Online Class: Customer Service 101
no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
-
15Lessons
-
19Exams &
Assignments -
7,776Students
have taken this course -
15Hours
average time -
1.5CEUs
Course Description
Mastering the Art of Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond the Basics
In today's competitive business landscape, merely satisfying the customer isn't enough. To truly stand out, businesses must strive to "wow" and astound their customers, leaving them spellbound after each transaction. Exceptional customer service has the potential to transform an ordinary customer interaction into a memorable experience, ensuring repeat business and fostering brand loyalty.
The buzz surrounding customer service in the contemporary corporate arena is undeniable. Most organizations recognize its pivotal role in determining success. They invest in strategies to elevate their customer service quality, constantly seeking metrics to measure and enhance it. However, herein lies a common pitfall. While many businesses ardently desire to achieve "exceptional customer service," they sometimes lack a clear understanding of what it genuinely entails.
Imagine this scenario: You enter a store, greeted promptly with a smile, assisted efficiently, treated fairly, and your concerns addressed with utmost honesty. Sounds like good customer service, doesn't it? But what if that's the baseline? What if that's what every other store offers? Would you remember this store distinctly or lump it together with all the others that provided a similarly satisfactory experience?
It's a fact; consumers gravitate towards businesses that prioritize their needs, and the quality of service is often a decisive factor in choosing where to shop. Yet, some companies fall into the trap of setting their customer service standards too low. They enumerate basic human courtesies—like fairness, honesty, promptness, and politeness—as their customer service goals. Although essential, these are foundational expectations that customers inherently have when they engage with any service provider. Merely adhering to these standards may lead to momentary contentment, but it won't guarantee loyalty.
A company solely focused on these basic tenets may find itself perplexed, wondering why their customer base isn't expanding or why they're losing to competitors. The stark reality is that if a business is only achieving the bare minimum, it's on borrowed time. Customers will eventually gravitate towards competitors that offer them more than just the basics.
Consider a contrasting scenario: A customer enters a store and, in addition to receiving all the foundational courtesies, experiences a series of delightful surprises. Perhaps it's an employee who goes out of their way to offer personalized recommendations, or maybe it's an unexpected discount at the checkout counter. These gestures, although simple, leave a lasting impact. The customer not only becomes a repeat visitor but also becomes an advocate for the brand, singing its praises to friends and family.
This course is dedicated to imparting the nuances of providing such unparalleled customer service. While it assumes that participants are already familiar with the basics of decent human interaction, it ventures beyond to uncover the secrets of truly remarkable customer service. Participants will learn strategies and techniques to distinguish their service, turning one-time customers into lifelong patrons.
In conclusion, in a world where businesses are vying for customer attention, it's crucial to go beyond mere satisfaction. This course is designed to equip participants with the tools and insights necessary to transform their customer service approach, ensuring they don't just satisfy, but genuinely astound their customers.
Course Motivation
In today’s marketplace, knowing how to provide good customer service is a skill that is both valued and rewarded in major corporations. Go to any business seminar and you’ll discover just how important customer service is in the marketplace – and you’ll find out that those businesses that reward customer service are the ones that are always in the spotlight in a positive light.
This course is designed for anyone in the business community that wants to learn the best ways to grow and expand using customer service – whether you’re involved with management, human resources, or are just a customer service representative yourself. This course is also designed for those who are looking to increase their knowledge of what good customer service means in order to advance within their chosen profession.
More than just a powerful buzzword, customer service is essential to every business out there. No company is so strong and solid that it can afford to provide anything less than the best customer service out there – and this course will give you essential tools needed to build up the best customer service team possible.
In understanding what it takes to provide good customer service, you’ll learn the ins and outs of what good customer service looks like. You’ll see how some of the most simple techniques out there can greatly improve the experience that a customer has with your business – and you’ll learn how to make sure that just about every customer walks away satisfied.
Customer service is not just about resolving problems, though. Not everyone who calls customer service is experiencing something serious. Sometimes, they are just seeking basic information – and you’ll learn how to parlay something as simple as answering a few questions into creating a valued customer. For example, if someone calls up with a simple question about prices and is treated courteously and with genuine concern, that individual might well decide to look no further than your company and give their business to you.
You’ll learn that businesses are created one satisfied customer at a time.
In this course, you’ll examine and learn about such areas as:
· Defining service: This introduction will provide you with the tools needed so that you know what good customer service is. You’ll see how jobs have changed through the years and why there are problems with customer service today – and ways that you can improve the customer service that both you and your company provide.
· Putting the customer first: You’ll learn how to deal with customers and how to best provide them with the essentials that you can give them – and also how you can exceed their expectations. The company that provides service above and beyond what the customer expects is the company that is going to have loyal customers come back time after time.
· Effective communication: The student will understand that one of the key aspects of keeping a customer satisfied is effective communication. Services that are offered that are not known by the customer might as well be services that are not even provided. The student will also learn the power of effective listening – following the old adage, “We have two ears and one mouth and therefore should listen twice as much as we speak.” The student will also learn the difference between a “closed question” and an “open question,” and which one is most effective in communication.
