Quality Customer Service PDF

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Quality Customer
Quality Customer Service

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Satisfy customers—it’s everybody’s job than 200 titles in the following categories:
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Whether your customer is across the country or across the hall, Human Resources
understanding and meeting their needs is the first and last step
Communication
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External customers drive sales and growth. Internal customers are

Personal Development
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Quality
the key to efficiency and profitability. We can all contribute to the
success of our organization by winning over customers with superior
Finance
Customer
Service
products and service and delivering quality customer service. Coaching and Mentoring
Customer Service/Quality
Quality Customer Service begins with the fundamentals to defining
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
customer needs and then you’ll learn how to:
Training Satisfy customers—
• Maintain a positive attitude and environment
Life Planning it’s everybody’s job
• Establish feedback mechanisms Writing
• Manage complaints and difficult customers Turn to the matrix inside to see how
our full list of titles lines up with the
• Ensure repeat business US Department of Labor’s Building
Blocks for Competency.
Understand internal and external
customer needs
Discover four reasons customer service

is essential
Address complaints and problem areas

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By William Martin
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ISBN-13 978-1-4260-1833-6
ISBN-10 1-4260-1833-9
90000
9 781426 018336
By William Martin Fifth Edition
Crisp Fifty-Minute Series | Know how. Right now.
Quality Customer Service.indd 1 10/15/09 3:57:56 PM

Satisfy customers—it’s everybody’s job
Fifth Edition
William B. Martin, Ph.D.
A Crisp Fifty-Minute™ Series Book

Satisfy customers—it’s everybody’s job
Fifth Edition
William B. Martin, Ph.D.
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i
Table of Contents
About the Author.........................................................................................................1
About the Crisp 50-Minute Series ..............................................................................3
A Note to Instructors ...................................................................................................4
Part 1: Winning with the Customer 5

Do You Have What It Takes to Win with the Customer?............................................7
Comparing Customer Service to a Refrigerator........................................................10
What Is Quality Customer Service?..........................................................................13
Four Reasons Why Quality Service is Important......................................................19
Adopting a Customer Service Perspective................................................................20
Why Winning at Customer Service is Important to You...........................................22
Summary ...................................................................................................................24
Part 2: Showing a Positive Attitude 25

Why a Positive Attitude Is Important........................................................................27
Communicate Your Best Image ................................................................................29
Monitoring the Sound of Your Voice ........................................................................32
Using the Telephone Effectively ...............................................................................33
Staying Energized .....................................................................................................34
Summary and Follow-Up..........................................................................................38
Part 3: Identifying Customer Needs 41

Identifying Customer Needs .....................................................................................43
Understanding Basic Needs ......................................................................................46
Recognizing Customer Timing Requirements ..........................................................48
Stay One Step Ahead of Your Customers .................................................................49
Remaining Attentive .................................................................................................51
Using a CRM System................................................................................................53
Summary ...................................................................................................................54 Quality Customer Service
ii
Part 4: Providing for the Needs of Your Customers 57
Providing for Your Customers’ Needs ......................................................................59
Meeting Basic Customer Service Needs...................................................................60
Performing Important Backup Duties .......................................................................61
Sending Clear Messages ...........................................................................................62
Saying the Right Thing .............................................................................................64
Selling Your Organization’s Uniqueness ..................................................................65
Meeting the Computer Challenge .............................................................................67
Preparing for the Unexpected ...................................................................................70
Summary ...................................................................................................................72
Part 5: Making Sure Your Customers Return 73

Making Sure Your Customers Return .......................................................................75
Soliciting Customer Feedback ..................................................................................77
Handling Complaints Effectively..............................................................................79
Getting Difficult Customers on Your Side ................................................................84
Taking That One Extra Service Step .........................................................................86
Reviewing the Actions that Cause a Customer to Return .........................................88
Striving for Quality Customer Service......................................................................89
Appendix 93
Appendix to Part 1 ....................................................................................................95
Appendix to Part 2 ....................................................................................................96
Appendix to Part 3 ....................................................................................................98
Appendix to Part 4 ..................................................................................................100
Appendix to Part 5 ..................................................................................................102
Additional Reading .................................................................................................104
1
About the Author

William Martin is a professor of hospitality management in the School of Business
at California State University Monterey Bay. He lives in Monterey, California, and
consults with organizations around the globe.
Introduction
2
Learning Objectives
Complete this book, and you’ll know how to:
1) Define quality customer service, explore why it’s important, and discover
how it can be adopted as a company-wide perspective.
2) Have a positive attitude that customers notice and examine how your attitude
is reflected in your appearance, language, tone, and telephone skills.
3) Identify your customers’ needs by understanding basic human needs, learn
how to read your customers, and discuss the benefits of a CRM system.
4) Provide for your customers’ needs by performing your job well,
communicating clear messages, practicing effective selling skills, and
planning for unexpected situations.
5) Ensure that customers return by soliciting feedback, satisfying complaints,
preparing for common complaints, dealing with difficult customers
effectively, and exceeding their expectations.
Workplace and Management Competencies mapping

For over 30 years, business and industry has utilized competency models to select
employees. The trend to use competency-based approaches in education and
training, assessment, and development of workers has experienced a more recent
emergence within the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), a division
of the United States Department of Labor.
The ETA’s General Competency Model Framework spans a wide array of
competencies from the more basic competencies, such as reading and writing, to
more advanced occupation-specific competencies. The Crisp Series finds its home
in what the ETA refers to as the Workplace Competencies and the Management
Competencies.
Quality Customer Service covers information vital to mastering the following
competencies:
Workplace Competencies:
X Adaptability & Flexibility
X Customer Focus
For a comprehensive mapping of Crisp Series titles to the Workplace and

Management competencies, visit www.CrispSeries.com.
3
About the Crisp 50-Minute Series

The Crisp 50-Minute Series is designed to cover critical business and professional
development topics in the shortest possible time. Our easy-to-read, easy-to-
understand format can be used for self-study or for classroom training. With a
wealth of hands-on exercises, the 50-Minute books keep you engaged and help you
retain critical skills.
What You Need to Know

We designed the Crisp 50-Minute Series to be as self-explanatory as possible. But
there are a few things you should know before you begin the book.
Exercises
Exercises look like this:
DO NOT ALTER OR DELETE THIS LINE – It is here for spacing purposes.
EXERCISE TITLE
Questions and other information are here.
Keep a pencil handy. Any time you see an exercise, you should try to complete it. If
the exercise has specific answers, an answer key is provided in the appendix. (Some
exercises ask you to think about your own opinions or situation; these types of
exercises don’t have answer keys.)
Forms
A heading like this means that the rest of the page is a form:
FORMHEAD
Forms are meant to be reusable. You might want to make a photocopy of a form
before you fill it out, so that you can use it again later.
Introduction
4
A Note to Instructors
We’ve tried to make the Crisp 50-Minute Series books as useful as possible as
classroom training manuals. Here are some of the features we provide for
instructors:
X PowerPoint presentations
X Answer keys
X Assessments
X Customization
PowerPoint Presentations
You can download a PowerPoint presentation for this book from our Web site at
www.CrispSeries.com.
Answer keys
If an exercise has specific answers, an answer key will be provided in the appendix.
(Some exercises ask you to think about your own opinions or situation; these types
of exercises will not have answer keys.)
Assessments
For each 50-Minute Series book, we have developed a 35- to 50-item assessment.
The assessment for this book is available at www.CrispSeries.com. Assessments
should not be used in any employee-selection process.
Customization
Crisp books can be quickly and easily customized to meet your needs—from adding
your logo to developing proprietary content. Crisp books are available in print and
electronic form. For more information on customization, see www.CrispSeries.com.
P A R T 1
Winning with
the Customer
In business you get what you want by giving other people what they
want.”
–Alice MacDougall
6
Do not edit or delete this line.
In this part:
X Do You Have What It Takes to Win with the Customer?
X Comparing Customer Service to a Refrigerator
X What Is Quality Customer Service?
X Four Reasons Why Quality Service Is Important
X Adopting a Customer Service Perspective
X Why Winning at Customer Service Is Important to You
7
Do You Have What It Takes to Win

with the Customer?
The people in your organization think so, or they wouldn’t have hired you. Now is
the time to prove them correct. Make your choice now!
Service Winners
X Possess a positive attitude and a cheerful outlook
X Genuinely enjoy working with and for other people
X Put the customer on center stage rather than themselves
X Have a high energy level and enjoy a fast pace
X View their job primarily as a human relations profession
X Are flexible and enjoy new demands and experiences
X Can allow customers to be right (even when they aren’t)
Add your own: ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Service Failures
X Seem depressed or angry
X Would rather work alone or with “things”
X Need to be the center of attention
X Work at their own relaxed pace
X Consider technical aspects of the job more important than customer
satisfaction
X Must have things happen in an orderly and predictable way
X Need others to know that they’re right
1: Winning with the Customer
Add your own: ______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
8
The difference between winning and failing at customer service is a matter of
sensitivity, sincerity, attitude, and human relations skills—all of which can be
learned.
It isn’t enough simply to perform the duties of your job. You must also have the
right approach.
Here’s why you need the right approach:
X A patient in a doctor’s office wants more than a treatment.
X Airline passengers want more than a safe flight.
X Clients in a transaction want more than a settlement.
X Customers in a restaurant want more than a meal.
X Guests in hotels want more than a room.
X Rental car customers want more than a car.
X Customers want more than just the product or service that’s offered—they
also want to be treated well!
Remember: Quality Customer Service winners are made, not born.

“I asked for a suite, not a sweet on the pillow.”

