Customer Service Training

Customer Service Training Lesson 2 It’s All about Attitude

After this Lesson you will… • Understand how attitude affects all aspects of customer service • Learn how to maintain a professional attitude • Learn how stress affects attitude • Learn Strategies and techniques to manage stress

Attitude A state of mind or feelings towards a person, thing, or ideas. Attitude is a person’s disposition.

In Customer Service A positive attitude can be most identified with…. • Customer Loyalty • Work Ethic • Positive Behaviors

Perception • The view that an individual has formed based upon fact or opinion. • An individual’s perception is their reality whether accurate or not.

Attitude is Perception/ Everyone has attitude • Attitude is based purely on subjective (Opinion) ideas based on your behaviors. • If you are conscious of these behaviors, you can alter them to portray positive attitude (Even when you do not feel that positive)

Attitude is Perception/ Everyone has attitude • “The best thing you can do for yourself, not to mention others is to maintain a positive attitude. No matter how you feel inside, present a positive face to the world.” (Evenson, Pg. 20) • Positive feelings will make your customer more positive and more likely to continue business with your company. That is why everyone looks so happy in commercials

Manage Emotions and Act Confidently • Emotion – A mental state associated with a wide variety feelings, thoughts and behavior • Confidence A feeling of self assurance. • When we control our emotions and act confident, customers are more likely to continue business with your organization

The Power of Positive Thinking • Self Esteem- Respect or favorable image of oneself (Random house dictionary) • Self Talk- An internal voice inside our head that determines how we perceive every situation. • We call this inner voice our “Self Talk”; and it includes our conscious thoughts as well as our unconscious assumptions or beliefs. • Think positively and you will act positively

Maintaining Objectivity • Focus On the Present- Focus on the task at hand: Making your customers happy. Don’t worry about that argument with your boyfriend or girlfriend while you’re at work. • Emotional Baggage: Not bringing your personal life to work. Leave your emotional baggage at the door. A lot of times working and helping customers will help you keep your mind off negative things in your personal life. • Maintain Objectivity by focusing on what you are dealing with now and focus on facts, not your feelings.

Maintain Professionalism • Professionalism Display of professional behaviors held by the standard of an organization and the business industry. Maintaining a positive image through: physical self presentation, (dress, hygiene), speech and language, as well as being courteous and polite. • Stress Emotional and physical feelings of worry, or tension.

Play with a Pet Go for a walk Talk to a supportive friend Help Someone Else Write in your Journal Read a good book or magazine Listen to Music Watch a Comedy Take a long shower Good Stress Management Techniques

It is important to keep calm even when your customer is not. Just like Ezra.

Bad Stress Management Techniques Drinking Alcohol Doing Drugs Fighting Erratic Driving

Energize Yourself • Maintain a healthy balance: Work, play and watch what and when you eat. • Set aside relaxation time. Do something you enjoy every day. • Reduce your intake of caffeine and sugar • Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. • Get Enough Sleep

Resiliency The ability to recover quickly, bounce back from change; physical or emotional.

Resiliency-Bouncing Back • When life throws you a curve, don’t complain put your problem-solving skills to work and find the best solution • When there is no solution, deal with the problem to the best of your ability • Learning a life lesson from your experiences helps you deal with the next curve that come your way. • Lower your expectations about outcomes. When you expect less, you are less likely to be devastated by curves. Expect the worst and hope for the best. • When you lower your expectations, you will become more flexible. Flexible people are adaptable people. In today's fast-forward world, adaptability is a welcome trait. • Have a sense of humor and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.

The Customer Service Providers Goals • Gratitude – Expression of thankfulness and appreciation. • Always show gratitude to customers by thanking them for their business • Appreciation Showing recognition and gratitude for a service, or goods. • Customers not only show appreciation by saying thank you, they return for more business and refer others

Customer Service Training