· Building relationships: Students will understand how important building relationships in customer service are and will learn the techniques necessary to move from being a voice on the television in the customer’s mind to someone that they go to when they need whatever product or service you are providing.
· Telephone and e-commerce contacts: Students will see how good customer service extends beyond face-to-face encounters – and how important treating all customers with the “wow” factor is in building a business.
· Handling difficult customer contacts: The student will learn how to deal with certain customers – and when it might be necessary for you to “fire a customer.”
All in all, this course will prove beneficial to anyone in the business community – and many of the tools that are provided can be used in everyday relationships, as well.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs
Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Defining Service
- Lesson 1 Video
- Lesson discussions: Your Own Customer Service Experience; Reasons for Taking this Course
- Assessment: Lesson 1 Quiz
Lesson 2: Putting Your Customer First
- Lesson 2 Video
- Lesson discussions: Customer Service Industry (worst service)
- Assessment: Lesson 2 Quiz
Lesson 3: Effective Communication
- Lesson 3 Video
- Lesson discussions: Customer Service Industry (best service)
- Complete Assignment: Open and Closed Questions
- Assessment: Lesson 3 Quiz
Lesson 4: Building Relationships
- Lesson 4 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 4 Quiz
Lesson 5: Effective Communication II: Appearance and Impressions
- Lesson 5 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 5 Exam
Lesson 6: Telephone Contacts
- Lesson 6 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 6 Quiz
Lesson 7: Telephone Contacts, Part II
- Lesson 7 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 7 Exam
Lesson 8: E-commerce Contacts
- Lesson 8 Video
- Lesson discussions: Your Customer Service Preference
- Assessment: Lesson 8 Quiz
Lesson 9: Handling Difficult Customer Contacts
- Lesson 9 Video
- Lesson discussions: 'Firing a Customer'
- Complete Assignment: Customer is Not Happy
- Assessment: Lesson 9 Quiz
Lesson 10. E-mails: Getting Them Right
- Lesson 10 Video
- Complete Assignment: Customer Service Emails
- Assessment: Lesson 10 Exam
Lesson 11. Newsletters: Giving the Customer Added Value
- Lesson 11 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 11 Exam
Lesson 12. Handling Difficult Customer Contacts, Part II
- Lesson 12 Video
- Complete Assignment: Handling Difficult Customers
- Assessment: Lesson 12 Exam
Lesson 13. Customer Service Management
- Lesson 13 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 13 Exam
Lesson 14: Creating a Customer Service Policy
- Lesson 14 Video
- Assessment: Lesson 14 Exam
Lesson 15: Conclusion: The Future of Customer Service
- Lesson 15 Video
- Lesson discussions: Final Course Poll - Your Opinion; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
- Assessment: Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Define customer service.
- Describe how and why to put customers first.
- Summarize methods to effectively communicate with customers.
- Summarize techniques to build customer relationships.
- Define the roles of appearance and impressions in customer relations.
- Demonstrate proper telephone etiquette for customer service.
- Demonstrate proper email etiquette for customer service.
- Summarize techniques and strategies for handing difficult customers.
- Describe the requirements and skills needed to manage a customer service department.
- Create a Customer Service Policy.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information
- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media
Choose Your Subscription Plan
No Certificate / No CEUs
This course only
Includes certificate | X |
Includes CEUs | X |
Self-paced | |
Instructor support | |
Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificate & CEUs
This course only
Includes certificate | |
Includes CEUs | |
Self-paced | |
Instructor support | |
Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificates & CEUs
Includes all 600+ courses
Includes certificate | |
Includes CEUs | |
Self-paced | |
Instructor support | |
Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Certificates & CEUs
Includes all 600+ courses
Includes certificate | |
Includes CEUs | |
Self-paced | |
Instructor support | |
Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "I am extremely grateful for this course and enjoyed every video that was provided! The lessons were easy to understand and the videos helped me a lot! Thank you for all you do!" -- Melody T.
- "This course helped me get a new job in customer service. It has great pay and benefits. I am so grateful for Universal Class. I will keep taking courses to achieve promotions." -- Danielle L.
- "This course has helped me improve in every aspect. I am putting into practice everything I have learned." -- Martha B.
- "I enjoyed the class and I learned new ways in communicating with my customers. I've even used some of the lessons I learned and applied to my job with positive results." -- Mallory E.
- "I love the course it gave me more insights on how to treat people in general and not just your customers." -- Joy voke S.
- "I have spend years in the hospitality industry and worked with a diverse community of people, yet, taking this course really helped refresh my skills and I learned new information." -- Teresa A.
- "the instructor was there when I had a question he would answer right away and he checked my work he really motivated me." -- Mary V.
- "This was a fun course! It was written very well and easy to follow. I enjoyed taking this class. More people need to learn what great customer service is all about. They need to take this class!" -- Theresa H.
- "Thank you for the overall great course. I really appreciate your time and effort in making this course available to us. Overall, I enjoyed it." -- Reana D.
- "Universal classes have changed my life for the better. Very thankful. All my instructors are awesome!" -- Maxine C.
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