Customer Service Excellence At Agu

CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE at AGU Prof.Chris Abraham

Why we should be interested in customer service at AGU

• AGU exists in a competitive environment. The institution faces competition for students and funding from other international institutions, KV institutions, and private colleges. AGU needs to maintain credibility as a top-notch private University to garner continued and new support from students, prospective students,parents,employers, alumni and others .  

CREATE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE VISION “ A VISION IS WHERE YOU ARE GOING; A PLAN IS HOW YOU GET THERE.”

VISION • THREE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: – WHY ARE WE IN BUSINESS? – WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE? – HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?

DEFINE FIVE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE OUR CUSTOMERS TO SAY ABOUT AGU.

Who are your customers? AGU Department

Who are they? Take a few moments and list all of your customers… ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ________________Bas ed on the service they receive, what kinds of decisions do they make?

Your customers include: Did you list all of these? There are even more! Customers:

Decide to:

• Students

remain

• Prospective students

attend

• Parents

recommend

• Alumni

contribute

• Employers

hire graduates

• Research funding sources

contribute

• Donors

contribute

• Public

support

• Coworkers/other AGU staff

provide teamwork

The customer… … is not always right … is always the customer Take a few moments to think about what this means to you…

The customer… … is not always right … is always the customer A student may not have filled out the right form. A prospective student may have missed a deadline. A parent may make an unreasonable request. An alumna may act impatiently. They are still the reason we are here…

Important: customer loyalty

Each time we solve a customer’s problem, it helps to build loyalty that results in… – Referrals: Students, parents, and alumni tell relatives, friends, and family that AGU is a good place to study and work – Additional business: happy graduate students become PhD students/Research Assosiates – Retention: Students stay at least one/two year/s; employees build long, productive careers – Reputation: AGU maintains a reputation as a top-notch institution of higher education

When you are the customer… • Take a few moments to jot down some thoughts about what is important to you when you are the customer… – What do you look for? – What makes you go back? – Think of a time you experienced exceptional service. What happened that made the experience so positive?

Four things customers want • Your notes probably include these:

– Friendly, caring service – those serving you make you feel as though you are special – Flexibility – your feelings and circumstances are taken into consideration – Problem resolution – even if sometimes the answer must be no; positive alternatives are presented – Recovery – mistakes are admitted, apologies are forthcoming, extra efforts are made

Two pieces of a puzzle • There are two pieces to every customer service encounter. Both are important: – Business piece

• Policies, procedures, regulations, rules • What your organization does to conduct its normal business

– Human piece

• Smiles, eye contact, information, solutions, recovery • How your organization handles each customer service encounter

Two pieces – an example Undergraduate Admissions: A family shows up for a campus tour • The business piece includes checking the registration, reserving space on the bus, handing out a brochure, giving the actual tour, handing out evaluations • The human piece includes a cheery greeting, offer of refreshments, a comfortable seating area. The human piece may also include changing the reservation if the family is larger than expected, making special allowances for an unexpected handicapped individual, etc.

Two pieces of a puzzle Think about a typical service encounter in your department. Jot down how these two pieces might apply… – Business piece

• ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ____________

– Human piece

• ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ____________

People remember… • Good service…

– for 18 months and tell 9-12 people

• Bad service…

– for 23 years and tell 20 people a year

• Therefore, it is vital that we at AGU do everything we can to create good service and impressions because bad impressions tend to be much longer lasting.

Moments of truth A “moment of truth” is any instance in which the customer comes in contact with any aspect of your organization and forms impressions about the quality of service you provide. There are thousands of these moments of truth around AGU every day. They include phone calls, in-person contacts, letters, email, brochures/fliers, web sites, advertising, etc. Each is important.

Moments of truth Examples at AGU might include: a student visiting Admissions for a campus tour, a parent calling Housing to confirm an application; a potential employer receiving an internship request from Career Services, etc. What are some moments of truth in your department? ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ _________________________

First impressions count… • First impressions are made in 30 seconds • Take some notes… The first time you enter a new place, what do you notice first? – about the place _____________________________ _____________________________ – about the people _____________________________ _____________________________

First impressions count… – about the place… you may notice: cleanliness, orderliness, spaciousness, lighting, sound, pleasant or unpleasant odors, furnishings… – about the people… you may notice: if they are smiling, if they seem harried, how they are dressed, if they seem to be working together or apart from one another… All of these put together make a strong first (and sometimes lasting) impression

How impressions are formed Interpersonal impressions are based on: – Verbal messages (what is said) – Vocal messages (how it is said) – Nonverbal messages (face/gestures/space)

7% 38% 55%

First impressions 100%

You can see from this chart that your “body language” can be powerful in sending positive messages.

“Body Language” • Body language includes many non-verbal aspects. Here are some of the most important: – Face: includes your expressions, the tilt of your head, and your smile (a very powerful tool)

– Figure: includes your posture, demeanor, dress, and general appearance

– Focus: includes the length and directness of your eye contact. Different cultures view direct eye contact in different ways, so be sensitive

– Tone: includes the volume, pitch, and inflection in your voice (your most powerful telephone tool)

– Territory: includes your physical comfort zone and that of your customer. Again this differs by culture.

