MODULE TWO

CUSTOMER CARE
Session objectives
By the end of the session, participants should be able to;
Enhance their knowledge on creating a good first

impression
Appreciate the importance of delivering an excellent

customer service
Appreciate the relevance of effectively dealing with

customer complaints
Enhance their skills in communicating with difficult

customers
Introduction.
 Have you ever walked into a store

(shop)/office and the person you found

there showed either an impressive or
bad attitude?
 What was your reaction?

 No business or organization can exist

without customers!
 Therefore we all need a positive attitude!
What is positive attitude?
Positive attitude comes from our subconscious

mind; it is not something we can put on and

take off at will.
It is difficult to have a positive attitude at work

if we don't have a positive attitude in the rest

of our lives.
 Each time we come into contact with a
customer, our attitude is showing.
 Therefore we MUST always maintain a
friendly, low pressure and high service
environment for our customers and keep
ourselves productive and service— oriented
throughout our day.
 We should always take 100% responsibility
for ourselves and the attitude we convey.
 The way we look and behave has a major
impact on how customers perceive us and
our organisation/firm
 Negative impressions are often applied to
the whole company – however
unrepresentative they may be!
 Giving customers the attention they want
 Giving the customers the respect they
deserve
 Giving the customers the time to answer
their questions and taking care of their
needs.
 Dealing with customers issues in a
professional way.
Firstimpressions are powerful! In the
space of seconds, we draw
instantaneous unconscious conclusions
about someone when we meet them for
the first time.
The information upon which we base

these conclusions is gathered in a flash

by all of our senses. And these opinions
are quite resistant to change.
 First impressions are important as they
either attract, retain or chase away
customer.
 How do you appear and present yourself?
 Do you listen carefully?
 Do you speak clearly and eloquently?
 The above can tell the customer whether
you care or not. Of course, not every
customer experience will be a smooth
one.
 Does a customer view you as being on
his/her side or not?
 Your first impression will either damage
the process of interaction with your
customer before it has a chance to start or
move it forward.
 Remember, your action determines
your customers’ reaction.
 We should always let our first impression
aim at creating an environment with
customers to maintain a positive long-
term relationship
(i) Smile! Smiling may be the most important
thing you can do when you first encounter a
new person. As human beings, we are
unconsciously alert for signs that tell us
whether someone is “safe” and friendly.
 Therefore smiling sends a signal that we are
open and approachable. This is so because
we seldom trust people who don’t smile.
(ii) Polish your image; People are positively
impressed by attractiveness and tidiness.
 Any sign of slovenliness will make a long-
lasting negative impression.
(iii) Dress the part; (iv) Project
your dress says a confidence; to
lot about your make a good
judgment, so be impression, one
sure that you are needs to appear
appropriately self-assured.
dressed for the
occasion.
(v) Focus on the other person; Think of a
question or comment that will reflect positively on
the person you are meeting.

For example: “I’ve been looking forward to

meeting you ever since our phone conversation.”
However, you need to be sincere
(vi) Look for connections; People tend to like
those with whom they have something in
common, so try to find “links” to the other
person.
 Examples might include the type of work you
do, where you are from, trips you have
taken/places you have been to, etc.
(vii) Show a sense of humor; If you
look at any inventory of traits people
value in others be it a partner, boss, or
coworker, you will almost surely find
“sense of humor” near the top of the list.
This doesn’t mean cracking jokes, but it

does mean smiling, laughing, and

avoiding a deadly serious behavior.
(viii) Be yourself!; making a good impression
does not mean acting like a different person.
Most people can easily spot a fake. So don’t

try to be something you’re not, just be the

best “you” that you can be!