9
CUSTOMER SERVICE POTENTIAL SCALE

For each pair of statements, choose a number that represents where you think
you fall between the two extremes. Then, add up the numbers to obtain your
total score.
I control my moods I have limited control
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
most of the time. over my moods.
It is possible to be I simply can’t be
pleasant to people who 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 pleasant if people
are indifferent to me. aren’t nice to me.
I like most people and I have difficulties getting
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
enjoy meeting with others. along with others.
I enjoy being of People should
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
service to others. help themselves
I don’t mind apologizing Apologizing for a
for mistakes, even if 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 mistake I didn’t
I didn’t make them. make is wrong.
I take pride in my ability
I would rather interact
to communicate verbally 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
with others in writing.
with others.
I’m good at remembering Why bother remembering
names and faces, and I make a name or face if
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
efforts to improve this skill you’ll never see
when meeting others. that person again?
Smiling comes I am more serious
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
naturally to me. by nature.
I have no motives to
I like seeing others
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 please others, especially
enjoy themselves.
those I don’t know.
I keep myself clean Being clean and well-groomed
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
and well-groomed. is not all that important.
________________
Total Score:
If you rated yourself 80 or above, you probably will be, or are, excellent with
customers, clients, or guests. If you rated yourself between 50 and 80, you may
need to learn better human relations skills before working with the public. If you
scored under 50, working with customers is probably a poor career choice for
you
10
Comparing Customer Service to a

Refrigerator
Customer service is different from a refrigerator because:
X You can’t touch it.
X You can’t open it up and look inside.
X It doesn’t come in optional colors.
X You can’t keep a supply in inventory.
X You can’t even measure it precisely.
Most organizations deal in one way or another with tangible products or conditions.
Like a refrigerator, these tangibles can be poked, prodded, weighed, or otherwise
physically inspected. Tangibles often define the essence of what an organization is
all about.
Some examples of organizational tangibles are:
Airplanes Clothing Guestrooms
Animals Computers Minerals
Appliances Contracts Plants
Automobiles Food Property
Buildings Germs Rockets
WHAT TANGIBLES DO YOU DEAL WITH?

What tangibles does your organization deal with?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
11
Customer Service Is Different—It’s Intangible
Intangibles deal with the human side of an organization. They include human
emotions, behaviors, understandings, feelings, and perceptions.
Intangibles are often elusive, because you can’t inspect, touch, or smell them to
know whether they are “right” or “wrong.” However, like a tangible product,
intangible customer service is often the key to an organization’s success.
Some examples of customer service intangibles are:
Accommodation Guidance Tact
Anticipation Helpfulness Timeliness
Attentiveness Kindness Tone
Attitude Knowledge Understanding
Flow Satisfaction Welcoming
Friendliness Sensitivity
WHAT INTANGIBLES DO YOU DEAL WITH?

What are some customer service intangibles that you’ve experienced?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
12
Customer Service Is Also Like a Refrigerator

To produce a quality refrigerator requires:
Care Knowledge Skill
Communication Leadership Systems
Effort Organization And lots of practice
Feedback Planning
The same concerted effort that goes into creating a quality tangible product must be
exerted toward customer service, if it’s to achieve a designation of quality.
13
What Is Quality Customer Service?

Even though customer service is intangible and often elusive, it still can be seen,
heard, and experienced. What counts is what customers see, hear, and experience.
Quality customer service can be understood only from a customer’s perspective. We
must define quality service through the eyes of your customers. You’ve delivered
quality customer service only when your customers perceive that you’ve done so.
Customers tend to rate the level of service that you provide from two dimensions:
X The procedural dimension: the established systems and procedures to
deliver products and/or service.
X The personal dimension: how service providers (using their attitudes,
behaviors, and verbal skills) interact with customers.
From a customer’s point of view, each dimension is critical to the delivery of
quality service. The exercises and activities in this book reflect both of these
dimensions of quality service.

14
QUALITY SERVICE EXERCISE

The diagrams below show the procedural and personal dimensions of types of
customer service. The vertical axis represents the degree of procedural service
and the horizontal axis reflects a measure of personal service as seen by the
customer. Before looking at the following section, how would you describe the
service reflected by each diagram?
A) B)
Service characteristics: Service characteristics:

____________________________ _____________________________
____________________________ _____________________________
____________________________ _____________________________
C) D)
Service characteristics: Service characteristics:

____________________________ _____________________________
____________________________ _____________________________
____________________________ _____________________________
15
Four Types of Service

Of the four different types of customer service we’ll discuss, three of them illustrate
common mistakes and the fourth defines quality customer service. These types of
customer service are:
X The Freezer
X The Factory
X The Friendly Zoo
X Quality Customer Service
Diagram A: The Freezer

This reflects an operation that is low in both personal and procedural service. This
approach to service communicates to customers, “We don’t care.”
Freezer service characteristics include:

Procedural Personal
slow insensitive
inconsistent cold or impersonal
disorganized apathetic
chaotic aloof
inconvenient uninterested

16
Diagram B: The Factory
This diagram represents proficient procedural service but a weakness in the personal
dimension. This approach to service communicates to customers, “You’re a number.
We’re here to process you.”
Factory service characteristics include:

Procedural Personal
timely insensitive
efficient apathetic
uniform aloof
uninterested
17
Diagram C: The Friendly Zoo
This approach is very personal but lacks procedural consistency. This type of
service communicates to customers, “We’re trying hard but don’t really know what
we’re doing.”
Friendly Zoo service characteristics include:

Procedural Personal
slow friendly
inconsistent personable
disorganized interested
chaotic

18
Diagram D: Quality Customer Service
This diagram represents quality customer service. It’s strong in both the personal
and procedural dimensions. It communicates to customers, “We care, and we
deliver.”
The Quality Customer Service characteristics include:

Procedural Personal
timely friendly
efficient personable
uniform interested
tactful
19
Four Reasons Why

Quality Service is Important
For those working in customer service, the quality of that service is the most
important aspect of the job, because it’s easier to keep a customer than attract a new
one. Therefore, it’s essential to understanding why quality service is important:
X Service is where the money and the jobs are. There are more businesses
providing services than ever before. The current top 10 largest growing jobs
are all service-related. Moreover, the current top 10 industries with the
fastest wage and salary employment growth are all service-related.
X Increased competition. Whether it’s the corner gas station, Joe’s Plumbing
Service, a giant retail outlet, or an international bank, competition is keen.
Business survival depends on obtaining the competitive edge. Quality
customer service provides the competitive advantage for thousands of
organizations.
X Greater understanding of consumers. We know more today than ever
before about why customers patronize certain businesses and avoid others.
Quality products, along with a realistic price, are a must—but that’s not all.
Customers also want to be treated well, and they do repeat business with
companies that emphasize service.
X Makes economic sense. The lifeblood of any company is repeat business.
Expanding the customer base is vital. This means that companies not only
have to attract new clients or customers, but also must keep existing ones.
Quality customer service helps make this happen. Following is a partial list
of organizations that benefit from “quality customer service.”
Examples of businesses that provide service include:

Hotels Credit unions Restaurants/supermarkets
Insurance companies Libraries Construction/utility companies
Health care facilities Lawyers’ offices Doctor’s offices/hospitals
Universities/clubs Security services Travel/tour-related businesses
Service/repair companies Retail stores Federal/state agencies

Is your type of organization represented in this list? Should it be?
20
Adopting a Customer Service Perspective

Consider these quotes:
X “The customer is king.”
X “The customer is the reason we exist.”
X “Without our customers, we have nothing.”
X “Our customers define our business.”
X “If we don’t understand our customers, we don’t understand our business.”
Each of these statements reflects a customer orientation. They communicate a view

that the customer is paramount to the nature and success of one’s organization. This
view turns the “Traditional Perspective” literally upside down to become the
“Customer Service Perspective,” as shown in the following illustration.
Adopting a customer service perspective requires us to look at organizations in a

unique way. It defines the most important activity that an organization engages in as
the moment when the organization’s service provider interacts with the customer.
In short, this is customer service’s defining moment—the essence, the heart and
soul, of customer service. The point-of-service encounter is what Jan Carlzon of
Scandinavian Airlines has succinctly labeled, “The Moment of Truth.”
21
SERVICE ROLES EXERCISE

Here is an organizational diagram representing a customer service perspective:
Answer the following questions as they pertain to your job.
1. In the organization where you work, who are the Level 1 people?
____________________________________________________________
2. Who are the level 2 and 3 people?
____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the CEO?
____________________________________________________________
4. What is the role of the Level 1 service providers?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. What is the role of the managers?
____________________________________________________________ 1: Winning with the Customer
____________________________________________________________
6. What is the role of the CEO?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
22
Why Winning at Customer Service is

Important to You
Common sense should tell you that the success you have with customers increases
the amount of money you make, whether in salary increases, commissions, or tips.
It also makes you more promotable. But money and promotions aside, success in
customer relations also provides many personal benefits.
Here are a few:
X Job satisfaction
X Joy in helping others
X A sense of accomplishment
X Enjoyment of interacting with all types of people
X Learning about others
X Knowing you’re having a positive influence on others
X Add your own: ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
23
MY CURRENT SITUATION
Read each statement below. Determine which ones are true (T) and which are
false (F) about the benefits good customer relations skills can bring to you.
T F
1. Working with customers is usually more enjoyable than

working at a routine technical job.
2. Improving interpersonal skills can help develop a personality.
3. The ability to provide the best possible customer service is a

continuous challenge that keeps a job interesting.
4. Most top executives lack effective customer relations skills.
5. Ongoing success with customers can lead to better job security

and opportunity for promotion.
6. Learning to treat customers as special people has a carryover

value to future jobs.
7. What you learn about customer/client services in an entry-level

position is often more important than the money you make.
8. Service jobs where you meet the public are easier than most
technical jobs.
9. Skill in performing the mechanics of your job is more

important than your attitude about how you perform it.
10. Smiles are contagious.