Difficult customer behavior • We all have personal triggers. It’s important to realize what a customer might do that could cause us to “turn off” or not handle an encounter well. • Behaviors many people find hard to deal with include: yelling, profanity, finger pointing, name calling, body odor, peculiar dress, name dropping, etc. • Think of a few behaviors you might find annoying or difficult to handle; then, on the next slide, write down how you would manage that behavior positively.

Difficult customer behavior Our example… – Behavior: A customer yells at me – Response: I tell the person in a calm voice that her raised voice upsets me and I will be able to help her more effectively, if she doesn’t raise her voice. Your examples… Behavior: _____________________________________ Response: ____________________________________ Behavior: _____________________________________ Response: ____________________________________ Behavior: _____________________________________ Response: ____________________________________

The FISH philosophy The employees of Pike’s Fish Market in Seattle, Washington have developed a “philosophy” that has made their store into a world-class operation. These employees work long, hard, and cold days selling fish; but use the following four ideas to put energy, commitment, and fun into their work every day for their own benefit and for that of their many customers.

The FISH philosophy • Play – You spend more time at work than on any

other activity during the day. For productivity, there needs to be some fun in the work day. Experts say humor even boosts the immune system.

• Make their day – Go the extra step for the

customer. Be flexible, be positive, find solutions.

• Be there – Focus on each person as a special

individual. Give each of them your full attention.

• Choose your attitude – Make a conscious choice to smile and enjoy your day; it’s contagious!

Play… • Let’s think about this further… how might you add play to your work? _________________________________ _________________________________ __________ • Examples might include birthday wishes/cards, coworker compliments, inspirational quotes, work-related cartoons, special events luncheons, teamwork competitions, etc.

Make their day… • Let’s think about this further… how might you make a customer’s day? ______________________________________ ______________________________________ • Examples might include solving his problem when he didn’t think it would happen, “bending the rules” where possible, making them laugh during the service encounter, doing what’s needed to avoid transfers from office to office, etc.

Be there… • Let’s think about this further… how might you be there for a customer? ______________________________________ ______________________________________ • Examples might include making good eye contact, smiling, acknowledging someone when they first come in the office door, avoiding other distractions while dealing with an individual, keeping personal feelings in check, etc.

Choose your attitude… • Let’s think about this further… how might you choose your attitude, especially on a day you’re not feeling that well? ______________________________________ ______________________________________ • Examples might include smiling (it does actually make you feel better), playing a favorite song, making a list of ten things for which you are thankful, prayer, remembering a recent happy event, etc.

DEFINE FIVE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE OUR STAFF TO SAY ABOUT AGU.

DEFINE FIVE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE OUR COMPETITORS TO SAY ABOUT AGU.

HOW CAN WE CONTRIBUTE TO THIS VISION OF AGU?

HOW DOES IT RELATE TO OUR CUSTOMERS?

HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN AT AGU?

The service chain… • Every employee at AGU is a link in the service chain • We either serve students directly or… •

We serve others who serve our students directly. (Sometimes these people are departmental coworkers, sometimes they work in other departments.)

• Every link in the chain is vital; everyone’s individual effort can make a big difference

The service chain… • Let’s look at an example… – If you work at the Front Desk, you serve students directly on the phone and in person at the counter – If you work in Accounts, you serve the employees who work directly with the students – If you are a manager or supervisor, you support the staffs that serve the students and/or support those who do so indirectly

Service Chain: Front Desk Rep. serves Accountant serves Admn.Executive serves Student

DEFINE YOUR MOMENTS OF TRUTH GOOD SERVICE IS GIVING PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY EXPECT. EXCELLENT SERVICE IS ENJOYING GIVING PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY EXPECT.

THE SERVICE EXPERIENCE AT AGU • PEOPLE SKILLS • PRODUCT/SERVICE • PRESENTATION • PROCESSES

MANAGE THE CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE • ALL YOUR STAFF OR REPRESENTATIVES HAVE EXCELLENT PEOPLE SKILLS; • YOU ARE SELLING OR OFFERING SUPERB PRODUCTS;

MANAGE THE CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE • YOUR PRESENTATION IS IMPRESSIVE-OF THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS; • THE PROCESS WHICH DELIVER OR SUPPORT THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE ARE CUSTOMER CENTRED.

EXCELLENT SERVICE = ENJOYING GIVING PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY EXPECT THE BEST SERVICE COMPANIES HAVE A PASSION FOR SERVICE EXCELLENCE!

