Positive Customer Engagement

Overview

We all know how frustrating it is when we can’t get an answer to questions by browsing an organisation’s website or when emails to customer services go unanswered. What do we do then? We pick up the phone and just hope we won’t end up in an endless queue with inane messages that start with, “Your call is important to us” and go on to say, “All are operators are currently busy. For information, visit our website at www.youwontfindwhatyouarelookingforhere.co.uk”. By the time we do get through to an agent, whatever frustration we felt at the beginning has been compounded by the wait we have had to endure and may, indeed, have spilled over into anger.

Of course, that is not always the case. There are times when we wish to make an order by phone and the agent answers immediately, but the scenario above highlights how important it is for the person answering the phone to be ready for such a caller and to adopt the right tone from the beginning, demonstrating a level of professionalism that shows the organisation in its best light.

Answering customer calls is skilled job that has a huge impact on whether a customer is likely to continuing engaging with your organisation or use you again once their current difficulty has been resolved.  It is important to recognise that customers have both functional and emotional needs. Yes, they want their problems resolved promptly with the minimum of fuss, but they also want to be treated as human beings.  They want to be listened to with empathy, they want to be respected, the want to be trusted and, above all, they want to feel ‘positive’ about both you and themselves when they put down the phone.

This short programme focuses on the communication skills that will ensure the best possible customer experience during their interaction with you.  It also addresses what to do when customers, through their frustration, become difficult to communicate with and can’t easily be placated.  The use of actors in the practical exercises helps bring a level of reality to this learning experience.

Aims

The aim of this half-day workshop is to provide participants with the skills needed to promote a positive customer experience and build personal resilience.

Learning Objectives

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

• Explain the importance of positive customer contact in shaping customers’ perceptions of the organisation as a whole
• Distinguish between customers’ functional and emotional needed
• Create a positive impression with customers
• Develop relevant skills in communicating positively over the telephone and by email
• Develop listening and questioning skills to help identify and understand callers’ needs Deal with customer dissatisfaction
• Build personal resilience to deal with complaint situations positively.

Pre-Workshop Assignment

• Your role as a customer service provider?
• Why is excellent customer service so important?
• Practical exercise – identifying your own scenario

Workshop Content

• Introduction
  • Why Is Excellent Customer Service So Important?
  • Understanding Your Customers’ Needs
• The Communications Mindset
  • Communicating Customer Care
  • Empathy and Rapport
  • Questioning
  • Exercise - Questioning
  • Listening
• Using Positive Language
  • The Language of Customer Care
  • Exercise – Using Positive Language
• Being Assertive
  • Awkward Callers - Who Are They?
  • The Power of Empathy
  • Assertiveness Techniques
  • Exercise – Using Assertive Language
• Practice Sessions
  • Working with the actors