Tracking the Customer Pathways – a ten minute training session for customer care

Customer Pathways (Inward)

Aim

For participants to consider and appreciate the different ways in which customers have contact with the organisation, and their role in providing customer service.

Overview

Having mapped out the pathways that customers follow, participants think about their own responsibility in making that route as smooth as possible.

Numbers

Any number working in groups of three to six.

Suitable for

Induction, refresher, short session in a longer training, team meeting activity.

What you need

One sheet of flipchart paper per group plus pens.

Resource 1 – Customer Pathways

Handout 1 – The Brief

Handout 2 – Action Plan

Handout 3 – Report Back (for evaluation)

Preparation

1. Copy Handout 1 – The Brief (one per group)
2. Copy Handout 2 – Action Plan (one per person)
3. (Optional) copy Resource 1 – Customer Pathways to use as a handout
4. Arrange the room so that participants can work in groups of three to six people.

What to Do

Activity – 2 minutes – groups

Give each group of participants a sheet of flipchart paper and a selection of pens.

Also give them a copy of Handout 1 – The Brief.

Ask them to complete stage one of the exercise by mapping out the different routes that customers take when coming into contact with this organisation.

Reflect – 3 minutes – groups

Refer the groups to stage two of the brief and ask them to reflect on the impact that they can have personally on each of the customer pathways.

If any of the groups feel that they do not have any responsibility for some of the pathways you should challenge them to find some way in which they do.  Use Resource 1 – Customer Pathways to help you.

Conclude – 3 minutes – whole group

Collect feedback from each of the groups and gain consensus on the ways that individuals impact on the various different customer pathways.

If appropriate use Resource 1 – Customer Pathways as a handout.

Plan – 2 minutes – individual

Give each individual a copy of Handout 2 – Action Plan and ask them to record the action that they plan to take as a result of this training session.

Evaluation

Three weeks after the training session send each participant a copy of Handout 3 – Report Back, asking them to complete and return it.

Variation

f you have plenty of floor space, you could physically ‘map out’ the pathways that customers take and have groups of participants ‘walk through’ the exercise discussing their role along each ‘route’.

 

 

Customer Pathways (Inwards)

Resource 1 – Customer Pathways

 

Use this resource to prompt the responses from the groups during the exercise.

Feel free to add or amend sections according to your knowledge of the organisation and its customers.

 

Personal visit	Queue management Friendly professional service Clean and tidy premises Smile
Letter	Prompt reply Correct spelling and grammar Accurate information Answer all queries
Telephone	Answer quickly Professional and accurate answers Do not pass on call Call back when promised
E-mail	Answer/acknowledge quickly Appropriate style of response Manage workflow queues Appropriate use of ‘out of office’ response
Website	Keep website up to date Keep yourself up to do date on the contents of the website Liaise with the ‘webmaster’ over customer comments Advise customers of alternatives
Social media	Treat people with respect Be careful about the impression you give Watch for positive and/or negative feedback
Order form	Follow correct procedures Keep customer advised of delays Communicate with colleagues to ensure consistent approach Watch for special needs

 

 

 

Customer Pathways (Inwards)

Handout 1 – The Brief

 

Stage One

 

On the sheet of paper that you have been given:

1. Draw a shape in the centre that represents your organisation
2. Draw lines into the centre which represent the different ways in which customers make contact with your organisation

 

 

 

 

Stage Two

 

Now think about the impact that you personally can have on the level of customer service that is delivered along each of the pathways that you have drawn.

Make notes of your main points on the sheet of paper.

 

 

Customer Pathways (Inwards)

Handout 2 – Action Plan

 

 

As a result of this training session I have decided to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

By (date):

 

The effect this will have is:

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

 

Customer Pathways (Inwards)

Handout 3 – Report Back

Following this training session the action I took was:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result it had was:

 

 

 

 

 

I now intend to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

Please complete this form and return it to:

 

By (date):

 

 

Experiencing Poor Service – a ten minute training session illustrating the effects of bad service

Experiencing Poor Customer Service

Aim

To examine the elements that make up ‘poor’ service.