PROVIDERS OF SERVICE EXCELLENCE DO IT WITH ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM! EXCELLENT SERVICE IS VERY MUCH A WIN/WIN/WIN/WIN EXPERIENCE

GIVE GOOD SERVICE TO ONE ANOTHER • ‘WE DON’T SUPPORT EACH OTHER AROUND HERE’ • ‘PEOPLE DON’T SEEM TO COUNT IN THIS COMPANY’ • ‘MY MANAGER SHOWS NO INTEREST IN WHAT I DO’ • ‘THINGS AROUND HERE ARE VERY UNCLEAR’

GIVE GOOD SERVICE TO ONE ANOTHER • ‘I’M NOT SURE THAT MY BOSS KNOWS WHAT I’M GOOD AT’ • ‘THERE DOSEN’T SEEM TO BE ANY POINT IN DOING MORE THAN THE MINIMUM’ • ‘THE BEST ADVICE IN THIS COMPANY IS TO KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN AND YOUR MOUTH SHUT’ • ‘WHAT WE ARE BEST AT IS BUCK-PASSING’

COMPETENCES AN EFFECTIVE MANAGER • PEOPLE SKILLS: THE ABLITY TO LISTEN, SHOW UNDERSTANDING , BE COURTEOUS, GIVE TIME, ENCOURAGE, SUPPORT AND GIVE RECOGNITION TO THE PEOPLE THEY MANAGE.

COMPETENCES AN EFFECTIVE MANAGER

• PASSION: THE ABLITY TO ENTHUSE, EXCITE, AND PRESENT A VISION THAT WILL MOTIVATE.

CREATE THE CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE • GOOD SERVICE IS NOT JUST SMILING AT YOUR CUSTOMER BUT GETTING YOUR CUSTOMER TO SMILE AT YOU

THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF MOMENTS OF TRUTHS • THE CUSTOMER WILL GET LESS THAN S/HE EXPECTS AND BE DISAPPOINTED OR ANGRY(i.e THE SERVICE IS MEMORABLE BECAUSE IT’S AWFUL!)

THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF MOMENTS OF TRUTHS • THE CUSTOMER WILL GET EXACTLY WHAT S/HE EXPECTS AND THEREFORE IT IS NO BIG DEAL(i.e FORGETTABLE BECAUSE IT’S NEUTRAL!)

THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF MOMENTS OF TRUTHS • THE CUSTOMER GETS SERVICE OF A HIGHER QUALITY THAT S/HE EXPECTS AND IS DELIGHTED(i.e MEMORABLE BECAUSE IT’S MAGIC!)

THE FIRST ‘P’ – PEOPLE SKILLS • MAKING PEOPLE FEEL SPECIAL • MANAGING THE FIRST 4 AND LAST 2 MINUTES • DEMONSTRATING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE • COMMUNICATING CLEAR MESSAGES • SHOWING HIGH ENERGY • WORKING WELL UNDER PRESSURE

FIRST 4 AND LAST 2 MINUTES • HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR FIRST 4 MINUTES WITH THE FIRST PERSON YOU ENCOUNTERED THIS MORNING? WAS THAT A GOOD START? • HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR FIRST 4 MINUTES WITH THE FIRST PERSON YOU MET AT WORK THIS MORNING?

AN OK ATTITUDE I’m OK 1

4

You’re not OK

You’re OK 2

3

I’m not OK

QUADRANI 1 = WIN/LOSE QUADRANT 2 = LOSE/LOSE QUADRANT 3 = LOSE/WIN QUADRANT 4 = WIN/WIN

COMMUNICATING CLEAR MESSAGES • PEOPLE CANNOT READ OUR MINDS •

THEY PICK UP MESSAGES FROM OUR BEHAVIOUR

• WE ARE ALWAYS COMMUNICATING • UP TO 90% OF WHAT WE COMMUNICATE WILL NOT BE IN WORDS • WE DO NOT ALWAYS COMMUNICATE WHAT WE INTEND

SHOWING HIGH ENERGY • MAKE THEM FEEL SPECIAL. • HAVE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TO THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. • COMMUNICATE CLEARLY AND NONJUDGEMENTALLY. • DEMONSTRATE HIGH ENERGY, LOOK AS IF THEY ARE GLAD TO BE ALIVE, BEHAVE AS IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER, AND MOVE AS IF THEY HAVE A PURPOSE.

THE THIRD ‘P’ PRESENTATION • THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT INTO WHICH THE CUSTOMER COMES: HOW DOES THIS LOOK, SOUND, SMELL, FEEL, AND WHAT ARE THE MESSAGES IT CARRIES ABOUT THE COMPANY’S ATTITUDE TO THE CUSTOMER?

THE THIRD ‘P’ PRESENTATION • THE APPEARANCE OF THE STAFF THE CUSTOMER MEETS; • THE QUALITY OF BROCHURES, Ads AND MARKETING MATERIALS; • THE TONE AND LAY-OUT OF CORRESPONDANCE; • THE CONDITION AND APPEARANCE OF COMPANY TRANSPORT.

WHAT IS QUALITY SERVICE? ‘EXCELLENT SERVICE IS NOT ABOUT BEING 1000% BETTER AT ONE THING BUT 1% BETTER AT A THOUSAND THINGS’

QUALITY SERVICE AT AGU IN THE RACE FOR SERVICE EXCELLENCE THERE IS NO FINISH LINE………. ALL THE BEST Prof .Chris Abraham