This document discusses customer service and provides guidance on key aspects of effective customer service. Some of the main points covered include: - Customer service is about consistently achieving and exceeding customer expectations. - Anyone who interacts with customers, both internal and external, has a responsibility to provide excellent customer service. - It is important to acknowledge customer needs, remain polite, use positive language, avoid jargon, and greet and communicate professionally with customers. - Active listening, body language, appearance and communication skills are also important for good customer service. - Questions should be asked to fully understand customer complaints and resolve issues effectively.

1. Introduction – Customer Service
Customer Service is the ability of a business to constantly and consistently achieve and exceed their customers and
clients expectation.
Providing excellent customer service means
always aiming to put the customer first and
ensuring that their needs are always met in
regards to the service or product you are
supplying .
All business, whether they operate face to face ,
over the phone or by email , should strive to give
their customer the best experience they can in
order to maintain relationship, status and success.
This course aims to provide those who work in the
customer service industry with the information
and skills needed to go above and beyond with the
customer service that they provide.

2. Providing your customers with excellent customer
service every time that they have contact with you
will bring many benefits to your business.
 It doesn’t matter if you work in a five start hotel , a local
bakery or a call center , keeping the highest standards at all
times will ensure your customers have the best experience
and will keep coming back for more.
 The Golden rule is to remember that the customer always
comes first.
 Each customer will have their own expectations of what you
should be offering them, so keeping alert and tailoring your
service to individual needs is a sure way to guarantee
success.
The
Importance of
Customer
Service

3. Over time , your high level of customer service
will draw in new customers, your business
money will improve, and your business may
have the opportunity to expand.
Other benefits that good customer service will bring to your
business includes :
Increased customer confidence and repeat business.
A better reputation between you and your customer.
An increased flow of customer from good reviews.
Increased customer satisfaction.
Higher staff morale and confidence.
The Importance
of Customer
Service

4. Anyone who has contact with the customers, whether it
be over a counter , on the phone or through social media,
has responsibility to provide excellent customer service.
 This includes all level of management as well as part time
workers and those who only have infrequent contact with
customers such as stock room controllers.
 The customer is anybody that you are providing your service
or product to. This could be at the point where someone is
paying for an item , ringing up with an enquiry or
commenting on a social media site.
 The easiest and best way to remember who your customer
are is to treat everyone that you have contact with in the
same way. This will mean that nobody is treated any better
or worse and you can ensure that you are always
maintaining the highest standards of customer service in
every situation.
Who does
Customer
Service Refers
To?

5. Customer Service, however, isn’t
just about the people your product
or service to . Your service should
cover everyone that you have
interaction with, including those on
the side of the company .Your
customers can therefore be
separated by two categories:
External Customers
There are people you deal with face
to face over the phone or by e-mail
and are the people who buy the
product or services for you .
For Example:- The customer in a
shop , the guest at a hotel or the
person who you are doing building
work for.
Internal Customer
This are the people who work
within your business or industry,
who rely on your product or
service or who help you to
provide the product or service .
This include staff , suppliers ,
head office personnel and
security workers.
No Customer should be
overlooked or treated badly
,whether internal or external.
Think about what would happen
if your internal customer were
upset: how would this impact on
the service they provide to
external customer ?
External and
Internal
Customers

6. As mentioned previously, all your customer will have
some sort of expectations in regards to the service or
product they are receiving.
This includes basic expectations , such as :-
• expecting you to be polite,
• expecting the transaction to go ahead without any problems
• expecting you not to upset them.
Whilst obvious, these expectation shouldn’t be taken for
granted and you should work to ensure that they remain
consistently covered at all times.
Some people will , however, have higher expectations and
standard than other and it is these people that you are aiming
to really impress with your customer service skills . This people
requires you to go above and beyond basic expectations.
Customer
Expectations

7.  Customer service is the ability of a business to constantly and
consistently achieve and exceed their customers and clients
expectations
 The golden rule is to remember that customer always comes first .
Tailoring your service to the individual needs is to sure way to
guarantee success.
 Anyone who has contact with the customers, whether it to be over
counter , on the phone or through social medial has a responsibility
to provide excellent customer service.
 External customers are the people you deal face to face , over the
phone and by the e-mail and are people who buy the product or
service from you.
 Internal customers are the people who work within your business
or industry, who rely on your product or service or who help you to
provide the product or service.
Summary

