Now known as Customer Service for Managers and Supervisors ^[1].

Main Aim(s) of the Unit:

This unit stresses that excellent customer service is considered as a prerequisite for any successful company.

The unit aims to clarify what this means for the customer service manager or supervisor, in practical terms.

A concise introduction to the business reasons for building good relationships with customers is presented as well as an examination of the management framework of customer service.

The customer service manager’s role is explained and techniques offered that are easy to implement and will improve customer service.

Main Topics of Study:

Introduction What is Customer Service?

• Importance of Customer Service
• Understanding Customer Satisfaction
• Excellent Customer Service
• Five Needs of Every Customer
• Cost of Losing a Customer

Challenges and Soultions Challenges of Customer Service

• Elements of Success
• Barriers to Excellent Customer Service
• Power of Perceptions
• Understanding Expectations
• Levels of Expectations
• Scope of Influence
• Reputation Management
• Techniques for Exceeding Customer Expectations
• Keys to Credibility
• Importance of Values
• Ethics in Customer Service
• Current Status of Customer Service
• New Trends in Customer Service

Problem Solving

• Role of Problem Solving in Customer Service
• Creativity & Problem Solving
• Problems as Opportunities
• Confronting Conflict
• Problem Solving Process
• Problem Solving Strategies
• Development of Negotiation Skills
• Professional Approaches to Apologising & Conveying Bad News
• Barriers to Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Importance of Follow Up

Management and Strategy Strategy & Formulating a Plan for Success

• Why a Strategy
• Planning
• Importance of Infrastructure
• Culture
• High Touch & Low Touch Customers
• Segmenting the Market
• Developing a Strategy

Empowerment

• Importance of Mission & Purpose Statement
• Steps to Empowering Customer Service Providers
• Co-Production of Customer Service
• Why Co-Production Works
• Design of Systems

Communications Communications in Customer Service

• Building Customer Intelligence
• Methods of Communication
• Listening
• Voice Inflection as a Customer Service Tool
• Telephones & Customer Service
• Words to Use/Avoid
• Power Phrases
• Power of Eye Contact
• Appeal to the Senses
• Communication & Technology

Managing Difficult Customers Coping with Challenging Customers

• Who are Challenging Customers
• Why they are Challenging
• Characteristics of Challenging Customers
• Respect
• Empathy
• Accepting Mistakes
• Benefits from Dealing with Challenging Customers

Motivation and Leadership Motivation

• What is Motivation
• Needs & Wants
• Motivating Factors
• Understanding Morale
• Self-Concept & Motivation
• Improving Self-Concept
• Power of Self Motivation
• Teamwork
• Motivating Others

Leadership in Customer Service

• Leadership Defined
• Knowing Yourself
• Formal & Informal Leaders
• Coach or Counsellor
• Characteristics of Excellent Leaders
• Leadership & Goals
• Creating a Customer Service Culture
• Benefit of Job Aids
• Leadership without Position
• The Boss as a Customer

Customer Retention & Measurement of Satisfaction:

• What is Customer Retention
• Value of Existing Customers
• Churn
• Developing & Improving the Customer Retention Programme
• Measurement of Satisfaction
• Sources of Information
• Benefits of Measuring your Effectiveness
• Determining your Effectiveness
• Surveys & Reality
• Business Benefits from Measuring Satisfaction

Customer Service in a Changing Marketplace:

• Today’s Changing Marketplace
• The Customer of the 21st Century
• New Technology
• Call Centres
• The Internet
• Enhancing Service Experiences & Building Customer Loyalty

Excellence in Customer Service:

• Excellence as the Goal
• Getting Started
• Rewards of Excellent Customer Service

Learning Outcomes for the Unit

At the end of this Unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe a range of types of customer and how customer service provision meets their needs and different ways of exceeding customer expectations
2. Describe actions that can be taken to support improvements to customer service
3. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of how effective customer service relates to different types of customer in the organisation
4. Explain why it is important to make improvements to customer service provision
5. Present detailed analysis, supported by examples from organisations, of how effective customer service relates to different types of customers
6. Critically examine the importance to customers, the employee and the organisation of exceeding customer expectations.

Learning and teaching  methods/strategies used to enable the achievement of learning outcomes:

Learning takes place on a number of levels through lectures, class discussion including problem review and analysis.  Formal lectures provide a foundation of information on which the student builds through directed learning and self managed learning outside of the class.  The students are actively encouraged to form study groups to discuss course material which fosters a greater depth learning experience.

Assessment methods which enable student to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the Unit:
Examination: 3 hours duration 100%

Indicative Reading for this Unit:

Main Text:

Customer Service: A Practical Approach – Elaine K Harris (Prentice Hall)

Alternative Texts and Further Reading:

Managing Customer Service – Jenny Hayes & Frances Dredge (Gower)
Once a Customer Always a Customer – Chris Duffy (Oak Tree Press)

Guideline for Teaching and Learning Time (10 hrs per credit)

50 hours Lectures / Seminars / Tutorials / Workshops
Tutorial support includes feedback on assignments and may vary by college according to local needs and wishes.

50 hours Directed learning
Advance reading and preparation / Class preparation / Background reading / Group study / Portfolio / Diary etc

100 hours Self managed learning
Working through the course text and completing assignments as required will take up the bulk of the learning time.  In addition students are expected to engage with the tutor and other students and to undertake further reading using the web and/or libraries.