Index

Module-1 Customer service Agent (inbound call centre) (35 sections) 70 hours
Customer Service Management customer first (5 sections) 10 hours
1.
Introduction of call centre
2.
What is customer service and Superior Customer Service Means?
Knowing Your Customers' Needs
3.
Identifying Your Key Service Activities, Delivering Superior Service and Follow-Up
4.
8 rules for good customer service and 5 secrets of good customer service
5.
4 ways to outline your competitors customer service and The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service
Mock calls- first ring (5 sections) 10 hours
6.
Enquiry calls
7.
Request calls
8.
Complaint calls
9.
Random calls
10. Transferring and escalating process
English Language Enhancement-Learn from the Native (7 sections) 14 hours
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

THE USES AND FORMATION OF THE ENGLISH VERB TENSES

Introductory Clauses and phrases
If constructions, quantifiers and subject verb agreement
Prepositions, connecting words and articles
Common errors in English
The verb to be and the passive voice of the verb to show
Questions and negative usages.

Neutral accent training-free from MTI (5 sections) 10 hours

18. Introduction of neutral accent and English accents
19. Consonant sounds with tongue twisters
20. Vowel sounds with tongue twisters
21. Intonation, stress word and sentence
22. Listening to accents and practicing
A study of American and British culture (5 sections) 10 hours
23. American states and their capitals with alphabetical codes
24. Money, holidays, climate and their standard time
25. The UK a study of Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland
26. Money, climate, holidays and their standard time
27. Assignments on American and British culture
Soft skills training politeness shows professionalism (4 sections) 8 hours
28. Courtesy, Honesty, Reliability and Flexibility.
29. Team skills, Eye contact, Cooperation and Adaptability.
30. good attitudes, self supervising and good references
31. Good attendance, Personal energy, Ability to measure and Personal integrity
Interview Tips- The last cup of tea (4 sections) 8 hours
32. Self introduction or JAM (just a minute)
33. Common interview questions and HR round.
34. Group discussion and presentation
35. Mock interview

Module-2 Telesales Agent (outbound call centre) (13 sections) 26 hours

Selling techniques (2 sections) 4 hours
36. Tips for selling day 1 (tangible products)
37. Tips for selling day 2 (intangible products)

Mock calls (TELECOM, Banking, insurance and other products) (5 sections) 10 hours
38. Appointment and Follow up calls
39. Customer satisfaction calls
40. Claims related calls (insurance products)
41. Verification, Payments and billing calls
42. Warning and Apologizing calls
Telephone etiquette (3 sections) 6 hours
43. Tips for making calls
44. How to improve the quality of your calls
45. Maintain the energy level throughout the calls
Assignments (3 sections) 6 hours
46. Assignment test-1 for Module 1
47. Assignment test -2 for module 2
48. Final Assignment (Module 1 and Module 2)

Call centre-an introduction (section 1)

A call centre is an office where a company's inbound calls are received, or outbound calls are
made. Call centres are increasingly popular in today's society, where many companies have
centralized customer service and support functions. Call centres provide work for many staff in
customer service, sales and support functions.

Call centres are often large offices staffed with representatives who either make or
receive phone calls.
Depending on the size of the call centre, a single office could have anywhere from a few
dozen to hundreds of telephone staff.

Depending on the needs of the company, call centres can make either incoming or
outgoing calls.

Some call centres focus on answering inbound calls, such as a Bank that give out a tollfree number for customers needing assistance. In that case, call centre representatives
can give account balances and take loan applications over the phone.

Other call centres focus on outbound calls, such as a survey company. In that case,
survey representatives make outbound calls to ask people to answer survey questions
over the phone.

Call centres provide a number of advantages to companies.

By centralizing telephone-based service and support in one location, companies can

easily adjust staffing to match call volume.
Call centres can be located almost anywhere, allowing companies to take advantage of
time zones and cheaper labour rates in different states and countries.
Call centres also centralize the technology needs of companies, allowing major
telecommunication setups to be installed in a small handful of call centres instead of a
number of smaller offices, making upgrades and training easier to complete.

Many call centres use a number of different technologies to help improve performance and
customer experience.

Inbound call centres often use automatic call distribution, in which incoming calls are
assigned to representatives on the order they are received.
Other call centres utilize call monitoring, in which customer calls are randomly
monitored by quality assurance staff to ensure that phone representatives meet customer
needs.
Call centre technology evolves constantly, helping call centre staff assist customers more
efficiently and effectively.

Call centres have been increasingly popular as outsourcing increases.

With outsourcing, companies contract out some functions to other companies.

As it can be expensive to maintain call centre equipment and staff, some companies
choose to outsource their telephone functions to an external call centre.

