The 5 W s of World Class Customer Service Training
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Business -> subcategory Customer Service.
The 5 W's of World-Class Customer Service Training
Title:
The 5 W's of World-Class Customer Service Training
Word Count:
1311
Summary:
The phrase "We, the people" from the U.S. Constitution highlights the significant role individuals play in shaping our personal and professional lives.
Keywords:
Customer, service
Article Body:
The famous preamble to the U.S. Constitution, "We, the people," emphasizes the crucial role individuals play in making a difference, both in personal and professional spheres.
Every interaction with your employees, at any level, gives customers?"whether current, potential, internal, or external?"the chance to form opinions about you and your company. This applies to everyone in the customer service realm, not just call centers. Technical support, help desk personnel, and anyone involved in customer service are included.
With an increasing focus on customer satisfaction, retention, and lifetime value, contact centers have become pivotal to the customer experience. For customers, the person on the other end of the line is the company. Contact centers remain the most common means for customer interaction, with Gartner reporting that 92% of all contact occurs through these centers. While advanced technology is essential today, its purpose is to support, not replace, human interaction.
I often mention the concept of enhancing customer service. In the food industry, the term "lagniappe" refers to a small gift given to customers with a purchase?"like an extra donut when buying a dozen. This is what customer service should embody?"exceeding customer expectations. Let's introduce lagniappe to the contact center industry.
When discussing world-class customer service, we need a clear definition: Customer service involves activities by a company’s employees that enhance a customer's ability to realize the full potential value of a product or service, before and after the sale, leading to satisfaction and repeat business.
Why?
The current state of customer service is lacking, both over the phone and with self-service options. With 92% of people claiming that their call experience shapes a company’s image, contact centers play a vital role in branding.
A Mobius Management Systems Survey revealed the impact of poor customer service:
- 60% canceled bank accounts
- 36% switched insurance providers
- 40% changed telephone companies
- 35% switched credit card providers
- 37% changed Internet service providers
Are you among these statistics? I certainly am.
A study by Purdue University and BenchmarkPortal.com found that younger participants are less tolerant and more likely to switch companies after a bad experience, while those over 65 tend to be more demanding.
To maintain loyalty with younger customers, provide a "wow" experience. Those over 36 often have positive past experiences, making them more forgiving.
In a recent study (CRM Magazine/PeopleSoft Web Seminar), the number of applications agents use to access customer inquiries was reported as follows:
- 3.7% used just 1
- 81.5% used 2?"5
- 7.4% used 5?"10
- 7.4% used more than 10
The goal is to streamline contact points to one central location for consistent, satisfying customer interactions.
Strategies for delivering world-class service should include:
- Responding promptly
- Handling requests through the customer's preferred medium
- Being concise and clear
- Reducing back-and-forth communication (escalate to a call if needed)
- Providing personalized service
- Delighting the customer
What does "delighting the customer" entail?
- Informing and educating them
- Establishing expertise and professionalism
- Offering options
- Defusing upset or anger when necessary
- Escalating if required
- Taking ownership of the call
Customer service challenges today are different. Agents handle more volume, complex calls, and are expected to provide more information quickly, all while being cost-effective and generating revenue.
The CDC reports that causes of death for people under 65 are:
- 21% due to environment, war, accidents, crimes
- 9% due to healthcare systems
- 17% due to human biology, unrelated to lifestyle
- 53% due to lifestyle choices
This reflects the importance of personal choice in shaping outcomes, highlighting areas where we can make a difference.
Who Should Be Trained?
Training should encompass frontline agents, supervisors, managers, and internal customers. Everyone involved with customer interaction should speak the same language, working collaboratively to serve external customers effectively.
Where Should the Training Take Place?
Onsite training is cost-effective but can be distracting. Offsite training, though more costly, avoids distractions and values the challenging work the staff perform. Removing people from their usual environment can enhance focus and learning.
What Should Training Include?
A robust curriculum should cover:
- Quality Customer Service
- Rapport Building
- Customer Expectations
- Perception Shifting
- Conflict Resolution
- Language Skills
- Anger Management
- Email Protocol
- Stress Reduction
- Empathy
- Change Management
- Communication and Listening Skills
- Role Play
- Service with a Smile
University certification is recommended to elevate professionalism. The more you invest in employees, the better they'll treat your customers.
When Should Training Occur?
Training should be ongoing, starting with new hires, and happening regularly. We suggest a minimum of 24 hours per year for each employee, spread over time for effective learning. This allows customization and real-time responses to challenges.
By focusing on these elements, you can build a truly world-class customer service experience.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: The 5 W s of World Class Customer Service Training.
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