Compare your answers with the author’s suggested responses
in the Appendix.
24
Summary
You can win with your customer by keeping these facts in mind:
X Customer service is an intangible. It includes human emotions, behaviors,
understandings, feelings, and perceptions.
X Quality customer service can be understood only from a customer’s
perspective, and customers tend to rate the level of service that you provide
in two dimensions: procedural and personal.
X Striving for quality customer service means that your organization is strong
in both the personal and procedural dimensions. It communicates to
customers that “we care and we deliver.”
X For those working in customer service, the quality of that service is the most
important aspect of the job.
X Adopting a customer service perspective requires your organization to
define the most important activity it’s involved in as the moment when the
service provider interacts with the customer.
X As a customer service professional, you need to know why winning at
customer service is important to you.
P A R T 2
Showing a
Positive Attitude
One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is
what we do for others.”
–Lewis Carol
26
In this part:
X Why a Positive Attitude Is Important
X Communicate Your Best Image
X Monitoring the Sound of Your Voice
X Using the Telephone Effectively
X Staying Energized
27
Why a Positive Attitude Is Important

An attitude is a state of mind influenced by feelings, thought, and actions. The
attitude you send out is usually the attitude you get back.
Most customer service providers who fail, do so because of attitude. If you don’t
make a good initial impression on customers, clients, or guests, the game is over
before it begins. Sending a positive attitude to all with whom you come into contact
is essential to quality customer service.
Consider this example:
Alison was a disagreeable sort. Her fellow service providers found her moody and
negative most of the time. Customers didn’t appreciate her sour disposition, and a
few said so to the manager. When business took a temporary downswing, it came as
no surprise when Alison was the first to be laid off.
Showing a positive attitude at work matters!
2: Showing a Positive Attitude

28
HOW POSITIVE IS YOUR ATTITUDE?

The attitude you project to others depends primarily on the way you look at your
job. To measure your attitude toward others, complete this exercise. Circle the
extent you agree or disagree with each statement.
Agree Disagree
1. There’s nothing demeaning about assisting or 5 4 3 2 1
serving others.
2. I can be cheerful and positive to everyone 5 4 3 2 1
regardless of age or appearance.
3. On bad days when nothing goes right, I can still 5 4 3 2 1
find ways to be positive.
4. The higher the quality of service I provide 5 4 3 2 1
during work, the better I feel.
5. I am enthusiastic about my job. 5 4 3 2 1
6. Encountering difficult “people situations” from 5 4 3 2 1
time to time doesn’t cause me to be negative.
7. The idea of being a professional at customer 5 4 3 2 1
contact is motivating.
8. Performing a people-oriented job is both 5 4 3 2 1
challenging and fun.
9. It gives me great pleasure when others 5 4 3 2 1
compliment me or my organization for superior
service.
10. Doing well in all aspects of my job is very 5 4 3 2 1
important to me.
TOTAL: __________________
If you scored above 40, you have an excellent attitude toward your job. If you
scored between 25 and 40, you seem to have some reservations that should be
examined before you make a career which involves customer contact. A rating
below 25 indicates that a non-customer relations job would probably be best for
you.
29
Communicate Your Best Image

An important part of showing a positive attitude is communicating your best image.
You never get another chance to create that positive first impression. So, you want
to take advantage of that critical initial opportunity.
Like an actor, interacting with others requires you to be on stage at all times.
Creating a good first impression is essential. It’s also important to understand that
there’s a direct connection between how you look to yourself and your attitude. The
better your self-image when you encounter customers, clients, or guests, the more
positive you’ll be.

ARE YOU COMMUNICATING YOUR BEST IMAGE?

In this quiz, rate yourself on each grooming area, using the 1 to 5 scale below.
Be honest with yourself.
5 = Excellent 3 = Good 1 = Poor
Hairstyle, hair grooming

(appropriate length & cleanliness) 5 4 3 2 1
Personal habits of cleanliness
(body) 5 4 3 2 1
Personal habits of cleanliness
(hands, fingernails and teeth) 5 4 3 2 1
Clothing and jewelry
(appropriate to the situation) 5 4 3 2 1
Neatness
(shoes shined, clothes clean, well pressed, etc.) 5 4 3 2 1
General grooming: Will your appearance reflect
professionalism on the job? 5 4 3 2 1
When it comes to appearance on the job, I would rate myself:

Excellent Good Need Improvement
The most successful people in customer contact jobs claim that to be sharp
mentally means communicating a positive self-image.
30
Body Language and Attitude

Body language can account for more than half of the message you communicate. In
the following list, you’ll find questions that cause you to consider the nonverbal
cues you send to others.
What’s Your Body Language Saying?

Ask yourself the following questions and check (9) the square if you can answer
“yes”:
Do you hold your head high and steady?
Do your arms move in a natural, unaffected manner?
Are your facial muscles relaxed and under control?
Do you find it easy to maintain a natural smile?
Is your body movement controlled—neither harried nor too casual?
Do you find it easy to maintain eye contact with people you’re talking to?
31
BODY LANGUAGE EXERCISE

Four sets of opposite nonverbal messages are presented below. Describe the
possible messages that these forms of body language send to guests.
Positive Messages Negative Messages

Face is relaxed and under control. Face is anxious and uptight.
This communicates: _____________ This communicates: _____________
_______________________________ ______________________________
_______________________________ ______________________________
Smile is natural and comfortable. Smile is missing or forced.

_______________________________ ______________________________
_______________________________ ______________________________
Eye contact is maintained when talking Eye contact is avoided when talking
and listening to others. and listening.
_______________________________ ______________________________
_______________________________ ______________________________
Body movement is relaxed, yet Body movement is harried and rushed.

deliberate and controlled.
_______________________________ ______________________________
_______________________________ ______________________________

in the Appendix.
32
Monitoring the Sound of Your Voice

Showing a positive attitude requires that you monitor not just what you say, but how
you say it. The tone of your voice is often more important than the words you use to
communicate the message.
The tone of voice you use with others may mean the difference between acceptable
job success and great job success, between adequate customer service and quality
customer service.
In the following exercise, you’re going to explore how your tone is perceived by
other people. This may be a difficult exercise for those not accustomed to listening
to themselves. But make sure you do it. It’ll provide some invaluable insight.

HOW WELL DO YOU USE YOUR VOICE?

Ask a friend to help you complete this exercise. You can also use a tape recorder
or telephone answering device.
Read each statement in the following list out loud. Then, ask your friend to
check (9) the one(s) with which you identify most. If you use a recording, play
the recording and objectively rate your own performance.
My voice becomes agitated and/or loud when I am angry.
I speak more quickly when nervous.
My voice slows significantly and/or becomes quieter when I get tired.
Others describe my tone of voice as upbeat.
Friends regard my tone of voice as warm and understanding when we are in
a serious conversation.
I can control my tone of voice in most situations.
My voice can sound authoritarian and demanding when required.
Others consider my voice meek.
I’m lucky, because my voice is clear, direct, and natural.
My vocabulary and style of speaking tend to be serious and scholarly.

Some of the above are better than others when interacting with customers.
33
Using the Telephone Effectively

Showing a positive attitude includes using the telephone effectively. Phone skills are
essential for two main reasons:
h You have only your voice to rely on. Body language, written messages,
and visual aids are unavailable.
h On the phone with a customer or client, you represent your company. In
other words, you are your organization.

HOW WELL DO YOU USE THE TELEPHONE?

Treating customers professionally means being as pleasant over the phone as
you are in person. Take the telephone quiz below and see if you can score 100%.
True or False? T F
1. It’s okay to keep someone waiting on the phone while you
attend to another equally important task.
2. You should actually smile while answering the phone.
3. If nobody is around to answer a ringing phone and it’s not
your assigned job, the best thing to do is to let it ring.
4. It’s acceptable not to return a call. If the call was important,
the calling party will try again.
5. If a customer is rude, it’s your right to be equally snippy.
6. You should identify yourself by name when answering a
business-related telephone call.
7. If business is slow, it’s perfectly acceptable to make personal
calls to your friends.
8. It’s important to communicate a sincere interest in the caller
and the information being requested or provided.
9. The conversation should be ended in an upbeat manner, with

a summary of any action to be taken.
10. When you’re upset, it’s possible to communicate a negative
attitude over the phone without realizing it.
in the Appendix.
34
Staying Energized
There are many misconceptions about customer service jobs. For example, some
think that:
X Customer service is less tiring than other jobs.
X Providing quality customer service every day—all the time—is easy.
X If you can be helpful and friendly to one customer, then you’ll find it just as
easy to treat hundreds of customers the same way.
“Give us a good table, and we’ll leave plenty of bones behind.”

35
Customer Service Realities

The reality is that those statements just aren’t true. In fact, showing a positive
attitude to customers requires that you stay energized. For example:
X Customer service requires the exertion of emotional labor. Emotional
labor takes its toll on your energy level just like physical labor does; that is,
it makes you tired.
X Providing quality customer service on a regular basis can be very
challenging. The ideas and concepts presented in this book are simple to
understand but not easy to accomplish on a daily basis.
X Serving many customers over an extended period of time can be very
tiring. When you’ve exhausted your reservoir of emotional energy, it’s
called contact overload syndrome.
Signs of Contact Overload

When you’re suffering from contact overload you can become tired, listless,
dejected, grouchy, impatient and even clumsy. Each one of these conditions reduces
your ability to provide quality customer service. Since contact overload can be a
serious obstacle to doing your job effectively, you need to always remember:
X Customer relations is an integral part of your job, not just an extension
of it.
X Nothing is more important to your company than customers. Without
them, your company could not exist.
X Satisfied customers are essential to the success of your organization.
X Business grows through satisfied customers. Satisfied customers not only
come back, but they also bring their friends.
X Quality customer care is learned, not inherited.
X Excelling in customer care requires practice and experience. Like
mastering any skill, the more you put into it, the more you receive from it.
We all need our batteries charged from time to time! Your ability to re-energize
yourself is important to maintaining a positive attitude toward your customers. 2: Showing a Positive Attitude
Maintaining your positive attitude is your key to delivering quality customer service
every minute on the job.
36
HOW WELL DO YOU HANDLE CONTACT OVERLOAD?

