Telephone and Email Skills – achieving excellence in customer service course

Availability: In-Company

Why attend?

More and more business is now conducted by email and the telephone. This is often the first contact a customer (internal or external) has with your company. Customers who are handled in a friendly and efficient manner are likely to want to establish long-term and rewarding relationships with your organisation. If things are managed badly there will be a breakdown of trust, damaged relationships and possibly a loss of business to the competition.

This interactive and highly practical training course will give you the telephone and email communication skills to structure your responses in a clear and professional manner, when speaking and writing.

Who is it for?

This course is suitable for anyone who wants to improve their communication skills and deliver excellent service over the telephone or by email.

What you will learn

Choosing the right medium for your message

• When to use email, telephone  and other forms of communication

Understanding e-mails

• Differences between e-mails and other forms of written communication, such as letters and memos
• DOs and DON'Ts for e-mail Netiquette
• Importance of observing rules of grammar and punctuation

Considering the recipient

• E-mail – identifying what is required to write clear and well-structured e-mails by focusing on experiences of receiving e-mails from others
• Telephone – understanding how customers form their opinion of the organisation and why your role is important
• Personalising your approach

Creating a benchmark for an excellent e-mail

• Keeping it concise, structuring it logically, using subject headings, considering page layout
• Cultural issues – taking account of different cultures or where English is a second language

Modelling excellence

• What skilled and capable telephone advisers do that differentiates them
• What really works including getting in the right frame of mind, demonstrating empathy, and taking ownership of the situation

Gauging customers' responses and building rapport

• What it is possible to notice about the other person from the first thing they say
• Practical ways of 'connecting' with people immediately

Voice issues

• Tone, pitch, rhythm, inflection, clarity, timing and pace
• Matching the client

Handling challenging behaviour

• Acquiring and practising techniques for dealing with 'difficult' clients
• Maintaining self-control under pressure

Practical exercises

• Taped telephone exercise with personal coaching from the trainer on listening for nuances in customer responses, rapport and voice while dealing with examples of typical calls

Benefits to you and your organisation

• Save time through communicating appropriately the first time
• Write clear and well structured emails
• Build rapport effortlessly on the telephone
• Manage conflict and take difficult behaviour in your stride
• Create a positive impact with customers, suppliers and colleagues
• Avoid frustrating others with email overload
• Improve your customer relationships