Going The Extra Mile: Achieving Excellence in Customer Service

Overview

Course duration: 1 day.

This one-day course equips you with the skills to deliver consistent service excellence at every customer 'touchpoint'. It will also enable you to handle difficult situations and achieve increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Companies that offer differentiated, reliable and customer-friendly service have a distinct competitive advantage. Because customers have become more demanding, no longer do they choose speed, quality or price - they now expect all three.

This course focuses on the key actions required to achieve real excellence in customer service. The key to customer handling is practice, so you will be encouraged to use real life examples from your place of work to see how you can improve the quality of customer service you provide.

You will also take away guidance notes and templates to use, to help you assess your behaviour when working with your customers.

Is it right for me?

If you already have some experience within a customer service role, either with internal or external customers, and are looking to develop your skills further, then this course is for you.

The focus is on how to deliver a consistent quality service by changing the way you think about customer service and changing your behaviour to match the situation.

What will I learn?

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• State your role in achieving a differentiated branded customer experience.
• Shape and deliver your customers’ expectations.
• Identify the relationship between effective communication and customer loyalty.
• Handle customer complaints and objections successfully, using new tools, tips and techniques.
• Maintain a positive, customer-focused attitude, even in challenging situations.
• Deliver consistent service excellence at every customer 'touchpoint'.

Pre-course Activity

To gain the maximum benefit from the course, you will be sent an activity to complete which asks you to consider current expectations and challenges. This will help you set the context of the course and you will be asked to use it on the day as part of the workshop activities.

What will it cover?

What is a Differentiated Customer Experience?

• Internal and external customer service, and customer service teams
• Your impact on the customer experience
• Projecting a 'brand' image

Meeting Customer Expectations

• Understanding customers' needs and expectations
• Why do customers complain?
• Barriers to effective communication

Communicating Positively with Customers

• The impact of poor listening and questioning
• Using information effectively
• Giving 'bad news' and saying 'no' constructively

Turning Complaints Into Opportunities

• Defusing a difficult situation
• Demonstrating empathy - exploring options and alternatives
• Balanced behaviour responses

Ensuring Consistent Quality Service

• Acting on feedback from customers
• How to influence customer loyalty
• Improving the brand experience

Trainer Profile

George Baxter

I will take delegates on a journey through the eyes of a customer, to help appreciate why customer service is the ‘life blood’ of many businesses and develop appropriate action plans.

Delegates will gain insight into what is expected of any customer service representative and the importance of maintaining a professional approach. We will look at different ‘challenging’ customer situations and practice how to use effective communication skills to deal with these, working to a positive outcome.

We will look at the impact good and bad customer service has on the business, customer service teams and customers.

The Faculty

Along withIan Sanders, George Baxter is part of the dedicated faculty team who will deliver this course. The initials next to each date below indicate which trainer is scheduled to deliver which event.

Recent delegates have said

“Quality and style of instruction was by far the best I have received.”