Guiding Principles For Workforce Development

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Customer flow is the handling of the number of customers in a store and the pattern of their movements around the store or organization.

"Customer flow" refers to the way customers move through systems and receive services. For the purposes of the workforce development system, and one-stop centers in particular, "customer flow" refers to the many ways customers can gain access to services.

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Guiding Principles for Workforce Development Customer Flow

It is recommended that the following principles be accepted as the foundation for design of an effective customer flow model:

The customer is defined as jobseekers and businesses.

The bottom line is convenience and quality for the customer.

The designers adopt the perspective of the customer at all times.

Partners work together in designing and continuously improving customer flow.

The flow affords access to all services of the one-stop center and system (in the one-stop center as well as off-site).

Continuous improvement is integral to the customer flow design process.

Creating good customer flow, will allow customers to have a better mind in doing business with your company. Most or not if all people hate the idea in "waiting" in long lines or receiving slow service, therefore, it’s always great to ensure work pace is at a constant speed that will allow customer flow to move faster and not irritate customers. Consumers who become agitated or impatient may result is losing them or remember that one experience and judge the upcoming ones, so it’s always good to maintain a steady customer flow within your organization.

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Customer Flow:

Evaluated Problem: Customer flow at the cashier department is very hostile and slow, but as for the delivery department it is at an average pace. Manager came out to ensure good customer flow is being handled properly and also assist the workers.

Recommendations

Create a better "Queuing System" to ensure rapid movement of consumers within your entity we recommend the "First in First out" (FIFO) method, this is where the first consumer is dealt with first and is the first person out.

Have enough cashiers’ in your entity, there was only 2 cashier’s and it’s a large entity with large numbers of customer’s, this will help in faster customer service and of course customers will be pleased.

Ensure team work is in place, within your organization, be sure that your team is working together to minimize the amount of customer traffic within your entity.

If there is a large amount of customers make them feel comfortable, let them not think of "waiting" solutions to this can be: entertainment ( a television), comfortable environment like seats, air conditions (A/C), water systems, and even a joyful customer representative to socialize with customers, to let them not think of wasting time or the term "wait" before u know it is there time to be served.

Eye Contact

What is the importance of "Eye contact"

Eye contact is a meeting of the eyes between two individuals. In human beings eye contact is a form of non verbal communication and is thought to have a large influence on social behavior. Eye contact is an important factor when it comes to customer service; this action creates a bond, relationship and understanding between you and your consumers. This however endorses the customer’s personal feeling towards your entity in regards of how your company interacts with them, with this action consumers feel the power of interest, need and importance, which should be so because without them what would be the reason for your company or entity?

Social Meaning of "Eye Contact"

Power of Eye Contact

Eye contact is always important when we are communicating with others... In customer service, eye contact conveys sincerity and interest. Avoiding eye contact may suggest a lack of concern or lack of honesty. Our eyes can also convey compassion and caring. Customers may perceive that a customer service provider is not interested in what they are saying if they do not periodically make eye contact with the customer.

Many sales professionals underestimate the importance of eye contact with a customer of a retail store. They say: "Why should I look at the customer's face?", "Is it important to make a sale?" or even "I do not have time to look at every customer."

Imagine you met someone who could not or would not look directly at you. What would you think about this person? Is he/she hiding something? Is he/she uncomfortable, uncertain, or dishonest? Now think of how your customers would react if they encountered such negative signals at the beginning of a conversation with you. Would you rather prefer to create an engaging first impression for your customer? If your answer is yes, do not miss a chance to make eye contact.

It’s certainly not necessary to keep looking directly at the person during the entire conversation. Often it is enough to look closely only for the first few minutes or even seconds. Then you can alternate between looking at the customer and looking away. If your eye contact alternates between the customer and surrounding objects (a computer, display shelves), it will seem natural to the customer. The amount time you look at the face which will not be uncomfortable for the customer is limited to a few seconds at a time. If your buyer is angry, disturbed or upset, this time decreases.

Psychologists consider that direct eye contact will help the sales professional to remember this customer when he or she visits the store next time. The feeling of being recognized is very pleasant and flattering for everyone.

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Evaluated Problem: Most customer tellers are displaying "eye contact" there are 6 tellers and 4 out of the 6 tellers display such action.

Recommendations

We have observed fairly good eye contact however, some of your customer service representative did not display such action, how to ensure all customer representative perform this act; here are a few tips:

As managers go out and do your own evaluation and see for yourself if they are doing "eye contact" if your team have not pleased you for the benefit of your entity call them in and have a meeting discussing this matter

Get feedbacks from your own customer’s ask them if they have received good "eye contact" during time of being served.

