101 Ways to Improve Customer Service provides a variety of training and development interventions that can be put to use right now with frontline service employees. Your customer service representatives directly influence the perception that customers have of your products and services and ultimately your company. It is vital that your employees develop service strategies to create a positive image, communicate effectively, and build customer rapport to support the underlying values and beliefs of your organization.
Table of Contents:
Contents for the CD-ROM xvii
Introduction: Getting the Most from This Resource 1
Topical Index of Interventions 9
Section ONE Awareness 13
Training 1 Collection Inspection:Observation 15
Training 2 Conjecture Lecture: First Impressions 17
Training 3 Information, Please:Observation and Information Gathering 21
Training 4 It’s a Jungle out There: Stereotyping 23
Training 5 Just My Luck: Personal Perspective 27
Training 6 Making Sense of It: Sensory Acuity 33
Training 7 See Saw:Visual Perception 37
Training 8 Stressing the Positive:Workplace Stressors 41
Training 9 What Now? Perceptual Expectations 47
Tool 10 On the Line: Credibility 51
Tool 11 Power Up: Assertiveness 53
Tip 12 Flex Your Mind:Mental Flexibility 57
Tip 13 Keep It Cool: Job Pressure 59
Tip 14 Stress Buster: Stress Reduction 61
Technique 15 Meltdown:Dealing with Anger 63
Technique 16 Plead Your Case: Influencing Change 65
Section TWO Communication 67
Training 17 Blueprints for Success:Verbal Instructions 69
Training 18 From Me to You: Focus on Others 71
Training 19 Negative Ten-dency:Word Usage 75
Training 20 Poker Face:Nonverbal Communication 79
Training 21 Say What You Mean: Concise Verbal Communication 85
Training 22 Seeing Is Believing: Body Language and Culture 89
Training 23 Summary Judgment: Listening 93
Training 24 Tongue-Tying Twisters:Word Enunciation 95
Tool 25 Listen Closely: Responsive Listening 99
Tool 26 Mind the Message: Communication Processes 101
Tool 27 Probing Points:Questioning 105
Tool 28 Sound Advice:Voice Quality 109
Tip 29 Crossing the Border: International Communication 111
Tip 30 E-Service: Electronic Communication 113
Technique 31 Attention, Please: Keeping the Customer’s Attention 115
Technique 32 Return Policy: Feedback Guidelines 117
Technique 33 Six Degrees of Persuasion: Influencing Through Listening 119
Section THREE Planning 121
Training 34 Color Quest: Limited Resources 123
Training 35 Commercial Appeal: Product or Service Offerings 125
Training 36 Flow Motion:Work Process Improvement 127
Training 37 Hardware: Classifying Resources 131
Training 38 Heads and Tails: Optimizing Resources 135
Training 39 Last Straw: Goal Setting and Resources 139
Training 40 On Target: Goal Alignment 143
Training 41 View from the Top: Personal Change Management 147
Tool 42 Desk Stress: Organization 149
Tool 43 Pass It On:Delegation 153
Tip 44 Flag It: File Management 155
Tip 45 Just the Fax: Fax Information File 157
Tip 46 Library Dues:Development Resources 159
Tip 47 Memory Ticklers: Information Recall 161
Tip 48 New Kids on the Block: Orientation 163
Tip 49 To Do or Not to Do:To-Do Lists 165
Technique 50 Setting the Bar: Service Standards 167
Technique 51 Tackling Time Wasters:Time Management 169
Section FOUR Problem Solving 173
Training 52 Comic Relief: Analyzing Problem Situations 175
Training 53 Dialing Dilemma:Telephone Logic Problem 179
Training 54 It’s All in How You Look at It: Problem Interpretation 183
Training 55 Medical Breakthrough: Logical Problem Analysis 187
Training 56 Miss Interpretation: Problem Interpretation 193
Training 57 Nominally Speaking:Nominal Group Technique 195
Training 58 Role It Out: Situational Role Play 199
Training 59 Sensible Solutions: Alternative Solutions 205
Tool 60 Breaking Barriers:Obstacles to Problem Solving 207