1. Is contact overload syndrome a potential problem for you? Yes No
If so, how? ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. When you’re emotionally tired, what can you do to re-energize yourself?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
37
CASE STUDY: Thelma’s Performance Appraisal
Thelma works in an office where she has some customer contact
responsibilities. On her last performance appraisal, her manager wrote the
following:
“Thelma is extremely conscientious about getting her work done. She follows
the outlined procedures exactly. She can be relied upon to get a job done quickly
and efficiently. She often works overtime and does so without complaining. She’s
a hard worker who strives to do the technical part of her job right and is highly
productive.
“However, when it comes to interacting with customers, Thelma needs
considerable improvement. She often fails to see their point of view or consider
their feelings. She sometimes acts as if customers are an irritation interrupting
her work. She is regarded by some as uncaring and tends to be inflexible when
they request extra service.
“If her performance continues, it will be necessary to re-assign Thelma to a
position where customer contact is limited.”
1. Is Thelma a good employee? Yes No

Explain: _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Is the manager justified in his/her recommendations? Yes No

Why or why not? ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. What suggestions would you make to Thelma?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
in the Appendix.
38
Summary and Follow-Up

In summary, reflecting a positive attitude on your job is nothing more than really
liking your job and allowing your actions and words to broadcast this enjoyment to
your customers, supervisors, and fellow employees.
Positive attitudes are reflected in:
X Your appearance
X Your body language
X The sound of your voice
X Your telephone skills
Make sure all of these reflect a positive attitude from you and check each one that
still needs work on your part. Practice makes perfect.
Follow-Up
You have now completed Part II of this program. This is a good time to sit down
with your manager and/or trainer and talk about what you’ve learned. This is also a
good time to clarify any questions you may have about the job. Tell your manager
you’ve completed this section and arrange a meeting. Use the following exercise to
make notes about what you want to talk about and/or your questions.
39
THINGS TO DISCUSS
1. Questions to my manager about our customers:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Questions to co-workers about procedures and routines:

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. Some of my ideas:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. Follow-up based on discussion:

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. Other:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
DO NOT ALTER OR DELETE THIS LINE – It is here for spacing purposes. 2: Showing a Positive Attitude
Quality Customer Service 40
P A R T 3
Identifying
Customer Needs
We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless
we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from
reality. There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no
substitute for being in touch, either.”
–Steven A. Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corporation

42
In this part:
X Identifying Customer Needs
X Understanding Basic Needs
X Recognizing Customer Timing Requirements
X Stay One Step Ahead of Your Customers
X Remaining Attentive
X Using a CRM System
43
Identifying Customer Needs

When serving customers, guests, or clients, it’s important for you to know:
X Who your customers are
X What your customers want
X What your customers need
X What your customers think
X How your customers feel
X Whether your customers are satisfied
X Whether your customers will return
With that knowledge, you can always keep the chain of command in its proper
order—the customer is the boss!
Customers come in two varieties:

X External customers are people outside of your organization who depend on
you for service and are doing business with you because they’ve chosen to.
A targeted group of customers is part of what’s commonly referred to as an
organization’s market niche. This targeted group of customers has its own
differing service needs, wants, and expectations. You can’t provide quality
service without fully understanding what your external customers need and
want. If you don’t, they’ll most likely choose to do business with someone
else. 3: Identifying Customer Needs
X Internal customers are people inside of your organization who depend on
you for service and may have little or no choice when it comes to receiving
service from you.
Internal customers may be co-workers, your boss, or people in other
departments within your organization. They also have differing service
needs, wants, and expectations. You can’t provide quality service without
fully understanding what internal customers need and want. If you don’t,
your degree of success will most likely be very limited.
44
Each of my major divisions is a service provider for the other divisions.

For example, engineering must design parts that meet the needs of production.
The production division must gear up to meet the orders from marketing. And
the marketing division must keep engineering informed of changes in the
marketplace. So you see, we all provide service to each other.”
—A Corporate CEO

DEVELOPING A CUSTOMER PROFILE

Complete this exercise to profile your internal and external customers.
Describe your customers (age, gender, other characteristics):

Internal: _________________________________________________________
External: _________________________________________________________
What’s important to them?

Internal: _________________________________________________________
External: _________________________________________________________
What do they like?

Internal: _________________________________________________________
External: _________________________________________________________
What do they expect from you?

Internal: _________________________________________________________
External: _________________________________________________________
How do they view you?

Internal: _________________________________________________________
External: _________________________________________________________
45
Customer Needs
Now that you’ve profiled your customers, it’s time to investigate what they need
from you. Customer needs are service imperatives. It’s necessary to satisfy a service
need before the service encounter can be considered successful or one of quality.

WHAT ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS

Here is a list of common human needs. Check (9) those that reflect the needs of
your customers, guests, or clients.
The need to feel welcome.
The need for timely service.
The need to feel comfortable.
The need for orderly service.
The need to be understood.
The need to receive help or assistance.
The need to feel important.
The need to be appreciated.
The need to be recognized or remembered.
The need for respect.
Give yourself a perfect score if you checked all 10 items. All customers,
regardless of your business or operation, have these basic human needs to some
degree or another.
3: Identifying Customer Needs

46
Understanding Basic Needs

Identifying customer needs requires that you understand the basic needs of all
humans. Just like you, customers, guests, and clients need:
X Help
X Respect
X Comfort
X Empathy
X Satisfaction
X Support
X A friendly face
And, a great way to start understanding those basic needs is with empathy.
When customers cry for help.

47
Understanding that the Customer Requires Empathy

Empathy is what understanding is all about. This means putting yourself in the
position of your customers. You must view the situation through their eyes. You
must ask, “If I were this person, what would I want?”

EMPATHIZING WITH CUSTOMERS

Do you have the ability to be empathetic to your customers, clients, or guests?
Yes No
Why do you think so?___________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The Four Basic Customer Service Needs

As a service provider, it’s important to understand and acknowledge a wide variety
of human needs that your customers may have. For clarity and simplicity, however,
the needs that you most commonly encounter can be summarized in the following
four basic customer service needs:
X The Need to Be Understood. Those who select your service need to feel
they’re communicating effectively. This means the messages they send
should be interpreted correctly. Emotions or language barriers can get in the
way of proper understanding.
X The Need to Feel Welcome. Anyone doing business with you who feels
like an outsider won’t return. People need to feel that you’re happy to see
them and that their business is important to you.
X The Need to Feel Important. Ego and self-esteem are powerful human
needs. We all like to feel important. Anything you can do to make a

customer feel special is a step in the right direction.
X The Need for Comfort. Customers need physical comfort—a place to wait,
rest, talk, or do business. They also need psychological comfort—the
assurance they’ll be taken care of properly and the confidence that you’ll
meet their needs.
48
Recognizing Customer Timing

Requirements
Knowing the service time requirements for your operation is critical to performing
quality service. In the following exercise, you’ll discuss five important personal
contact points. This information will help you be a success in your job.

HOW TIMELY SHOULD YOU BE?

Write down what you think the response time should be for each question. Then,
ask your supervisor or trainer to do the same. Once you’ve completed the
exercise, try to arrange a meeting to discuss the timing needs of your job with
your trainer or supervisor.
Personal Contact Point Your Supervisor’s

Response Response
1. A customer approaches the service area. The
customer should be greeted, or have his/her
presence acknowledged within ____ seconds. __________ __________
2. Completing the initial paperwork or

transaction should be completed within ____
minutes. __________ __________
3. Any follow-up paperwork or transaction

should be completed within ____ minutes. __________ __________
4. Special requests should be handled within

____ minutes or the guest, customer, or client
should be notified of the reason for the delay. __________ __________
5. Telephone calls should be answered within

____ rings. __________ __________
6. Other; specify: _________________________
_____________________________________ __________ __________

49
Stay One Step Ahead of Your Customers
Proper anticipation is the key to my day-to-day success.

Without it, I’m out of business in no time.”
—A Restaurant Manager
To anticipate the needs of your customers, clients, or guests, ask yourself these
questions:
X Have I considered all of the customer’s needs?
X What will the guest need next?
X How can I improve service now for my client?
Then, offer or provide that service, without requiring a customer to ask for it! Read
the following example to see just how important this concept is.
Bob and Meredith are nurses. They work for different doctors at the same medical
clinic. Before each day begins, Meredith goes over the appointment list and makes
sure potentially needed supplies, equipment, and medication are at her immediate
disposal. Bob, on the other hand, attends to his patients’ needs as they are treated. It
isn’t surprising that Meredith finishes her patient load long before Bob finishes his.

50
HOW WELL DO YOU ANTICIPATE CUSTOMER NEEDS?

Five common service scenarios are listed below. For each situation, write in the
space provided what you think is needed next. After you complete the quiz, add
some of your own situations, or ask your supervisor/trainer to add to the list.
Situation Anticipated Need

1. A customer has waited longer than _________________________
normal for service. _________________________
2. The client keeps glancing at his watch. _________________________
_________________________
3. A woman guest with three small _________________________
children approaches your service area. _________________________
4. Lines for your service form early in the _________________________
day. _________________________
5. There are well-defined busy periods in _________________________
your workday. _________________________
Others needs specific to your situation:

6. ________________________________ _________________________
________________________________ _________________________
7. ________________________________ _________________________
________________________________ _________________________
8. ________________________________ _________________________
________________________________ _________________________
9. ________________________________ _________________________
________________________________ _________________________
10. ________________________________ _________________________

________________________________ _________________________
in the Appendix.
51
Remaining Attentive
Attentiveness is the skill of understanding what your customers may need and want.
This goes beyond timeliness and anticipation and requires you to tune in to the
human needs of your customers.
“Reading” customers requires sensitivity to both nonverbal and verbal signals that
they send out (sometimes without being aware). In the following exercise, you’ll
review some common signals.

