How to Deliver Quality Service Internally or Externally, Face-To-Face or on the Phone?

The article is aimed at developing and maintaining positive service attitudes in all staff that provides service to internal or external customers whether it be face to face on the phone or online. It is ideal for developing effective communication and service skills.

The program has four segments:

• Explores ways to avoid blaming and overcome frustrations
• Provides strategies for managing pressure
• Helps people handle complaints and avoid service burnout
• Skills and actions for managing difficult customers and challenges

It is ideal for training seminars short meetings conferences workshops and for one on one motivational coaching or self-development online. Managers and trainers can use the content and activity sheets to help their people ‘audit’ their negative messages and develop and sustain positive messages and positive service attitudes.

Culture is changed when thoughts become actions and this is the vital link to positively change workplace culture and the style of communication.

Target audience and use

This article is aimed at developing and maintaining positive service attitudes in all staff that provides service to internal or external customers, whether it be face to face, on the phone, or online.

It is ideal for developing effective communication and service skills. It can be used for induction, team building, and supervisor training.

This article is ideal for training seminars, short meetings, conferences, workshops, and for one on one motivational coaching or self-development online.

This article has four segments:

• Segment 1: Explores ways to avoid blaming and overcome frustrations
• Segment 2: Provides strategies for managing pressure
• Segment 3: Helps people handle complaints and avoid service burnout
• Segment 4: Covers skills and actions for managing difficult customers and challenges

Managers and trainers can use the content and activity sheets to help their people ‘audit’ their negative messages and develop and sustain positive messages and positive service attitudes.

Objectives

This article provides the stimulus for everyone to re-evaluate their own thinking patterns and behaviors. It will help them recognize negative thinking so they can then turn it around and have greater job satisfaction and deliver better quality service.

Managers need to lead by example and this program unearths the negative thinking that can lead to disempowerment.

This article will encourage viewers to recognize:

• The power of success starts with the way you think.
• Positive messages and affirmations make us feel good, help us communicate effectively, and achieve results.
• Negative thinking and negative messages hold us back, keep us stuck in the past and create conflict and poor motivation.

Avoid blame and overcome frustrations

People are so demanding

It’s too disorganized here

There are too many expectations

Clients are never satisfied

This job is frustrating

Change your negative thinking

SWITCH ON positive messages

People are so demanding

My clients deserve good service

It’s too disorganized here

If I am organized I will see clearly

There are too many expectations

Discussing boundaries builds relationships

Clients are never satisfied

I can make sure client needs are met

This job is frustrating

The challenges will help me develop

SWITCH ON YOUR POSITIVE SERVICE MESSAGES

• My clients deserve good service
• If I am organized I will see clearly
• Discussing boundaries builds relationships
• I can make sure client needs are met
• The challenges will help me develop

Strategies for managing pressure

There’s never enough time

We don’t have enough staff

There are too many service demands

There’s too much to learn

No-one else cares so why should I

Change your negative thinking

SWITCH ON positive messages

There’s never enough time

I’ll be effective with the time I have

We don’t have enough staff

Prioritizing will help our team manage

There are too many service demands

Agreeing on realistic targets motivates me

There’s too much to learn

Organizing my resources gives me easy access

No one else cares so why should I

When I care it makes my job worthwhile

SWITCH ON YOUR POSITIVE SERVICE MESSAGES

• I’ll be effective with the time I have
• Prioritizing will help our team manage
• Agreeing on realistic targets motivates me
• Organizing my resources gives me easy access
• When I care it makes my job worthwhile

Handling complaints and avoiding burnout

I’m so tired of smiling

I’m sick of hearing complaints

I have to repeat myself all the time

Some customers never stop talking

I feel like a robot

Change your negative thinking

SWITCH ON positive messages

I’m so tired of smiling

I enjoy it when I make someone else smile

I’m sick of hearing complaints

Welcoming complaints help us improve

I have to repeat myself all the time

My 100th time is somebody’s first impression

Some customers never stop talking

Being a good listener shows I care

I feel like a robot

Helping people brightens my day

SWITCH ON YOUR POSITIVE SERVICE MESSAGES

• I enjoy it when I make someone else smile
• Welcoming complaints help us improve
• My 100th time is somebody’s first impression
• Being a good listener shows I care
• Helping people brightens my day

