Customer Service Excellence (Surviving and Thriving on the Front Lines)

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Provide quality service quickly and easily
• Respond easily and effectively to a wide variety of customers
• Be consistent throughout the day
• Stay calm during challenging situations
• Remain productive and positive regardless of external condition

Course Outline:

Customer Service Excellence

This module reviews some quick and easy-to-apply ideas on dealing with a wide variety of situations.

• What is the biggest myth about “service excellence” today?
• What are the three most important ideas about good service?
• What are the two key ingredients of a positive and professional service image?
• How can I provide service that is courteous and quick?
• What do I need to know about words, voice qualities and body language to provide good service and protect my own time and stress?
• How can I stay calm when coping with a challenging individual?

Coping With The Challenging Customer

Providing excellent service to the public is important–but how do you cope and stay calm with the angry or challenging person?  This module offers concrete ways to cope with various types of challenging citizens.  You will learn ways to get them to listen to you, how to get others to calm down and be more reasonable, and how to shorten time spent with people who talk forever! 

• What is the most important idea about coping with a challenging customer?
• When can saying “sorry” make things worse instead of better?
• What are three practical and field-tested “word strategies” I can use in tough situations?
• What are “trigger words” and how do they irritate people or cause angry customers to escalate?
• What are “neutral substitutes” and how do they help?
• What are three equally practical “voice quality strategies” I can use in tough situation?
• What are some “body language strategies” that will also help?
• How can I give and get information without being interrupted?

Your Attitude Is Your Suit Of Armor! 

Did you know that a positive attitude is NOT always your best choice?  In fact, most of the time it just makes your stress go up!  And no, a negative attitude isn’t going to work either. Here’s the secret most people don’t know:  Recent research has discovered a third choice – and that’s what this module gives you.

• What are the three attitudes research saying we can choose from today?
• What attitude is the healthiest choice in most situations?
• What are some surprising statistics about stress and attitude?
• What are some common stressful situations at work and some very practical solutions to them?
• What is the key to creating a healthy attitude and lower stress?
• What are “healthy pleasures” and how can they help me?
• What are quick and practical “attitude adjusters” I can use any time and any place?

Instructors Note:
Additional topics can be included depending upon the needs of your organization, including:

• Assertiveness & Business Image for Results
• Balancing a Full Plate in a Fast-Paced Day
• Effective Conflict Management: Maintaining Collaborative Relationships during Disagreement 
• Email Etiquette
• Getting More Done in Less Time: Managing Multiple Priorities
• Influencing Upward: How to Sell My Great Ideas to My Boss and Others
• Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Communication
• Quick & Effective Assertiveness Skills
• Straight Talk: Communicating with Tact & Diplomacy
• Telephone Techniques That Work