1 Customer Care WorkshopKing Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre Customer Care Workshop Emily Richards Quality Management Department
2 Who Cares? Right Attitude Right Behavior Excellent Care!
3 “ The servant of the group is their master”Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)
4 “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others”Lewis Carrol "My brother and sister-in-law's house burned to the ground, and they lost literally everything. I went shopping to get them some essentials ... just to get them by. The salesperson was so helpful, taking me from department to department. Then she went in the back for a few moments and returned telling me that was going to wrap and ship ALL $500 plus worth for FREE ...
5 Have you ever had an encounter with someone and you came away from the conversation, not remembering a word they said, but either very happy or very depressed? Go to Flipchart example number 1 (Excellent…) “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel” Carl W. Beuchner
6 Norah’s Story
7 Develop a deep desire in YouObjectives Inspire You Challenge You Encourage You Develop a deep desire in You To WANT to deliver consistent customer service excellence and turn every customer interaction into an opportunity to exceed expectations.
8 Who are our Customers? Customer: (n) a person…of a specified kind that one has to deal with. Oxford English Dictionary
9 Internal Who are our some of our internal customers? (Write answers on flipchart) Internal
10 Poorly treated employees treat customers just as poorly!Treat employees well. Employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. Treat your employees with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for customers. Appreciation stems from the top. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.
11 Give out what you want to receive!Treat your colleagues with dignity and respect and they will have a higher regard for the people they serve Give out what you want to receive!
12 External Who are our external customers? (Write answers on flip chart)
13 What is the first thing our customers notice about us?
14 Your attitude is showingExcuse me, Your attitude is showing
15 What does your attitude say about you?OR
16 You can’t choose someone else’s attitude but you can choose yours!Choose your attitude! You can’t choose someone else’s attitude but you can choose yours! What you think about your customers is how you will treat them! Fact – 80% of our internal dialogue is negative It’s up to you!
17 The best way to make yourself happy is to make someone elseMark Twain
18 Serving others is our number one priority.You do an important job, be proud of what you do.
19 "Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny." Author Unknown
20 Personal Needs
21 A Customer Needs… Support Compassion Attend Empathize
22 “It’s not how much we give,its how much love we put into the giving that’s compassion in action” Mother Teresa
23 A Customer Needs… Courtesy Honesty Respect Dignity
24 A Customer Needs… Being Gracious Being KindFriendliness Being Kind Being Gracious What is the easiest way to show friendliness?
25 “Smiling to your brother’s face is a reward”“People who smile tend to manage, teach, and sell more effectively, and raise happier children” Professor James V. McConnell “Smiling to your brother’s face is a reward” Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) A genuine, heartfelt smile – one that comes from your eyes
26 “Personal Experiences”Activity “Personal Experiences” What is your experience of poor customer care? What specifically did this person/people do to make you remember the interaction? Have the group nominate one poor service experience and write the scenario on the flip charts provided
27 Practical Needs
28 Work to solve my problemsPractical Need #1 It’s our policy – there’s nothing I can do / I’ll work to solve your problems Work to solve my problems
29 Work to solve problems…Gather information Look for solutions Suggest alternatives Gather information Look for solutions Suggest alternatives
30 “You’re right, this is bad”Activity Saying “No” “I don’t know” “No” “That’s not my job” “You’re right, this is bad” “This is not my fault” “You want it by when?” “Calm down” “I’m busy right now” “Call me back” Never Say “No” Have the groups write alternatives to these “no” phrases on flipcharts, then discuss. “I’ll find out” “What I can do is…” “Let me find the right person who can help you” “I understand your frustrations” “Let’s see what we can do about this” “I’ll try my best” “I’m sorry” “I’ll be with you in just a moment” “I’ll call you back, what is your number?”
31 Saying “No” Never saying “No” “I don’t know” “I’ll find out” “No” “What I can do is…” “That’s not my job” “Let me find the right person who can help you” “You’re right, this is bad” “I understand your frustrations” “That’s not my fault” “Let’s see what we can do about this” “You want it by when?” “I’ll try my best” “Calm down” “I’m sorry” “I’m busy right now” “I’ll be with you in just a moment” “Call me back” “I’ll call you back, what is your number?”
32 Don’t ‘over’ promise… Why shouldn’t we over-promise? Because the customer will lose trust in us. Promising without delivering is the Number One offense in customer service If anything, under-promise and then go above and beyond the customer’s expectations
33 “Take me to what I need” Practical Need #2It’s our policy – there’s nothing I can do / I’ll work to solve your problems “Take me to what I need”
34 Take the customer to what they need…Give your full attention Clarify the problem find someone who can If you can’t help, Identify and anticipate needs. Give more than expected.