8. Body language and listening skills are important traits to have for
anyone who works in customer service.
 If you don’t know how to listen to your customer properly, you are
likely to miss their point and they will think that you are not taking
their views into consideration. This is particularly the case if
customer is making the complaints.
 Your body language also needs to be considered in order to show
that you are trustworthy , honest and confident. This is done through
posture, hand gestures, facial expressions and eye contact.
 Customer will be much more likely to respond to you positively if you
come across as confident and a good listener who is interested in
hearing what they have to say.
Body Language
and Listening

9. Before body language can have a role to play, having a
good appearance is essential for all customer service staff
who are required to come face to face with their
customer and clients .
First Impressions count and customers will want to see that you are
clean and presentable, as your appearance can easily sway their
opinion or expectation of the establishment.
Make sure that :-
Your uniform is worn correctly. If you have a shirt, make sun it's
tucked in and your tie is straight.
Shoes are clean and not scruffy. T
You are well-groomed at all times. Keep hair tidy, hands clean and
body odour at a minimum
If your dress code is casual make sure your clothes are presentable
and a good representation of where you work
Your
Appearance

10. Eye contact is one of the most important parts of body
language as it helps you create rapport with 334 your
customers and shows you are being truthful.
 Maintaining eye contact as you talk with and listen to people
doesn't mean doing it continuously so that you make the
other person uncomfortable.
 Instead, making eye contact at regular Intervals will show
that you are paying attention and talking directly to them.
 A lack of eye contact on the other hand, can make you look
disinterested and nervous..
Eye Contact

11. Listening skills play a big part in the communication process. You need
to be able to listen to your customers so that you can understand their
feelings and thoughts, whether these are positive or negative. This will
then allow you to respond and take appropriate action.
Listening is a passive process and is something that everyone can improve on
with practice. If you are an attentive and sensitive listener, people will feel more
relaxed, have more trust in you and will be more likely to share their thoughts
and ideas.
To Listen Actively
Use body language to show you are listening by nodding and smiling.
Ask relevant, open questions and ask for clarification if you need to.
Repeat what the person has said back to show you understand .
Pay attention to tone of voice and body language.
Give the person chance to say what they want to say.
Don't listen with pre-conceived ideas and resist giving your opinion until
they have finished.
Be encouraging supportive and empathetic.
Listen with purpose and for meaning.
Eliminate distractions and don't interrupt
Importance
of Listening

12. If you have to talk with customers over the phone listening
skills play an even more significant role. Whilst the customer
cannot see your body language signals, they can still pick up
emotions through your voice and so it is essential that you
portray yourself well.
Over the Phone
 Asking regular questions and using affirmative words, such as yes, 'OK and I'm
listening will reassure the customer that you are listening to what they are saying
and are giving them your full attention. Remember that the customer cannot see
you nodding or smiling over the phone
 Also remember to give the customer chance to say what they want to say and
don't interrupt them. A conversation can only happen when you take turns not
when you talk over each other
 It is also a good idea to eliminate any distractions so that you can give the phone
call your full attention avoid multitasking, using the internet or doodling whilst
you are talking.
Importance
of Listening

13. Summary
• First impressions count and customers w want to see that you are clean and presentable.
Your appearance can easily Sway their opinion or expectations of the establishment.
• Body language can be divided into open (positive and closed negative gestures and is the
first thing your customers will notice as they approach you.
• You need to use your body language in order to create rapport with your Customers: adopt
a confident stance, smile and use open body language.
• Positive body language can show your set honest, trustworthy and someone that the
customer will have faith in dealing with Frequent eye contact will show you are paying
attention and being truthful.
• You need to be able to listen to your customers at you can understand the and thoughts,
whether these are positive or negative This will then allow you to respond and take
appropriate action.
• If you have to talk with customers over the phone listening skills play an even more
significant role As Regular questions use affirmative works don’t interrupted eliminate all
distractions.

