CallCenterBestPractices.com » customer service training

Create a Vision For Your Customer Service Training

Gail — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:41:55 +0000

Create a Vision For Your Customer Service Training

By Ron Kaufman

During a cold winter season, smart organizations get busy preparing for spring. One way to prepare is to create (or confirm) a clear and motivating vision of what you want to become. Back this vision up with customer service training and other measures and you can transform your business for the better. Your engaging service vision is one of the “12 Building Blocks for a Superior Service Culture” we teach at UP Your Service! College. This vision can serve as a guiding light for customer service training and to focus your efforts now and in the future.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Training and ROI (Return On Investment)

Gail — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:48:07 +0000

Training and ROI (Return On Investment)

Statistics consistently reinforce that the biggest challenge in today’s contact center environment is agent training. Turnover continues to be high; new hire costs are on the rise–$6500 per agent! At the same time, losing customers because of bad call experiences negatively impacts your bottom line. What can you do? How do you justify the training expenditure?

Research has been making a case for how spending in human performance areas such as training, translates into bottom line growth. Accenture’s study on the impact of training on ROI has some interesting results. (Smith, David. Y. and Waddington, Ted. Running Training Like a Business: Determining the Return on Investment of Your Learning Programs, Outlook Point of View, March 2003.)

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

A Comprehensive New Employee Orientation Program – 5 Reasons Why You Need One Now!

Gail — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:31:41 +0000

In a nutshell, a comprehensive New Employee Orientation Program increases employee engagement and retention. Increased employee engagement and retention let’s you keep and earn more money. In other words, happy, loyal employees mean happy, loyal customers. On the other hand, a typical ad hoc “first day” will increase expenses. In fact, 4% of new employees will leave after the first day! And you’re left to start all over again.

Specifically, a carefully designed and delivered New Employee Orientation Program will:

1. Reduce new employee start-up costs

2. Help make the new employee independently productive as quickly as possible

3. Provide your new employees with relevant information when they need to know it

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Corporate Training – This is Customer Service Success

Gail — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:48:04 +0000

The question we have to ask ourselves is what great customer service? Well, I have a two pronged definition to define effective customer service. Here it is.

My two pronged definition of Customer Service:

1. Finding a need and filling it.

2. Doing for the customer what you know they want done for them.

Let’s break this down a bit.

First, finding a need and filling it.

What does this really mean? Have you ever heard the saying that the customer is always right? Of course you have. Your customers keep preaching that to you. But let me let you in on a little secret. It’s not true. That quote has been taken out of context for years. In fact, it is only half the original quote. The challenge is that you have probably only heard it that way and even more challenging is that your customers have only heard it that way too.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Putting the “Service” Back in “Customer Service”

Admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:10:00 +0000

by: pianopl123

The future of customer service is here. Technology has made seeking out support faster and easier than ever. But, has your digital age company sacrificed true service in the name of automation?

Today, finding customer support is as simple as writing an e-mail or picking up the phone. But, even though you’re not face-to-face with your customers, you still leave a lasting impression. Do you come across as caring and competent, or menacing and mechanical?

Offering stand-out service on the Internet isn’t as hard as it is rare. Take these simple steps towards old-style service in the digital age:

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

5 Traits You Cannot Teach In Customer Service

Admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:01:05 +0000

By Leonard Buchholz

There are character traits you cannot teach in Customer Service. If we could, we would because it makes the whole world a better place, not just Customer Service.

We can’t, and therefore we work with people whom we believe to most exemplify these traits.

Here are 5 you cannot teach.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Customer Service Training Tips

Admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:03:47 +0000

5 Simple Steps to a MAGIC Facilitation

by Jeremiah Walsh

As a customer service trainer I teach associates how to use the Five Steps of MAGIC (Make A Great Impression on the Customer) to create an exceptional customer experience. But do your customers—program participants—leave your training programs feeling as though they had an exceptional learning experience?

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

How to be a Great Supervisor- Continued

Admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:02:17 +0000

How to Be a Better Listener Using Active Listening Techniques

Stop Talking This is usually much harder than you think
Relax the Person Ask them to sit down, make them comfortable, exhibit inviting body language
Don’t interrupt – use silence
Empathize by reflecting their feelings. Do not say: “I know how you feel.” Do say: “It sounds like this makes you frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, etc.
”Paraphrase – repeat back to them what you heard them say
Ask open ended questions. Prompt them to continue speaking with who, what, where, why questions. Talking is therapeutic.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Selling Sales to Customer Service Agents

Admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:01:25 +0000

The Sales Stigma

By Carole Sue Jones

Somewhere along the way sales got a bad rap. I’m sure all of us can relate to having dealt with a salesperson that made us uncomfortable, pressured us into making a decision, or even mislead us about the product or service.

We have all survived a contract we didn’t want or have things in our house that we were lured into buying only to be disappointed in their performance or usability.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Selling Sales to Customer Service Agents- Continued

Admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:00:44 +0000

(The Story Continued)
The Customer Service Challenge

As the needs of the Call Center industry change and our customer service representatives are required to take on more tasks and responsibilities, they also find themselves in the position to sell more products or services Initiating this behavior can be a challenge for those who feel threatened buy the sales process. Sometimes, representatives are uncomfortable with positioning sales to customers who have called in for other issues. They fall victim to the sales stigma – that the customer will assume they are offering something that is not needed or that will not be useful. But it is the manager’s responsibility to help representatives understand that great customer service includes an additional sales offer.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.