In this case, external call centre staff can be trained to answer phone calls from a
number of different companies.

Call centre activity primarily falls under customer services and sales

Since most of the time call centre staff are either engaged in solving problems or they
are after new sales and hunt for leads.
Of course if you want to satisfy both needs you can borrow from these two sets of skills.

At the centre of the training activity, you should get the staff to master the art of
communications.

Without this essential skill it will be difficult to establish rapport with customers and it
may prove difficult to manage them.

Outsourcing
Outsourcing refers to a company that contract with another company to provide services
that might otherwise be performed by in-house employees. Many large companies now outsource
jobs such as call centre services, e-mail services, and payroll. These jobs are handled by separate
companies that specialize in each service, and are often located overseas.
There are many reasons that companies outsource various jobs.

The most prominent advantage seems to be the fact that it often saves money.
Many of the companies that provide outsourcing services are able to do the work for
considerably less money, as they don't have to provide benefits to their workers, and
have fewer overhead expenses to worry about.

It also allows companies to focus on other business issues while having the details taken
care of by outside experts.

A large amount of resources and attention, which might fall on the shoulders of
management professionals, can be used for more important, broader issues within the
company.

The specialized company that handles the outsourced work is often streamlined and
often has world-class capabilities and access to new technology that a company couldn't
afford to buy on their own.

Plus, if a company is looking to expand, outsourcing is a cost-effective way to start

building foundations in other countries.

There are some disadvantages to outsourcing as well.

One of these is that outsourcing often eliminates direct communication between a

company and its clients.
This prevents a company from building solid relationships with their customers, and
often leads to dissatisfaction on one or both sides.

There is also the danger of not being able to control some aspects of the company, as
outsourcing may lead to delayed communications and project implementation.

Any sensitive information is more vulnerable, and a company may become very
dependent upon its outsource providers, which could lead to problems should the
outsource provider back out on their contract suddenly.

While outsourcing may prove highly beneficial for many companies, it also has many drawbacks.
It is important that each individual company accurately assess their needs to determine if
outsourcing is a viable option.

Offshore outsourcing
Offshore outsourcing is the practice of hiring an external organization to perform some business
functions in a country other than the one where the products or services are actually developed
or manufactured. It can be contrasted with outsourcing, in which the functions are performed in
a foreign country by a foreign subsidiary. Opponents point out that the practice of sending work
overseas by countries with higher wages reduces their own domestic employment and domestic
investment. Many customer service jobs as well as jobs in the information technology sectors
(data possessing, computer programming, and technical support) in countries such as the United
States and the United Kingdom - have been or are potentially affected.
There are four basic types of offshore outsourcing:

ITO Information technology outsourcing

BPO Business process outsourcing covers things like running call centers, processing
insurance claims.

Software R&D offshore software development

KPO - knowledge process outsourcing covers things that require a higher skill set such
as reading X-Rays, performing investment research on stocks and bonds, handling the
accounting functions for a business or executing engineering design projects

BPO and KPO

BPO (Business Process Outsourcing)

A particular process task is outsourced. BPO works could be either back office related or front
office work.

By front office functions we mean customer oriented work like marketing, answering
calls, technical support and so on,
Whereas internal work like billing and purchase come in the back office category.

BPO works include Multimedia/ animation, book keeping, business consultancy, CAD/
CAM, call centre, DTP, data entry, proof reading and editing, typesetting, handwriting
services, marketing, medical billing and transcription, web design and development etc

KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing)

as an evident from the description, BPO activities involve carrying out standardized processes

for the client.

KPO typically calls for work that needs higher levels of involvement from the worker.
The worker has to employ advanced levels of research, analytical and technical skills and
has to make decisions of a higher order than BPO work.

Examples are pharmaceutical research and development, patent/ intellectual property

research, animation and simulation. Data research and analysis, legal services, content
writing and development and database development services.

KPO industry is less old and mature than the BPO sector.
Apart from BPO and KPO, ITO or Information Technology Outsourcing is another
major category. ITO is usually overseen by the CIO of an organization. However the
CIO is often called in to manage BPO and KPO operations where no significant IT skills
are involved. This is due to the expertise the CIOs would have developed in outsourcing
negotiations.

What Is Globalization?
Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and
governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and
aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on
political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in
societies around the world.
Thomas Friedman, an author, has said that this current wave of globalization is farther, faster,
cheaper, and deeper.

This current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened
economies domestically and internationally.
During the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic
systems, vastly increasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new
opportunities for international trade and investment.

Governments also have negotiated dramatic reductions in barriers to commerce and

have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and
investment.

Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built

foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign
partners.

A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial

business structure.

Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization.

Advances in information technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed

economic life.
Information technologies have given all sorts of individual economic actorsconsumers,
investors, businessesvaluable new tools for identifying and pursuing economic
opportunities, including faster and more informed analyses of economic trends around
the world, easy transfers of assets, and collaboration with far-flung partners.

Globalization is deeply controversial.

Proponents of globalization argue that it allows poor countries and their citizens to
develop economically and raise their standards of living
While opponents of globalization claim that the creation of an unfettered international
free market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the
expense of local enterprises, local cultures, and common people.
Resistance to globalization has therefore taken shape both at a popular and at a
governmental level as people and governments try to manage the flow of citizens of all
nations need to understand how globalization works and the policy choices facing them
and their societies.

Section -2
What is customer service and Superior Customer Service Means?
Knowing Your Customers' Needs
What is customer service?
Customer service is an organization's ability to supply their customers' wants and needs.
Customers and business managers alike like to talk about what good customer service is,
but excellent customer service is the ability of an organization to constantly and
consistently exceed the customer's expectations."
Finding new customers is much more expensive than retaining existing ones. Customer
service is more than just keeping customers happy. It's about revenue, because a lost
customer means lost revenue and an unhappy customer can damage your reputation.
Some aspects of effective customer service are:

knowing your customers' needs;

identifying your key service activities;
delivering superior service;

Follow-up.

In a competitive marketplace it makes sense to aim to provide superior service.

Customers base their purchasing decisions on the service they receive, not just price,
quality and availability.
Build superior customer service into your business:

Incorporate customer service strategies into your business and marketing plan.
Develop a business vision that reflects your commitment to good customer service
and let your customers know about it.
Make sure everyone involved in your business shares your commitment.

Customer service check:

Do you tend to over-promise and under-deliver?

Are there opportunities to improve your service?
Do you know if your customers value your customer service initiatives?
Do you have systems in place to deal with unhappy customers?

Assignments on customers

Different types of customers and their buying habits

How to deliver better service for different customers

What Superior Customer Service Means

Word-of-mouth referral is the most effective form of promotion. It costs nothing and
carries a lot of credibility as it is based on personal experience.

Satisfied customers not only tend to return to buy again from you but are also likely
to talk positively about your business to others.
A bad customer service experience is shared with around 10 other people who are
likely to tell another 10.
Superior customer service is service that exceeds your customers' expectations and
will make your business stand out from your competitors'.
To be effective, customer service must be consistently good in every part of your
business.
From the moment the customer thinks of purchasing, right through to the final sale,
there are opportunities for the business to add customer service to the process.

Better Business Tip

Go to any amount of trouble for all of your customers. Don't treat "big" or "small"
customers any differently. Customer referrals are powerful and a customer who feels
complimented that you've gone out of your way to help them with a small matter is very
likely to know someone who'd fit into your "big and best" customer category.

Knowing Your Customers' Needs

There's no point providing services that are not valued by your customers. It's,
therefore, important that you develop a good understanding of their needs.
Some ways of achieving this are:

Regularly ask your customers about your business services.

Provide feedback forms for your customers to complete.
Phone or visit customers at critical points, e.g. after the initial sales, and ask if your
product or service meets their needs.
Consider using an outside agent to get feedback from your customers.
Welcome customer complaints and manage these promptly and positively to avoid
loss of customers and negative word-of-mouth.
Keep a list of customer complaints to identify any patterns and the cause of
dissatisfaction.
Learn what your competitors are doing to achieve customer satisfaction.

Customer feedback is most effective when:

you hear both positive and negative feedback;

you obtain feedback regularly;
The feedback is focussed on what the customer wants or doesn't want.

Section-3
Identifying Your Key Service Activities
Every interaction you have with your customers offers you an opportunity to impress them and
create a positive perception of your business. It is useful to identify those key service activities so
that you can review your performance and decide on what initiatives you can take to provide
superior service.
Typical interactions include:

responding to phone calls;

providing product and service information;
taking customer orders and discussing service requirements;
sending follow-up documentation, eg to confirm orders;
billing and managing payments;
after-sales service;
Dealing with after-sale complaints.
Better Business Tip

When communicating with your customers, keep your language positive.

Rather than say, "We won't be able to see you before Friday", rephrase your
statement to "We'll be able to see you on Friday." Presenting a positive
manner and approach in even the smallest ways contributes to an overall
positive impression of your business.
Delivering Superior Service
Consider some key factors that contribute to superior customer service.