14. This may be :-
To solve a problem or deal with a complaint.
To show empathy and understanding.
To answer a query.
To negotiate convince or persuade.
To demonstrate or explain.
To inform and share information.
To ask questions and gain information.
This communication may also be through a variety of styles
Verbal or non-verbal.
Face-to-face or written.
Formal or informal.
A discussion conversation or negotiation.
You may need to communicate with your customers for a
variety of different reasons throughout their time with you
Type of
Communication

15. The key to any communication with customers is to
remain polite. This will ensure you come across as
professional, no matter what the situation, and can be
particularly useful in keeping upset customers happy.
Being polite is often very simple but incredibly effective. Think about :-
Saying hello and goodbye to each customers.
Answering all queries no matter how big or small.
Making an effort to help people.
Saying please and thank you.
Treating every customer the same.
Apologizing for any mistakes or inconveniences.
For example, if someone has remained on hold or in a queue for a
period of time you can apologize and thank them for waiting to show
that you have recognized their patience and appreciate their custom
Politeness

16. Acknowledging needs means identifying exactly what your customers
are looking for and then providing them with it
This applies to all situations, including when a customer asks you a
question, launches a complaint or simply brings an item to your till
point.
For example, if a customer asks you what time the facilities open each
morning then you should provide them with the appropriate level of
information in response.
If a customer is filing out a feedback form you should ensure they have
the space time and implements with which to do it.
It is also a good idea to use questions to your advantage. Don't be afraid
to for more information so you can find out what your customer really
want. More on questions is covered later in the course.
If you take care of your customers and put their needs before your own
your business will develop a good reputation and your customers will
keep coming back time and time again
Acknowledging
Needs

17. When talking to your customers, the use of positive
language will make a big difference to how they interpret
what you are saying. Even if what you are saying is
negative, the way you phrase the sentence can alter the
way the customer hears it.
For example:
If you cannot answer a customer's question, rather than saying ‘can't
help’, say ‘I can try to find out for you’.
If a customer has a complaint say, ‘Thank you for telling me’ or ‘I will
do my best to help you with that’.
If you don't have an items in stock, rather than saying 'No we don't
have it’ say, I’m sorry, do you want me order it for you?’
Positive Phrase

18. Avoiding jargon means not using complicated, industry-
specific words when talking to customers if the customer
will not understand their meaning or they don't add any
benefit to the conversation
 Jargon can make your communications confusing to your
customers and may put them off doing business with you at
all. The key here is to match your language with the person
you are talking to.
For example. If you are discussing the sale of computer
software with someone else in your industry, technical terms
may be appropriate, you are discussing sales of the same
product with a member of the put however the technical terms
are probably less important in this situation, the customer only
wants to hear details features that are relevant to them and
their level of knowledge.
Avoiding
Jargon

19. How you greet and say goodbye to your customers can make a
huge difference to the experience they have with you.
Whether you are meeting customers in person talking to them over
the phone or replying to an email, the method you choose is just as
important.
To greet a customer you should:
In person welcome them and ask if you can be of assistance.
Over the phone, say a friendly hello, tell the customer your name
and ask how you can help.
By email begin the message with a more formal greeting such good
morning and then thank them for getting in touch.
Taking the to greet your customers will make theme welcome and
valued to you. They will also be more likely to ask for your assistance if
you have made it clear that you are there to help them.
Beginning an
Interaction

20. Remaining professional and polite at all times is essential to
anyone who works in customer service:
 Your job is to represent the company you work for and it is essential
that you maintain its reputation whether you are meeting customers
face-to-face, talking to them on the phone or replying to an e-mail or
social media comment.
Being professional, in simple terms, means not doing anything that will
make your company look bad. This means:
Not arguing with customers.
Always being polite.
Keeping your composure in difficult situations.
Actively trying to help your customers.
Not saying anything that damages the company's reputation.
Taking customers to one side if they are causing trouble.
Being
Professional

21. When you are talking to customers over the phone, body
language and visual clues lose their importance and so
the way in which you communicate verbally becomes
even more crucial.
When communicating over the phone:
Talk slowly and clearly .
Use intonation and pitch to emphasize key words and points.
Don't talk too much. Make sure the customer has chance to explain
everything that they need to.
Use feedback such as ‘yes’ and ‘OK’ to show you are listening.
Ask question to clarity the customer's needs .
Remember to be polite and professional.
Over the
Phone

