Impact on the Organization
Today, successful organizations place customer service at the center of the decision-making process — whether their customers are individual consumers or global enterprises. When something goes wrong between a business and a customer, handling the situation effectively can make the difference between retaining a client and losing one. Failures of “service recovery” can cost you far more than a single client: in the age of the Internet, they can lead to lasting, worldwide negative publicity — especially if the customer perceives that your company does not care or is not competent. Here’s the good news: you and your people can systematically master and implement best practices for delighting customers, dramatically reducing service failures, and helping you respond quickly and effectively to those that still occur.
Learning Objectives
- Learn how understanding change can help you create a successful customer service plan
- Identify strategies for successful plan implementation in your organization
- Set specific team objectives, goals and action steps based on “Voice of the Customer” data and an objective view of your strengths and weaknesses
- Develop and present a comprehensive action plan to improve both internal and external customer service
Program Description
This two-part module first prepares participants to create and implement customer service improvements; then walks them through every step of designing and presenting a complete improvement plan. Participants are first shown why understanding change is crucial to effective customer service. They are introduced to both types of change, as well as strategies for dealing with (and overcoming resistance to) each. They candidly discuss their organizations’ strengths and weaknesses, and learn the service-related characteristics of effective and ineffective teams. They are given tools to deal with conflict, and then participate in a realistic goal-setting exercise. Part II opens by discussing the phases of a project to implement a customer service plan. Next, it covers all 8 steps of project planning. Proven tools for implementing plans and gaining commitment are introduced, and participants are given opportunities to practice presenting their plans.
Time Investment
Typically 4 hours.
Customization
This program can be customized to reflect your organization’s procedures, policies, cases, examples, and terminology. Please inquire about these optional consulting services.