Customer Service NVQBenchmarking and solving customer

problems

Workshop 22nd March 2016

University of Westminster

Trainers Bev Gilder and Diane Eaton

Session objectivesSession objectives• Understand what customers want

• Understand the importance of bench marking and feedback

• Acknowledge customers perceptions and manage customers expectations

• Recognise behavioural attitudes and how they can influence others

• Explore effective ways in which to deal with challenging customers

• Develop confidence when dealing with challenging customers

• How to offer solutions

• Devising ideas to deal with problems.

TQM – Customer service

What do you want when you are a customer ?

What actions, behaviours and attitudes make GREAT customer service?

What actions, behaviours and attitudes make BAD customer service?

What do you love when you are a customer ?

When you are a customer what do you really love……

When you are a customer what do you

really hate…..are a customer ?

The Special Relationship

Customers Love

to feel special

to be respected

to be treated as individuals

to speak to a person

to get a little something extra

Customers Hate

the run-around

ignorance

being put on from hold

lack of empathy

being interrupted

being taken for granted

Five keys to Customer Service Five keys to Customer Service

Keep promises and exceed expectations… be responsive

Be honest with customers, colleagues and yourself

Listen to feedback, it’s the tip of the iceberg

Find out what your customers think of you

Live the message you convey

Group exercise with others from your Group exercise with others from your area of work…….area of work…….

Think about actions, behaviours and systems/processes

•What do your internal and external customers expect overall from the University of Westminster ?

•What do your internal and external customers expect from your specific area ?

How do you know how you’re doing ?How do you know how you’re doing ?

• University league tables National Student Survey

• Internal staff survey

• Feedback from external customers – good and bad

• Feedback from internal customers – good and bad

• Your own performance review and your Key Performance Objectives

• Anything else ??

Some measures of performanceSome measures of performanceUniversity league tables

•Entry standards

•Student satisfaction

•Research assessment

•Graduation prospects

National student survey

•Teaching

•Assessment and feedback

•Academic support

•Organisation and management

•Learning resources

•Personal development

What can you measure in your area to What can you measure in your area to bench mark performance ? bench mark performance ?

• How can you collect this information

• What will it tell you ?

• How will you share it ?

• What can it help you do ?

Customer expectationsCustomer expectations

What turns you into a challenging What turns you into a challenging customer ?customer ?

• Actions

• Behaviours

• Systems/processes

What type of challenging situation do What type of challenging situation do you find most difficult to handle ?you find most difficult to handle ?

• Describe the situation to your group

• Work with people from a different area ?

• Support each other with ideas about what you can do ?

Model for handling customers complaintsModel for handling customers complaints

A FOUR-STAGE PROCESS

STAGE 1Listen

STAGE 2Clarify

STAGE 3Summarise

STAGE 4Commit

Stage 1: Use active listeningStage 1: Use active listening

• Look at the person if you are face to face

• If on the telephone – acknowledge that you are attentive

• Ignore distractions

• Track the conversation

• Empathise – use works like ‘acknowledge’ and ‘understand’

• Make appropriate verbal responses to show you are listening

Stage 2: Ask questions and clarifyStage 2: Ask questions and clarify

• Ask or advise that you may need to take a note so that you can accurately record the issues they have and do it !

• Use open and closed questions to extract information and focus on the problem

• Avoid multiply questions – they confuse everyone

Stage 3: SummariseStage 3: Summarise

• Replay your understanding of what the person is concerned about – precise key points

• Outline your suggestions/options for addressing the person’s needs

• Aim to give a choice if you can

• Seek confirmation of agreement and then advise of next stage

FOUR TYPES OF CHALLENGING FOUR TYPES OF CHALLENGING CUSTOMER…..WHAT CAN YOU DO ?CUSTOMER…..WHAT CAN YOU DO ?

• Aggressive and angry people

• Vague and indecisive people

• Unfriendly people

• Avoiders

Aggressive and angry…. Aggressive and angry….

• Stay in neutral - don’t respond with confrontation or retraction

• Check your body language and tone of voice on phone or face to face

• Keep asking for the facts

• Acknowledge their feelings about the issue

• Focus on reaching a positive outcome

• Be clear about what you can and can’t do before you start

• Use broken record technique

• Avoid over justifying with loads of reasons

VaguenessVagueness

• Stay patient – someone is trying to communicate

• Write down facts when they are given

• Aim to get control of the conversation so you get the facts you need

• Use clear open questions and closed ones to pin down to specifics

• Consider if there's a piece of info they don’t want to give – why ?

• Be business like and focussed

• Stay on topic

• Summarise regularly

UnfriendlinessUnfriendliness

•Smile as you speak

•Deal quickly

•Leave chit chat out

•Stick to the facts

•Avoid sarcastic comments

•Personalise using their name a little

AvoidersAvoiders

• Give short term time frame for action- yours and theirs

• Give one reason only

• Ask closed questions

• Stay assertive

• Use key phrases back

• Monitor outcome

Customer challenges … pleaseCustomer challenges … please• Demonstrate professionalism

• Watch your body language and your tone of voice

• Keep your voice friendly and open

• Listen

• Get information and record it

• Empathise

• Apologise if wrong

• Get back when you say so

• Be prepared to be assertive

and … ensure that you are aware of the organisation’s standards and codes of practice.

Avoid …Avoid …

• ‘Creating’ policies to avoid responsibility

• Saying they are talking to the wrong person

• Interrupting

• Saying that you didn’t deal with this

• Jumping to conclusions

• Saying you are having a lot of problems like this

• Talking down to them

• Losing your temper

• Appealing for sympathy

What customers wantWhat customers want

Help Help … genuine effort reduces hostility

ChoiceChoice….don’t push them into a corner

AcknowledgementAcknowledgement …..treating them as an individual and recognising they are upset

NVQ units Level 2

F1 – Communicate using customer service language

1.1, 1.2, 3.3, 3.9,3.10. 3.14, 3.15

F2- Follow the rules

1.2,1.3, 2.2

Level 3

F3 Demonstrate understanding Customer Service

1.2,1.3,(ex3.3,3.4,3.6,3.8,3.9,3.1

3.17,3.19

F4 Demonstrate understanding of rules

1.2

Next Workshop Next Workshop

• 26th April 2016 9.30 – 1.00

• Motivation and continuous improvement