Conclusion – Our attitude towards customers

determines our organization’s altitude!
 Customer service refers to the provision of
service to customers before, during and
after purchase.
 It is a series of activities designed to
enhance the level of customer satisfaction
 Customer care refers to the work of
looking after a customers and ensuring
their satisfaction with ones business and
its goods and services
 A customer is the most  A customer is an essential
important person in any
business part of our business--not
 A customer is not an outsider.
dependent upon us. We
are dependent upon him.  A customer is not just
 A customer is not an money in the cash
interruption of our work.
He is the sole purpose of register. He is a human
it. being with feelings and
 A customer does us a
deserves to be treated
favor when he comes in.
We aren't doing him a with respect.
favor by waiting on him.
 A customer is a person who comes to us
with his needs and his wants. It is our job
to fill them.
 A customer deserves the most courteous
attention we can give him. He is the
lifeblood of this and every business. He
pays your salary. Without him we would
have to close our doors. Don't ever
forget it.
 Enhanced customer retention
 Attraction of new customers
 A higher market share
 Improved employee morale
 Leads to lower advertisements and
promotion
 Leads to lower operating costs
 Reduced employee turnover
 Increased efficiency
 Know that the customer is the boss, without him
there is no business standing
 Should be cheerful, be smiling at all times even when
you are stressed. This makes the customer feel
welcomed
 Should be organized, arrange every information in a
systematic order e.g.
 Should be adaptable and patient; customers are
different with different personalities problems and
backgrounds.ie there those that are tired, rude, old, etc
 Should be a good listener, listening to their opinions
whether necessary or not makes them feel important
and then react according to the need and balancing
organizational principles.
 Should be helpful and friendly, be willing to help at
all times. Should be a problem solver
 Should be knowledgeable; should
have the knowledge about the
organization and the entire system.
should have all answers to a customers
questions.
 Identify and anticipate needs of the
customer
 Appreciate the customer, one should
always appreciate a customer whether he
buys or not. Always say thank you, give
prizes if the organization is capable.
 Should always apologize for any
inconvenience caused
 Work well with others.(team work) each one
is a team player in therefore you need one
another
 Give more than expected; Since the
future of all companies lies in keeping
customers happy, think of ways to elevate
yourself above the competitors . Think what
you can give to customers that they cant
get any where else, What can you do to
follow-up and thank people even when they
don't buy?
 Management’s philosophy, making it
difficult for customers with a problem to
contact a company or the person who can
help.
 Out of date procedures that may create a lot
of bureaucratic tendencies i.e. if a person in
charge of results is not around, then a
student must wait until he comes back.
 Lack of understanding of the value of
customer service.
 Having the I don’t care attitude
 Laziness of a service provider (to whom it
may concern)
 Poor communication
 Poor time management and customers
come when offices are closed or consuming
a lot of time when handling a
customer/student
 Moodiness (mood swings)
 Lack of adequate training; which makes
workers forget
 Inability to handle stress
 Insufficient authority
 Inadequate staffing (overloading staff) which
makes them so tired thus leading to stress
Introduction
When customers have a great experience,

chances are that they will spread the word.

 But what happens when a customer has a

less-than-another customer’s experience, or

even a poor one?
 In difficult situations, a customer service
provider should know how to tactfully
communicate with a frustrated customer. This
can be the difference between making the
customer satisfied and losing him or her for
good.
Scenario
Ssebuliba Ashraf, a student comes to your desk complaining
that he didn’t understand anything that you taught. He uses
the blame language and attacks you and the school as a
whole. And says he made a mistake to join this school.
Briefly explain how you would handle this situation.
(a) Listen and empathize. An unhappy
customer always has a story to tell,
and he or she deserves to be heard in
full.
 Its therefore important to patiently
welcome a customer’s explanation of
an issue and show genuine empathy
through supportive and
understanding language.
 Allowing a customer to vent is critical to
helping them calm down and eventually
engage in a conversation that brings a
positive resolution.
 Organizations need to value customers as
people, not just as consumers, remember
that employees play a critical role in
serving as the human face of an
organization and establishing an
empathetic tone.
(ii) Summarize the situation and the
solution with clarity. Once the customer
has finished explaining the issue, the
employee should repeat it back to the
customer by summarizing the situation and
asking for clarification where necessary.
Once a solution is found, it is important to
explain it with equal clarity and detail so
the customer knows exactly what to expect
as a resolution.
(iii) Personalize the experience. A frustrated
customer who reaches out for support is making a
personal gesture for a resolution that may involve
getting emotional.
For this reason, the staff should reciprocate this
sense of trust and willingness to show
vulnerability by delivering a personalized
experience that justifies the customer’s trust.
(iv) Maintain a professional and
positive tone. No matter what tone of
the customer, one needs to keep a
consistently professional tone.
Particularly angry customers who

become verbally abusive may be

referred to supervisors and asked to
cooperate respectfully, but in no
situation should an officer reciprocate
any negative feelings or language.
Keeping a positive and sincere tone

while giving customers meaningful

resolutions is essential.
(v) Offer a solution that caters for
the customer needs and
preferences. Once the situation has
been properly assessed, there is need
to offer the best solution to the
customer and offer options whenever
possible.
For example, giving customers options

for better service will empower them

and re instill their faith in the
organization.
 Goodwill gestures are also important
in such situations. For example, if a
billing error has been made, not only
should it be fixed but any penalty fees
that were charged when the customer
was not at fault should be waived
immediately.
Introduction
At some point, everyone in business has to

