed Ex- absolutely, positively, overnight

LensCrafters- custom eyeglasses in about an hour

Amazon- Same day delivery

Publix- Where shopping is a pleasure!

Same day dry cleaning

One hour photo developing

Affects customer expectations of “timely”

5/10/2017 QA PCS 11

How good a job you dof h i d h


for the nice and the nasty

for the smart and the dumb

for the people you’d like to take home

for the people you wish would go awayg y

Determines public opinion

5/10/2017 QA PCS 12

Get it wrongll h i f i d


erase all the memories of prior good treatment

Get it right undo all the wrongs that have happened before the

customer got to you

5/10/2017 QA PCS 13

How to prioritize the attitudesfor the first contact to your organization

What are we improving?Why do we need to improve it?

Who are the customers?

What are their requirements?

What is the improvement target?

What is the current state?

What is the desired state?What are barriers to the desired state?

What are solutions to barriers?5/10/2017 QA PCS 14

What Are We Improving?

Customer Service

Answering questions

Talking to one another

Answering phones

Documenting issues

Solving customer problems Solving customer problems

Listening skills

Standards of Performance Excellence

Problem solving/service recovery skills5/10/2017 QA PCS 15

Why Do We Need to Improve It?Lack of formal standards and procedures

Lack of trainingg

Unacceptable levels of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction

So, we must-

Implement Customer Service PhilosophyImplement Customer Service Philosophy Treat parents, families, students, school and

district administrators, and each other theway you would like others to treat you andyour family

5/10/2017 QA PCS 16

Who Are the Customers?EXTERNAL - outside of the District

Parents

FamiliesFamilies

Students

INTERNAL - work for the DistrictSupport Staff

Teachers

Principals/Assistant PrincipalsPrincipals/Assistant Principals

District Administrators

Transportation Department Employees

5/10/2017 QA PCS 17

What Are Their Requirements?

Customers perceive service in their own unique

idiosyncratic

emotional

irrational

end of the da end-of-the-day

total human terms

Perception is all there is Tom Peters, Management Guru

5/10/2017 QA PCS 18

What Are Their Requirements?Easy to access

RespectRespect

Courtesy

Empathy

Feel they were heard

Fairness and consistency

Clear, concise information

Solve their problem

Timely response—On Time

Seamlessness (don’t refer to others)5/10/2017 QA PCS 19

What Are Their Requirements?

Are there any others?

What are the little things that make a big difference?

What customers want and need is changing constantlychanging constantly

(Talk to shoulder partner)

5/10/2017 QA PCS 20

What Are Examples of Good and Poor Customer

Service?E iExercise Identify examples of good and poor

customer service you have received fromany source

Share

5/10/2017 QA PCS 21

Examples of Good Customer Service

Phone answered promptly with a smile

Connected to a live person who always used mynameVery accommodating to a new customer

Verbiage + tone was very important

Sincerely said “how can I help you”y p y

Treated everyone like a VIP

Met needs beyond expectations

5/10/2017 QA PCS 22

Common Themes -Good Service

HelpfulSi ith ilSincere with a smile

Empowered

Followed throughon promisesEmpathetic

Listened

Owned the problem

Recovery process

5/10/2017 QA PCS 23

Examples of Poor Customer Service

I wasn’t the priority - talking to someoneI wasn t the priority talking to someone else in the background

Didn’t listen to meHad no smile in their voice

No sense of urgency Usedg y

excuses

5/10/2017 QA PCS 24


Scheduled Appointments?!—Late?Scheduled Appointments?! Late?

Made me feel stupid or told me I was wrongConstantly said “I’ll get back to you”

Failure to deliver on promisesp

Had an “attitude”

5/10/2017 QA PCS 25


Lack of consistency in answers y

Lack of feeling respected

Didn’t follow through on promises Employee did not make eye contact and was goofing around with co-workers

Put me on hold before I could speak or even though I said no

5/10/2017 QA PCS 26

Top 10 Behaviors That Annoy Customers

1. I don’t know

2 I don’t care2. I don t care

3. I can’t be bothered

4. I don’t like you

5. I know it all

6. You don’t know anything

7. We don’t want your kind here

8. Don’t come back

9. I’m right and you’re wrong

10. Hurry up and wait5/10/2017 QA PCS 27

Five Forbidden Phrases

1. I don’t know

2. We can’t do that

3. You’ll have to . . .

4. Hang on a second, I’ll be right back

5. “No” when used at the beginning of any sentence

5/10/2017 QA PCS 28

Common Themes -Poor Service

No sense of urgencyNo ownership of problem

No follow through

Silos - not my problem

Already have the answer - don’t confuse them with the factsTransfer customer to someone else

Repeating story over and over and over

5/10/2017 QA PCS 29

What Is The Improvement Target?