Overview

Participants recall times when, as a customer, they have had bad service and then think about what made their experience so poor.

Numbers

Any number working in groups of up to four.

Suitable for

New starters, refresher, short session in a longer training, team meeting activity.

What you need

Handout 1 – The Brief

Handout 2 – Action Plan

Handout 3 – Report Back (for evaluation)

A flipchart or wipe-board and pens

Preparation

 

1. Copy Handout 1 – The Brief (one per group)
2. Copy Handout 2 – Action Plan (one per person)
3. Arrange the room so that people can work in groups of up to four people
4. Divide your flipchart into two sections, one headed ‘organisation’ and the other headed ‘person’.

What to Do

Activity – 5 minutes – groups

Give a copy of Handout 1 – The Brief to each group.

If necessary, remind the groups that they will not have time to re-live each event in detail; they should concentrate of the elements which made the service ‘poor’.

Reflect – 2 minutes – whole group

Lead a discussion in which the groups report back the main elements that caused the service to be so poor.

Conclude – 2 minutes – whole group

Ask the group to imagine that they had the opportunity to give advice to organisations and to the individuals who were involved in giving such poor service.  Collect the pieces of advice that are offered on to the flipchart, under the headings of  ‘organisation’ and ‘person’.

Plan – 1 minute – individuals

Give each person a copy of Handout 2 – Action Plan, asking them to complete.

Evaluation

Two weeks after the training session, send each participant a copy of Handout 3 – Report Back, asking them to complete and return it.

Variations

Get people to reflect on how they felt about the poor service and what the consequences were (e.g. did they ever use that organisation again?  Did they tell friends no to use that organisation?)

 

 

Experiencing Poor Customer Service

Handout 1 – The Brief

Every day we all experience being a customer of many different organisations.

 

Each person in your group should think of a time recently when they have experienced poor customer service.

 

Capture below the main elements that made each experience so bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have five minutes for this part of the exercise, so you will need to remain focussed on the task.

 

 

Experiencing Poor Customer Service

Handout 2 – Action Plan

Following the session today I have decide to make the following changes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result I hope to see is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will do this by (date):

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

Experiencing Poor Customer Service

Handout 3 – Report Back

Following the training session I took the following action:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The results I saw were:

 

 

 

 

 

I now intend to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

Please complete this form and return it to:

 

By (date):

 

 

A short training session for customer service – from TenMinuteTrainerTips

Experiencing Excellent Service

Aim

To show the key elements which make the difference between service that is adequate and service that is excellent.

Overview

Participants reflect on a recent experience of excellent customer service and analyse what made it so special.

Numbers

Any number working in groups of up to four.

Suitable for

New starters, refresher, team meeting activity.

What you need

Handout 1 – The Brief

Handout 2 – Action Plan

Handout 3 – Report Back (for evaluation)

A flip chart or wipe-board and pens

Preparation

1. Copy Handout 1 – The Brief (one per group)
2. Copy Handout 2 – Action Plan (one per person)
3. Arrange the room so that participants can work in groups of up to four people
4. Divide your flipchart or wipe-board into 2 sections; one headed ‘procedures’ and the other headed ‘people’.

What to Do

Activity – 5 minutes – groups

Give each group a copy of Handout 1- The Brief.

If any of the groups are having difficulty thinking of situations you could prompt them by re-defining ‘excellent’ as ‘better than expected’, or ‘memorable’.

Reflect – 3 minutes – whole group

Lead a discussion about the outputs from the exercise, capturing the elements that affected the customer service under the headings ‘procedures’ or ‘people’.

Conclude – 1 minute – whole group

Ask the group what positive conclusions they can draw about customer service as a result of their reflections.  Look for the conclusion that the attitude or behaviour of the person delivering the service, and the quality of the procedures can make the difference between service that is ‘adequate’ and service that is ‘excellent’.

Plan – 1 minute – individuals

Give each individual a copy of Handout 2 – Action Plan and ask them to complete it.

Evaluation

Three weeks after the event send everyone a copy of Handout 3 – Report Back, asking them to complete and return it.

