1.
MODERN CUSTOMER CARE
SKILLS
 ABBY ETIQUETTE AND CAREER
PURSUIT
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Customer Care skills

2.
Customer Care skills
Key Objective…
 To equip you with customer care skills for
the improvement of the customer
experience in your organization
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3.
Customer Care skills
Definition of Customer Care…
Feeling concern and interest in someone who
has entered a business to buy a product or
obtain a service.
This brings out the fact that a person can be a customer
without having to spend money.
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4.
Customer Care skills
Basic rule of customer care…
 Put yourself in the customers shoes; see the
situation as they do.
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5.
Customer Care skills
“Moments of Truth”
"Essentially, Moments of Truth are those
contacts between companies and customers
where a firm's reputation are at stake.“
(Stewart, 1992)
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6.
Customer Care skills
Moments of Truth
 Each time you meet with a customer, or
potential customer, is a chance to make a
positive impression on that person. These
encounters can be described as "Moments
of Truth".
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7.
Customer Care skills
Moments of Truth
 It is important to identify when these
Moments of Truth occur and to manage
them to ensure you make the best possible
impression on the customer
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8.
Customer Care skills
Benefits of excellent Customer Care
Feel good factor
is high/enjoy
going to work
Improved
reputation
Return/
repeat business
Fewer complaints
Less stress for
mgt and staff
Greater job
security
Happy boss Improved team
spirit, staff
morale and
motivation
More enjoyable
work atmosphere
Greater staff
loyalty and
retention
Improved
communication
within the
business
Greater chance
of word of
mouth
advertising
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9.
Customer Care skills
Why does poor Customer Care
happen?
 Lack of incentive
 Complacency
 Lack of support
 No real training
 Staff under pressure
 Poor knowledge
 No team spirit or
motivation
 Lack of awareness
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10.
Customer Care skills
Not all that long ago there were four people
named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and
Nobody.
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11.
Customer Care skills
There was an important job to be done and
Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody
was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did
it.
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12.
Customer Care skills
Somebody got very angry about that, because
it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought
Anybody could do it but Nobody realised
that Everybody would not do it.
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13.
Customer Care skills
It ended up that Everybody blamed
Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody
could have done.
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14.
Customer Care skills
What skills do we need to use?
Attitude
Appearance
Communication-listening, talking, reading, writing
Observation of standards and body language
Assertiveness
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15.
Customer Care skills
Customer Care Skills
There are 8 main customer care skills that
need to be displayed when serving the
customer…
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16.
Customer Care skills
1. Appearance
2. Observation
3. Listening
4. Body Language and Facial Expression
5. Talking
6. Assertiveness
7. Attitude
8. Behaviour
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17.
Customer Care skills
Appearance…
 The appearance of yourself and the other
members of staff in your team will say a lot
about the standards within your operation.
 Remember: You are only as strong as the
weakest link in your staff chain.
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18.
Customer Care skills
Observation
 It’s easy to miss shortfalls in standards
because of familiarity.
 Keep your eyes open.
 Try to stand back and look at your
workplace in an objective way.
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19.
Customer Care skills
Listening: The Four Basic Communication
skills
Listening Speaking Reading Writing
Learned 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Used
Most
(45%)
Next
Most
(30%)
Next
Least
(16%)
Least
(9%)
Taught Least
Next
Least
Next
Most Most
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20.
Customer Care skills
Listening
 If we fail to listen to the customer they will
feel that we do not really care about them
and therefore not return.
 The 2 main ways of listen attentively are:
1. Physical attending
2. Psychological attending
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21.
Customer Care skills
Physical Attending:
 Face the speaker
 Maintain eye contact
 Maintain an open posture
 Lean towards the speaker
 Stay relatively relaxed
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22.
Customer Care skills
Psychological attending:
Listen to what is being said:
 Listen for the central theme rather than the facts
 Keep an open mind
 Think ahead
 Analyse and evaluate
 Do not interrupt
 Interpret a tone of voice
 Evaluate the non-verbal signs
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23.
Customer Care skills
Body Language & Facial Expression
 Reading and understanding body language is
an essential part of listening. If our body
language does not reflect the words that we
are using then the customer will not believe
us.
ie. Non-verbal behaviour
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24.
Customer Care skills
Understanding a message…
0
1
0
20
30
40
50
60
Words Non-
verbal
Message
 Words: 10%
 Tone, pitch, volume: 35%
 Non-verbal behaviour:
55%
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25.