22.  Good communication means you can quickly provide customers with
a the relevant knowledge they need, avoid misunderstandings and
you customers have confidence in you.
 As a customer service representative it is important that you come
across confident about the product or service you are selling.
 Talk to your customer honestly and knowledgeably; a good product
knowledge will go long way and show you know that you are taking
about.
 Always remember polite. This will ensure you come across as
professional , no matter what the situation. This can be particularly
useful in keeping upset customers happy.
 Avoiding Jargon by not using complicated, Industry specific words
when talking to customers. The key is to match your language with
the person you are talking to.
 Remaining professional and polite at all times is essential to anyone
who work in customer service . Your job is to represent the company
you work for and it is essential that you maintain its reputation.
Summary

23. Even though you try your hardest to ensure that all our
customers remain happy, if you provide a service or
product to other people, then you are always guaranteed
to have a handful of people who disagree with your
viewpoint.
 Sometimes these disagreements will result in complaints and it is
up to you as a professional in customer service, to ensure that any
complaints you receive are dealt with appropriately.
 This section looks at how you should react and what you can if you
or your company receives a customer complaint
Dealing with
Complaints

24. If a customer comes to you with a complaint, one of e first
steps you should take is to ask questions.
 You need to find out as much information as you can to ensure on
that you solve the problem efficiently and prevent it from happening
again.
 Asking questions will help you get directly to the point and will show
the customer that you are actively trying to help them.
To ask a question effectively:
Don't make your question over-complicated.
Define exactly what you want to find out.
Be polite and sensitive.
Use open questions to get more than a yes no response.
Asking
Questions

25. Open questions are the most useful to you in a complaint
situation as they help you to find out people's views and
feelings. They usually begin with who, what, where,
when, why or how and allow the other person to give a
full and more detailed answer.
For example, ask your customer which area of the premises did the
incident occur. This allows them to respond in their own words.
Closed questions limit the response someone can give you by either
suggesting a range of answers to choose from or asking a yes/no
answer They are more direct and quicker to answer but not provide
you with much information.
For example if you ask your customer “did anyone try to help you at
the time?”, you are suggesting that you want them to respond with
‘yes or no’ and not for them to tell you what actually happened.
Asking
Questions

26. Once you have got to the source of the problem by a asking
questions, your next step is to explain to your Customer what
you are going to do next and apologies for what has happened.
 Even if you think the customer is wrong you should always
apologies for the inconvenience that they have experienced. This
will out the customer at ease and give them the impression that
you are concerned about helping them.
 Never with a customer. You should remain calm , professional and
dedicated towards ensuring the customer walks away happy and
knowledgeable about the situation
 Simply saying I'm sorry can make at age difference to the
customer’s mood and prevent them from feeling angry or
frustrated
 In some situation the customer is only looking for a simply apology
and after hearing it, will drop their complaint.
Explaining
and
Apologizing

27. If you receive a complaint over the phone, it is important
to deal with the customer in the same way as you would
if it was face-to-face. Remember to stay calm, polite and
professional.
To deal with a complaint received over the phone:
Ask lots of questions so that you understand the problem
Be encouraging to ensure the customer tells you all the details.
Stay calm and don’t argue back.
Don't hang up on the customer without resolving the problem or
coming to an agreement.
Keep record of what are was and how you resolved to future
reference.
Over the
Phone

28. Often when a customer makes a complaint they will be friendly,
calm and helpful about it. The customer is simply trying to raise
your awareness of an issue that they have experienced and
would like you take corrective action so as to solve it!
 However, sometimes a customer may take a different approach and
launch a complaint that is fuelled by anger or frustration.
 This can result in customers being potentially abusive, either
through their words or their actions.
 If a customer becomes abusive in a face-to-face situation, such as
in your reception area, the key is to remain calm and not retaliate.
You do not want to get yourself or your company into trouble and
develop a bad reputation in front of anyone else present
 If a customer is abusive you should be polite, apologise and calmly
ask them to leave the premises if you feel they are causing trouble.
Always get help from someone it you think your safety in danger
By E-Mail

29. When sitting behind a keyboard, where eye contact, body language and
tone of voice cannot be seen or heard, people are often less afraid to
say what they really think and often say things that they come to
regret. This applies to both you and your customers.
 If you receive a written complaint, whether it's by e-mail or post you
should deal with it in the same professional manner as you would in
any other situation.
 Try to reply to the customer as quickly as possible. Begin by thanking
the customer for getting in touch, apologise for that inconvenience
they have experienced and then set out any potential solutions you
have come up with. This may involve asking further questions to get
to the root of the problem.
 Ensure that you remain polite and do not accuse the customer, get
angry or become defensive the same rules apply to written 1942
communications as to verbal ones
Handling Complaints
and Abuse

