Customer Service Management Training 101

by Evenson, Renee

• ISBN13: 9780814417157
• ISBN10: 0814417159
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-14
• Publisher: Amacom Books

Summary

Becoming a great customer service manager requires a mastery of skills beyond those needed by frontline employees. Filled with the same accessible, step-by-step guidance as Customer Service Training 101, this user-friendly book shows readers how to develop the skills they need to communicate, lead, train, motivate, and manage those employees responsible for customer satisfaction. Designed for new managers and veterans alike, Customer Service Management Training 101 covers essential topics, including: * Planning and goal setting * Time management * Team development * Conflict resolution * Providing feedback * Monitoring performance * Conducting meetings * Managing challenges * Listening * Verbal, nonverbal, and written communication Readers will learn to identify their personal management style, develop core leadership qualities, and efficiently focus on their own development as managers. Packed with checklists, "real world" practice lessons, and examples of the right and wrong ways to do things, this is the one book every customer service manager needs to thrive.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Managing Yourself
Understanding Your Management Style	p. 7
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Manage the Frontline	p. 9
Learn Management Styles and Functions	p. 10
Analyze Your Management Style	p. 13
Defi ne Your Strengths and Areas Needing Improvement	p. 17
Create Your Developmental Action Plan and Set Goals	p. 19
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Manage the Frontline	p. 21
Checklist	p. 23
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 24
Personal Planner	p. 25
Developing Your Leadership Qualities	p. 26
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Lead	p. 28
Leadership Begins with Awareness	p. 31
Develop Positive Leadership Qualities	p. 33
Look and Act like a Leader	p. 35
Critical Thinking Leads to Good Decisions	p. 36
Make Yourself Indispensible	p. 37
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Lead	p. 38
Checklist	p. 40
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 42
Personal Planner	p. 43
Planning and Organizing for Results	p. 44
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Plan and Organize	p. 46
Create Your Mission Statement	p. 48
Create Your Customer-Focused Plan	p. 50
Set Goals	p. 52
Make the Most of Your Time	p. 54
Handle Stress	p. 56
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Plan and Organize	p. 59
Checklist	p. 61
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 63
Personal Planner	p. 65
Managing Others
Communicating Up, Down, Across, In, and Out	p. 69
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Communicate	p. 72
Listen Well	p. 74
Communicate Well Nonverbally	p. 75
Speak Well	p. 76
Learn the Art of Small Talk	p. 78
Learn the Art of Delivering a Presentation	p. 80
Maintain Strong Relationships	p. 82
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Communicate	p. 84
Checklist	p. 86
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 88
Personal Planner	p. 90
Training for Excellence	p. 91
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Train	p. 93
Understand Learning Styles	p. 94
Prepare for Training Sessions	p. 96
Train Thoroughly	p. 98
Follow Up After Training	p. 100
Conduct Productive Meetings	p. 101
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Train	p. 104
Checklist	p. 106
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 108
Personal Planner	p. 110
Team Building for Success	p. 111
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Build a Team	p. 113
Understand the Characteristics of Strong Teams	p. 115
Promote "Team Think"	p. 117
Form a Cohesive Team	p. 118
Continue the Process	p. 121
Strengthen Your Team by Being a Team Player	p. 123
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Build a Team	p. 124
Checklist	p. 126
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 128
Personal Planner	p. 130
Dealing with Challenges Successfully	p. 131
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Handle Challenges	p. 133
Mediate Confl ict Involving Others	p. 136
Resolve Confl ict Involving You	p. 138
Turn Problem Performers into Peak Producers	p. 140
Handle the Change Process	p. 143
Expect the Unexpected	p. 146
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Handle Challenges	p. 148
Checklist	p. 150
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 152
Personal Planner	p. 154
Managing for Results
Monitoring Performance for Excellence	p. 157
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Monitor Performance	p. 159
Measure Results and Objectives	p. 161
Manage Hands-On	p. 164
Observe Your Employees	p. 166
Document Performance	p. 168
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Monitor Performance	p. 169
Checklist	p. 171
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 172
Personal Planner	p. 174
Motivating Through Meaningful Feedback	p. 175
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Give Feedback	p. 177
Meaningful Feedback Is Focused, Specifi c, and Timely	p. 179
Quick Feedback Gets Positive Results	p. 182
Development Action Plans Improve Performance	p. 183
Appraising Performance Is the Most Effective Feedback	p. 184
Accept Feedback Graciously	p. 186
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Give Feedback	p. 188
Checklist	p. 190
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 191
Personal Planner	p. 192
Putting Your Best FACE Forward	p. 193
Spotlight on Management: The Wrong Way to Put Your Best FACE Forward	p. 195
Focus on Keeping Your Momentum Going	p. 196
Achieve Your Goals by Taking Control of Your Destiny	p. 198
Care for Yourself and Others	p. 200
Exemplify the Best You Can Be	p. 201
Spotlight on Management: A Better Way to Put Your Best FACE Forward	p. 203
Checklist	p. 205
The Real World: Practice Lesson	p. 206
Personal Planner	p. 207
Index	p. 209
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction

Why do customers take their business elsewhere? Some move away.

Some are not satisfi ed with the product. Some go for competitive reasons.

But the majority of customers take their business elsewhere because the

business owner, manager, or frontline employee is indifferent toward them.

Most of these customers will not even complain; they just won’t come back.

Great customer service isn’t doing what you think your customers

want; it’s doing what your customers want. One of the biggest mistakes

businesses make is assuming they know what their customers want

without getting to know their customers and their needs. Managers who

ensure that they and their teams are clued in to their customers are in the

best position to give exceptional service.

To understand customers, you need to get close to them, stay tuned

in to them, and think like them. Frontline employees are the key. They

present the face of the business, so it is crucial that managers train them

to interact successfully with customers. Customer service managers who

know how to train effectively, follow up with observation, and provide

meaningful feedback are in a great position to develop customer loyalty.

Every customer service manager wants to develop strong teams in

which coworkers interact well with each other and take responsibility for

providing exceptional customer service. But although they understand

how important customer service is, many acknowledge that their employees

often do not appreciate its importance. In addition, managers

often ignore employee behavior problems because they do not know how

to deal with them. The sad news, for managers, is that ignoring problems

will not make them go away. Ignoring problems will make customers go

away.

Managers interested in learning how to motivate employees to provide

top-notch service will fi nd their answers by reading Customer Service

Management Training 101. This book teaches managers how to be

effective leaders and how to develop the necessary skills to communicate,

train, and inspire their frontline employees who are responsible for

customer satisfaction. It is also a good teaching tool for personal skills

development.

Customer Service Management Training 101utilizes the successful

format of Customer Service Training 101, providing step-by-step lessons

to help new managers become effective leaders and veteran managers

improve their skills. It is divided into three parts: managing yourself,

managing others, and managing for results.

Each chapter includes a skills checklist, a “real world” practice lesson,

and a goal planner. Chapter topics include understanding your personal

management style; developing solid leadership qualities; planning and

organizing; communicating up, down, across, inside, and outside; training

for excellence; building a strong team; monitoring performance; providing

meaningful feedback; and fi nally, focusing on self-development

and making yourself the best you can be.

Customer Service Management Training 101will endure because it

focuses on managing and leading frontline employees to provide exceptional

customer service. While other aspects of a business undergo

continual change, the fundamentals of customer service management

remain the same.

The most important benefit of being an effective customer service

manager is increased productivity, effi ciency, and job satisfaction. It is

always cheaper and faster when frontline employees do the job right the

fi rst time. Satisfying an unhappy customer costs a lot more, both in dollars

and time, than satisfying a customer on the fi rst try.

As a manager, your success depends not only on how well you perform,

but on how well your employees perform. Your success depends

on your mastery of leadership and management skills. Whether you are

a new manager or a veteran, Customer Service Management Training 101

will help you get to the top of your game—and stay there.