35 “Treat me as your own customer”Practical Need #3 “Treat me as your own customer”
36 Treat every customer as your own…Stick with them Own their problem Work for a solution right then and there Follow through as needed
37 Do you like to feel important and appreciated?“It’s not my fault, but it’s my problem” Make customers feel important and appreciated. Know how to apologize. Knowledge is Power: Involve the customer - Listen for their ideas, use them in the solution and involve them in the solution. Listen for their ideas, use them in the solution and involve them in the solution Keep them informed at all times, whenever possible So does the customer…
38 The Customer comes First!“It’s not my fault, but it’s my problem…” Poor Customer Service can impact patient safety! Customers First: A patient was deteriorating on an in-patient unit. The physician on-call was paged, but refused to come and assess the patient because the time was 0740am and her shift ended at 0730am (the physician was still in the hospital) The delay in calling the new on-call resulted in the child’s health deteriorating further which required him being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. The Customer comes First!
39 Take the time to really listenPractical Need #4 Use questions to clarify Eye contact & body language Paraphrase Watch for meaning Poor listening can impact patient safety! Communication: A patient was prescribed the wrong dose of a medication because the physician didn’t take the time to listen properly to the patient’s mother. It was a busy day in the clinic and the physician was impatient to get the patient seen. The mother was explaining to the doctor that the patient was taking 5mg of the medication per day, but in three doses, 2mg in the morning, 1mg at midday, and 2mg in the evening. The physician prescribed the patient 5mg three times a day despite the mother’s objections. This resulted in the patient being over-sedated until the mistake was discovered. Take the time to really listen
40 What is the difference between listening and hearing?
41 Hearing is the act of perceiving sound, listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words Listening with Empathy Eye contact Watching for the meaning behind what is being said Confirming understanding
42 Summary of Needs Caring for your customer Showing CompassionGiving Respect and Dignity Showing Friendliness Working to help them find a solution Taking them to what they want Treating every customer as your own Taking the time to really listen
43 Coffee Stain managementStory of the coffee stain on the airplane food tray - It’s the seemingly small things that make a big difference to a customer – it may seem insignificant to you, but the customer notices! Story of Disneyland’s locksmith service Write headings on flipchart / whiteboard and have the class suggest some of the “Small Things” that get missed day-to-day and ways to “fix” them Taking care of the small things…
44 How far will you go to WOW a customer?How far would you go to Wow a customer? A traveling business-woman’s story… I arrived late at a hotel in Cambridge, MA the night before an 8 am training, dressed for the cold weather in brown boots and heavy trousers. When I got to my room I unpacked my lovely, gray suit only to discover that I had left my black heels at home. I looked down at my feet and had to admit the brown boots were not even an option. I went to the concierge for help. It was after 10 pm. Nothing was open. All of the shops in the area opened at 9 am, no help again. I was desperate. I pressed the concierge, “There’s nothing that can be done?” Silence. I put on my best pathetic gaze and repeated, “Nothing…?” The concierge contemplated further then asked, “What size are you?” Full of hope I blurted out my shoe size for all to hear. The concierge stepped out from behind the desk, pointed to the black heels on her feet and asked, “Will these work?” She gave me the shoes right off of her feet!
45 Tools of the Trade…
46 Beyond “Hello” Telephone Etiquette:Telephone Etiquette: Hematology received a clotted specimen from Emergency Department. As per protocol, EMS was called to notify the treating nurse of the cancelled specimen. At 12:40 the ward clerk answered on ext , and transferred the tech in hematology to another extension, where there was no answer. At 12:45 a second phone call to the ward clerk on ext was made, and he transferred the call again to the same extension. This time, it was answered by a female simply saying 'Hello'. After the tech introduced herself as from the lab, the staff member in EMS said 'Nobody here' and immediately hung up the phone. At 12:46 a third call was made to the ward clerk on ext This time the ward clerk said he was going to find someone to take the message, and the tech was left waiting on the line for more than 5 minutes, after which she hung up. The hematology supervisor was notified, and he called at 12:55, asking for the Charge Nurse. After 10 minutes, the charge nurse came to the phone and took the message regarding the clotted specimen. Ask the a volunteer to demonstrate the correct way to answer a phone Ask a volunteer to demonstrate the correct way to take a message Ask a volunteer to demonstrate the correct way to transfer a call Ask if you can help instead – it may be something simple! Smile when you answer the phone – it will reflect in your voice Beyond “Hello”
47 BODY LANGUAGE: Simple Actions Huge Returns
48 Statistics on Body Language55% of what we learn from others comes from their body language 38% comes from the tone of their voice 7% comes from the words that they say What are the primary aspects of body language?