30. If a customer is being physically abusive or threatening you
should remain polite and calmly ask them to leave the
premises. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, attract the
attention of a manager or supervisor who can help..
 Don't respond to any physical threats: you should never put yourself in a
situation where your safety is compromised whilst at work
 If the situation gets out hand, call the police for further assistance
Personal
Safety

31. After you have a received a customer complaint and dealt
with it face-to-face, over the phone or in writing, you will
need to make sure that you have measures in place so
that the problem doesn't happen again.
 It is a good idea to keep a record of any complaints you receive so
that you can spot patterns or identify gaps in your product or
service
 If you haven't already, tell your manager or supervisor about the
incident, so that they can assess the severity of the complaint
What to do
Next

32.  When dealing with a complaints ,asking questions will help you get
directly to the point and will show how the customer that you are
actively trying to help them.
 Open questions are the most use to you in a complaint situations as
they may help you to find out people’s view and feelings.
 Closed questions limit the response someone can give you and often
do not provide you with much information.
 Always apologies to the customer for any inconvenience they have
experienced. Simple saying 'I'm sorry can make a huge difference to
the customer's mood and prevent them from feeling angry or
frustrated.
 If you receive a complaint over the phone or by e-mail, it is
important to deal with the customer in the same way as you would if
it was face to face. Remember to stay calm polite and professional
 If a customer is abusive, you should be polite, apologise and calmly
ask them to leave the premises if you feel they are causing trouble,
Always get help from someone if you think your safety is in danger.
Summary

33. This section of the course looks at how you can monitor
your customer service so that you can see the areas you
are succeeding in and identify areas in which you need to
improve.
 Evaluating the way you work can be done by anyone: you can do a
self-evaluation; your employer may hold an appraisal with you or
your customers may fill out feedback forms.
 Once you have received this feedback, It is then essential that you
learn from it so that you can continue to improve your customer
service skills.
Evaluating
Customer
Services

34. These days, social media has become incredibly important in
finding out exactly what customers want and think about your
business.
 Even if you don't have a social media profile you can still search the
internet to find out what people are saying about your product or
service
 The main social media channels for receiving feedback are
Facebook and Twitter. Having a presence on these sites will make
your company more accessible and will allow you to Interact with
your customers on a more personal basis.
 People can send you direct for indirect messages and let you know
what they think it's also a good opportunity to promote your
business ask questions, do some market research and show your
customers just how friendly you are.
Social Media

35. Customer surveys are another way in which you can
receive feedback about your customer service skills.
You could consider putting feedback forms for customers to fill out :
At till points or on your reception desk.
In carrier bags.
On the internet so that you can link to it in emails.
On social media, as a poll or feedback box.
If your feedback forms are paper-based, make sure you give your
customers an easy way of sending them back to you. Include a
freepost envelope or ask them to drop them in a designated box.
You can then collate all the forms or surveys and learn from the
comments people have made.
Feedback
and Surveys

36. Customer service should be everyone's priority and
training all staff in customer service is important, whether
they are a new starter or if they have recently received
feedback on their actions. Training can be done on an
individual basis or as a team.
 Ensure that staff have access to all the training material that they
need and review the progress on a regular basis. Managers can
schedule appraisals or performance reviews or, if you are not in
managerial position, you can ask your manager to keep an eye on
your progress and provide you with feedback as often as needed
 Some staff members may also require further training in more
specific areas such as negotiation skills conflict resolution and
management skill, so make that any training provided is at a
suitable level for each individual employee.
Staff Training

37.  The main social media channels for receiving feedback are
Facebook and Twitter. Having a company presence on these sites
will allow you to interact with your customers on a more personal
basis.
 You should try to respond to each message individually, respond to
everything and try to resolve any problems the same way as you
would if the customer had contacted you in person by email or over
the phone.
 Mystery shoppers are people that are hired by your employer or
head office to come and visit your premises and assess your level of
customer service.
 To ensure you receive a good scare you should treat e er they are a
mystery possibly can, customer as best as you shopper or not.
 Customer surveys are another way in which you can receive
feedback about your customer service skills. They allow you to
collate information and learn from the comments people have
made.
Summary