Customer Service & Public Relations in the Public Sector

Introduction:

Given that good customer service is vital for every business, department, and institution. So is for public relations! Customer service has always had a part in public relations. Customer service and public relations go hand in hand. Every touchpoint of customers can either build loyalty or create dissatisfaction for customers.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Build lasting and meaningful relationships with their customers
• Use powerful behavioural tools to ensure they secure and maintain a competitive edge within any marketplace
• Gain a greater understanding of their customer's needs and how to satisfy them
• Explore the basics of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Emotional intelligence and discover how they can help them to improve their customer services management
• Understand how media channels can be used successfully to develop and enhance relationships
• Understand the process of decision-making based on learning from neuroeconomics
• Develop their ability to draw stakeholder maps and explore and exploit the relationships between stakeholders
• Influence with integrity and effective communication
• Create and adapt crystal-clear models for communication between your organization and its customers
• Plan communications activity to meet stakeholder needs
• Build cooperation and commitment
• Learn how to be an effective user of e-media
• Develop personal communications effectiveness

Course Coverage:

Topic 1: The World of Customer Service Excellence: 

• Customer Service and What it Means
• Identifying excellence in front-line customer services
• What are the services and products that you offer?
• The Role of NLP and Emotional Excellence in customer service
• What do your customers say about you and your organization?
• What do you want your customers to say?
• Myths and Legends of customer service

Topic 2: Gaining a Greater Understanding of Your Company: 

• From judgments to behavioural flexibility
• Behavioural traits and how to identify them
• Modifying your behaviour to match others
• Building lasting rapport
• Sharpen your senses to the signals others are sending you
• Connect with colleagues and clients at a level that creates deeper trust and commitment
• Step into another person’s shoes to better appreciate their experiences and motivations
• Body language clues that show how others are thinking and responding to you
• Non-verbal clues that show if someone is telling the truth

Topic 3: Communication Masterclass: 

• What is crystal clear communication?
• Communication excellence through powerful listening and questioning techniques
• Thinking patterns
• Filters to communication
• Metaphors and Models
• Using perceptual positions to understand your customers’ point of view
• Logical levels of change
• Building climates of trust
• Creating well-formed outcomes
• Communication skills exercises

Topic 4: Influencing with Integrity: 

• The importance of value sets in the modern-day business
• Influencing the Influencers and high fliers
• The importance of matching others’ language patterns
• Mirroring and pacing - what do they mean?
• Internal and external references
• Coaching - a tool for self and others
• Influencing exercises

Topic 5: Conflict and Challenge: 

• Assertiveness and what it means
• Dealing with difficult people in an assertive way
• Dealing with difficult customers
• Maintaining high standards of customer service
• Reviewing the service that you offer and reacting accordingly
• Embracing change for the good of all
• Personal planning session - dealing with your customers

Topic 6: The 21st Century Communicator: 

• Introduction and welcome
• Goal setting for the program
• The role of Communications PR in the organization
• The range of media and channels
• Neuroeconomics and the behaviour of our stakeholders
• A problem-solving approach
• Personal goal-setting for the program

Topic 7: From Theory to Successful Practice: 

• Communications models: implications for practice
• Psychological Themes and Construction in Practice
• The Art of Influence and Persuasion
• Ethics and communications
• Organizational transparency and communications
• Taking and interpreting communication briefs

Topic 8: The Medium is The Message: 

• Managing stakeholder relations
• Choosing channels - matching media to tasks and stakeholders
• Writing and editing for print 
• Writing for the web
• Organizing face-to-face events

Topic 9: Management of Communication:

• Improving the power of communications in the organization and between the organization and its stakeholders
• Measuring communications effectiveness
• Using Measurement to improve performance
• Crisis communication
• Reputational management

Topic 10: Putting it All Together: 

• Planning your career and personal development
• Impacting positively on your managers
• Managing up and increasing your visibility
• Networking and effectiveness
• Team working and your effectiveness
• Time management and work planning  

Topic 11: Setting The Standards for Customer Service Excellence:

• The benefits of providing excellent customer service
• Breakout session: How to use customer service to promote customer loyalty
• Case study: The best and worst customer service providers
• The WOW Factor: Going the extra mile…and then some!
• The importance of managing internal and external customer expectations
• First impressions: What do your customers see and hear?
• Understanding and working with the four customer styles
• Practical exercise: What is your individual personality type?

Topic 12: Communicating the Customer Service Message: 

• How well does your organization communicate the importance of customer service?
• Understanding your customer’s nonverbal communication
• Tips for building trust and rapport quickly…face-to-face or on the telephone
• What is your preferred learning style?
• Developing your active listening skills to enhance communications
• Use questioning techniques to identify a customer’s expectations and service requirements
• Telephone tips to promote a professional image
• The dos and don’ts of written communication

Topic 13: Service Recovery: Handling Complaints and Difficult Customers:

• The importance of customer complaints and why they should be encouraged
• Six Steps to service recovery
• Case Study: Best Practices of Scandinavian Airlines and The Disney Corporation
• Strategies to help calm upset customers
• Managing emotions during stressful situations
• Empower employees to get the job done
• Breakout session: Step-by-step process for handling a customer complaint
• Dealing with upset customers

 Topic 14: Principles of Persuasion: 

• Requesting feedback from customers and colleagues
• The art of giving and receiving feedback
• Case study: Best practices - Xerox’s Five Pillars of Customer-focused Strategy
• Negotiating mutually beneficial outcomes
• Words and tones to avoid
• The RATER Model: Five Dimensions of customer service excellence
• Best practices for call handling, documentation and quality assurance
• Measuring and monitoring customer satisfaction

Topic 15: Getting the Right Customer Service Attitude:

• The importance of attitude and teamwork
• Focusing on continuous improvement
• Stress management tips to increase productivity
• Practical exercise: What are your biggest “timewasters” that block productivity?
• The customer service mission and vision
• Setting personal and professional goals
• Practical exercise: What is your Action Plan?

Targeted Participants:

Anyone who provides Services, Products, or information to Internal or External Customers including personnel from:

• Customer Service
• Sales Professionals
• Field Services Representatives
• Receptionists
• Front-Line Staff
• Communication Specialists
• Public Relations Personnel
• Also, anyone who will ever need to influence others, either socially or commercially and managers who want to add high-level communications and influencing skills to their portfolios