Type of communication used (formal vs informal)

Based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories of communication, which are formal and informal communication that have their own set of characteristic features.

Formal Communication 

Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business communication or corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are used for communication. Formal communication can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time. Hence formal communication is straightforward, official and always precise and has a stringent and rigid tone to it. 

Informal Communication 

Informal communication includes instances of free unrestrained communication between people who share a casual rapport with each other. Informal communication requires two people to have a similar wavelength and hence occurs between friends and family. Informal communication does not have any rigid rules and guidelines. Informal conversations need not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that matter since we all know that friendly chats with our loved ones can simply go on and on.

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

Communication takes place through the formal channels of the organization structure along the lines of authority established by the management.

Such communications are generally in writing and may take any of the forms; policy; manuals: procedures and rule books; memoranda; official meetings; reports, etc.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Formal Communication:

The advantages of formal communication are:

They help in the fixation of responsibility and

Maintaining of the authority relationship in an organization.

The disadvantages of formal communication are:

Generally time consuming, cumbersome and

Leads to a good deal of distortion at times.

INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Communication arising out of al those channels of communication that fall outside the formal channels is known as informal communication.

Built around the social relationships of members of the organization.

Informal communication does not flow lines of authority as is the case of formal communication.

It arises due to the personal needs of the members of n organization.

At times, in informal communication, it is difficult to fix responsibility about accuracy of information. Such communication is usually oral and may be covered even by simple glance, gesture or smile or silence.

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Evaluated Problem: Both informal and formal communication is used. At the cashier department mostly formal communication is being displayed while customers do their ordering and payment transaction. For informal communication at the delivery area; informal communication is present during the interaction between the employee and consumers in regarding to the collecting of the goods

Recommendations

Ensure that all employee’s are knowledgeable about products and where they can be found

Have employees for specific purposes for example: a person who find the products and hand to another person to give customers, instead of having one person doing both jobs at one time, this will help in better customer flow.

Ensure employees know the phrase "time and place for everything", this means that employees should not play around with consumers or talk to them as if they are colleagues

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Power phrases

By using power phrases we can send the message to our customers that they are very important and that we value their opinions. Here are 10 examples of power phrases:

1. Due to your specialized knowledge.

2. What a unique suggestion!

3. I'd like your considered opinion.

4. Please.

5. You are absolutely right!

6. If I could borrow just a moment of your time.

7. May I?

8. As you, of course, know.

9. I'd like your advice.

10. I would appreciate it if.

Using power phrases in our conversations with customers can express to them that their ideas are important. We can also let them know that we recognize the value of their time and expertise.

Why Power Phrases Trigger the Buying Action

A power phrase helps your customer visualize how they will feel when they own your product or use your service. It generates an imagined feeling and motivates your customer to convert that feeling into reality. Most of your customers make an emotional decision to buy from you. They may look for logical reasons to justify their decision. But their decision to buy is usually an emotional decision instead of a logical one. Power phrases increase a customer's desire for your product or service and trigger an emotional decision to buy.

How to Create a Power Phrase

Creating a power phrase is easy. Start by listing some of the major benefits your customers get when they buy from you. Then combine a few descriptive action words about one or more of those benefits into a short phrase.

Here are some examples of power phrases used by 3 different types businesses: stacks_image_6217-happy-customer-2.jpg

"Fast! Easy! Very Low Cost!" (For a product or service business)

"I'll help you myself! That's why I can guarantee results." (For a service business)

"Work you enjoy, more money to spend and more time to spend it." (For a business opportunity offer)

Use High-Impact Words 

Look at the words used in the above 3 power phrases. Many are high-impact words (fast, easy, very low cost, help, guarantee, enjoy, more money, more time). Power phrases use high-impact words to create high-impact statements.

TIP: Use short and clearly understood high-impact words for your power phrases. They create a dramatic word picture in your customer's mind without drawing attention to the actual words you use.

phrases-510.jpg Evaluated Problem: Power phrases have been frequently used, this is heard during the delivery department where the employee says phrases such as "Have a great day and hope the auto part will be of good use to you, thank you for choosing Bert’s auto parts" another is "Thank you for choosing Bert’s if there is any problem let us know ok, thank you again." However, this is only seen at ONE department, it is lacking in the cashier department and the customer service representative

Recommendation: As a manager be sure to evaluate your team to ensure they use power phrases, if you so happen not to hear any talk to your employees reinforce the importance of "power phrases"

Listening skills of the customer service representative

Listening is one of the most valued skills companies seek in employees, according to studies posted at the International Listening Association website. Other studies showed business personnel spent nearly 60 percent of the workday either speaking or listening. That's why it is important to develop listening skills for improved customer service. Customer service employees with effective listening skills strengthen business relationship. On the other hand, customer service staff who lack listening skills can get tied up in misunderstandings. There are a number of ways to develop listening skills for customer service, but it takes practice and commitment.

