Its About Exceptional Customer Service

1. Its About Exceptional Customer Service

2. Now More than Ever! • Shrinking resources • Smaller staffs • Shallow labor pool • Regional operations

3. Front line employees are the most important people in State Parks. You… • Are the first person visitors see and talk to at the park. It can be on the phone, in the campground, or even on a mower. You are the first impression of the park the visitor gets. • Can make people want to come back or make people leave and tell their friends to not come back to your park.

4. Customer Service Means…..

5. What is Customer Service? • Attitude • Appearance • Awareness • Actions

6. Customer Service Champions How to deal with customers and the stress of the job.

7. What are we going to show you? • How to talk to people on the phone. • How to greet people and first impressions. • How to really listen to a customer and understand what they are saying. • Dealing with difficult people and offering them alternatives. • Managing stress.

8. Telephone Habits and Greeting Customers Things to remember… • Answer the phone in the first 4 to 6 seconds. • Attitude is reflected in a person’s voice. • Smile when you answer the phone, the smile will be heard. • Three part approach to answering phones. • 1. Say a welcoming mat, Good Morning, Good Afternoon, anything that says thanks for calling. • 2. Say the company name. i.e. Stonelick State Park Campground or Burr Oak State Park Business Office • 3. Your name. • At the end of the conversation thank the customer for calling and throw a “Have a nice day” in, if it is appropriate for the conversation.

9. Telephone Role Playing Exercise

10. Your presentation to the public. • Dress for success. • Body Language • Developing Rapport • Use the customer’s name when you can • Say please and thank you. • Explain your reasons for saying no. • Show interest in the customer’s needs • Be empathic to their needs. Say things like “ I understand”…, “I’m sorry…”. • Let the customer know his or her options for mutual agreement.

11. Face to Face Role Playing Exercise

12. Listen to Me! • Actively Listen to the customer. • HOW? • Make eye contact with your customer. • Stop what you are doing • Don’t interrupt them. • Paraphrase • Ask them to repeat what they are asking you if you need them to.

13. Dealing with Difficult People “There are no bad customers, just some that are more difficult that others” • Listen attentively. • Let the customer “vent” to you. Pay attention to their requests. • Take action quickly. • Do the right thing. • Don’t talk policy. • Follow up with the customer after the complaint has been solved. Use the “Hot Ticket” system

14. Offering alternatives. For every difficult person there. is a solution to their problem. Keep in mind you it may not make them happy 100% of the time. • Going the extra mile for the customer is always a winner. • Giving a free night camping certificate.

15. Stress • What is stress? • Definition • Defining stress is much like defining happiness, everyone knows what it is but no one can agree on a definition. • Webster’s Definition: Stress is what you experience when you believe you cannot cope effectively with a threatening situation. • The better definition: Stress is created when your mind overrides the body’s basic desire to choke the living daylights out of someone who desperately deserves it.

16. Stress Usefulness of Stress. Stresses cause the fight-or-flight response. Examples of what causes Stress TOP TEN: The Loss of a Loved One Major Illness or Injury Divorce Serious Financial Difficulties Loss of Job Getting Married Moving to a New Place A Serious Falling Out with a Close Friend Birth of a Child Retirement

17. Stress • Job Related Stresses • Dealing with a irritate customer • Co-Worker Conflicts • Physical Environment • Unorganized • Your Level of satisfaction with your job • Your Balance between work and personal time • How you manage your work load • How well you get alone with your boss and co-workers

18. Stress Test Exercise

19. HOW TO REDUCE STRESS AT WORK • Change from stress talk to smart talk • Don’t eliminate the positive • Don’t focus on the negative outcomes • Assume good intentions • Seeing shades of gray ( look at situation for both points of view) • Don’t worry be concerned • Facts about worrying • 40% will never happen • 58% will turn out better that you think • 2% are actually worth worrying about.

20. HOW TO REDUCE STRESS AT WORK Manage your time more effectively Practicing long-term planning Using a time-management system Write down all your appointment Keep a daily to do list Prioritize your daily to do list Improve your physical work environment Reduce Noise Reduce Clutter Increase Space

21. HOW TO REDUCE STRESS FOR A LIFETIME • Eat right • Use caffeine, sugar, salt in moderation • Exercise • Make it something you enjoy • Make it convenient • Schedule it • See your doctor before you start • Practice relaxation techniques

22. What now? • Nametags • Certificates • ‘Hot Tickets’ • Posters • Minimum performance standards • Supervisor Resources

23. #1 thing to do at work is to remember to… HAVE FUN!!!