HOW WELL DO YOU READ YOUR CUSTOMERS

Can you think of customer needs that the following signals might be
communicating?
X Customer age
Young: ______________________________________________________
Elderly: _____________________________________________________
X Type of clothing
High fashion: _________________________________________________
Out-of-fashion: ________________________________________________
Worn out: ____________________________________________________
X Verbal ability
Extremely fluent: ______________________________________________
Barely fluent: _________________________________________________
X Attitude
Positive: _____________________________________________________ 3: Identifying Customer Needs
Negative: ____________________________________________________
X Impatient: ___________________________________________________
X Demanding approach or anger: _________________________________

in the Appendix.
52
HOW DO YOUR CUSTOMERS

SIGNAL THESE NEEDS TO YOU?
To help you identify when your customers have basic needs, write what
customers do or say that signal a need requiring your attention.
What your customers might do Message

or say to signal a basic need:
_______________________________
_______________________________ “I need to be understood.”
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________ “I need to feel welcome!”
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________ “I need to feel important.”
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________ “I need to feel comfortable.”
_______________________________
in the Appendix.
53
Using a CRM System

CRM stands for customer relationship management. It’s a software application that
enables a business to manage relations with customers by:
X Acquiring and storing information about and from customers.
X Communicating with customers, such as asking about their needs,
matching their needs to products, letting them know about additional
products and/or service offerings, and reminding them of service
requirements.

DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION USE A CRM SYSTEM?

If your organization uses a CRM system, find out the answers to the questions
below (if you don’t already know).
What information is collected and stored about your customers?
How is that information obtained?
How is that information used?
What does the system communicate to customers?
How does it communicate to customers?
What’s your role is using this system?
What potential problems and/or issues do you need to be sensitive to when
using this system?

54
Summary
The best way to identify the needs of your customers is to try to put yourself in their
position, see things from their perspective, place yourself in their shoes. This
section of the book has outlined a number of suggestions to help you do this.
You can identify the needs of your customers by:

X Knowing your customers.
X Understanding their human needs.
X Knowing their timing requirements.
X Anticipating their needs in advance.
X Being able to “read” your customers.
X Using a CRM system.
55
THINGS TO DISCUSS
As a customer, make a visit to your operation, or one just like it at another
location. Do everything a customer would do. Make a mental note of what
happens at the time, and afterwards respond to the following questions:
1. What perspective did you develop seeing your job from the other side of the
fence?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. How were you treated?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. What went well?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. What could have gone better?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. What insights did you develop that will have a positive impact on how you
perform your job?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
P A R T 4
Providing for the
Needs of Your
Customers
There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”
–Roger Staubach
58
In this part:
X Providing for Your Customers’ Needs
X Meeting Basic Customer Service Needs
X Performing Important Backup Duties
X Saying the Right Thing
X Selling Your Organization’s Uniqueness
X Meeting the Computer Challenge
X Preparing for the Unexpected
59
Providing for Your Customers’ Needs

The most important factor in providing quality customer service is to recognize and
understand all the services that your organization has available to provide.

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?

Write what your organization does to provide service in each of the following
areas. Then, add any other services you provide that haven’t been listed. If you
feel your response is incomplete, ask your trainer or supervisor for assistance.
1. Receiving information from customers:_____________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Providing information to customers: _______________________________

____________________________________________________________
3. Soliciting feedback from customers: _______________________________

____________________________________________________________
4. Following through on customer requests: ___________________________

____________________________________________________________
5. Identifying and solving problems: _________________________________

____________________________________________________________
6. Providing a service for customers: _________________________________

____________________________________________________________
4: Providing for the Needs of Your Customers

7. Watching or observing: _________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
8. Organizing: ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
9. Other: _______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
10. Other: _______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________
60
Meeting Basic Customer Service Needs

The four basic service needs that all customers have are the need:
X To Be Understood
X To Feel Welcome
X To Feel Important
X For Comfort
Your success on the job depends on how well you and your organization provide for
these four basic customer service needs.

HOW DO YOU PROVIDE FOR YOUR

CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS?
Fill in your thoughts and ideas on how to provide each of the four basic needs.
X I plan to show understanding by __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
X I plan to make my guests or customers feel welcome by ________________

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
X I plan to help my customers feel important by ________________________

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
X I plan to provide a comfortable environment by ______________________

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
in the Appendix.
61
Performing Important Backup Duties

Treating customers well means performing backup tasks with as much positive
energy and interest as you demonstrate in other aspects of your job. Often, backup
duties are shared with co-workers. Lending a hand, doing your fair share, and
pulling your weight are all part of quality service.
When you’re evaluated by your supervisor, you’ll probably be rated on how well
you treat guests, plus how well you perform backup duties.
Common backup duties include:
X Stocking
X Filing
X Recording information
X Handling telephone calls
X Assisting with cleanup
X Running errands
X Handling money

WHAT DO YOU DO?

What are some of the backup tasks you normally perform?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Check this list with your supervisor to see if you’ve forgotten anything critical
to your job success.
62
Sending Clear Messages

The way in which you communicate can make or break your success on the job. To
illustrate, see if you can identify the true statements in the following exercise.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO

SEND AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE?
Answer the following True or False questions and then compare your answers to
the author’s comments in the Appendix.
T F
1. You should try to impress all customers about how

knowledgeable you are.
2. You should always strive to reassure the self-esteem of your

guest.
3. Repeating the message back to the customer can help eliminate

misunderstanding.
4. Good eye contact with a guest is rarely important.
5. When sending a message, it’s important to use words that are

easily understood.
6. Silence on the part of a client or guest usually indicates

understanding and acceptance of your message.
7. The more you talk, the better you are at communicating.
8. Effective communication skills are inborn.
9. Following up a verbal message with a written message can

often facilitate effective communication.
10. When coaching or helping a customer or fellow employee, you

should focus on behavior, not on personality.
CONTINUED
63
CONTINUED
T F
11. Your tone of voice communicates the message as much as, or

more than, the words themselves.
12. Your body language sends direct messages to others, regardless

of what you’re saying.
13. Misunderstanding a customer request is really not a serious

problem.
14. Effective communication with guests or clients is more

important than effective communication among fellow
employees.
15. Good employees keep their supervisors well informed at all

times.
in the Appendix.

64
Saying the Right Thing

In Part 1 of Quality Customer Service, you learned to use your physical appearance,
body language, and tone of voice to send a positive attitude. Now, we must consider
the actual words to use in order to treat customers as guests. Even though you’ve
already communicated a great deal by your appearance and body language, it’s
important to complete your most effective communication skills by selecting the
right words to say and saying them in the right tone of voice.
To see the impact that our words can have on a customer, consider the following
example:
A 275-pound man had just finished his dinner at a local steak house when the
waiter walked up and said, “Boy, you made that steak disappear fast!” Later, the
waiter couldn’t understand why the customer complained to the manager.

SAYING THE RIGHT THING

In the space below, write a script typical of your interactions with customers,
including: a greeting, how you’d handle a transaction with the customer, and the
way you’d conclude the session.
My greeting would be: _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
I would handle the transaction by saying: _______________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Once the business has been taken care of, I would say: ____________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Review your choice of words with your supervisor or trainer.
65
Selling Your Organization’s Uniqueness

Selling your customer and/or guests on the unique products and services you
provide is an integral part of your job. You sell your services by:
X Expanding awareness of your available services
X Explaining the features of these services
X Describing the benefits of these services
Here’s an example of how this is done:
Beth employs three agents at her travel agency. One agent, Mary Jeanne, books
more flights, cruises, and tours than all the others combined. When asked the secret
to her success, Mary Jeanne commented, “All I do is make my clients aware of the
alternatives available to them. I try to be enthusiastic about each option, explaining
what I think is important to that client. I also look for the deals. I want clients to feel
they’re getting exactly what they want for the lowest price possible. I always try to
make them feel good about the plan they choose. They’ve got to like what they buy,
or they simply won’t come back.”

66
HOW WELL DO YOU SELL YOUR SERVICE?

In the left column, list the major services you and your supervisor/trainer listed
earlier in this Part. Then, in the second column, write a feature or characteristic
of that service. Lastly, in the third column, write how that service benefits your
customer and/or guests.
(1) (2) (3)

Services Available Features of Service Benefits of Service
_________________ _________________
__________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
__________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
__________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
__________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
__________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
The next time you mention these services, remember to explain the features and
benefits. Your supervisor will be favorably impressed.
67
Meeting the Computer Challenge

Most customer service positions require you to meet the needs of your customers
through the use of a computer. The computer requires your attention and skill, but
not at the expense of guests and/or customers. Remember, the computer is merely
an object—a tool—to help you better serve your customers—human beings—with
needs and wants.

68
COMPUTER/CUSTOMER RELATIONS EXERCISE

Five statements about computers and customer/client relations are presented
below. Read each and indicate your agreement or disagreement. Then, briefly
explain the reasoning for your response.
1. Operating a computer may be so difficult at first that your ability to provide

quality service is adversely affected.
Agree Disagree Because: ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. Operating the computer properly is often more important than treating a

customer as a guest.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. When you have problems with a computer, the best thing to do is to devote
absolute concentration to it in order to work out the problems.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
CONTINUED
69
CONTINUED
4. Operating a computer requires you to split concentration between it and a
customer/guest.
Agree Disagree Because: _______________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. If your transaction is long and involved, you should always let your
customer know, and then compensate by being empathetic and friendly.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6. Using a CRM system can help provide services to customers.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
in the Appendix.

70
Preparing for the Unexpected

Events don’t always go as planned—a shipment is delayed, a key employee is ill, a
newspaper ad carries an incorrect price. When the unexpected happens (and it will),
the organization that’s most concerned with customer service usually comes out
ahead. The best approach is to think ahead to what might go wrong and consider
some backup scenarios.
Providing quality customer service may be especially challenging when the
unexpected happens. Unexpected occurrences often place extra burdens on your
ability to deliver quality customer service. They may present a formidable
challenge.
While not all possible occurrences can be foreseen, common, or expected, many
situations can be anticipated. In these cases, contingency plans can be developed to
help you do your job under abnormal circumstances.

HOW PREPARED ARE YOU?