ï‚· 1 Note any communication barriers, such as bias, noise, emotion and cultural difference, that can lead to misunderstandings. For example, a customer service employee may assume a client is going to react a certain way based on past experience, so she may be less willing or hesitant to help the client. Approach the speaker with an open mind to avoid communication barriers.

ï‚· 2 Learn to recognize verbal and nonverbal cues to develop listening skills. A dialogue consists of vocal, tactile, visual and spatial components that work both ways. A client's intonation may hint at his confusion while an employee's eye contact shows interest. Pay attention to body language, proximity and variations of vocal expression--repetition, timing and tone.

ï‚· 3 Focus on the message as part of good customer service. It is normal to get defensive when a negative situation arises in the workplace, but this creates tension and undesirable outcomes. When a client calls to complain, remain objective; concentrate on the message, not the delivery.

ï‚· 4 Develop listening skills through clarifying questions. Gain information to understand the speaker. For instance, a call center employee may ask the customer to describe the problem in detail.

ï‚· 5 Summarize what the customer said to make sure you accurately understand the situation. A prompt like "If I am hearing correctly ..." is an effective way to begin rephrasing, but try to develop your own; it sounds more natural.

ï‚· 6 Utilize different listening skills. Since situations in a customer service setting are fluid, it is sometimes necessary to go back and ask, repeat or recap. For example, if a customer is not satisfied with the solutions offered, then repeat the idea that you want to help.

 7 Acquire feedback to develop listening skills. Survey a customer's experience and reflect on the exchange. Sit with your back straight, or stand and stretch to stay alert while listening.

Active listening skills develop over a period of time. If you are a customer service representative that sees your listening skills could use a little bit of help, here are just some tips to help you improve on your active listening skills which would result to an improvement in your work performance.

Avoid Distractions

The first thing to do is to make sure that you tune out any and all forms of distraction that would cause you to shift your focus from the customer you are assisting. At this particular moment in time, regard the customer as the most important thing to you.

Paraphrase What the Customer Said

One way to practice active listening is to paraphrase what the customer said and ask this to them. This works in two ways. You are able to make the customer feel that you are genuinely concerned and willing to assist by making sure that you understand what exactly the customer is saying. At the same time, you are able to pinpoint the main problem of the customer, allowing you to provide the necessary assistance within a short period of time.

Ask Questions

This is where many customer service representatives tend to fail. Apart from being able to paraphrase what the customer is saying, it is also important to ask the right questions to make sure that the entire concern of the customer is understood. Asking the right questions would make sure that you are able to get a full understanding of the needs of the customer which would, in turn, help you in finding the best solution for his or her need.

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Evaluation: Listening skills that was being displayed was good, most customer service representative had a good listening skill, this is seen through the customers as most consumers received the information they seek. Over all listening skill was good, they showed interest.

Telephone skills

So, let’s get back to basics. Phone skills are an important part of the job.

The way you handle your phone is as important as a face-to-face meeting. So take the time to go over some of these basics. Here is my "top ten" phone skills list:

1. Let’s start with enthusiasm. Try to convey some type of enthusiasm. From beginning to end, show that you care about the person you are talking to. You don’t need to act overly excited about your phone conversation. Just have a positive attitude. It is contagious.

2. Be sure to smile. Even though you are on the phone, the other person can sense a smile from you. Some telephone experts recommend putting a mirror on your desk to remind you when you are not smiling at the customer. For people who are on the phone all day, a mirror may not be a bad idea.

3. How do you sound on the phone? Using the right tone of voice creates atmosphere on the phone. This ties into the first two items on this list. Is your enthusiasm coming through? Do you have a positive attitude? Is your phone conversation strictly business? Is it lighter or personal? Your tone and voice inflections will create an impression and help the person on the other end understand what you are telling them.

4. Say "Hello!" (or good morning, good afternoon, etc.) Have a warm greeting or opening. Welcome people into the conversation. Don’t make them feel as if they are an interruption. If you are too busy, then let someone else or your voice mail pick up the phone. That is lot better than a greeting that sounds like, "Yah, what do you want!"

5. Say "Goodbye." Have a strong closing. At the minimum, be sure to say goodbye before hanging up the phone. How many times have you expected someone to say goodbye, have a nice day, etc. only to hear a click? Don’t do that to your customer!