Provide a complete experience Step back and make sure that all your customer needs are
met from the beginning to the end of the sales process.
Make the customer feel valued, even after the sales process is complete, e.g. by offering
after-sales help such as installation.
Reliable service Deliver your products and services on time and as requested.
Accountability takes full responsibility for providing high-quality products and services.
Make sure you honour guarantees/warranties on your products.

Efficiency Deliver your product/service with minimum hassle for your customers.

Assurance Create customer confidence in you through your professional approach and
demonstrated knowledge of your product/service.
Customers must be able to trust your word so always act on your promises.

Attention to detail Attend to even the smaller details.

Show you care and that you are prepared to provide individual attention to every
customer.
Appearance makes sure your image and appearance reinforce customer confidence in
your services.
Keep customers regularly informed on progress and developments - but make sure this
is welcomed by the customer.

Recovery strategies Put processes in place to allow you to recognise problems when they arise
and take action to fix them. Value adding Explore can offer you a little bit extra, such as
supplying complimentary products or services after the initial sale, or providing valuable followup information.
Better Business Tip
One of the most important things your customer expects from you is
accuracy. You've probably thought the same yourself as a customer. "If they
can't even send my account to the right address, how can they look after
my ...", or "I ordered herb bread and you've brought out garlic. How hard is
it to get THAT right in a restaurant?" Make sure your employees are well
aware that any information given or sent to customers must be accurate.
Follow-Up
Your customer service initiatives don't have to stop when the sales process is complete. Following
up with your customers can reap benefits through repeat purchase and referrals. However, any
initiative you take must be seen by the customer to be value adding.

Initiatives to consider:

Send thank you notes.

Make follow-up calls to check that the product or service has been satisfactory.
Provide an e-newsletter or use email alerts for new products/services.
Recognise customer achievements through certificates or awards.
Make follow-up visits without necessarily making a sales pitch.

Assignments

What is service industry?

List the importance of service industry
List the sectors in service industry
The role of call centres as the first touching points for the service industry
The important of retaining the customers

Presentation

Sales and Marketing

How to market service products
How to sell service products
The changing marketing systems since globalisation
How to retain customers in the international competitive market

Section-4
8 rules for good customer service
Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices
to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers
to come back, your business wont be profitable for long.

Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them
away happy happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to
others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their
turn become repeat customers.

If youre a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your
approach to customer service that determines whether or not youll ever be able to sell
that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship

with customers a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to
pursue.
How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of good
customer service and acting accordingly; You will be judged by what you do, not what you say.
I know this verge on the kind of statement thats often seen on a sampler, but providing good
customer service IS a simple thing. If you truly want to have good customer service, all you have
to do is ensure that your business consistently does these things:
1) Answer your phone.
Get call forwarding or an answering service. Hire staff if you need to. But make sure that
someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business
2) Dont make promises unless you will keep them.
Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception.
If you say, Your new bedroom furniture will be delivered on Tuesday, make sure it is delivered
on Tuesday. Otherwise, dont say it. The same rule applies to client appointments, deadlines, etc...
Think before you give any promise because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.
3) Listen to your customers.
Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is
and then discovering that that person hasnt been paying attention and needs to have it explained
again? From a customers point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble?
Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses,
such as suggesting how to solve the problem.

4) Deal with complaints.

No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, You
cant please all the people all the time. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention,
you may be able to please this one person this one time - and position your business to reap the
benefits of good customer service.
5) Be helpful - even if theres no immediate profit in it.
The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the
pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he
thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band and
charged me nothing! Where do you think Ill go when I need a new watch band or even a new
watch? And how many people do you think Ive told this story to?
6) Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable.

Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what
it is (and isnt) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information
and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, I dont
know, but so-and-so will be back at...
7) Take the extra step.
For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, dont
just say, Its in Aisle 3. Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has
questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good
customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an
extra effort and will tell other people.
8) Throw in something extra.
Whether its a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or
a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And dont think
that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package
of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated.

5 secrets of good customer service

Good customer service is the bread and butter of your business.

Build Business to Customer Loyalty

Provide true customer service.

The Customer is always Right.

Be honest with your customers

Educate your staff to be equally as concerned about your customers as you are

In todays market environment, service has become a clich and it seems like everyones
doing it. So, if everyone is doing it, why not jump ahead of the wolf pack by providing
even more creative, personalized service to your customers than your competitors can?

One size shoe does not fit all feet. Nor is one type of customer service suitable for all your
customers. Lets say your advertised featured customer service is Home Delivery. The
first customer may welcome this Home Delivery because its difficult for him to get out
and shop in person.

But your second customer may enjoy window shopping and carrying his purchases
around with him as he goes from shop to shop. He is not the least interested in your
home delivery service.