Tool 61 Creativity Quotient: Self-Assessment 211
Tip 62 A CAP-ital Idea: Creative Action Planning 215
Tip 63 Feelings Check-In: Conflict Reaction Assessment 217
Tip 64 Share to Be Aware: Interdepartmental Problem Solving 219
Technique 65 Crash Control: Conflict Management Styles 221
Technique 66 Fair Play:Win-Win Negotiation 225
Technique 67 Stage Right: Creative Process 229
Section FIVE Quality 231
Training 68 Getting the Word Out:Quality Components 233
Training 69 Inconvenience Store: Service Strategies 237
Training 70 Like It or Not: Service Analogies 239
Training 71 Making the Connection: Customer Expectations 245
Training 72 Overcharged and Underrated: Exceeding Expectations 249
Training 73 Picture Perfect: Communicating Quality 253
Training 74 RATER of the Lost Art: Customer Perception of Quality 257
Training 75 Right Approach: Service Attitude 261
Training 76 Service Link: Creative Analysis of Service 265
Tool 77 Cream of the Crop:Quality Competencies 269
Tool 78 May I Help You? Telephone Etiquette 273
Tip 79 Behind the Scenes: Support Role Recognition 277
Tip 80 Getting Down to Business: Customer Comment Cards 279
Tip 81 Hit the Heights: Customer Service Week 281
Tip 82 Knowledge Is Power:Technical Training 283
Technique 83 Concession Stand: Acknowledging Customer Concerns 285
Technique 84 Write On: Letters of Complaint 287
Section SIX Teamwork 289
Training 85 Candy Land: Group Decision Making 291
Training 86 In and Out: Internal Customers 295
Training 87 Mind the Details: Individual vs.Team Performance 299
Training 88 On Course: Communication, Reliability, and Trust 303
Training 89 Open Account:Team Environment 307
Training 90 Port of Call: Partnering Strategies 313
Training 91 Seeing STARS: Group Interdependence 315
Training 92 To the Letter:Time-Constrained Team Performance 325
Tool 93 A Matter of Trust:Team Member Trust 329
Tool 94 Team Checkup: Group Effectiveness 333
Tip 95 Bank on It: Peer Recognition 337
Tip 96 Get on Board: Peer Feedback 339
Tip 97 Rely on Me:Team Trust 341
Tip 98 Rivalry or Revelry: Constructive Competition 343
Tip 99 Team Talent: Resource Directory 345
Technique 100 Confront with Care:Team Conflict Management 347
Technique 101 Opposition Position: Constructive Competition 349
Appendix A: Internal Customer Service 351
Appendix B: Call Centers 355
Appendix C: Retail 357
Appendix D: Sales 359
About the Author 363
How to Use the CD-ROM 365
About the Author :
Lorraine L. Ukens is the owner of Team-ing with Success, a consulting and training enterprise specializing in team building and leadership development. Her wide range of business experience, spanning more than twenty-five years, is applied in designing, facilitating, and evaluating programs in a variety of human resource development areas. Ukens is the author of more than ten books including the best-selling simulation, Lost in the Amazon and her most recent collection of activities, The New Encyclopedia of Group Activities, both from Pfeiffer. She received her M.S. degree from Towson University where she taught as an adjunct faculty member from 1997 until 2005.
Lorraine L. Ukens is the owner of Team-ing with Success, a consulting and training enterprise specializing in team building and leadership development. Her wide range of business experience, spanning more than twenty-five years, is applied in designing, facilitating, and evaluating programs in a variety of human resource development areas. Ukens is the author of more than ten books including the best-selling simulation, Lost in the Amazon and her most recent collection of activities, The New Encyclopedia of Group Activities, both from Pfeiffer. She received her M.S. degree from Towson University where she taught as an adjunct faculty member from 1997 until 2005.