6. When talking to a customer, avoid company or technical terminology that they may not understand. Everybody has had this happen at one time or another. Someone tries to tell yousomething and you have absolutely no idea what he is talking about. It sounds like it could be English, and it is. But, you still don’t understand it because it is technical jargon. Technical terms or industry buzz-words can put a customer in an uncomfortable position. They might feel dumb because they don’t understand you. Or, they may feel frustrated and become impatient.

7. Don’t get angry, even if the customer is. It is not always easy to keep calm, especially if the customer is angry about something you have no control over. (Chances are they are mad at something that has already happened.) If a customer is complaining and angry, let them vent. Most likely they aren’t mad at you personally. Ask them questions to show that you care. Don’t add to their aggravation. You might ask them to repeat the problem just to make sure you understand. Be a good listener.

8. When transferring - ONLY ONCE! If you are transferring to someone else, make sure that person is available. Don’t put the customer on the hold, transfer, hold, transfer, hold, transfer, routine. (I hate when that happens!)

9. Control the "hold" button on your phone. A survey in USA Today conducted by Nancy Friedman (a. k.a. The Telephone Doctor) showed that customers hate, more than anything else relating to the phone, to be put on HOLD! There are really only two reasons to put someone on hold: to transfer to someone else or to get information.

10. More on controlling that "hold" button. If you are going to make a customer wait on hold, for any reason, let them know how long they will have to wait. When you say a minute and it really is just a minute, it will probably seem a lot longer to them. So, if you are asking them to hold for an extended period of time, it is probably best to call them back. Promise to call at a specific time. Then, keep your promise!

Customer service delivered via telephone often occurs from a call center. The management team of the call center is responsible for the proper and efficient delivery of customer service. They conduct and sponsor training sessions to teach and enhance the customer service representative’s telephone customer service skills.

Active Listening

A telephone customer service representative must have good listening skills. He must be able to ask questions that help him understand the core of the customer's needs. Rephrase what the customer needs. This ensures that the CSR understands what is needed and the customer can acknowledge the CSR's understanding. Because the telephone CSR does not have the benefit of body language and eye contact, he must be sure to listen closely.

Written Communication

Often, telephone customer service involves documenting the interaction between the customer and the CSR. The CSR must be able to accurately document the customer's need on her account and document the follow-up actions taken. The documentation must use proper English, correct grammar and spelling. The next person that accesses the customer's account must be able to understand what occurred.

Speaking effectively

Telephone CSRs must speak well. When talking to customers, avoid the use of company jargon, use the proper pitch and tone of voice, and enunciate. Do not use terms common to internal company personnel; instead, use everyday language to relay the message. Speak in a calm, consistent manner. Avoid becoming monotone as this conveys unconcern towards the customer's

needs. To ensure that the customer understands what is being said, do not chew gum, eat or drink while on the phone with the customer. Drink plenty of water and do not mumble.

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Evaluated Problem: Telephone skills were poor, customer representative had no idea about the stock system, gave wrong information telling consumers they had a specific part, and when at entity the product was out of stock.

Recommendations

Customer representative must be knowledgeable about services and products.

She/he must be polite and calm.

Should give accurate information.

Employ people with experience pertaining telephone skills.

Dealing with different types of customers

Customer Services - Different Types of Customers

As a customer service representative, you will run into various kinds of customers throughout your workday. Different kinds of customers require different kinds of customer service from you to keep them happy and ensure they continue to use your business. Not knowing how to effectively deal with different kinds of customers can cost your company valuable business. Unhappy customers can be very damaging to companies. Learning to recognize and respond to the various customer types will help your company flourish.

The Non-confrontational Customer

At first glance, a non-confrontational customer seems like the easiest type of customer to deal with. This customer will almost passively accept the customer service they are given, and even when unhappy, he will just leave. The biggest risk with this type of customer is that even though he didn't complain to your company, he is very likely complaining to friends and neighbors, possibly causing them to think negatively about your company. According to Florida University, the non-confrontational or "meek customer generally, will not complain." The best way to deal with the non-confrontational customer is to give your best customer service every time.

Confrontational Customer

The confrontational customer can be hard to deal with, especially for new customer service representatives. This type of customer can be intimidating. Florida University says this customer "readily complains, often loudly and at length." Many times this customer just wants to be heard, and as a customer service representative, your listening to the complaint will go a long way toward pleasing this customer. The confrontational customer will generally tell you in her complaint exactly what will make her happy.

The Whiner

The whiner never feels that products or services are good enough. This customer will find fault with everything. Like the confrontational customer, the always unhappy customer wants to be heard. The best way to deal with this type of customer is to listen and apologize. The whiner will demand patience on your part but tends to leave happy if someone will simply take the time to listen to his complaints.