The Customer is always Right. If a customer comes to you about a complaint, be very
serious about how you handle it. Is the customer upset and angry? First, calm him with
words and action and show that you are serious about doing something to correct the
problem. Even if it is obvious that hes wrong, sometimes its better for repeat business to
take the loss and compensate the customer.

When your customer is satisfied that his complaint has been properly addressed, thank
him for bringing the problem to your attention. Remember, no amount of advertising
can repair the damage done by failing to properly address a customers concern. Even
more damaging to a small business is the silent complainer. Thats the customer who
simply walks out of your shop without saying a word, and you never see him again.
These silent complainers have friends. And their friends have friends.

If your customer even suspects that you are trying to pull something over on him, you
can kiss that customer goodbye - permanently! Were you fortunate enough to purchase
an item from a wholesaler at a discount price? Instead of being tempted to richly
improve your bottom line, pass that saving on to your customer. This will ingrain
confidence in your customer so that, in the future, your customers will know where to
come for REAL savings.

If your customer asks you for advice on a product, dont try to sell him the item that best
enhances your bottom line. Sell him the item thats best for your customer. In the long
run, your bottom line will thank you for having made this choice.

If you arent taking care of your customers, your competition will. Print that advice
out in large, bold letters and past it above your cash register.

Assignments
How to educate customers on products?
The importance of educating the customers on products
AHT- Average handling time with a customer

Section -5
4 ways to outline your competitors customer service
Theres no real secret to getting your customers to come back. All you need to do is provide
customer service that exceeds your customers' expectations and outshines your competitors'
customer service.
A research on customer service
Acumen Research Group surveyed more than 1,000 Canadian retail, banking and Telco
customers

To determine what made them behave loyally and what made them leave long-term
relationships

43 percent of respondents abandoned a provider to which they declared themselves loyal

because of a negative experience with a staff person

30 percent of respondents reported that having the feeling they are not treated as valued
customers by the staff has been the main reason for taking their business elsewhere.

Shiny customer Service is service with a capital S

Service that makes your customer feel special

Service that makes him or her wants to come back and do more business with your
company, and recommend your business to his or her friends.

So how can you provide customer Service that shines? Follow this plan to ensure customer
service that will dazzle customers and competitors alike:

1) Determine what makes what you offer special.

Study the competition. Think about their customer service and the customer
service you provide. What can you offer your customer that is better than the
competition? There are sure to be aspects of your customer Service that you can
promote as Special.

Make a list of all these ideas for providing customer service. If you sell a
product, and your competitor doesnt offer it already, perhaps you can offer free
local delivery.

If you sell a service, such as bookkeeping or accounting, perhaps you can focus
on turnaround times that are faster than your competitors- providing the good
customer service that will give your business the edge.

2) Study the customer service ideas on your list and examine their feasibility.

Can you really guarantee that you will always stick to your written estimate or provide a
faster turnaround time than your competitors?

If you arent sure, or cant do it, cross it off your customer service ideas list.

Customer service that shines carries that same kind of guarantee; its not a sometimes
proposition. So only choose what you can definitely do one hundred percent of the time.

3) Choose one or two of your shiny customer service ideas and implement them.

Whats on the front of every Searss catalogue besides a picture, their logo, and their
phone number? Were always open! Prices guaranteed until Sears emphasizes its
customer service on every catalogue cover.

You need to make your customer service a prominent feature of every ad too, so people
automatically associate it with your business.

While one of the big payoffs of your shiny customer service will be the great word-ofmouth advertising it generates, this takes time, and you need to help it along by getting
the word out.

Dont be shy! Solicit customer service testimonials from satisfied customers that you can
use in print ads, such as in newspapers, magazines, and on your website, if you have one,
or can at least use as references for new potential customers.

4) Stay proactive and keep gathering customer service ideas.

Listen to your customers and find out what kind of special customer service they want.

You can do this formally, by creating a customer satisfaction feedback form that you
enclose with every sale or post on your website, or informally, by asking them for their
customer service ideas when they're in your store or office.

Customers are tired of dealing with retailers that ignore customer service or only
pretend to have it, and as always, theyre voting with their dollars.

Shiny customer Service will draw customers to your product or service, rather than
competitors', and bring them back in droves.

The Ten Commandments of Customer Service

1.

Know who is boss.

You are in business to service customer needs, and you can only do that if you know what
it is your customers want. When you truly listen to your customers, they let you know
what they want and how you can provide good service. Never forget that the customer
pays our salary and makes your job possible.
2.

Be a good listener.

Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what
the customer is really saying. Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and
most importantly, how they feel. Beware of making assumptions - thinking you intuitively
know what the customer wants.
Do you know what three things are most important to your customer?

