AWWA Customer Service Certificate Program Course 2: The Business of Customer Service.

AWWA Customer Service Certificate Program

Course 2: The Business of Customer Service

Essentials of Customer Service Excellence

Relationships Communication

Business Leader Quotes

"It's all about expectations," J.C. Penney chairman and chief executive Mike Ullman said. "Southwest Airlines has never been considered a full-service airline, but it has a high delivery on its promise. It has high customer satisfaction because it fulfills its promise.”

“Merchants Struggle to Define Customer Satisfaction -

In a New Era of Service, What Does it Mean to Satisfy Consumers?”

07:53 AM CDT on Monday, July 30, 2007By MARIA HALKIAS / The Dallas Morning News

dallasnews.com

Business Leader Quotes

Merchants struggle to Define Customer SatisfactionIn a New Era of Service, What does it Mean to Satisfy Consumers?

07:53 AM CDT on Monday, July 30, 2007By MARIA HALKIAS / The Dallas Morning News

dallasnews.com

J.C. Penney is working hard to improve its customer satisfaction scores by retaining good employees and teaching them to make shoppers feel welcome. Its marketing message, "Every Day Matters," shouts that it wants to supply the daily needs of life. At the same time, Penney is one of the industry's biggest users of technology designed to have the right product available at the right price. Its cash registers are wired to the Internet, so if housewares doesn't have the color you want, the sales assistant can order it right there for delivery to your door. Customer service "is easier said than done, and it's a lot of different pieces," Mr. Ullman said. "If the register doesn't work, it doesn't matter how friendly the person is. If the price isn't right, the restroom isn't clean and the dressing room isn't tidy, those are all disqualifiers."

Business Leader Quotes“For decades, sultans of standardization, like Wal-Mart and McDonald's, have ruled the consumer markets. But their formula of rigorous consistency is now reaching a point of diminishing returns. U.S. communities have grown more diverse—in ethnicity, wealth, lifestyle and values. Many areas are saturated with big boxes, and consumers are rebelling against cookie-cutter stores that threaten the uniqueness of their neighborhoods. Attempts to build new chain stores often face fierce resistance. More of the same is tapped out as a strategy. The same applies internationally.”

“MacDonald’s in China”Customer Service - Micro Case Study

Asia’s Most Popular Source of Business Case Studieshttp://www.icmrindia.org/

What is Customer Service Excellence?

“Being treated with courtesy.”

“Receiving a prompt response to your request.”

“Being personally acknowledged.”

“Receiving fair treatment.”

“Dealing with an individual who cares about your problem.”

“Receiving follow-up when the problem requires it.”

“Focus First on Service:

The Voice and Face of Your Utility”

AWWA Publication

Directions: As all CSRs know, it is a common occurrence to have a customer call with what he or she thinks the problem is when in reality, the real issue is something else. For example, a customer may call to complain because the water is shut off. This may or may not have anything to do with payment. There could be a service interruption due to a water main repair. CSRs must be able to assist the customer by identifying the real underlying issue. Not doing so can impact the indicators of customer service excellence and reflect poorly on the water utility’s public image. In the activity on the following page, you will be presented with 6 typical situations where customers are calling and you cannot tell what the real issue is. You will identify open-ended questions that can be used to help the customer share more information so the real issue may be identified.

Survey: Open-Ended Questions *Survey: Open-Ended

Questions

*The Attitude Survey is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram

Directions: On the previous page, you looked at statistics about race, culture, the generations, and the types of households in America today. Sometimes, it’s easier to think about these dimensions using something familiar, like your own world. Please complete the “Survey: Dimensions of Diversity.” The survey is for your eyes only. Please use Column A to record how many of your coworkers, family, friends, and neighbors represent the Dimensions of Diversity listed in Column B. Make sure you complete the survey parts1, 2, and 3.

Resources related to “Dimensions of Diversity” are located in the appendix of your workbook.

Survey: Dimensions of Diversity Survey:

Dimensions of Diversity

Survey

Gentle Reminder: Please Complete Parts 2 and 3. Thank you.

