Customer Service Course Notes

There is only one boss, and whether a person shines shoes for a living or heads up the biggest corporation
in the world, the boss remains the same. It is the customer!
A happy customer will continue to be a buying customer and a returning customer.
Think about the places you enjoy patronizing
Expanding service definition
Identifying your customer
Developing a customer friendly approach

1. Friendliness: The most basic and associated with courtesy and politeness.

2. Empathy: The customer needs to know that the service provider appreciated their wants and
circumstances.

3. Fairness: The customer wants to feel they receive adequate attention and reasonable answers.

4. Control: The customer wants to feel his/her wants and input has influence on the outcome.

5. Information: Customers want to know about products and services but in a pertinent and time-
sensitive manner.
Service providers who answer, “I don't know” or “It is not my department” are automatically demeaned
and demoted in the mind of the customer.
Customer Service Techniques
“You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This is why the first impression is
extremely important and can set the tone for all future transactions.
Positive impression

 Thoughtfulness in meeting the customer's needs

 Personal responsibility for a customer

 Quick problem solving for the customer

 Offering immediate assistance

 Friendliness

 Using a customer's name in a conversation

 Pleasant tone of voice

 Neatness

 A genuine smile

 Here are some factors that create a negative impression:


o Making the customer wait

o Not answering the phone promptly

o Not saying "please" and/or "thank you"

o Speaking loudly or condescendingly to customers or colleagues

o Making faces, frowning, acting distant, not smiling

o Looking disheveled or like you do not care about your appearance

o A poor handshake

o Focusing on another task while addressing or servicing a customer

 Remember: Impressions stay with those you meet, especially customers, and once registered;
negative impressions are difficult to overcome.

Interpersonal actions of customer service

Smile
Eye contact
The way you look
Posture
Observation
Be attentive
Tone of voice
Hand gestures
Personal space
 A flat tone of voice says to the customer, "I don't like my job and would rather be elsewhere."

 Slow pitch and presentation say, "I am sad and lonely - do not bother me."

 A high pitch, rapid voice says, "I am enthusiastic and excited!"

 A loud voice says. "I'm angry and aggressive."

Answering calls

 Pick in 3 rings
 Greet customer
 Give your name
 Ask how you can help
 Example:

• Ask the customer if you can put them on hold; wait for him/her to say “yes” or “no” and then explain it
will only be for a short period of time.

• Explain to the customer why you are putting him/her on hold.

• After you return to the phone, thank the customer for holding.

Taking responsibility

 Listen without interruption and with full attention

 Behave without aggression, and without arguing

 Do not extend excuses for the problem; thank the customer for drawing their attention to it and helping
solve it.

 Express sympathy and full understanding.

 Beginning the Problem Solving Process

 After you have listened to, and taken reasonability for, the customer's complaint, the problem
solving process will begin. To initiate this process, you should:

o Ask necessary questions to get a more complete picture of the situation.
 o Identify the customer's needs by finding out exactly what the customer needs you to do
for them.

o First explain what you can do and then gently add what you cannot do.

o Discuss all options in detail and then decide what needs to be done.

o Undertake the agreed upon action immediately.

o Check the result to make sure the customer is completely satisfied.

A study by Bain & Company suggests that a 5% increase in

customer loyalty can improve profitability by anywhere from 25%
to 95%.

Listen
Express that you’re sorry

o Apologise to the customer in one of the following ways:

• "We are sorry for this mistake/problem.”

• “We are terribly sorry for this inconvenience.”

• “How can we work to solve this problem together?”

• “I can imagine how frustrated you are.”

Do not argue

10 Customer Service Don’ts

Hearing the word ‘no’
You can say, What I can do is

Don’t say I don’t know

Say let me find out or let me look into this and get back to you

That’s not my job

 Let me transfer you to the person who can immediately solve your problem

You’re right. That is bad

Say, I understand your frustration. Let’s see how we can solve the problem

Calm Down
Say I’m sorry

Don’t say I’m too busy right now

Say I’ll be right with you or please hold

Call me back
You call back

That’s not my fault

Let’s see what we can do about this problem

You need to talk to my supervisor

Let me find that out for you

You want it when?