Variations

You could ask the participants to think about excellent service that they have given, rather than service they have received.

 Experiencing Excellent Customer Service

Handout 1 – The Brief

We are all customers of many different organisations, and, as customers, experience different standards of customer service many times each day.

Each member of your group should try and recall a time in the past few weeks when you have experienced excellent customer service.

Share these experiences amongst yourselves, thinking in particular about:

What made this service so special in term of:

The Procedures that were being followed?

The Person involved?

 

You have five minutes for your discussion, so you will need to stay focussed on the task.

Experiencing Excellent Customer Service

Handout 2 – Action Plan

 

The action I am going to take as a result of today’s training session is:

The effect I hope to get from this is:

I shall do it by (date):

Signed:

Date:

Experiencing Excellent Customer Service

Handout 3 – Report Back

Following the training session, the action I took was:

What I have learned from this is:

I now need to:

Signed:

Date:

Please complete this form and return it to:

By (date):

Who Are Our Customers? A short training session free from TenMinuteTrainerTips

Who Are Our Customers?

Aim

To encourage participants to take a broader view of ‘customer service’ by treating everyone as a customer.

Overview

Participants consider who are their ‘customers’ and then think about the benefits of treating those different groups as though they are customers.

Numbers

Any number, working in groups of three or four.

Suitable for

Induction, refresher, daily meetings.

What you need

A flipchart or wipe-board and pens.

Resource 1 – Customer Groups

Handout 1 – Action Plan

Handout 2 – Report Back (for evaluation)

Preparation

 

1. Copy Handout 1 – Action Plan (one per person)
2. (Optional) copy Resource 1 – Who Are Our Customers to use as a handout
3. Arrange your room so that participants can work in groups of tree or four.

 

What to Do

Activity – 2 minutes 30 seconds – whole group

Explain to the group that there are many different types of ‘customer’ groups, not just people who make a purchase from a shop.

Ask for suggestions of other people who could be classed as customers within your organisation.

Capture the answers on a flipchart, looking for some of the suggestions on Resource 1

Reflect – 3 minutes – groups

Allocate a number of ‘customer groups’ to each group of participants and ask them to suggest  reasons why we should treat this group as ‘customers’.

Conclude – 3 minutes 30 seconds – whole group

Take feedback from each group, using Resource 1 to prompt key benefits.

Capture the main feedback on your flipchart.

If appropriate, give everyone a copy of Resource 1 – Who Are Our Customers as a handout.

Plan – 1 minute – individuals

Give each participant a copy of Handout 1 – Action Plan, and ask each to plan one thing that they will do differently as a result of today’s session.

 

Evaluation

Two weeks after the training session send each participant a copy of Handout 2 – Report Back, asking them to complete and return it.

Variation

You could identify the customer groups in advance and spend more time in this session talking about the need to keep those groups satisfied.

 

Resource 1 – Customer Groups

Here are some suggested ‘customer groups’ together with reasons why it can be beneficial the treat them as ‘customers’.

Feel free to add other customer groups that are relevant to the organisation.

 

Existing Customers	So they remain loyal and come back again So they recommend us to their family and friends So we get a bigger share of their business and become their ‘provider of choice’
Potential Customers/Casual Enquirers	So they are impressed and come to us So they remember us for the future So we turn a potential customer into a regular customer
Ex-customers	So they come back to us So they recommend us So they stay in touch and come back when they need to
Contractors	So we have a good relationship and they understand our needs So they are motivated to do a good job on our behalf So there is good communication So our overall service to all our ‘customers’ improves
Colleagues	So we have good working relationships So we improve overall performance So we have a pleasant and productive working environment
Stakeholders	So that they have the best possible impression of us So that they become advocates of what we do So they support us in what we do

 

 

 Who Are Our Customers?

Handout 1 – Action Plan

Following the training session today, I am going to take the following action:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By (date):

 

I have chosen this because:

 

 

 

 

 

I shall know it has been successful because:

 

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

 

Who Are Our Customers?

