Customer Service
PBI 1082: UNIMAS 2017 Customer Service Week 2: Topic 1.2
Topics
Receiving telephone calls
Making effective calls.
Introduction
Customer service handles
Designing workplace company issues in stores,
documents/signs. service, as there
over the phone and even
would be no one
by email. Companies that
Additional Reading: available to handle
produce highly technical
Telephone Etiquette payments or answer
Notes products, such as software
questions from are vital to an
or satellite television, often
prospective
have technical support organization. Some
customers.
staffs to resolve such customers spend
problems.
hundreds and even
Significance
thousands of dollars
Customer service is Customer service is
important to all per year with a
important to an
organizations for a company.
number of reasons. organization because it
Foremost, it would be is often the only contact
difficult for a company to
Consequently, when
a customer has with a
survive without customer they have a question or
company. Customers
product issue, they
expect a company's
customer service
department to resolve
their issues.
IDENTIFICATION
that gives one store lose customers, which
Customer service is also a competitive will have a negative
important to an advantage. impact on business. It
organization because it costs a lot more money
Function for a company to
can help differentiate a
company from its A company with acquire a customer
competitors. For excellent customer than to retain them, due
service is more likely to advertising costs and
example, it may be
to get repeat business the expense of sales
difficult to tell the
from customers. calls. Therefore, the
difference between two
Consequently, the efforts that go into
small stores, especially if
company will benefit maintaining quality
their prices are similar. customer service can
Therefore, putting extra with greater sales and
really pay dividends
efforts into customer profits. In contrast,
over time.
companies with poor
service may be the thing
customer service may
1
Guidelines for Telephone Use
Rule 1. Every management, it should VOCABULARY
primary office line be used efficiently and
should be answered effectively to meet the Again Call Call / called
by a live person. needs of the caller (i.e. Company Date
Problem: Employees, short, effective
Message Name Phone
visitors, and vendors messages with the
Please Return / returned
often have a difficult option to speaking to
the live person). Signed Telephone /
time finding a live
person to assist them telephoned Time Urgent
via the phone.
Solution: Do not use
phone mail on primary List down some
office lines. Where other vocabulary that can be
phone mail is deemed
used in your workplace
appropriate, as
Every primary office determined by line
line should be
answered by a
live person.
Answering a Call
Rule 2. When the some time, make Devi called to say that she
telephone rings, arrangements with a would be coming by the
answer it promptly. co-worker to cover
telephone duties office around noon to pick
Problem: At times, up the red file folder that
when employees leave contains all the articles for
their office, no one Take down the the new project. She
answers their phone. message in the next would like Joe to have it
column. ready for her because she
Solution 1: Ask a co-
worker to answer your has waste a lunch meeting
phone when you are with Karim and then has a
away from your desk. doctor's appointment at
1:30.
Solution 2: If you are
out of the office for
Take Responsibility
Problem: Frequently and efficient manner.
callers are transferred Where necessary ask the
(often multiple times) to caller if you can place
others before getting the him/her on hold while
assistance they need. you find the answer to Create a brief
dialogue and act it out.
their question or ask
Solution: Help each caller them for a number where
to find resolution to his/her you can call them back.
problem in an effective
2
Transferring a call
Inform others when Solution 2: Place the It is Friday 12.00 p.m. You
you are transferring a caller on hold while are locking up the cabinet
call to them. when the phone rings.
you place calls to get
Problem: Callers who necessary information Caller: Hello. This is Phang from
get transferred to assist the caller. Hicom. I want to speak to Sharom
(especially multiple Ibrahim please.
times) tend to get Task 1: Read the phone call
irritated and frustrated. Receiver: (not available)
to your partner. Your partner
will say that the person you
Solution 1: Inform Caller: OK. Please ask him to call Start by doing what's
want is not available. You will necessary; then do
others that the call you me later today with the cost of
read the message and your what's possible; and
are forwarding is a the window blinds that I ordered
transfer call. This gives partner will write it down on a suddenly you are doing
yesterday. I can be reached at
the recipient the heads- message pad and then tell the impossible
705-686-8345 from 1 till 5. Francis of Assisi
up so they may be the person that you will pass
especially the message.
understanding and Receiver: (Respond in your
own words)
helpful to the individual
who is calling.
Task 2: Summarize the following
messages
Message 1: Mary and Kris Message 2: Jamilah said, Message 3: Lynn called to
are working on a design for a "I won't be able to make it to say that she would need to
new company. Mary calls the meeting tomorrow go back home to pick up her
Kris, but Kris has gone out. because my sister was in a laptop which contains the
She wants Kris to call her car accident this morning. final slides for the
back, but not before 4:00 She is in the hospital and has presentations. She would
p.m. She goes on to say that a broken leg, two broken ribs email the copies before
she is going shopping this and a possible spinal injury. driving back to help Ann look
afternoon at City One, She's in pretty bad shape and through it before the
Kuching but wants to get I will need to be at the presentation in the afternoon.
back before the rush hour hospital with her. Tell the She wants Ann to look
starts. She plans to leave Board that I am sorry I can't through the spellings and
Kuching by 3:00 p.m. It is make it." figures because she did not
important that Kris call today have time to check through
though, because her meeting everything. She wants the
with the printer is at 9:00 LCD and meeting room to be
a.m. tomorrow morning. She ready before she gets back.
wants her to okay the design
that she faxed over last
week.
3
Task 3: Complete the short conversation using the words and phrases in the list.
appreciate can can I could you do you need a hand Im afraid pleasure
nice to see no problem sorry take thanks here
good thats very kind was great seeing you yes yes, of course
Jamil Hello?