Let me call you back after I find out if it is possible.

Treat customers as the most important part of your job

The Five P’s in Customer Service: Everything you need to know about the company
People
Products and Services
Policies
Procedures
Places

Using complaints to renew customer loyalty

Listen Completely
Let them vent
Apologize
Ask them what you can do to make it right
Assure them you’ll fix the problem: it won’t happen again
Thank them

 The 6 key steps to loyal customers are:


1. Ask your customers what they want

2. Tell your customers what to expect

3. Create easy ways for your customers to offer feedback

 4. Listen to what your customers say

5. Act on what your customers tell you

6. Repeat

Long term Loyalty

. Get Management in Direct Contact with Customers
2. Get Customers Involved in Creating Customer Service Standards
3. Get Employees Involved in Implementing Standards
4. Leadership Must Show Everyone Customer Service is a Priority

Creating Culture of Customer Service

1. Publish your customer service standards

2. Record your role models in action

3. Have regular coaching and role playing sessions

4. Reward employees who deliver excellent service

5. Reward employees for noticing other employees

6. Get your customers involved

Customer service is especially important in the hospitality industry as it is the industry's main product
They must be empathetic and try to think like customers.

Employees should remember that hotel guests usually arrive tired, and all they want is to get to their
room, get comfortable and take a shower. Reception staff ensure that check-in is brief and
effective. Restaurant clients arrive hungry and they expect to find a choice they like.

What customers want in hotel

 1. A Clean, Safe and Secure Environment
. Good Food and Drink
3. Respectful Service
4. Satisfaction of All Other
Needs

12 steps of superior hospitality service

Maintain a Pleasing Environment
2. Make a Favourable First Impression
 3. Train New Employees
4. Develop the Professionalism of Management and Staff
5. Establish Systems of Flawless Communication in the Business
6. Answer Clients' Questions
7. Accommodate All Reasonable Wishes of the Customer
8. Encourage Team Spirit
9. Amenities and Presents for the Customer
10. Offer Incentives for Personnel
11. Supervision
12. Management Inspections

Preparation and Personnel Standards

Personal Hygiene

 Staff must be showered before work

 Employees must maintain superb oral hygiene, brushing their teeth as well as using mouthwash

 Hair must be kept neat and combed

 Male staff members must shave before they begin work

 Staff must avoid using overpowering smelling cologne, perfume or other cosmetics

 Tattoos must be kept covered at all times

2. Dress Code

 Uniforms should be perfectly clean and pressed

 Clean, dark, comfortable shoes should be work with clean socks

 A cotton t-shirt should be work under the uniform shirt

 No jewellery is appropriate except for wedding bands, engagement rings, and small earrings

 Name tags should be worn at all times

 3. Mise en Place

 Before Opening: All tables should be set with clean tablecloths, polished silverware, glassware and china.
Salt and pepper dispensers must be re-filled and chairs should be placed in their proper positions.

 During Service: Following a sitting, the table-top should be crumbed and place-mats should be changed
before seating the next guests. Do not seat guests if the table is not completely set.

 After Service: All tablecloths should be replaced in preparation for the following service.