Handout 2 – Report Back

Following the training session I took the following action:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result has been:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

Please complete this form and return it to:

 

By (date):

 

What is Customer Service? A short training session from the Ten Minute Trainer.

Ten Minute Training Session – What is Good Customer Service?

Aim

To build an understanding that good service is ‘what the customer expects it to be’.

 Overview

Participants discuss comments on customer service and see which ones they agree or disagree with.

 Numbers

Any number working in groups of three to five.

Suitable for

New starters, induction, refresher.

What you need

Handout 1 – The Brief

Handout 2 – Action Plan

Handout 3 – Report Back (for evaluation)

Preparation

 

1. Copy Handout 1 – The Brief (one per group)
2. Copy Handout 2 – Action Plan (one per person)
3. Arrange the room so that participants can work in groups of three to five people

What to Do

Activity – 5 minutes – groups

Give each group of participants a copy of Handout 1 – The Brief and ask them to spend five minutes ranking the comments in order of their personal agreement with them.

(Note for trainer – there is no ‘right’ order for these comments, the point of the exercise is to generate discussion.)

Reflect – 3 minutes – whole group

Lead a discussion with the whole group about how easily they found consensus in their discussions.  It is likely that they found difficulty in reaching agreement, as many of the statements on the handout appear to contradict each other.  For example, “When I go into a shop I like to be left on my own to browse” is at odds with “I expect to be offered help and assistance.”, and yet participants will probably have found themselves agreeing with both.

Conclude – 1 minute – whole group

Ask the group what conclusions can be drawn from their discussions.

Comments you may receive could include: “We are all different”, or “We expect different service in different circumstances.”

Gain agreement from the group that, in general, “Good service is what the customers expects it to be.”

Plan – 1 minute – whole group

Give everyone a copy of Handout 2 – Action Plan, and ask them to complete it.

Evaluation

Four weeks after the training session, send everyone a copy of Handout 3 – Report Back asking them to complete and return it.

Variation

If your organisation has set standards of customer service, you may wish to extend the ‘Conclude’ section to include; “Good customer service is what the customer expects it to be, and the best way of meeting the majority of customer’s expectations is for us to perform within our customer service standards.”

What Is ‘Good’ Customer Service?

Handout 1 – The Brief

Below are some comments made by customers in a survey on attitudes towards customer service.

Consider each of the comments and, as a group, rank them in order (one to ten) of the extent to which you agree or ‘empathise’ with them.

 

Comment	Group Ranking
“When I go into a shop I like to be left on my own to browse.”
“I don’t mind being in a queue as long as I can see that it is moving and all the staff are busy.”
“I’m willing to pay a bit extra for good service.”
“I dislike the ‘have a nice day’ culture of service”.
“I expect to be offered help and assistance.”
“I expect politeness and like it if staff are pleasant and have time for a chat.”
“I like to know that I will get a standard level of service, no matter what is happening.”
“I hate queuing and would rather go elsewhere.”
“I believe that you should expect good service as a right.”
“I like staff to know me and to use my name”.

 

 

Handout 2 – Action Plan

What has been the main learning point for you about today’s training session?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you intend to do, do differently, carry on doing, or stop doing as a result?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What benefit do you think this will have?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When will you do it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Date:

 

 

tenminutetrainertips

BECOME A TEN MINUTE TRAINER

Designing Short Training Sessions that Work!

 When time and money are tight, make sure your training sessions have  “OOMPH!!” –

Outcomes, Order, Method, Practicality and Heart!!

 There are so many teams that would benefit from the capability to run short and useful training sessions – the sort of session that could take up ten minutes of a weekly meeting, for example.

Managers could and team leaders could include subjects such as:

• New/amended procedures, products or policies
• Repetitive regulatory training such as fire procedures, health & safety, equalities etc.
• Follow-up sessions to other training (e.g. the whole team has had a one-day ‘corporate’ session and the team leader designs a couple of short follow-ups to embed the learning and make it relevant to that team.)
• “Just in time” training – one-off subjects ‘as and when’  (e.g. the team leader spots…

View original post 208 more words

Put ‘Heart’ into your Short Training Sessions

Heart

 It is said that the words that we use can account for as little as 7% of the meaning that we convey to our audience.

