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A newsletter providing you with information and insights
to help you meet your learning goals.
By ShaughnessyHowell
knowledge · focus · continuity
 
June 2007
In this issue: Customer Service
 
 
If anyone’s told you that good customer service is just common sense, then they haven’t experienced the chaotic life of a front-line service provider. Customer service today means understanding complex products, working in a cost-driven environment, handling customers who expect zero defects and delivering solutions with unprecedented speed. More likely than not service providers are expected to solve difficult problems, establish warm relationships, up-sell additional products, educate customers and keep their customer contact time to a minimum. Add to that the fact that the majority of customer contact jobs are low or entry level positions and you’re starting to understand how challenging it can be to equip service representatives with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
 
Do Your Homework Before Training
 
If you’ve decided that your organization could do a better job of developing the skills of customer service people, then the first thing you’ll want to do is to assess their environment. Don’t even think about designing or purchasing customer service training until you do your homework in this area. Many high quality service delivery training programs fall flat because participants can’t or won’t use the skills learned.
 
 
There are basic principles to adult learning that apply to all learning initiatives.  When developing or purchasing customer service training, you’ll want to address each principle so that measurable learning takes place. Here are some tips for ensuring that your customer service learning initiative achieves quantifiable results for the organization, employees and customers.
 
  
How we can help:
The ShaughnessyHowell Team can:
»  Conduct C.A.R.E. Focused Customer Service (Creating Attentive Responsive Employees) sessions for all your managers and employees
»  Facilitate Building Excellent Service Together (B.E.S.T.) sessions for all your call centre employees
»  Design a made-to-measure learning solution to take your customer service focus to new heights
 
 
 
 
ShaughnessyHowell Inc.
156 King Street South, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 1P6
Phone: (519) 746-5203
Fax: (519) 746-6135
http://www.shaughnessyhowell.com/