A number of potentially disruptive occurrences are listed below. Circle the ones
that could possibly apply to your situation, and then indicate any contingency
action plans that could be followed to help maintain quality customer service.
Discuss your ideas with your supervisor.
1. Foul weather: _________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
2. Loss of power: ________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
3. Equipment failure: _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
4. Computer breakdown: __________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
CONTINUED
71
CONTINUED
5. Overcrowded conditions: _______________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6. Understaffing: ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
7. Fire/health emergency: _________________________________________

____________________________________________________________
8. Climate control malfunction: ____________________________________

____________________________________________________________
9. Phone outage: ________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________
10. Depletion of necessary supplies: __________________________________

____________________________________________________________
11. Breakdown of delivery system: ___________________________________

____________________________________________________________
12. Other: _______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

72
Summary
You can provide for the needs of your customers, guests, or clients by:
X Performing all the tasks and duties required of your job.
X Performing important backup duties.
X Communicating by sending clear messages to customers, supervisors, and
fellow employees.
X Making only appropriate comments to customers.
X Satisfying the four basic needs of your customers.
X Practicing effective selling skills.
X Meeting the computer challenge.
X Continuing to deliver quality customer service when the unexpected occurs.
P A R T 5
Making Sure Your
Customers Return
Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring
their friends.”
–Walt Disney
74
In this part:
X Making Sure Your Customers Return
X Soliciting Customer Feedback
X Handling Complaints Effectively
X Getting Difficult Customers on Your Side
X Taking That One Extra Service Step
X Reviewing the Actions that Cause a Customer to Return
X Striving for Quality Customer Service
75
Making Sure Your Customers Return

Whether a customer purchases a complete wardrobe or a necktie, one medium-size
department store makes it a policy to follow up each sale with a brief thank-you
note. The president of the company says, “Such a policy encourages customers to
return, and that’s what makes our business thrive.”
Some interesting statistics tell why companies lose customers:
X 1% of lost customers die
X 3% move away
X 4% just naturally float
X 5% change on a friend’s recommendation
X 9% can buy it cheaper somewhere else
X 10% are chronic complainers
X 68% go elsewhere because the people they deal with are
indifferent to their needs
Customers aren’t the frosting on the cake—they’re the cake. The frosting is an
improved reputation and higher profits that are the result of quality work.
5: Making Sure Your Customers Return

76
HOW CAN YOU MAKE SURE CUSTOMERS RETURN?
5 = Very Important 3 = Somewhat Important 1 = Not Important
Rank those items that apply to your job and then ask your supervisor to do the
same. Compare the responses and discuss any differences.
Your Supervisor’s
Ranking Ranking
_____ _____ 1. Always be pleasant to customers, even if they aren’t

pleasant to you.
_____ _____ 2. Welcome customer/guest suggestions about how you

can improve in your job.
_____ _____ 3. Graciously receive and handle any complaints or

problems.
_____ _____ 4. Go above and beyond to care for a customer.
_____ _____ 5. Smile, even during those times when you don’t feel
like it.
_____ _____ 6. Roll with the punches, accepting bad news and
harried schedules calmly.
_____ _____ 7. Provide service that’s beyond what customers expect.
_____ _____ 8. Provide helpful suggestions and/or guidance when

you feel customers need it.
_____ _____ 9. Thoroughly explain the features and benefits for all
of the services you provide.
_____ _____
10. Follow through to ensure your customer
commitments are honored.
77
Soliciting Customer Feedback

Do you know the answers to these questions:
X What do your customers want?
X What do they need?
X What do they think?
X How do they feel?
X What suggestions do they have?
X Are they satisfied?
As you ponder these questions, consider this example:
A family-fun restaurant has initiated an aggressive program to obtain customer
feedback. A dining room employee is assigned the task of personally asking guests
at each table to fill out a feedback card. If the guests agree, the card is left at the
table with a pencil. The guests deposit the card in a box at the front of the
restaurant when they leave. According to the restaurant manager, several important
improvements have been made in the operation as a result of customer suggestions.
“This program has been invaluable,” she states.
Along the same lines, what do a local hospital and an auto service department have
in common? They both use phone surveys to find out how satisfied their patients ot
customers are with the service they received.
“If asked, would you prefer better customer service or worse?”

78
Feedback Methods
Every guest service operation should have avenues of feedback from customers.
Here are some methods of finding out what your customers think and feel about the
services you provide:
X Listening carefully to what customers, guests, or clients have to say.
X Checking back regularly to see how things are going.
X Making feedback cards available for customers to comment on service.
X Providing a special phone number for guests, customers, and/or clients to
call for questions, problems, or suggestions.
X Using a website or email address to obtain customer feedback.
X Asking other employees to solicit regular feedback, when appropriate.
X Ensuring that the manager has regular customer contact.
X Providing a method that invites customer criticism and then responding
constructively to any complaints.
X Acknowledging all positive comments and reactions, as well as any
negative ones.
X My ideas: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
79
Handling Complaints Effectively

Statistics say that it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it does keep
a current one. Therefore, it’s in your best interest and that of your organization to
handle complaints to the full satisfaction of the customer.
Plan Ahead to Deal with Complaints

Here are steps you should take to handle complaints correctly:
1. Listen carefully to the complaint.
2. Repeat the complaint back to the customer and get acknowledgment that
you heard it correctly.
3. Apologize.
4. Acknowledge the customer’s or guest’s feelings (anger, frustration,
disappointment, etc.).
5. Explain what action you’ll take to correct the problem.
6. Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention.

80
CASE STUDY: Front Desk
A guest approaches the front desk of your hotel and is visibly upset. He
informs you that the room you just assigned him is uninhabitable, because it
smells of smoke. Neither he nor his wife smoke, and the odor makes them
nauseated. He informs you that he reserved a nonsmoking room and that a hotel
of this caliber and price should have all nonsmoking rooms. He demands
immediate action. What would you say to this guest? Record your answers
below.
Repeat the complaint:_______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Apologize: _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Acknowledge the feelings:___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Explain what you’ll do: _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Thank the guest: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
in the Appendix.
81
Dealing with Common Complaints

Most customer service operations find that customers tend to complain about some
things more than others. Do you know what these most common complaints are?
Do you know what to do and what to say when you’re faced with one of these
complaints?

COMMON COMPLAINTS
Talk with your supervisor before you fill out this section. Use the left-hand
column below to list the most common customer complaints you anticipate
facing on your job. For each complaint you list on the left, indicate, on the right,
how you should handle the complaint. This should include what you would do
and what you would say.
Common Complaints Recommended Action
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________

_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
82
Dealing with Difficult People

Most difficult people are operating from a base of insecurity. Like all of us, they,
too, have a need to be understood, feel welcome, comfortable, and important.
Difficult people are often merely expressing a need, although they’re choosing an
inappropriate and impolite way to communicate it. They’re being difficult for their
own reasons—not because of you.
Types of difficult customers you may have to deal with:
X Angry
X Nasty or obnoxious
X Seething, but silent
X Constant critic
X Nonstop talker
X Oddball
X Indecisive
X Intoxicated
X Argumentative
What type of difficult customer do you deal with in your job? _________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Why are these people difficult? _________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
83
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS

Here are some common reasons why customers may be difficult. Check (9) the
ones that may apply to you and your situation.
They’re tired or frustrated.
They’re confused or overwhelmed.
They’re defending their ego or self-esteem.
They’ve never been in a similar situation before.
They feel ignored. Nobody has listened to them.
They may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
They don’t speak or understand English very well.
They’ve been treated poorly in similar circumstances in the past.
They’re in a bad mood and take it out on you.
They’re in a hurry or have waited an extended period of time for service.
Other (you specify)_____________________________________________

84
Getting Difficult Customers on Your Side

Here’s a common sense approach to getting those difficult customers on your side:
X Don’t take it personally. This is one of the hardest customer service skills
to learn. Remember that difficult customers aren’t attacking you personally,
even though it may seem that they are.
X Remain calm. Listen carefully. This is easy to say here but difficult to do
in practice. Take a deep breath and plan your words carefully. Paraphrase
what customers have said to make sure you’ave heard them correctly.
X Focus on the problem, not the person. Go to a quiet area. Sit down. Be a
problem solver. Try to figure out what this person needs and satisfy the need
in some way, if you can. Let the customer know what you can do.
X Reward yourself for turning a difficult customer into a happy one.
Smile. Pat yourself on the back. Know that you’ave accomplished an
amazing feat. You’re a customer service hero.
X When all else fails, ask for help. When you find yourself confronted with a
difficult situation you don’t know how to handle, involve your supervisor.
Certain problems may require your supervisor to handle them. If so, find out
what these problem areas are, and observe how they’re handled.
85
CASE STUDY: Airline Ticket Counter
A woman approaches the ticket counter of an airline at a large airport and
demands to see the manager. You ask if you may be of any assistance, since the
manager isn’t available. She immediately challenges the airline’s no-pet policy
as unfair and discriminatory. She explains that she has to travel 1000 miles to
attend a sick sister. Her toy poodle, with whom she has never been separated, is
completely housebroken and never barks or bites. She can’t stand the thought of
her “little baby” all alone in the dangerous, cold, and dark baggage compart-
ment. After all, “dogs can freeze in there, and there may not be enough air to
breathe.” She is holding the dog tightly in her arms. The pooch is clothed in a
designer jacket made for small dogs and has its nails polished bright red. The
lady loudly demands she be allowed to bring her pet on board with her.
What should you do? Place a check (9) in the box of the actions below that are
the most appropriate response to this difficult situation:
Show slight disgust on your face so she knows you consider her to be
the problem.
Laugh and make light of the situation.
Remain calm, cool, and patient.
Sympathize with her feelings of fear and frustration. Tell her that you
don’t like to leave your pets alone either.
Walk away to find the manager.
Become distant and less cooperative.
Disarm her by asking, “Are you serious?”
Explain carefully about the gentle treatment pets receive in the pet
compartment and how many pets fly with your airline each day.
Ask her to understand the airline’s need to consider all the passengers.