49 Smiling Facial Expression Eye contact Appearance AttentionTone of voice Hand gestures Personal space Posture BODY LANGUAGE Smiling – there is nothing like a smile and pleasant face to greet a customer, especially if they have a complaint. A smile and polite conversation can immediately disarm a disgruntled customer. Facial expression sets a positive tone before you even begin speaking. A relaxed or pleasant facial expression is ideal most of the time. Eye contact – always look into your customer’s eyes. Directly address customers How you look – personal grooming has a big impact on your customers. Dirty hands, messy hair dress neatly and in a professional manner so as to command respect and to let customers know that you take your position seriously Be attentive – when listening to a customer, slightly lean towards your customer and nod your head slightly to indicate that you are listening. Tone of voice – always convey friendliness and amicability. Do not raise your voice in frustration or anger no matter how difficult or tiresome a customer may behave. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Hand gestures – use hand movements to emphasize what you say (even on the phone) and to emphasize your feelings Personal space – Adequate space is important for making customers feel secure and unthreatened Posture – slumping in a chair or leaning against a wall while interacting with a customer are sure signs you are not interested in the customer. Your pose or posture should express attention, friendliness, and openness. Observation – notice how your customer behaves and what they react positively to while you are providing service and poor dress can mean the loss of an otherwise happy customer.
50 It’s not what you say, its how you say it; Importance of Body LanguageActivity It’s not what you say, its how you say it; Importance of Body Language Vocal Charades – participants verbalize a written phrase five different ways to change the meaning of the words (i.e. bored, tired, distracted, impatient, right way) It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it One participant has palm cards with which body language to display, other participants will guess which is being displayed. (Right and wrong examples) Demonstration: one participant uses body language to demonstrate interest in another participant’s story – another uses no body language when the other participant is communicating with them. Perform assessment of how the other participants felt with body language being used and without.
51 Winning with a Difficult Customer
52 Why do customers get upset?Expectations not met Someone was rude Someone was indifferent No one listened Ask class to name the four top reasons why customers get upset
53 Acknowledge their feelingsWhat should we do? Stay Calm Let them vent Acknowledge their feelings Listen – let the customer vent Sincerely express that you are sorry - don’t ‘fake’ it
54 Avoid emotional trigger wordsTriggers Policy Can’t Sorry I don’t know But You should have The only thing we can do Calmers What I can do is Can Thank you I’ll find out And I understand why you The best option is Don’t argue and don’t interrupt Don’t lose self-control and don’t take it personally Admit the problem Take responsibility for fixing the problem – don’t ‘blame’
55 Gently confront abusive customers Don’t take it personally!Solve the problem quickly Do not question the customer’s correctness Do something “extra”
56 Principles into PracticeActivity Role Play: Principles into Practice Role-playing excercise
57 How to deal with a Difficult CustomerStay calm Let the customer vent Acknowledge their feelings Avoid emotional trigger words Gently confront abusive customers Don’t take it personally! Listen – let the customer vent Sincerely express that you are sorry - don’t ‘fake’ it Don’t argue and don’t interrupt Solve the problem quickly Do not question the customer’s correctness Do something “extra” Take responsibility for fixing the problem – don’t ‘blame’ How to deal with a Difficult Customer
58 Personal experiences revisitedActivity Personal experiences revisited Revisit the previously-written poor customer service experiences. Using the principles learned, have the participants go over the scenarios again, this time incorporating the principles into the scenario to make the poor experience a positive experience
59 Caring for your customerShowing Compassion Giving Respect and Dignity Showing Friendliness Working to help them find a solution Taking them to what they want Treating every customer as your own Taking the time to really listen
60 The Boy on the Beach A man woke early one day to go walking on the beach. On the beach, he saw a young boy in the distance dancing, bending down, and reaching with flailing arms. As the man approached the boy, he could see that he wasn’t dancing, he was picking up starfish that had been stranded on the beach and, one by one, was throwing them back into the ocean. “What are you doing?” asked the man The boy replied “The tide has washed all these starfish onto the beach, and they cannot get back by themselves. They will die if I don’t throw them back into the sea!” The man looked up and down the beach, which stretched far beyond his sight. Countless starfish lay stranded as far as he could see. “But son” said the man, “There are more starfish on the sand than you can ever save before the sun comes up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference!” The boy listened to the man’s words, then bent down and picked up another starfish. As he threw it far out into the ocean he said simply “I made a difference to that one.” We can make a difference!
61 We must become the change we want to see.Mahatma Gandhi
62 Right Attitude Right Behavior
63 WE CARE!
64 Thank You