Managing difficult customers and challenges

Everyone wants immediate results

I can’t be expected to solve every problem

I get angry when people are rude

Some people get abusive

There’s no point asking for help

Change your negative thinking

SWITCH ON positive messages

Everyone wants immediate results

I enjoy having customers thank me

I can’t be expected to solve every problem

Every problem I solve is rewarding

I get angry when people are rude

Staying calm keeps me professional

Some people get abusive

Following the rules creates a safe path

There’s no point asking for help

Sharing concerns helps me stay on track

SWITCH ON YOUR POSITIVE SERVICE MESSAGES

• I enjoy having customers thank me
• Every problem I solve is rewarding
• Staying calm keeps me professional
• Following the rules creates a safe path
• Sharing concerns helps me stay on track

Final

Your service approach impacts everyone around you

SWITCH ON your positive service messages

Key Learning Points

A range of key learning points can be made using this program that is general to positive thinking and behavior and also specific to service attitudes:

• We all have a range of positive and negative thoughts and ‘messages’
• Some messages are voiced some remain as underlying thoughts
• We all have the power to choose our own mood and attitudes
• We can switch on positive respectful messages if we choose
• Positive thoughts usually underpin positive actions and enhance well-being at work
• Our mood and attitude impact those around us
• Everyone contributes to the culture of the organization
• Leaders need to lead by example and provide excellent service to their team
• A positive culture at work is motivating and performance is improved
• When service staff have a positive mindset they switch on to deliver quality service
• Staff will solve problems and welcome customers more effectively when they feel positive

Discussion and questions

1. What are the main reasons customers complain?
2. Which behaviors are exemplary of quality service?
3. What kinds of attitudes do we have about our work and our customers?
4. How can we feel fresh after countless inquiries/emails/calls?
5. What are the benefits of delivering high-quality service?
6. What is the best way to balance competing demands?
7. How can we recognize service burnout and overload?
8. What is the best way to manage service burnout?
9. Is our team clear about the service roles in our team?
10. Discuss the essential steps in handling a complaint.

Activity 1: Rewriting scripts for service

Work individually, in pairs, or in groups to develop ideas for changing these negative messages into positive service messages:

• People are so demanding
• It’s too disorganized here
• There are too many expectations
• Clients are never satisfied
• This job is frustrating
• There’s never enough time
• We don’t have enough staff
• There are too many service demands
• There’s too much to learn
• No-one else cares so why should I
• I’m so tired of smiling
• I’m sick of hearing complaints
• I have to repeat myself all the time
• Some customers never stop talking
• I feel like a robot
• Everyone wants immediate results
• I can’t be expected to solve every problem
• I get angry when people are rude
• Some people get abusive
• There’s no point asking for help

Activity 2: Positive strategies for everyone

Choose 5 positive scripts and consider actions at work that will support this way of thinking.

• My clients deserve good service
• If I am organized I will see clearly
• Discussing boundaries builds relationships
• I can make sure client needs are met
• The challenges will help me develop
• I’ll be effective with the time I have
• Prioritizing will help our team manage
• Agreeing on realistic targets motivates me
• Organizing my resources gives me easy access
• When I care it makes my job worthwhile
• I enjoy it when I make someone else smile
• Welcoming complaints help us improve
• My 100th time is somebody’s first impression
• Being a good listener shows I care
• Helping people brightens my day
• I enjoy having customers thank me
• Every problem I solve is rewarding
• Staying calm keeps me professional
• Following the rules creates a safe path
• Sharing concerns helps me stay on track

Activity 3: Positive strategies for our team

Work in pairs or small groups to develop actions to resolve issues faced by the team.

1. Identify problem areas that lead to customer complaints and look for improvements e.g. long waits
2. Create a problem-solving strategy to deal with typical complaints that come in
3. Discuss the service issues in your organization. Are there common threads? What can be done about it?
4. Discuss better ways to organize shared resources for the team.
5. How do you manage a bottleneck caused by one or two people in the team not keeping up with their tasks?

Activity 4: Make a difference

Divide into small groups and choose one scenario to work on and present back to others.

1. Imagine there is a major complaint made about the work of your team. Demonstrate how you would resolve it, and explain the use of mindset scripts or messages.
2. Do an online search to find out the most common complaints about businesses similar to yours. Create a priority list of actions to prevent complaints like this in your organization.
3. Consider ways to survey customers for their feedback on the service you provide. Provide an action plan for implementation.
4. Create a short presentation about ways to improve service delivery at your organization.
5. Discuss best ways to provide induction training to get new staff up to speed and providing quality service.