Create and nurture an environment where each employee can grow

share ideas

meet the challenges of providing safetransportation for PCS students in a timelytransportation for PCS students in a timelyand efficient manner

5/10/2017 QA PCS 30

What is the Current State of Customer Service?

Culture that discourages complaints

Too many policies and procedures

Bureaucracy that dampens anyimpulse toward improvementDemanding customers

Combative customersCombative customers

Too much turnover

Lack of appropriate training

5/10/2017 QA PCS 31


Budget limitationsLack of knowledge of improvement plans

Lack of clear expectations

Lack of training and monitoring

Poor training

5/10/2017 QA PCS 32


Any additions to the list?

Any deletions from the list?

5/10/2017 QA PCS 33

What is the Desired State?

Goal is “one and done” Call one number

Talk to one person

Get question answered

Never transferred

Never have to repeat story more than once

A li l th hA live person always answers the phone within 3 rings

with a smile using a script andperformance excellence standards

5/10/2017 QA PCS 34


Person who answers has a smile has a smile

uses the performance excellence standards

has the ability to answer any question andsolve any problem

keeps promises

t ti manages expectations

Customer understands the rules and regulations

5/10/2017 QA PCS 35


Any additions to the list?

Any deletions from the list?

5/10/2017 QA PCS 36

Solutions to Barriers

Build a culture that customer calls are always the highest priority phone is always answered

back-up plan if not available

no calls roll to voice mail without caller approval

no phone rings forever no phone rings forever

“I don’t know” is not part of thevocabulary unless followed by “but I will get the answer and get back to you”

no blind transfers allowed5/10/2017 QA PCS 37

Identify non-negotiable policies


negotiable policies

level of empowerment to solve customerissues

behaviors expected of all employees

can’t do issues (skill deficiencies) can t do issues (skill deficiencies)

won’t do issues (motivation deficiencies)

don’t know how to do issues

5/10/2017 QA PCS 38

Break down walls between departments and functions


Improve ability to resolve complaints Share real-life customer service experiences through story telling

good experiences

t d i not so good experiences

Use story telling to identify clues to what customers really want

managing customer expectations5/10/2017 QA PCS 39

External and Internal Customer Service Standards

W Work togetherW Work togetherE Excellent service to customers and

each other

C Complete tasks in a timely mannerC Complete tasks in a timely manner

A Appreciate and embrace diversity

R Respond to concerns

E Efficient use of resources5/10/2017 QA PCS 40

Problem Solving

Customers don’t expect perfection

C t d t th t bl illCustomers do expect that problems will be solved

Problem solving begins when you recognize that a customer has a problem

5/10/2017 QA PCS 41

Top Ten Recovery Expectations

1. Being called back when promised1. Being called back when promised

2. Receiving an explanation of how a problemhappened

3. Knowing who to contact with a problem

4. Being contacted promptly when a problem isresolvedresolved

5. Being allowed to talk to someone in authority

5/10/2017 QA PCS 42

Top Ten Recovery Expectations

6. Being told how long it will take to resolve ag gproblem

7. Being given useful alternatives if a problemcan’t be solved

8. Being treated like a person, not an account number

9. Being told about ways to prevent a future problem

10. Being given progress reports if a problem can’t be solved immediately

5/10/2017 QA PCS 43

Problem Solving Model -Take HEART

H Hear the complaint, concern, or issueH Hear the complaint, concern, or issue

E Empathize and evaluate

A Apologize

R Resolve with urgency

T Thank youT Thank you

5/10/2017 QA PCS 44

Dealing with tough Customers

Their goal is to get under your skinTheir goal is to get under your skin

They feed off your reactions

Use your response to justify their behavior

Ignoring their rude and crude words sends themessage that you are not intimidated