3.

Effective listening and undivided attention are particularly important on the

show floor where there is a great danger of preoccupation - looking around to see
to whom else we could be selling to.

Identify and anticipate needs.

Customers don't buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to
problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. The more you know
your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs. Communicate
regularly so that you are aware of problems or upcoming needs.
4.

Make customers feel important and appreciated.

Treat them as individuals. Always use their name and find ways to compliment them, but
be sincere. People value sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust.
Think about ways to generate good feelings about doing business with you. Customers
are very sensitive and know whether or not you really care about them.
Thank them every time you get a chance. On the show floor be sure that your body
language conveys sincerity. Your words and actions should be congruent.
5.

Help customers understand your systems.

Your organization may have the world's best systems for getting things done, but if
customers don't understand them, they can get confused, impatient and angry.
Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions. Be
careful that your systems don't reduce the human element of your organization.

6.

Appreciate the power of "Yes". Always look for ways to help your customers.

When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you can do it. Figure
out how afterwards. Look for ways to make doing business with you easy. Always do
what you say you are going to do.
7.

Know how to apologize.

When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and customers like it. The customer may
not always be right, but the customer must always win.

8.

Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done.
Make it simple for customers to complain.
Value their complaints.
As much as we dislike it, it gives us an opportunity to improve.
Even if customers are having a bad day, go out of your way to make them feel
comfortable.

Give more than expected.

Since the future of all companies lies in keeping customers happy, think of ways to elevate
you above the competition. Consider the following:

What can you give customers that they cannot get elsewhere?
What can you do to follow-up and thank people even when they don't
buy?
What can you give customers that are totally unexpected?

Get regular feedback.

Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. There are several
ways in which you can find out what customers think and feel about your services.
Listen carefully to what they say.
Check back regularly to see how things are going.
Provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and
suggestions.

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.

Section 6

Mock calls
Inbound call centres receive three types of calls, which include enquiry calls, request calls and
complaint calls.
Enquiry calls

Enquiry calls are those calls, where the customers enquire about the products and service
provided by the companies.
Let assume, if you are working for telecom call centre-how you should handle the enquiry calls.
Enquiry call-1 (etisalat)
CSR: Good Morning, this is ---------, how may I help you today?
Customer: I would like to know the procedure of taking a pre-paid connection.
CSR: Certainly, I can help you. May I know your fast and last name?
Customer: I am Mohammed Anas.
CSR: May I know your nationality.
Customer: I am from Pakistan
CSR: Thank you very much Mr.Anas. Etisalat offers a pre-paid connection for DH 165, where
you have DH 10 free talk time initially. Later you can recharge as much you want, which start
from the bottom of DH 25. To get the activation, you have to submit Xerox of your passport,
which will be activating within 2 hours. Moreover, you can walk in any of our etisalat office or
any other retail outlets for new connection.
Customer: Thank you very much.
CSR: Its my pleasure, is there anything else I may help you today?
Customer: No
CSR: Thank you for calling etisalat and have wonderful day.
NB: Verification is not requiring for enquiry calls.
Assignments:

Banking products
Insurance products
Airways
Entertainment channel
Reservation procedure

Section-7
Request calls (Verification is mandatory)
We deliver this service only for existing customers after a proper verification. If the customer
fails in the verification, the CSR wont provide this service to the customers due to security
reasons.

Request call-1 (etisalat)

CSR: Good Morning, this is ---------, how may I help you today?
Customer: I would like to have my detailed bill.
CSR: Certainly, I can help you. May I know your fast and last name?
Customer: I am Mohammed Anas.
CSR: May I have your Post paid connection number.
Customer: 050-9301618
CSR: May I know your nationality.
Customer: I am from Pakistan
CSR: Could you please verify your Date of birth for verification reasons?
Customer: 23-04-1975
CSR: thank you for the verification. Mr. ANAS. Could you please confirm me the month, which
you need the detailed bill?
Customer: Sep 2008 and Oct 2008
CSR: Thank you, Mr.Anas I will be sending you the detailed bill of sep 2008 and Oct 20008 by
courier, which will reach within three days. Is it fine Mr. Anas ?
Customer: yes
CSR: is there anything else I may help you today?
Customer: No
CSR: Thank you for calling etisalat and have wonderful day.
Assignments:

Banking products
Insurance products
Airways
Entertainment channel
Reservation procedure

Section -8
Complaint calls
How to Handle Angry Customers

If you own or run a business, or even work at a business where you serve customers, there are
going to be displeased customers. These simple steps may help you make your angry customer
happy.

