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:

 

 

---