The Con Artist Customer

Unfortunately, every business will at some point have to deal with a con artist as a customer. This customer wants you to give her the products or services for free and will not stop complaining until she gets what she wants. Generally, the con artist will threaten you with losing her business and telling you that she will tell all of her friends and family how horrible the company is. The best way to deal with this customer is to be polite but stick to your company's policies.

Evaluation: For this specific focus area it was considered good, this is so because their consumers are not only males but also females, 5 out of the 6 representative showed greater interest in females because SOME females are not usually knowledgeable about their vehicle so they listen to ensure accurate information is being transferred and also ask question so they get the right product or part for their vehicle, as this can be challenging for some females such as women of senior age.

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Customer turnoffs

Top 10 Customer Service Turn Offs: How to avoid common mistakes

It takes only a few moments to demolish a customer relationship that took several years to build.  The best way to retain your existing customers is by being diligent in your everyday dealings.  Given below are the top 10 customer service turn offs (as researched by Global Response) and ways to turn these around to reinforce and strengthen your customer relationships.

Amateur Staff

Nothing irritates a customer more than a customer service representative with half-baked knowledge.  Even if you have a small team of customer service agents, it helps to train them adequately so that they can represent your company appropriately. It helps to understand that, each and every customer service agent is the face of your company for the customers, and hence should be knowledgeable enough to give correct information and provide suitable solutions.

Trying to Win an Argument:

You can certainly win an argument by defending your company and reacting to your customer’s complains, but you cannot win his loyalty by doing that. You can only win his allegiance and loyalty by empathizing and apologizing (and that holds true even when it is not your mistake!!).

Rigid Policies:

Sticking to stringent policies can be the fastest way to lose customers. Depending on the strength of the customer relationship, you should be willing to bend policies for him, or at least try to identify ways of bending policies to strengthen customer relationships.

Futile Commitments and Promises:

Only promise when you are hundred percent confident, that you will be able to deliver within the committed time. For some reason, if you realize that you cannot deliver within time, then have the courtesy to call your customer and inform him of the reason and the time when the commitment can be fulfilled.

Diffidence:

Any customer would like to do business with a company which is accessible. If you have not kept your customer informed about the point of contact during an hour of emergency, then it is more than a probability that he will soon shift his base to another company. If you want a customer to return to you, then you must provide him with accessibility and warmth.

Poor Acknowledgements:

If you fail to acknowledge your customers with appropriate comments, then your customers are bound to feel ignored and neglected, which will inadvertently lead to loss of business. If a customer is unhappy about a personal or professional loss, you should be caring enough to acknowledge and comment suitably.

Poor Records:

The same goes for titles as well. Referring to Mrs. Thomas as Mr. Thomas, or Mr. Jackson and Mr. Johnson is only going to worsen your bond with the customer. Constantly misspelled names and inappropriate titles discourage customers to come back to you.

Ignoring the Basics of Customer Service:

Simple acknowledgements such as "Thank You" and "Sorry" still mean a lot to majority of the customers.  If you ignore these basic phrases, you can be quite sure of losing your existing customers.

Call shuffling:

This is indeed the worst and the most common customer service turn off. If a customer’s call is being transferred from department to department, and if no one is ready to take the responsibility, then it turns off even the most patient customer. On the contrary, if you are able to provide your customer with ‘First Contact Resolution’, then you can be assured of a returning customer.

Apathy and Failure to Listen:

Last but not the least, apathy and failures to listen are two of the most unforgivable customer service mistakes, and are often taken seriously by customers. Sometimes, you can simply make your customers day by listening to him attentively.

In today’s tech-oriented, increasingly uncongenial business world, you can win the hearts and loyalty of your customers by avoiding the above 10 customer service turn offs.

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Evaluation problem: This focus area is the STRONGEST within the organization, one factor is linked with "customer flow" at the cashier department there was constant long lines that seemed to be endless, resulting in slow customer flow, the other factor is also the telephone skills, inaccurate information was transferred to consumer regarding products, also another turn off is not enough auto parts was in stock for consumers or variety, the organization environment was untidy and messy, and there was not enough seating for long waiting customers. One of the major turn off was "unpleasant face" among customer service representative (all were males).

Recommendations

Be sure to turn upset consumers into happy consumers before they leave your entity

Ensure all duties and responsibilities are being carried out in your entity

Make sure lines are moving at a speedily pace

Ensure customer service representative are polite and have a pleasant face

Make consumers comfortable provide seating’s, and comfortable environment within your entity.