Be patient. An irate patient won't be placated by anything but a satisfactory resolution to

their problem. Getting angry back at them won't help.

Approach the angry patient and ask what they are displeased with. Usually restating the
issue they are having will help to calm them. For example, say, "I can understand your
frustration with that policy."
If they ask for the manager, get him/her quickly and do your best to solve the problem.
After they address the problem, apologize for taking their time and inform them that your
work will do everything possible to correct it. Then, make sure you and your coworkers do
everything possible to correct the situation.
Compliment them after the discussion. Say something to the effect of, "It's people like you
that help our business."
The next time they come back, ask how their day is and do everything possible to be polite.

TIPS

Always be polite!

Try not to take their complaint personally - even if it's about your own job
performance. If you feel yourself become emotionally involved in the issue, it is best to
step aside and let another employee handle the situation.
Think about how you would want a problem handled if you had a complaint. Then,
treat your angry customer as you would want to be treated.
If you simply cannot give the customer what they want, give them something for free
(you may need a manager's approval) to make up for it.
Make the angry customer want to come back again.
A customer complaint can be a vehicle for customer retention. If you handle the
customer appropriately and apologize effectively you can turn a negative into a
positive.

How to Handle an Irate Customer on the Phone

One of the most important obligations for any business owner is to ensure that his customers are
satisfied. An often time, that includes talking to a customer for whatever reason, is angry. Being
able to help an angry or frustrated customer and keep him as a customer is both a skill and a gift.
Tactics for dealing with an upset customer over the phone is something that can be taught.
Possessing this skill will help make you a very valuable employee. Here's how to handle an irate
customer on the phone.

Listen, listen, and listen. Let the angry client talk through his problems and get it all out of
his system. This step is important because the more time a customer spends airing his
grievances, the more time he has to calm down.

Allow the client to express his opinions. Do not yell or curse at the customer. Do not,
however, allow the client to be abusive toward you.
Maintain your personal integrity at all times. If the customer is abusive, say calmly "I
understand you are frustrated, and I want to help you, but let's remain professional."
Be sympathetic. Make sure the customer knows that you understand his frustration and
acknowledge the mistake that has been made. Recognize the customer's feelings about the
mistake - how it must have felt to be the customer in this situation.
Be empathetic. Listen actively. Restate the customer's complaint, "reflecting" his or her
feelings back to him or her. That will let him/her know you are listening and that you
understand his or her feelings.
Ask questions. After he completes his story, ask about the facts and details of the matter at
hand. Move into problem solution mode -- know when to ask open-ended questions, when
to stick with "yes" or "no" questions.
Apologize. Let the customer know you are sorry they have had a tough time (even if it's
not really your company's fault - many times, an irate customer just wants to know
someone cares that s/he is inconvenienced). A simple, "I'm so sorry this happened" will do.
If you find that your company is at fault, definitely apologize again. Be sure to be sincere.
Offer to try to fix the problem. Imagine that this was happening to you, and what you'd
want done.
Ask what will make the client happy. If he is without any ideas, recommend some.
Have the client agree to a possible solution to the matter. He will be happier if he feels he
had some say in how his complaint will be handled.
Always "recap". Restate again every change you've made, and every new
charge/adjustment you've made.
Write a clear, concise log of the incident so the rest of your staff is prepared in case there is
follow-up needed. What would you want to find in the notes if this customer called back?

Tips

After the complaint is handled, follow up and be sure the solution worked.

Keep a complaint log. If you see the same thing keeps popping up you can recommend a
change in policy that will improve things.

Don't forget to thank the customer for taking the time to speak with you and work on a
solution. A complaining customer has done you a favor. He has identified a problem in
your business and he has given you the chance to keep his business.

If you lose a client, you lose his business, the business he would have referred to your
company, and any people he might scare off by word-of-mouth.
Always say "I'm sorry" even if it's not your mistake so that he/she will calm down and
realize that your helping him by looking into his problem and you will act soon on his
concern.

Assignments

Banking customers
Insurance customers
Airways customer
Entertainment channel customers

Bring with many scenario to do mock calls

Steps to follow on complaint calls

Use Soft skills for better communication

Provide correct information
Transfer procedure for escalation process
Giving assurance and taking ownership of the calls
No local disconnect
Use proper hold procedure
No room for emotions
Show your professionalism throughout the call
Dont forget to log the calls
Inform immediately the concern department for quick solutions

Section-9
Random calls
How to Talk Professionally on the Phone
How many times have you spoken with someone on the phone and thought to yourself how
unprofessional they were? Make sure others aren't saying the same about you.

Answer the phone in as few rings as possible. No one likes to be made to wait.