Customer Care skills
Identify expressions…
 Eyes up avoiding contact
 Looking down
 Arms folded
 Arms outstretched
 Upright/good posture
 Face set
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26.
Customer Care skills
Talking
 Golden Rule!
 Acknowledge the customer as soon as
possible!
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27.
Customer Care skills
Talking
 When talking to the customer we must
not…
 Discuss politics, religion, gossip
 Complain about the company
 Moan, moan and moan again!
 Talk over the customers head!
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28.
Customer Care skills
Assertiveness
When dealing with customers there are 3 types
of behaviour we can employ:
1.Aggressiveness,
2.Assertiveness
3.Submissiveness.
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29.
Customer Care skills
 We should try to apply an assertive manner
at all times.
 By being assertive you remain in control,
have greater self confidence and earn the
respect of others.
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30.
Customer Care skills
Attitude & Behaviour
 The way we behave with customers is all
important.
 We must display a positive approach and be
courteous at all times.
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31.
Customer Care skills
Remember…
 Each customer is an individual.
 Be enthusiastic-it’s infectious!
 Courtesy costs nothing
 Treat people as individuals. Use their name.
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32.
Customer Care skills
Session 2: Making it Happen
Reviewing our current position
Making improvements
Setting standards
Key tests of good Customer Care
What if it all goes wrong? Handling complaints
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33.
Customer Care skills
Key Test of Good Customer Care:
Keep your
service
promise
The 5 second
telephone
response
Documentation
response within
2 days
Five minute
maximum
waiting time
Positive
employee
attitudes
Proactive
Communication
Honesty and
openness
Systems
reliability
Being in the
know
Little Extras Attention to
detail
Immaculate
Appearance
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34.
Customer Care skills
Ask yourself…
 Does my organization apply the Customer
Care Key Tests?
 How?
 What other ways can feedback be obtained?
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35.
Customer Care skills
Set Standards
 By putting procedures in place all customers
will be dealt with in a professional and
efficient manner
 Thus ensuring you have a satisfied customer
network
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36.
Customer Care skills
Examples
 You should have answers to common queries
at hand
 Promises to customers must be realistic and
acted upon within the agreed time frame
 Customer must be notified of delays
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37.
Customer Care skills
When dealing with a complaint…
Do...
 Show empathy/concern
 Use their name if you can
 Listen
 Take notes
 Let them make their case
 Ask questions to clarify detail
 Confirm with them that you have got it right
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38.
Customer Care skills
Do…
 Gather your version of events before
replying
 Tell them what you propose to do
 Ensure they are happy
 See it as an opportunity to cement the
relationship and encourage more business
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39.
Customer Care skills
When dealing with a complaint…
Do Not…
Say “it’s not my fault”
Say “you’re the fifth today to complain about that”
Interrupt
Jump to conclusions
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40.
Customer Care skills
Do not…
 Accept responsibility until you are sure it’s your
fault
 Be patronising
 Argue
 Lose your temper
 Blame others
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41.
Customer Care skills
The Listen Technique
 Lend an ear to the customer’s problem-do not
interrupt
 Identify the important points
 Sympathise- “I’m sorry” acknowledges something
went wrong-not taking the blame
 Thank the customer for taking the time to tell you
what happened
 Explain what can be done
 Now act quickly-don’t give further cause for
complaint!
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42.
Customer Care skills
Language
 Sometimes the words that are used in
communication cause the message to be
misinterpreted. This can happen if imprecise
words are used e.g. “sort of” or “things” also
technical jargon can be confusing if it is unfamiliar
to the other person.
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43.
Customer Care skills
Customer Service Language
 AVOID NEGATIVE LANGUAGE
– - Possibly-maybe-perhaps
– - We might be able to do this
– - I hope that will be ok
 USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE
– - I am sure that will be sufficient
– - I know we can get that for you
– - I am certain you will be pleased with this
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44.
Customer Care skills
Avoid certain words
 TRY – This implies that you are unsure of
whether you can do something – use the
word ensure instead it is positive and
commits you to action which your customer
will believe
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45.
Customer Care skills
 Use the word ‘Please’ at the start of a
sentence rather than at the end of it as it
becomes an order at the end of a sentence
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46.
Customer Care skills
 ‘OK’ sounds bland, automatic and
disengaged
 Use ‘Certainly’, this conveys warmth and
interest in delighting your customer
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47.
Customer Care skills
 Avoid the word ‘busy’, your customer should
never feel that you are too busy to look after
his/her needs.
 Try saying ‘I will look into this and come
back to you’
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48.
Customer Care skills
Any questions?
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