People attending your session will be making conscious and unconscious decisions about what you are saying by interpreting your ‘non-verbal behaviour’.

 Body Language

 The impression that you make on your audience begins as soon as they see you – this could be well before the formal part of your session begins.  Make sure, therefore, that you adopt a positive and professional posture and body language throughout your dealings with the learners.

 Voice

The way in which you use our voice can have a great impact on an audience.

Make sure that you project your voice (without shouting) so that everyone in the room can hear you.  You will find that breathing from your tummy, rather than from the chest, will help this.

Facial Expressions

When a speaker is perceived as ‘monotonous’ it is often not just their voice that is boring – their facial features never change either!

When delivering your session you need to think about:

• Always start with a smile
• Smile when you are making positive and complimentary points
• Use you face to illustrate the ‘light and shade’ of your presentation

 Eye Contact

Regular and appropriate eye contact with the audience helps to establish your rapport.

Be aware of different individual and cultural reactions to eye contact, and change your approach accordingly.

Training with Heart is part of the OOMPH method of designing and delivering Ten Minute Trainer sessions.

Find out more by following the TenMinuteTrainerTips blogs.

 

Pay Attention to the Practicalities of Short Burst Training

Here are some simple things to bear in mind about the practicality of your training session.

 

• Environment – create a learning environment that is comfortable and stimulating.  Tidy up, arrange chairs so that everyone can see and hear.  Ask yourself if you need tables etc.  Make sure that the room is warm enough and light enough.  Make sure that you will not be interrupted.
• Handouts – do you need any?  If so, make sure they are relevant and have no mistakes.  Let people know that you are giving handouts; then they can decide for themselves what notes to make.
• Materials – have everything you need to hand.  Make sure that you have pens, paper etc for your learners (or that you have told them what to bring with them).
• Logistics – make sure your learners know where they have to go and what time to be there.  A ten-minute session can double in length if people are late.
• Timing – start and finish on time.  Even if people are late, you should still begin on time.

In order for the session to be practical, participants need the chance to think about how they will apply it in the workplace.

A simple form which asks questions like “what have you learned today?”, “how will you use this?” and “How will you know it has worked?” can be very useful.

Follow the TenMinuteTrainerTips blog for loads of practical advice on creating short training sessions that deliver OOMPH!

Choose Your Method

Method

 There are many different method that you can include in a short training session.  These could include:

 

• Games, role plays, questionnaires, demonstrations, quizzes, video clips, PowerPoint presentations, lecture, simulations, examples, letting them have a go, reflective activities etc.

When you are choosing a training method, ask yourself the following:

 

• Will the method help the learners to achieve the learning objectives?
• Is the method suitable for the learners’ abilities?
• Will the method provide enough activity, challenge and interest?
• Do you have the necessary skills to use the method – if not how can you acquire these skills?
• Will the method fit the venue, equipment and resources available to you?
• Does the method fit in with other methods used during the programme?
• Will the method fit in with the time available?

 

Follow the TenMinuteTrainerTips blog for loads of practical ideas on how to create short and effective training sessions.

Always Know Your Outcome

Outcomes

 There is a saying that says, “When a man does not know what harbour he is making for, no wind is the right wind”. This saying describes the reasons for setting outcomes for any training session – if we do not know where we are going, we will never know when we have arrived.

An objective (statement of outcome) is always written with the specific focus on the learner.  It describes what the learner will be able to do or understand as a result of the session.

The rules for writing training objectives are:

1. Objectives should relate to the learner.
2. Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).
3. Objectives describe something that the learner will be able to do as a result of their learning.  Therefore objectives should always contain a verb of action.
4. Objectives also describe how well – to what standard – the learner will be able to perform that action.

For example:

• By the end of this session participants will be able to make an accurate and complete entry in the accident book.
• By the end of this session participants will be able to use a structured process for planning a negotiation.

Follow the TenMinuteTrainerTips blog for loads of ideas on how to creat short and effective training sessions.