Thank her for understanding and cooperating.
in the Appendix.
86
Taking That One Extra Service Step

You’ll find your level of quality customer service growing, if you learn how to treat
all of your customers as guests. Exceed their expectations, just as in the following
scenario.
Patty, a part-time employee in a neighborhood gift shop, was helping a young
woman in a hurry. While the woman was looking for the right gift card, Patty was
wrapping the gift to which the card would be attached. Suddenly Patty realized that
the customer was taking the gift directly from the store to the recipient and said,
“I’ll bet you need a pen to sign the card. Here, take this one with you.” The
customer said in surprise, “Yes. How did you know? Thank you very much.”
Here are some other ways you can surprise your customers by anticipating their
needs and going that extra mile:
Ticket Agent: “Would you like me to select a seat for your return flight at
this time?”
Salesperson: “I’ll deliver it personally this afternoon”
Night nurse: “Since you’re awake, would you like something to drink?”
Loan officer: “I don’t know the answer now, but I’ll call you back before
11:00 A.M. with the answer.”
Food Server: “May I bring an extra plate so you two can share this special
dessert?”
Hotel desk clerk: “May I call a cab for you?”
Auto mechanic: “Since your repairs will take longer than planned, may I give
you a lift home?”
Receptionist: “To avoid getting lost on the third floor, let me draw a map for
you.”
Grocery clerk: “Let me show you where that item is.”
Bank clerk: “Would you like a new checkbook cover, free of charge?”
87
HOW CAN YOU GO THE EXTRA STEP?

List ways you feel would be appropriate for you to go the extra mile in your job.
Then, share the list with your supervisor.
1. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

88
Reviewing the Actions that Cause a

Customer to Return
Make sure your customers, clients, or guests return by:
X Soliciting customer feedback
X Working to satisfy customer complaints
X Being prepared to handle the most common complaints properly
X Learning to get difficult customers on your side
X Understanding why some customers are more difficult than others
X Taking that one extra step to provide quality customer service
X Consistently practicing all the principles of quality customer service that
you’ve learned in this book
89
Striving for Quality Customer Service

You’ve now completed this program. This is an excellent time to sit down with your
manager and/or trainer and talk about what you’ve learned. This is also a good time
to clarify any questions you may have about the job.
Tell your manager you’ve completed the program and arrange a meeting. Use the
space below to make notes about what you want to talk about or questions you still
have.

THINGS TO DISCUSS
1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________
Assessing Your Customer Service Skills

How close are you to being a customer service winner?
The Service Provider Self-Assessment Scale (SPSAS) provides an opportunity for
you to assess your customer service skills. It’s a useful tool to evaluate the progress

you’re making toward providing a quality level of service to your customers.
Using the five-point scale for each question, you can judge how frequently you
exhibit 15 specific quality service behaviors. This allows you to identify your
service strengths as well as your weaknesses.
Scores less than 100% for a given category represent opportunities for improving
your customer service effectiveness and joining the ranks of the thousands of your
fellow service providers who’ve mastered these winning techniques.
90
SERVICE PROVIDER SELF-ASSESSMENT SCALE

(SPSAS)
Using the 0 to 4 scale below, answer each question according to how often you
actually exhibit the described behavior.
4 = Always 3 = Mostly 2 = Sometimes 1 = Rarely 0 = Never
Do you…
____ 1. Consistently provide service in a timely manner compatible with

customer needs?
____ 2. Provide guests, who are waiting for service something to occupy
their time while waiting?
____ 3. Keep the sequence of service steps flowing smoothly and

incrementally?
____ 4. Know and deal with customer service needs in order of priority?
____ 5. Keep one step ahead of customer needs?
____ 6. Provide needed service to customers before they have to ask for it?
____ 7. Orally repeat customer orders or requests back to them?
____ 8. Communicate with fellow service team members in a timely,

accurate, and thorough manner?
____ 9. Ask specific questions when seeking feedback from customers?
____ 10. Provide a mechanism for customer feedback other than an oral
response?
____ 11. Say “yes” to unusual or special customer requests?
____ 12. Offer a convenience to customers that may be inconvenient to

you?
CONTINUED
91
CONTINUED
____ 13. Work well under little or no supervision?
____ 14. Work in an organized and efficient manner?
____ 15. Display nothing but positive attitudes on the job?
____ 16. Provide service with a smile?
____ 17. Reflect a customer-friendly tone of voice?
____ 18. Display enthusiasm toward the job?
____ 19. Use polite and tactful words when speaking to customers?
____ 20. Avoid using slang or jargon when speaking to customers?
____ 21. Follow a system that facilitates the use of customer names?
____ 22. Refer to customers by name when providing or concluding

service?
____ 23. Provide that extra touch when assisting customers?
____ 24. Individualize service to customers when necessary?
____ 25. Answer all customer questions about products and/or services?
____ 26. Provide helpful suggestions?
____ 27. Use effective selling skills?
____ 28. Mention product and/or service upgrades?
____ 29. Remain pleasant and calm when customers are upset, angry, or
hostile?

____ 30. Graciously handle complaints to the customer’s satisfaction?
Score your responses using the SPSAS Scoring Table in the Appendix.
A P P E N D I X
94
Leave this page empty! Content begins on page 3.

95
Appendix to Part 1
My Current Situation
1. T
2. T
3. T
4. F (Many top executives use effective guest relations skills to get them to
the top.)
5. T
6. T
7. T
8. F (Guest relations jobs are more demanding, because they require you to
stay positive all the time.)
9. F (Your attitude is at least as important as your job skills.)
10. T
Appendix
96
Appendix to Part 2
Body Language Exercise
Comments & Suggested Responses
Positive Messages: Negative Messages:
Face is relaxed and under control. Face is anxious and uptight.

This communicates that you’re This communicates that you’re ill-
prepared, know what you’re doing, prepared, inexperienced, and/or
and/or are comfortable with your role. uncomfortable with your role.
Smile is natural and comfortable. Smile is forced or phony.
This communicates that you’re sure of This communicates that you’re unsure
yourself, like what you’re doing, and of yourself, don’t like what you’re
enjoy your guests. doing, and/or really don’t enjoy your
guests.
Eye contact is maintained when talking Eye contact is avoided when talking and
and listening to guests. listening to customers.
This communicates that guests are This communicates a lack of interest in
important, you’re interested in them, your guest and/or that you lack the self-
and are self-confident. confidence to do the job.
Body movement is deliberate and Body movement is harried and rushed.
controlled. This communicates that you’re not in
This communicates that you’re in control of the situation and would really
control, you’re glad to be where you like the guests to leave.
are, and that, although busy, that’s just
part of the job.
97
How Well Do You Use the Telephone?

1. F
2. T
3. F
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. F
8. T
9. T
10. T
Case Study: Thelma’s Performance Appraisal

1. Is Thelma a good employee?
Answer: Both “yes and “no.”
Explain: She certainly does half of her job well—the non-people side. When
it comes to interacting with customers, a very important part of the job,
Thelma isn’t a good employee.
2. Is the manager justified in his recommendations?

Answer: I think so.
Why or why not?: He can’t afford to have someone like Thelma turning off
customers. His business relies on warm, friendly customer relations.
3. What suggestions would you make to Thelma?

Answer: Learn and practice the principles of quality customer service as
soon as possible or seek a position elsewhere that won’t require customer
interaction.
Appendix
98
Appendix to Part 3
How Well Do You Anticipate Customer Needs?
Situation: Anticipated Need:
1. A customer has waited longer than An extra warm smile. A verbal
normal for service. recognition of the extended wait. A
comment of appreciation for waiting.
2. A client keeps glancing at his watch. This person may have a plane to catch
or another appointment. Recognize this
need and provide timely service.
3. A women guest with three small Provide some items to occupy the
children approaches your service children while they wait.
area.
4. Lines for service form early in the Have appropriate supplies and
day. equipment on hand. Have enough staff
to meet the demand.
5. You have well-defined busy periods Prepare yourself mentally and
in your workday. physically. Don’t be caught off guard.
How Well Do You Read Your Customers?

Signal Possible Customer Need
Customer age: Young Some young customers may be inexperienced
or unsure of themselves. Explain things
clearly. Be patient and set them at ease.
Elderly Seniors appreciate a friendly comment or two.
Make casual conversation. Show some
interest and attention.
Type of Clothing: High fashion Show well-dressed people the respect and
deference they expect.
Out-of-fashion Help these people feel welcome and

comfortable.
Worn out These people may be careful with their
money. Respect that and make them feel
welcome.
99
Signal Possible Customer Need

Verbal ability: Extremely Listen carefully. Paraphrase back what you
fluent hear.
Barely fluent Be patient and match your speaking pace with
the customer’s.
Attitude: Positive Recognize and encourage it.
Negative Be positive and understanding. Show
empathy.
Impatient: Be as timely as you can. Explain what’s
happening. Explain how long the process will
take. Be polite.
Demanding approach or anger: Be polite and patient. Listen carefully. Stay
calm. Show understanding.
How Do Your Customers Signal These Needs to You?

Customers express these four needs in a variety of way. Here are just a few of them.
The Need to This need is signaled by customers repeating themselves,
Be Understood speaking slowly, speaking loudly, getting angry when they' aren’t
being understood, or bringing a friend or relative to help explain.
The Need to This need is signaled by looking around before coming in and/or
Feel Welcome coming in with friends or relatives. It’s also demonstrated by
wearing the right clothes for the situation.
The Need to This need is often signaled by someone showing off or bragging
Feel Important about who they know. This need is also demonstrated by flashing
money, displaying jewelry, and/or wearing extreme clothing.
The Need for This need is expressed by customers being ill at ease, nervous, or
Comfort unsure of themselves when feeling uncomfortable. This need is
also expressed when help, assistance, or directions are requested. Appendix
100
Appendix to Part 4
How Will You Provide for Your Customer’s Needs?
The Need to Paraphrase back what’s being said. Listen for feelings
Be Understood communicated as well as the content of the message. Empathize
with problems or predicaments.
The Need to Provide a warm and friendly welcome. Talk in a language that
Feel Welcome everyone will understand. Engage in friendly conversation.
The Need to Learn to call others by name. Do something special. Tune in to
Feel Important individual needs.
The Need for Set customers at ease. Relieve anxiety. Explain the service
Comfort. procedures carefully and calmly.
Do You Know How to Send a Message Effectively?

