Customer Service Excellence

Overview

Customer service excellence is all about creating a great customer experience. This means not only providing goods and services that meet the customer’s functional needs but also evoking positive emotions at every moment of contact. Our perception of an organisation is hugely influenced by the contacts we have with the organisation's representatives. This human interaction stimulates emotional responses that have a dramatic effect on our willingness to commit to a long-term relationship with the organisation. Customer loyalty is dependent on providing that great customer experience.

In the public sector, this approach not only leads to increased customer satisfaction, but in many cases improved efficiency, a better working environment and enhanced staff morale.

Whilst this is also true in the commercial world, enhancing customer satisfactions can also lead to increased customer loyalty and long-term business growth.

Aims

The aim of this one-day workshop is to encourage and motivate participants to adopt positive customer service behaviours that go towards meeting both the functional and emotional needs of customers.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the programme, you will be able to:

• Define your role and responsibilities as a service provider
• Identify your internal and external customers
• Describe a strategy for achieving excellence in customer service
• Explain the importance of effective communication with your customers
• Identify the key elements of communication and know how to use them effectively
• Explain how to use questioning and listening to gain a full understanding of customers’ needs
• Influence your customers through the process of developing rapport and building trust
• Explain how to adapt your communication skills when using the telephone.

Workshop Content

• Your role as a service provider
• Customer service excellence
• The language of customer care
• Communicating customer care
• Influencing skills
• Communicating customer care on the telephone.

Variants

We have adapted the programme for numerous participant groups including:

• professional staff working on-site for clients in a contracting role
• professional staff working in an advisory role
• Local Authority administrative staff (Children’s Services)
• NHS reception staff
• NHS drivers and support staff.

The variants above address the issue of customer service from both an externally focused perspective and for those meeting the needs of their internal customers.