Survey: Dimensions of Diversity

Survey

Directions: This exercise is for your eyes only. Be honest with yourself. Do you have a positive attitude toward customers? Please rate yourself using the following scale. Then review the Scoring Guide to see how you did.

1 = Never 2 = Rarely 3 = Sometimes

4 = Frequently 5 = All the Time

The Attitude Survey *The Attitude

Survey

*The Attitude Survey is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram

Advantages of Listening

Demonstrates Respect

Diffuses Potentially Volatile Situations

Basis of Learning

Foundation of Civility

Prerequisite for Problem

Good Tone of Voice ___

Attitude ____________

Being “Open” ____________

Body Language ______________

Non-Verbal Expression ___

Sensitivity ____________

Providing Info When Asked

___

Willingness to be Helpful ___

Tactfulness ____________

Directions: We all have many excellent “tools” for demonstrating and expressing our professionalism and interest in our customers. During lunch see how many of these behaviors you are able to observe in your fellow participants. Each behavior is positive and supports customer service excellence. Simply check each behavior you saw demonstrated sometime during lunch. A place for a quick note is provided as well.

The Take Away Lunch Time Activity

What is the Japanese word for customer?

• You are a member of a group of CSRs who work as a team in a utility call center. • The supervisor is Pat. • Your call center just installed a new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. • The CSRs are very capable and skilled in their own capacity.• The CSRs have received appropriate training and orientation to the new IVR. • At a regular staff meeting, Pat announces two weeks of scheduled time off. • Pat makes it clear that during this time CSRs are to work in teams of two.• The assignment is a weekly status report on how the new IVR is working. • Special problems with the new IVR are to be identified.• The potential root cause(s), corrective, and preventative action(s) are also to be

identified. • Pat asks you to ensure that all teams provide this weekly report. • You accept the assignment. • The staff meeting ends with Pat giving you the list of teams. • Charles and Mary are assigned to work together. • Sometimes they do not get along. They have different approaches for handling

assignments. • Charles prefers to meet weekly and discuss as a team what is working and what is

not. • At their first meeting, Mary believes that Charles does not agree with the root

cause she identifies. • Mary also believes Charles is really complaining and dissatisfied with the new IVR. • Mary believes that Charles does not believe Mary really knows how the new IVR

works. • Mary withdraws into herself. Meanwhile, Charles types up “their” weekly status

report. • This breakdown in teamwork is increasing hostility between Charles and Mary.• It is also having a negative impact on the group.

The Scenario*The Conflict Quiz

*The Conflict Quiz is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram

The Conflict Quiz *The Conflict Quiz

*The Conflict Quiz is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram

How do I Handle and Manage Conflict? *How do I

Handle and Manage Conflict?

*The Conflict Quiz is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram

How Do I Handle and Manage Conflict?

*How do I Handle and

Manage Conflict?

0 to 6 Points – You handle and manage conflict well. You seldom interfere by splitting up an argument between your team members. There may be several reasons. 1. You and your fellow work team members are compatible with one another. 2. You have the skills for helping co-workers and team members sort out disagreements when they do occur. 3. You and your co-workers see handling conflict as an ongoing process and not a “once in awhile” occurrence. Good job!

7 to 10 Points – There are probably occasional conflicts among members of your work team, even though you handle conflict when it impacts assignments and tasks given to you. Your work team may benefit from conflict training so the team is strengthened and common goals are clearly identified.

11 to 16 Points – It seems as though conflict may be a pattern within your work team. The environment may often be tense and this can hinder getting assignments done. Team building is needed ASAP. And it may be that assignments need to be aligned (or re-aligned) by the supervisor based on everyone’s competencies.

*The Conflict Quiz is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram.

*The Conflict Quiz is from the assessment Everyday Skills for High Performance Organizations and is used with permission by Dr. Tony Ingram. © 1995 Dr. Tony Ingram

The Bill of Rights

For Customer Service Assertive Responders

• You have the inalienable right to be assertive when engaged in conversation.

• Civility is an appropriate expectation of all customer service professionals and customers.

• You have the right to express yourself at any particular time and point out when you feel or believe your rights as a human being have been compromised by another person’s behavior and/or actions toward you.

• You have the right to respond to any question in your own time frame that is comfortable for you.