Jo Hi, Jamil. Its Jo here. Listen, Im afraid Im running about twenty minutes late. Can you cover
for me.
Jamil Ok, thanks for letting me know. Where are you?
Jo Im stuck between traffic, just at the third mile roundabout.
Jamil Listen, Jo, the road to BDC is closed.
Jo Oh, ..(2) for letting me know.
Jamil .so, you should . (3) the airport exit.
Jo Ok, got it. Im taking a detour now.
Jamil Hey, . (4) you! Glad you made it before the budget talk.
Jo Hi, Jamil. (5)) Im late.
Jamil No problem. ..(6) with that box?
Jo Yes, Id .(7) it. It is heavy.
Jamil And . (8) get you a cup of coffee? Would you like me to show you
the way to the breakfast table? We just broke for brunch.
Jo .,(9) please. I hope I was not missed.
Jamil Its been good talking with you, Jo.
Jo Yes, its been great. (10) you send me the estimate next week?
Jamil .. (11). As soon as Ive worked out the costs.
Jo Great. And (12) send me a rough schedule as well?
Jamil Sure. Not a problem.
Jo How do I get back to my car from here?
Jamil Ill come with you.
Jo Oh, .. (13) of you.
Jamil (14)
Jamil It was a (15) to see you in person.
Jo Same (16)
Jamil (17)
Jo Well, it . (18)
Jamil Bye! Take care! Have a safe trip.
4
Taking down Messages
Question: Describe some Task 4: Assume that you
information generally are in charge of design
needed as part of a written the note pads for your
message. e.g. (who called, company.
the date and time, the Where would you put
caller's number, why they the name of the
called, what the message is, company?
etc.)
The best Type: notepads with logo
preparation for good under google images.
Tips: You can keep the free
work tomorrow is to note pads given by some
https://www.google.com/sea
do good work today. companies as part of their
advertising policy. rch?q=notepads+with+logo
Elbert Hubbard Remember, this is just
advertising and has nothing
to do with the form.
Where does the information go?
What does "To" or "For" Next, find where the date Discuss how you would
means. and the time are written write the date and time.
down. (when you write on a blank
What do you write next to pad) Remember the date and
"for" or "to") Ques: Why are the dates time information can be
Generally, these would be a and time important added to the form after the
directory of workers and so phone conversation has
the names would be available (ans): might have a lot of ended own name on this
for general use. Remember calls to make and to put form (signed or signature or
the names need to accurate) calls in order of priority, "By").
might be a question of time
Note that this space is
later
The To" or "For" is usually usually at the bottom of
at the top of each form. the form.
Task 5: Message Boxes
For messages a and b, Telephoned Telephoned
check the right box.
Came to see you Came to see you
a. Datin Aishah called. She Returned your call
Returned your call
said that she needed to
speak to the Deputy Please call Please call
Director and would try
Will call again Will call again
again around three.
No message No message
b. Rashid came this morning
while Johan was out. He urgent urgent
wants to meet Johan right
Wants to see you Wants to see you
away. Left his number.
5
Task 6: Read the conversation between a customer and the help desk at SINGTEL
Incorporated. Choose the best response. You can also add your own response.
The caller dials and the phone rings.
SINGTEL a. Hello
b. Good morning Singtel. Sangeetha speaking. How can I help?
c. Hi, SINGTEL here.
d. ________________________________________________________
Caller Im having problems trying to install the SINGTEL C4 home security system. The
alarm code doesnt seem to work.
SINGTEL a. Okay. Give me your alarm reference number please.
b. Im sorry to hear that. Can I have the alarm reference number from the card that is in
the box.
c. So let me guess. You cant stop the alarm from ringing and the neighborhood is up. OK.
Whats your alarm reference number?
d. ________________________________________________________
Caller Ok. Let me see. Is that the blue card?
SINGTEL a. No, I am sorry it is a white card with the companys logo on it.
b. It is a white card. I cannot process the call without the reference number.
c. Look for a white card. Can you check inside the box again?
d. _________________________________________________________
Caller Got it. Lets see. Its C4, space 500 space
SINGTEL a. C4, space 500 space
b. Sorry, I dont need the spaces. Could you start again?
c. Yah . then what. You dont expect me to wait all day ohnight.
d. _________________________________________________________
Caller Er, sorry. Lets see. Its C4, 500, 2367.
SINGTEL a. So, whats the problem?
b. You said the alarm is broken?
c. And the Alarm code isnt working?
d. ________________________________________________________
Caller The alarm code isnt working at all. So, I cant set the alarm off and of course
if it goes off, I wont be able to turn it off.
SINGTEL a. Yes, Im afraid the instruction manual isnt as clear as it should be. Have you tried
pressing the star key before you enter the code?
b. Why dont you just follow the instructions? Its all in the book. It says you need to press
the star key before you enter the code.
c. Did you use the star key?
Caller The star key?
SINGTEL a. Yes, its on the number pad, at the lower right.
b. Yes, the star key. The one with many pointed ends.
c. No, the moon keylah, heh heh. Sorry, it was too good to miss. Its on the number pad, at
the lower right hand corner.
Caller Just a minute, let me take a look. Oh, yes, I see. Ha ha ha. I feel a bit silly for
missing that. It looks so big and I did not see it.
SINGTEL a. Yes, most people who call us havent bothered to read the manual that comes with it.
b. Dont worry about it. Id get pretty bored here if people like you never called.
c. Not at all. We are here to help! Dont hesitate to call back if we can help you again.