1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. F
9. T
10. T
11. T
12. T
13. F
14. F
15. T
101
Computer/Customer Relations Exercise

1. Agree.
Because: You may sacrifice valuable customer time getting the computer to
work properly. If you can practice on the computer before work hours or
during slow periods, this problem should be minimized.
2. Disagree.
Because: You must learn to treat customers as guests and operate the
computer properly. Both are vital to your job success.
3. Disagree.
Because: Never concentrate on a computer problem at the expense of a
customer. Get some assistance right away.
4. Agree.
Because: This is true; however, operating the computer soon becomes
second nature. When this happens, you’ll be able to focus the majority of
your attention on customers.
5. Agree.
Because: Always let your client know what’s going on. Sometimes a wait or
delay doesn’t seem quite as long when you’ve received an explanation for
the delay.
6. Agree.
Because: CRM systems can track customer experiences in order to provide
products and services that may be of interest to your customers.
Appendix
102
Appendix to Part 5
Case Study: Front Desk
A possible dialogue might go something like this:
Clerk: “Your room smells of cigarette smoke.” (Repeating the complaint).
“I’m very sorry, sir,” (Apology). “You certainly have a right to be
upset. I would be, too.” (Acknowledgment of feelings). “What I would
like to do, if it’s okay with you, is to move you and your wife to a
nonsmoking room right away. I’ll have a bellman assist you.”
(Explaining the action that you’ll take). “Would that be all right?”
Guest: “Much better.”
Clerk: “Thank you for bringing this my attention. I’m glad you told me about
it. It shouldn’t have happened.” (Thanking the guest).
Case Study: Airline Ticket Counter

The correct responses to this situation would be to:
Remain calm, cool, and patient.
Recognize the feelings of frustration and fear that she expressed by telling
her that you don’t like to leave your pets alone either.
Tell her about the gentle treatment pets receive in the pet compartment and
how many pets fly in the compartment every day.
Thank her for understanding and cooperating.
Service Provider Self-Assessment Scale (SPSAS)

Review the following Scoring Example and the Scoring Table.
In each category, record the number you wrote down for the corresponding
questions and then figure out the percentage. The resulting percentages will show
you your strengths and opportunities for improvement. If you have a lower
percentage on a certain skill, that’s a good indication that you could benefit from
improvement in that area.
Scoring Example
Timeliness: #1 #2 Total % = (Total/8) x 100

4 + ___
___ 4 = 8
____ 100
_____%
103
SPSAS Scoring Table
Timeliness: #1 #2 Total % = (Total/8) x 100

___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Incremental Flow: #3 #4 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Anticipation: #5 #6 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Communication: #7 #8 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Customer Feedback: #9 #10 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Accommodation: #11 #12 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Organization/Supervision: #13 #14 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Attitude/Body Language: #15 #16 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Attitude/Tone of Voice: #17 #18 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Tact: #19 #20 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Naming Names: #21 #22 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Attentiveness: #23 #24 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Guidance: #25 #26 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Selling Skills: #27 #28 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Gracious Problem Solving: #29 #30 Total % = (Total/8) x 100
___ + ___ = ____ _____%
Appendix

104
Additional Reading
Bacal, Robert. Perfect Phrases for Customer Service: Hundreds of Tools,
Techniques, and Scripts for Handling Any Situation. The McGraw-Hill
Company, 2004.
Barlow, Janelle, Dianna Maul and Michael Edwardson. Emotional Value: Creating
Strong Bonds with Your Customers. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2000.
Blanchard, Ken and Sheldon Bowles. Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to
Customer Service. William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1993.
Evenson, Rene. Customer Service Training 101: Quick and Easy Techniques That
Get Results. The American Management Association, 2004.
Ford, Lisa, David McNair and Bill Perry. Exceptional Customer Service: Going
Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed Customer’s Expectations. Adams
Media Corporation, 2001.
Gee, Jeff and Val Gee. Super Service: Seven Keys to Delivering Great Customer
Service, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It, Even When They Don’t Deserve
It. The McGraw-Hill Company, 1999.
Leland, Karen and Keith Bailey. Customer Service for Dummies. IDG Books, 2006.
Lucas, Robert W. Customer Service Skills for Success, 4th Edition. The McGraw-
Hill Company, 2008.
Martin, William B.. Providing Quality Customer Service, What Every Hospitality
Service Provider Needs to Know. Prentice-Hall, 2003.
Timm, Paul R. Customer Service: Career Success Through Customer Loyalty, 4th
Edition. Prentice-Hall, 2008.
Crisp fifty-minute series Know how. Right now. Crisp fifty-minute series Know how. Right now.
Quality Customer

Your Complete Library for Personal
Service and Professional Development
The Crisp Fifty-Minute Series includes more

Satisfy customers—it’s everybody’s job than 200 titles in the following categories:
Management
Whether your customer is across the country or across the hall, Human Resources
understanding and meeting their needs is the first and last step
Communication
to success.
External customers drive sales and growth. Internal customers are

Personal Development
Sales/Marketing
Quality
the key to efficiency and profitability. We can all contribute to the
success of our organization by winning over customers with superior
Finance
Customer
Service
products and service and delivering quality customer service. Coaching and Mentoring
Customer Service/Quality
Quality Customer Service begins with the fundamentals to defining
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
customer needs and then you’ll learn how to:
Training Satisfy customers—
• Maintain a positive attitude and environment
Life Planning it’s everybody’s job
• Establish feedback mechanisms Writing
• Manage complaints and difficult customers Turn to the matrix inside to see how
our full list of titles lines up with the
• Ensure repeat business US Department of Labor’s Building
Blocks for Competency.
Understand internal and external
customer needs
Discover four reasons customer service

is essential
Address complaints and problem areas

The Acclaimed Crisp Fifty-Minute™ Series
Anticipate, meet and then exceed
Professional success. Intellectual curiosity.
expectations
Personal achievement. If it’s important to you, you can
grasp the essential core of it in less than one hour. We cover
more than 200 topics—and cut right to the information and
skills that matter most. The writing is friendly, concise and most
importantly clear. More than 20 million users worldwide have
relied on this invaluable series. Open one up and see what you
can learn inside of Fifty Minutes.
By William Martin
US $14.95
ISBN-13 978-1-4260-1833-6
ISBN-10 1-4260-1833-9
90000
9 781426 018336
By William Martin Fifth Edition
Crisp Fifty-Minute Series | Know how. Right now.
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Crisp fifty-minute series Know how. Right now. Crisp fifty-minute series Know how. Right now.

Quality Customer Service

Service and Professional Development

The Crisp Fifty-Minute Series includes more

External customers drive sales and growth. Internal customers are

Discover four reasons customer service

Address complaints and problem areas

Quality Customer Service.indd 1 10/15/09 3:57:56 PM

William B. Martin, Ph.D.

A Crisp Fifty-Minute™ Series Book

William B. Martin, Ph.D.

COPYRIGHT © 2009 Axzo Press. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN 10: 1-4260-1833-9

Part 1: Winning with the Customer 5

Part 2: Showing a Positive Attitude 25

Part 3: Identifying Customer Needs 41

Part 5: Making Sure Your Customers Return 73

About the Author

Workplace and Management Competencies mapping

For a comprehensive mapping of Crisp Series titles to the Workplace and

About the Crisp 50-Minute Series

What You Need to Know

Do You Have What It Takes to Win

Add your own: ______________________________________________________

Remember: Quality Customer Service winners are made, not born.

“I asked for a suite, not a sweet on the pillow.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE POTENTIAL SCALE

Comparing Customer Service to a

WHAT TANGIBLES DO YOU DEAL WITH?

WHAT INTANGIBLES DO YOU DEAL WITH?

Customer Service Is Also Like a Refrigerator

What Is Quality Customer Service?

1: Winning with the Customer

QUALITY SERVICE EXERCISE

Service characteristics: Service characteristics:

Service characteristics: Service characteristics:

Four Types of Service

Diagram A: The Freezer

Freezer service characteristics include:

DO NOT ALTER OR DELETE THIS LINE – It is here for spacing purposes.

Factory service characteristics include:

Friendly Zoo service characteristics include:

1: Winning with the Customer

The Quality Customer Service characteristics include:

Four Reasons Why

Examples of businesses that provide service include:

Service/repair companies Retail stores Federal/state agencies

Adopting a Customer Service Perspective

Each of these statements reflects a customer orientation. They communicate a view

Adopting a customer service perspective requires us to look at organizations in a

SERVICE ROLES EXERCISE

Answer the following questions as they pertain to your job.

Why Winning at Customer Service is

1. Working with customers is usually more enjoyable than  

2. Improving interpersonal skills can help develop a personality.  

3. The ability to provide the best possible customer service is a  

4. Most top executives lack effective customer relations skills.  

5. Ongoing success with customers can lead to better job security  

6. Learning to treat customers as special people has a carryover  

7. What you learn about customer/client services in an entry-level  

9. Skill in performing the mechanics of your job is more  

10. Smiles are contagious.  

Why a Positive Attitude Is Important

1. Working with customers is usually more enjoyable than

2. Improving interpersonal skills can help develop a personality.

3. The ability to provide the best possible customer service is a

4. Most top executives lack effective customer relations skills.

5. Ongoing success with customers can lead to better job security

6. Learning to treat customers as special people has a carryover

7. What you learn about customer/client services in an entry-level

9. Skill in performing the mechanics of your job is more

10. Smiles are contagious.

My vocabulary and style of speaking tend to be serious and scholarly.

9. The conversation should be ended in an upbeat manner, with

1. Is Thelma a good employee? Yes No

2. Is the manager justified in his/her recommendations? Yes No

_________________________