Owning Excellence Overview 12102012_MasterCopy_DO NOT MODIFY

Owning ExcellenceOwning the Customer Experience OWNING EXCELLENCE \ Curriculum OverviewProgram ObjectiveFoster an organizational culture that promotes employee ownership and accountability for all customer serviceinteractions.Key Learning Focus • Taking ownership of the overall customer service experience • Employee accountability for taking care of the customer’s needsCurriculum Overview Class will focus on communicating to employees and supervisors the importance of ownership for the customer service experience and stress the accountability of owning every transaction to its final conclusion. Create an understanding with all CoSA employees about the City’s customer service mission, the importance of customer service ownership, and that customer service is a priority for every City job. Leadership, managers and supervisors will understand the actions necessary to foster an environment that is conducive to customer service ownership and accountability. Employee will develop an appreciation for what it means to own customer interactions, including internal, external, in-person, verbal and written. Key customer service modules include: The Foundation of Customer Service – Learning focuses on understanding the City’s basic customer service requirements. Basic components include: understanding customer needs, barriers to the different types of customer service transactions, understanding what is required to satisfy the customer, and templates and tools for each type of the customer service transactions. Communication Basics – In-depth review of the three types of customer service interactions (in-person, verbal and written) with emphasis placed on positive communication techniques for each. Employees will learn methods of explaining requirements and options, and other approaches for resolving customer needs without resorting to ”no”, “not my area/job” or “I don’t know.” Accountability – Concentrates on the individual responsibility of providing excellent customer service and why it is so important in each of our jobs. Review of customer service performance metrics, core competencies, and department customer service action plans. Demonstrate how these customer service metrics translate to the employee’s individual job and their annual performance review. Explain how closing the loop and following-up on customer requests improves overall customer satisfaction and prevents unmet customer expectations. Active Listening – Activity to provide the employee with awareness and responsiveness to the customer’s underlying issue and other City-related service issues. Revolves around problem solving, identifying all of the issues, and anticipating possible additional needs. Effective Listening – Opportunity for employee to learn how to engage and create a better experience for the customer. Activity includes listening techniques to decipher the customer’s emotions without sharing the emotion(s). Includes tips to reduce stress and respond appropriately in stressful situations.  Empowerment – Build an awareness of employee empowerment to ask questions and reach outside of their comfort zone or area to ensure that the customer’s needs are met. Utilize the CRM Knowledgebase and Self-Service Portal systems to better understand resources available to aid the employee with answering the customer’s needs even when outside their functional area. Understand the relationship between customer service and the technology available to deliver excellent customer service.Employees will be provided a comfortable and encouraging training environment and will be expected to ask questions,address customer service problems they have encountered, and practice with the tools and techniques learned.