Certification Customer Experience

1. Certification Customer Experience Our mission is to educate, train, validate, and support the fire and emergency services at the highest quality level possible.

2. Our Cause: Make firefighters and communities safer by increasing skills, knowledge and motivation to learn- to get there, great customer experience is key.

3. Who are the Customers Of Fire Service Certification? • Firefighters • Chiefs • Mayors, Councils, Commissioners, Board Members • Citizens & visitors

4. Bloomberg Survey on Customer Experience • Among survey respondents, 80 percent claim that customer experience (CE) is a top priority. At the same time, most acknowledge their existing CE is somewhat mediocre. • CE is not a single function but a practical and emotional manifestation of how a company delivers on the promise it makes to its customers, through all encounters, on all channels.

5. What do our FD customers expect regarding testing? • To be treated fairly • To be treated with respect • For us to be consistent • Professionalism • Quick response to inquiries • Honest answers

6. What does UFRA expect from testers regarding testing? • Customers to be treated fairly • Everyone testers contact to be treated with respect • Testing to be consistent • Professionalism • Quick response to inquiries • Honest answers based on your knowledge and unknowns referred to someone who knows. • Testers to be our ambassadors

7. Testers are Ambassadors for UFRA & Professional Standards • “An ambassador represents a country, school or organization in a positive manner, fostering good relationships with others. A good ambassador cares about bringing people, businesses or countries together, while remaining loyal to the place represented. It takes skills as a negotiator, a certain amount of expertise and integrity to be a good ambassador.” • Read more: Qualities of a Good Ambassador | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8557091_qualities-good-ambassador.html#ixzz2PEoAyBva

8. Qualities of an Ambassador • Loyal to the Organization- even when not totally in agreement with the organization. • Follows, explains and enforces policy • Eyes and ears of the Cert. Council & UFRA • Doesn’t complain, brings problems to our attention instead

9. Have you ever heard this type of comment? • “I don’t know why the state requires that, you’ll never do it that way on a scene."

10. What the customer may have perceived: • The test is stupid. • Certification Skills are not important • The Certification System/ UFRA doesn’t know what it’s doing. • Speaker doesn’t represent UFRA

11. A better answer might have been: • “It’s a Job Performance Requirement in the NFPA Standard so we have to train and test for it ."

12. Qualities of an Ambassador • Mediator and Negotiator-”An ambassador must deal with lots of different situations, personalities and political undercurrents. A good ambassador often deals with less than ideal situations and with those who do not wish to come to terms. A productive ambassador knows how to mediate a tense situation and negotiate a compromise that presents a winning situation for all sides.”

13. Negotiating: Some Terms are Not Negotiable • Completed training and in-house testing records. • Pass is pass, fail is fail. • Some things are cheating or can enable cheaters and can never be acceptable.

14. Your View • What issues have come up in testing that required adjustments or negotiation?

15. Qualities of an Ambassador • Enjoys Cultural Diversity “An ambassador who is not afraid of different cultures or people is a definite asset. While some people do not adjust well to situations, including cultures and languages outside their comfort zone, an effective ambassador relishes the opportunities for interaction with those who are different from what he may be used to from his own experiences. A dedicated ambassador quickly picks up on nuances of those with whom he deals with, and learns to work within their cultural framework and to treat people with respect.”


16. Have you ever heard this type of comment? • “That’s sure not how we do that in my department”

17. What the customer may have perceived: • He thinks we’re idiots • She thinks we’re backwards • Arrogant A----------! • I thought that there was the same standard for everyone

18. A better response might have been: • “There are a lot of ways to accomplish the same objective, have you ever tried……."

19. Qualities of an Ambassador • Effective Communicator “It is critical that a strong ambassador be an effective and clear communicator. The ambassador needs to speak and enunciate clearly. She also must sense how best to communicate what needs to be conveyed, whether this is a policy, directions or negotiations. Different cultures may interpret language, idioms and phrasing differently. A good ambassador takes the time to learn how best to communicate with the other party without giving offense. Good communication includes gestures, mannerisms and polite affectations that may mean the difference between a positive or negative exchange.”


20. Famous Foot-in-Mouth Moments in Diplomacy • British Foot in Mouth “Why can't the Jews and the Arabs just sit down together and settle this like good Christians?” 
- Arthur Balfour, British statesman, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary • American Foot in Mouth Diplomacy “We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe.”
- Vice President Dan Quayle

21. Famous Foot-in-Mouth Moments in Diplomacy • South African Foot in Mouth "And what is more, I agree with everything I have just said."
-Piet Koornhoff, South African ambassador to United States • Spanish Foot in Mouth ”What nonsense I have just come out with," MrAznar said aloud after delivering his talk to the parliament at Brussels (assuming his microphone had been switched off).

22. Famous Foot-in-Mouth Moments in Diplomacy • US President slipup "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
- President Kennedy (Unfortunately the translation is not "I am a Berliner!" but "I am a jelly doughnut!”) • Prince Phillip "British women can't cook." "You are a woman, aren't you?" (In 1984, in Kenya, to a native woman who had presented him with a small gift.)"Aren't most of you descended from pirates?" (In 1994, to an islander in the Cayman Islands.)

"You managed not to get eaten, then?" (In 1998, to a student who had been trekking in Papua New Guinea.)

23. Establishing Respectful Communication • Statistics have shown that the first impression of you is made up of the following: • 55% is non-verbal: how you look and your body language • 38% is the tone of your voice • 7% is verbal: the words you say

24. Royal Words: When Used Correctly, Make A Person Feel Respected."May I"Ask permission of your customer! Make them feel special! "As you Know"These few words used in the beginning of a conversation implies that your customer may already have knowledge about the product or service and that you are just reminding them about those points."I'd appreciate it if...."These words can be used in a conversation to ask the customer to do something that could be helpful such as, "I'd really appreciate it if the next time we test here that the Training Officer could be available in case we have questions.”

25. "Please"Ask your Mom if you don't know when to use this one!"It would be my pleasure"Your customers listen to MMFS-AM or Make Me Feel Special About Me, so let them know that you want to go out of your way for them in a nice way."Thank you!"Use this one with sincerity and not like a trained parrot.

26. Qualities of an Ambassador • Expertise A good ambassador should have expertise in the area of certification and needs to understand those with whom he works on a regular basis to convey information from those he represents. A solid ambassador takes the time to learn what is necessary, becoming an expert in the field in which he works as an ambassador.


27. Qualities of an Ambassador • Integrates Well A good ambassador cares not just about those she represents, but also about those with whom she interacts on a regular basis. She cares about other departments and people. She learns the culture and seeks to integrate into the social framework of those with whom she serves as ambassador.



28. Forum • What issues have you run into that called for ambassadorial skills to make a good customer experience??