Identify yourself and the company you work for (if at work) as soon as you answer.
"Thank you for calling wiki How, this is John speaking."
Always assume someone from your organization is listening in on the conversation.
Organizations adding this ability in will usually announce it AFTER the have installed and
used it.
Always ask before putting someone on hold, and wait for a reply.

Check that the intended recipient is happy to take the call. If somebody asks if they can
speak to someone specific, tell the caller that you will "try their line" before putting them
on hold and checking that the recipient is a) available and b) ready to speak to them.
Use correct grammar. Always remember to say "Jane and I" for your subject, and reserve
"me and Jane" when you are the direct object (i.e. "Jane and I went to the store" vs. "He
talked to me and Jane"). Do not leave the word "at" dangling at the end of a sentence. Ex.:
"I do not know where it is at."
That old adage, "the customer is always right" holds some truth - however not all the time.
The one thing you can count on, though, is that you will never win an argument with a
customer. When the customer is wrong, gently explain the correct "truth", in a positive
manner. If the customer gets upset and his tone changes to one of annoyance or anger, do
not mirror him. Maintain your pleasant tone! "Reflect" his or her feelings back, so that
s/he feels you have really heard the complaint; saying things like, "I can hear how
frustrating this is for you, and I'm so sorry for that" can go a long way toward soothing an
irritated client. If the customer is not satisfied, ask what he or she would like do. Consider
it and accept it or tell the customer why you cannot accept. Offer alternatives, if possible.
Phone conversation lacks the obvious input of body language; the recipient on the other
end will receive your true intentions through the actual tone of voice you use during the
call. Your tone will say more than the actual words that come out of your mouth. Having
said this, smile when you speak on the phone! This point of smiling really hit home with
the senior management of a call center, and they placed little mirrors at each of the Agent's
stations that said: "What you see is what they hear."
Use the callers name, whenever possible its shows that you are a good listener and adds a
personal touch "I'm sorry John, but Mark isn't available at the moment can i help you
with anything or can take a message?"
When calling another person, identify yourself first. For example, say "This is Mary
Hunter calling for Louis Meyer, please."
Remember to close your conversation with a professional closing. End your conversations
with a sincere "Good-day", or "Thank you".

Tips

Avoid "Ah," "Um," "Like" and other meaningless 'filler' words or sounds.

Be aware of background noise on your side and how the recipient will interpret it.
If you must cause the other party an inconvenience, apologize profusely.
Do not chew gum, eat or drink while on the phone with a caller
Avoid using the mute or hold button when serving a customer. This should only be used
when additional help is needed from a supervisor or 'coach'.
If you recognize a problem caller that is likely to complain about you, act preemptively.
Contact a supervisor and request that they either take the call themselves or monitor the
conversation.
Workers in call centers have had retractions of reprimands by using this method. If the
reprimand was made because of that caller, the manager can see that the caller escalated
the situation. This is especially true if the supervisor takes the call, and the problem caller
calls back to then complain about the supervisor! (This has happened, and it greatly
reduces the credibility of that caller.)
If logs are kept about accounts at your organization, make note when the caller behaves
badly (not if they are just angry).

Assignments

2,3 and 5 minutes calls-for any sectors

More than 5 minutes calls

List good vocabularies to use on phone
Mock test Level 1
Mock test level 2

Section-10
Call transferring procedure and Escalating process
If a customer wrongly dialled in your department, you have to transfer the call to the concern
department. There are many procedures to follow while you transfer your call.
1. Take the customer permission before you transfer the call
I am extremely sorry Mr. -------, your call has been reached to the wrong department. May I
transfer your call to correct department.
If the customer say yes
2. Take the customer permission before you hold him or her for transferring
May I place you on hold for a minute while I transfer your call to Mr. ----- from ----department? if the customer says yes- then proceeds.
3. Introduce your customer to the department
Mr. -------, this is --------- from ------- department, I have Mr. -------, is on line and his call
wrongly came to our department, may I transfer his call to you.
4. Come back and connect directlyThank you for being on hold Mr. -----, Mr. ------, from ------ department will help you now,
Enjoy our service, thank you.

Transfer directly to that department.

Escalating Process
If the customer insists to speak to your superiors or floor managers, how will you handle it?
1. Convince the customer by giving assurance and taking responsibility of the call.
2. still the customer is insisting, then put the customer on hold, following the hold procedure.
3. Check the team leaders or floor managers are available. If they are available, try to explain the
scenario, what had happened and what the customer wants?
4. After thanking the customer thanking for being on hold Mr. ----, our floor manager can help
you regarding this concern. May I transfer the call to our manager?
Then transfer directlyAssignments
Mock calls