Quoting policy or rules gives them somethingconcrete to scream about

5/10/2017 QA PCS 45

You are not obligated to continue a

Dealing with tough Customers

conversation with a customer if you are offended by their language

Make it clear to the customer stop this behavior and I’ll help you

continue and I won’t continue and I won t

If the behavior doesn’t stop, connect the customer to a peer or a supervisor

5/10/2017 QA PCS 46

Four Types of Tough Customers

Egocentric

Bad Mouth

Hysterical

DictatorialDictatorial

5/10/2017 QA PCS 47

Egocentric

Behaviors won’t wait his or her turn

will only speak to whomever is in charge

intimidates through name dropping

makes loud demands

How to deal with the egocentricHow to deal with the egocentric Take some immediate action to help

Don’t talk policy

Don’t let his or her ego destroy yours5/10/2017 QA PCS 48

Bad Mouth

Behaviors #@*!!! Caustic

Crude

Cruel

Foul language

How to deal with a bad mouth

@

How to deal with a bad mouth Ignore the language

Force the issue

Use selective agreement5/10/2017 QA PCS 49

Hysterical

B h iBehaviors Screams

Animated

Jumps around

How to deal with an hysterical customerHow to deal with an hysterical customer Let him or her vent

Take responsibility for solving the problem

5/10/2017 QA PCS 50

DictatorialBehaviors Insists on doing things his or

her wayher way

Suspects sabotage if things

don’t go his or her way

How to deal with a dictatorial customer Fulfill his or her request promptly and

accurately

Accentuate the positive by stating what you can do for him or her

5/10/2017 QA PCS 51

Take Care of YourselfYou are no good to anyone when you are stressed out

overwrought

moody

belligerent

waiting for that first cup of coffee

Learn how to cope with and counteractLearn how to cope with and counteract stress

Only you can manage the way you react to a customer encounter

5/10/2017 QA PCS 52

Take Care of Yourself

Disney concepts of onstage and offstage

O tOnstage

anywhere a customer can see or hear you

Offstage everywhere else, safely away from the public

where you can where you canlet out your emotions

deal with them

put your game face back on

come back to the job5/10/2017 QA PCS 53

Ten Stress Reducers1. Breathe - deep breathing is a stress-buster2. Smile - smiling is contagious3. Laugh - maintain a sense of humor4. Let it out - offstage5. Take a one minute vacation6. Relax - make a fist, then relax it7 Do desk/chair aerobics7. Do desk/chair aerobics8. Organize9. Talk positive10. Take a health break - walk outside5/10/2017 QA PCS 54

When you are at a loss, ask yourself

Best Practices for Pleasing Customers

“What would I want someone to do for me?”

Remember you cannot control people

you can only control your responses to them you can only control your responses to them

it’s not what you say but how you say it

5/10/2017 QA PCS 55

Ten Stress Reducers1. Breathe - deep breathing is a stress-buster2. Smile - smiling is contagious3. Laugh - maintain a sense of humor4. Let it out - offstage5. Take a one minute vacation6. Relax - make a fist, then relax it7 Do desk aerobics7. Do desk aerobics8. Organize9. Talk positive10. Take a health break - walk outside5/10/2017 QA PCS 56


You represent the organization and are thei ti i th t ’ i dorganization in the customer’s mind

Remember your own experiences

No discouraging words

Let customers think you have all the time in theworld

Give the customer a chance to change his or her mind

Cherish the customer who complains

5/10/2017 QA PCS 57

Take first-person responsibility


Don’t rely on the old standby of “I’ve never heardof that”

Find out how you’re doing by asking thecustomerMake sure happy endings really happen

Laurels are for yesterday, not today

End every interaction with a thank you

5/10/2017 QA PCS 58

When you are at a loss, ask yourself


“What would I want someone to do for me?”

Remember you cannot control people

you can only control your responses to them you can only control your responses to them

it’s not what you say but how you say it

5/10/2017 QA PCS 59

Remember:

There are no “bad” customers

Some are just h d t lharder to please

than others!

5/10/2017 QA PCS 60

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