 4. Maintain Responsibility for Your Section

6. Follow Instructions
Manager might take over or give other directions. Don’t be offended
7. Deal with Disputes Calmly and Discreetly

Restaurant Service Essentials

Welcome the customer
Acknowledge the client
Table service
Be knowledgeable
Move gracefully
Be discreet
Use an underline

Management in hospitality
Building a team
3 types of teams in hospitality business

 Formal work teams: created by management

 Informal work teams: when teams intermingle
 Leisure groups: groups by employees with similar interests
Conducting meetings
Managing Change
Quality Control Systems
Quality Control Systems (QCS). There are a number of different QCS including TQM, (Total Quality
Management), QOS, (Quality of Service) and SASQ, (Systems Approach to Service Quality)
 Managers should implement QCS in the following way:

1. Each manager must know his role in-depth and perform his duties perfectly, leading his
subordinates by example.

2. Orientation of new employees and training of new and existing staff must be on-going.

3. Demand the highest level of work performance each worker is able to achieve.

4. Perform in-house quality inspections at regular intervals, as well as surprise checks

Definition of Customer Service

The Institute of Customer Service in 2017 described customer service as the sum total of what an
organization does to meet customer expectations and produce customer satisfaction

Unhappy customers spend less

Costs also go up as companies try to spend more in customer acquisition

In 1995, a Starbucks customer purchased a defective cappuccino maker and demanded the company
replace it with its top-of-the-line machine, worth approximately $2000 more than the one he had
purchased. He threatened to take out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal if Starbucks did not
comply. The company refused his demands so he went ahead and published the ad – and of course
received national media attention. The ad read as follows: “Had any problems at Starbucks Coffee?
You’re not alone. Interested? Let’s talk. (800) 510-3483.” Nearly 3000 unhappy customers of Starbucks
responded with their tales of ill-treatment by Starbucks

Excellent customer service is what separates a retailer from their

competition.
Expectation
Involvement
Responsibility
Purpose

1. Listening skills

2. Positive verbal communication skills

3. Positive non-verbal communication skills

4. Solving customer problems

Positive non-verbal communication skills

 Eye Contact
Facial Expression
Personal Appearance
Sincerity

Solving Customer Problems

Assume Innocence
Believe your customer
Look for teaching opportunities
Beware of responding in kind
Be empathetic

 Training
 Before employees can provide excellent customer service they must be well
trained. Management should train employees in the following areas:

1. Equipment: Employees should be taught how to use all operating
equipment they are required to use such as cash registers, pricing
machines, etc.

2. Resource Materials: Be sure employees know where and how to use any
reference materials that they might need to use such as manuals, lists,
etc.

3. Resource Personnel: Be sure employees know who to go to for help and to

find answers to their questions and their customer's questions. Encourage
all personnel to help each other. There should be designated personnel to
train in specific tasks and areas.

4. On the Job: Much training will be accomplished hands on, with instruction
and help being given at the same time. Employees should ensure they pay
attention and stay focused during their “on the job” training.

5. Expectations: All personnel should thoroughly understand what is

expected of them. They should understand that their first priority is
customer service. Tell them they are expected to be courteous, attentive,
and helpful. Rudeness and avoiding or ignoring a customer will not be
tolerated.

6. Consequences: All personnel should understand the consequences for

failing to meet customer service expectations. The commitment to deliver
excellent customer service is not just a policy, it is a job requirement.
 Appreciation
Lead by example
Involvement
Responsibility

As they approach the store

As they walk
During shopping
When making a purchase

 Remember to use "L.A.S.T."

Listen: Listening is one of the most important - and underrated - skills we

possess. Don't just hear what someone is saying, instead, you should truly listen.
Do not interrupt a customer as they talk.

Apologize: It's hard to apologize - especially if something isn't your fault. But, it
is part of the job.

Solve: Solve the customer's problem with the customer - the important thing to
demonstrate is that you, personally, are going to take responsibility to work with
your customer to try and resolve whatever you can.

Thank: By thanking the customer, you leave him/her with the feeling that their
problem (and your shared experience of solving it) has been worth it.

 It is the job of public servants to provide service that:


o Makes customers feel important

o Makes customers feel heard

o Makes customers feel respected

o Responds to customer needs to the greatest degree possible

o Empowers customers through honest and trustworthy interactions

 The customer service principles for the public sector are:


1. Treat customers with respect

2. Maintain a positive attitude at all times

3. Respect the customer's viewpoint

4. Recognize excellent customer service skills