deal with an upset customer. The challenge is

to handle the situation in a way that leaves the
customer thinking your organization is great.
However, many customers don't even bother

to complain. They simply leave and join your

competitors.
Research suggests that up to 80 percent of

customers who leave were, in fact, "satisfied"

with the original organization.
.
However, many customers don't even
bother to complain. They simply leave
and join your competitors.
Research suggests that up to 80 percent

of customers who leave were, in fact,

"satisfied" with the original organization.
 This implies that customer
satisfaction is not enough.
Businesses nowadays need to
positively delight customers if they
want to earn their loyalty.
 It may seem obvious but a business
‘s ability to effectively deal with
customer complaints provides a
great opportunity to turn dissatisfied
customers into active promoters of
the business.
 As the old saying
 Therefore no
goes, “We can’t fix it, matter what the
if we don’t know it’s situation is, when a
broken.” Moreover, customer brings a
we must realize that complaint to your
improper handling of
attention—even if
a customer complaint
they do it in a less-
can be costly to the
than-desirable way
business.
—be thankful.
Brainstorming question
Suggest ways in which
students/parents may exhibit
difficulty
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Step One: adjust  This means that
your mindset you set aside any
Once you are feelings you might
have that the
aware that your
situation isn't your
client is unhappy fault, or that your
then your first client has made a
priority is to put mistake, or that he
yourself into a or she is giving
customer service you unfair
mindset. criticism.
What matters is that you realize your
customer or client is upset, and that it's up to
you to solve the problem.
Adjust your mindset so that you are giving

100 percent of your focus to your client, and to

the current situation
Step Two: Listen actively
The most important step in the process of dealing

with customer complaints is listening actively to

what your client or customer is saying – he wants
to be heard, and to air his/her grievances.
 Start the dialogue with a neutral statement,
such as, "Let's go over what happened," or
"Please tell me why you're upset.“
 This obviously creates a partnership between
you and the client, and lets them know that
you're ready to listen.
 During the listening stage, there is need to
resist the temptation to try to deal with the
situation right away, or to jump to
conclusions about what happened. Instead, let
your client tell you his/her story.
 As the client is talking, don't plan out what
you're going to say when he/she has finished
talking – this isn't active listening!
 In addition, don't allow anything to interrupt
this conversation. Give your client all of your
attention.
Step Three: repeat their concerns
Once the client has had time to explain why

he/she is upset, repeat his/her concerns so you're

sure that you're addressing the right issue.
One may ask questions to make sure that he/she

has identified the problem correctly .

  Repeating the
 Use calm, objective
problem shows the
wording. For customer you were
example, "As I listening, which can
help lower his/her
understand it, you are, anger and stress
quite rightly, upset levels.
 More than this, it
because we did not helps you agree on
handle your issue the problem that
needs to be solved.
within the promised
timeframe."
Step four: Be empathic  Note that your
and apologize body language
Once you are sure that should also
communicate this
you understand your understanding and
client's concerns, be empathy.
empathic.
 Show him/her you
 For example, you
could say, "I
understand why he/she is understand why
upset. you are upset. I
would be too. I'm
very sorry that we
did not ………. on
time, especially
since it has caused
these problems."
Step Five: Present a This is so because when
Solution/Solve the complaints are moved
problem, or find up the chain of
someone who can solve command, they become
it— quickly! more expensive to
Research indicates that
handle and only add to
the customer's
customers prefer the
frustration.
person they are
speaking with to
instantly solve their
problem.
 Note that when  Take charge of the
offering a solution, be situation and let the
courteous and customer know what
respectful. Let the you are going to do to
customer know you solve the problem.
are willing to take
ownership of the
issue, even if it was
out of your control.
 Even a small gesture of apology can turn this
interaction from disaster to legendary.
 A simple gesture like this could result in a
future referral or a positive word-of-mouth
marketing recommendation.
Step six: Follow up
Once the situation has been resolved, follow

up with your client over the next few days to

make sure that he/she is happy with the
resolution.
Step seven: Use the feedback
Your last step is to reduce the risk of the
situation happening again.
If you haven't already done so, identify how the
problem started in the first place. For example
was a document misplaced?, was there an
information gap.
Conclusively;
Ensure that you are managing complaints

and feedback effectively, so that you can

improve the way you do things.
 Participants to choose three of the difficult
behaviors exhibited by students and use the
guidelines discussed to demonstrate how
such customers could be handled.
Any Questions???
Thanks for
participating