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Overview

This practical one-day course has a simple objective: to raise customer service and support standards by instructing, equipping and inspiring participants to delight customers at every contact they have.

Participants will acquire essential face-to-face and interpersonal tools, skills and methods and will identify areas for improvement.

Training objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Establish the standards and systems that can make every customer feel special – both customers and internal colleagues
  • Use a range of professional interpersonal techniques, tools and skills to use to make customers feel valued and to deliver above expectations – building on the personal skills and experience you already have
  • Make a composed and confident first impression, meet and greet effectively, so that customers feel welcomed and well cared for, particularly when they have a problem
  • Use personal skills for listening effectively and to enhance an understanding of what customers really want and expect, plus using the right words, phrases and polishing your use of eye-contact and body language, plus the use of key verbal techniques to create rapport and empathy
  • Apply best practice in following up by email
  • Identify different customer needs and situations
  • Deal with complex or multi-stage technical problems more effectively
  • Understand customer expectations and deliver more than you promise
  • Maintain a positive attitude throughout the day and make every call interaction feel like your most important
  • Satisfy complainers, calm upset customers and regain confidence and goodwill
  • Turn problems into opportunities

A unique feature of the course is that it addresses both the standards and the skills people use over and above their technical knowledge. The course features the SPECIAL model:

  • Speed and time
  • Personal and personalised
  • Expectations – manage and exceed
  • Competence and courtesy
  • Information
  • Attitude
  • Long-term relationship and follow-through

Each of these points is related explicitly to the jobs the course participants do and their interaction with customers face-to-face.

Audience

All customer service, technical and support staff, managers and team leaders who support or work with either internal or external customers.

The course is suitable for all sectors – large and small organisations, private and public sector, not for profit, SA and international.

Format

The training is very practical and objective. Very clear and specific skills, models and techniques are covered. The focus is on improving things that are already working, not going over old ground. Participants will discuss and plan new approaches to real-life examples taken from their own situations.

Each element of the course includes:

  • High-quality training presentation
  • Group exercises and team activities
  • High degree of participation and interaction

The course includes regular discussion, planning and other practical exercises to develop and practice the skills and methods presented. Presentation and exercises can be tailored to specific situations from participants’ work. The style is up-beat and motivational.

Special features

The course can be tailored to include any specialist topics such as advanced telephone skills, dealing with complaints, internal planning, etc, according to organisational need or the skill level of the participants.

Price

In South Africa, the price is R9 995 per day’s training (or R9 895 for public and voluntary sectors). Internationally, the price varies, depending on the country: please call us for details. Whether in SA or internationally, you get:

  • A day’s training for a maximum group size of 12 (8 to 10 recommended)
  • A tried-and-tested course (tailored, if necessary, to your specific needs)
  • Your choice of expert trainer – pick a local trainer to minimise expenses or look through the list and choose someone with relevant sector experience
  • A printed workbook for each course participant, including invaluable reference materials for use after the course
  • A personal action plan for each participant, to help them raise their level of customer service
  • Ten follow-up coaching newsletters emailed to each participant over the following three months, to help them implement their action plans
  • A certificate of attendance for each course participant
  • A comprehensive report giving you the participants’ feedback from the day’s training
  • A follow-up call three months later to help assess the extent of the improvements achieved as a result of the training

Any hidden costs? The only additional costs are the trainer’s travel and incidental costs, and (if really unavoidable) accommodation costs – and we’ll give you an estimate of these costs before you commit. VAT is applicable.

Course outline

  1. Introduction
    • Course objectives
      – To raise customer service and support standards
      – To instruct, equip and inspire participants to delight customers at every contact they have
    • Personal objectives – and introducing the ‘Learning Diary’
    • Practical exercises
  2. What is brilliant customer service?
    • Who’s doing it and how?
    • Customer service role models
    • Who is your customer?
    • The customer experience
    • What makes customers happy?
    • The two things every customer wants
    • Personal examples
    • Practical exercises
  3. Making every customer feel SPECIAL
    • The SPECIAL model
      – Speed and time
      – Personal / personalise
      – Expectations – manage and exceed
      – Competence / courtesy
      – Information
      – Attitude
      – Long-term relationship and follow-through
    • Qualities of customer service and support ‘superstars’
    • Applying the SPECIAL qualities to your job
    • Practical exercises
  4. Face-to-face communication skills for brilliant customer service
    • Welcoming – becoming brilliant on the basics
    • How do we communicate?
    • Confident body language
    • Eye contact
    • Voice
    • Key words and phrases
    • Ten steps to establishing rapport
    • Active listening
    • Questioning skills
    • Managing expectations
    • We love problems!
    • Making it G..GREAT FUN
    • Problems into opportunities
    • Dealing with customer dissatisfaction
    • Customers – your walking adverts
    • Practical exercises
  5. Pulling it all together
    • Action plans
    • Learning Diary
    • Summary of key learning points