• You have the right to be treated professionally throughout the utility organization with work responsibilities that complement your employment status.

• You have the right to expect that customers and coworkers will treat you with respect.

ACD - Automatic Call Distributor

AMI - Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Backflow Prevention Database

Billing Systems

CAD - Computer Aided Design

CIS - Customer Information System

CSR Information Page

CMMS - Computerized Maintenance Management System (Work Orders)

Document Management System

CRM - Customer Relationship Management

GIS - Geographical Information System

Internet

Intranet

IVR-Interactive Voice ResponseRonse

LIMS - Laboratory Information Management System

SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data AcquisitionVoIP - Voice over Internet ProtocolWorkload Management, Forecasting, and Staff Schedule Modeling

Online Credit Card Processing

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONSRelated to Customer Service

AMR - Automatic Meter Reading

= Customer Service Representatives Typically Use These Applications

Softphone

CMS - Call Management System

E-mail

Call Logging, Reporting, Monitoring

It’s All About Water!A Team & Knowledge Building Activity

Designed for:

In this activity, you will be participating in a game styled after the popular TV Game Show, Jeopardy®. The purpose of “It’s All About Water” is to strengthen your knowledge of the water utility business by using the answers you sought in the “Scavenger Hunt.” This knowledge is essential to customer service effectiveness. During this activity, you will be in a team because it takes everyone working together to focus first on customer service excellence.

Course 2:The Business of Customer

Service

Today’s Participating TeamsTable 1 Table 3Leader LeaderMember MemberMember Member

Table 2 Table 4 Leader LeaderMember MemberMember Member

Rules of Play

• The Host will read the question. • No one may speak until given

permission by the Host. • Each team must ring the bell when

they know the answer. • The team who first rings the bell will

be given the opportunity to answer.

Rules of Play

• If the answer is incorrect, that team will lose the point value of the question and

the other teams will be given a chance to answer the question.

• The team with the highest final score is the winner.

The Categories

• Meter Reading • Billing• Sewerage• Miscellaneous

It’s All About Water

Meter Reading Billing Sewerage Miscellaneous

10 10 10 10

20 20 20 20

40 40 40 40

50 50 50 50

75 75 75 75

100 100 100 100

Tie Breaker Question Go to

Meter Reading

Why is water metered?

Return

Meter Reading

Name two reasons that a meter may not be read on the scheduled reading day.

Return

Meter Reading

Explain how to read a meter to a customer.

Return

Meter Reading

Why is water measured in specific units?

Return

Meter Reading

Some utility accounts are unmetered. Name one reason why.

Return

Meter Reading

What is one benefit of

Automatic Meter Reading?

Return

Billing

Name two reasons why a customer’s bill could be high.

Return

Billing

Give an explanation for “Extension on payment” (including your utilities’

parameters) for customers who are unable

to pay their bills.

Return

Billing

Name one reason a customer is charged for a disconnect fee

even though the water was not turned off.

Return

Billing

Explain what is meant by “Equal or Budget”

billing.

Return

Billing

Name two potential billing issues for tenant-occupied properties.

Return

Billing

Name one reason why customers would receive an overdue charge on their bill.

Return

Sewerage

When can customers use their own septic or waste system if a

sewer main is available?

Return

Sewerage

What is the difference between a combined sewer system and a

sanitary sewer system?

Return

Sewerage

Name one reason why a customer may pay more for

sewer charges than for water.

Return

Sewerage

By what means is sewer usage measured?

Return

Sewerage

Name one reason why a customer’s sewer usage may be lower than water usage.

Return

Sewerage

What is meant by Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)?

Return

Miscellaneous

Why should people have to

pay for water?

Return

Miscellaneous

What are two reasons that a customer’s water may be shut

off?

Return

Miscellaneous

Name one common reason that customers call their water

utility.

Return

Miscellaneous

What is meant by the term “Conservation” rates?

Return

Miscellaneous

Name at least one place where a customer can get some help

paying his/her bill.

Return

Miscellaneous

Name two indicators or signs that a customer's water may

not be normal.

Return

Tie-Breaker Question

What is the difference between volume and pressure?

Return

Thank You

and

Congratulations

to the Winners!