2014 – 2015 Providing Excellent Customer Service

1. 2014 – 2015 Providing Excellent Customer Service Satisfying Our Customers at Every Step Provided by the LAUSD Food Services Division Rev 11.12.14

2. Overview This training will provide attendees with the knowledge and skill sets needed to satisfy our customers at every step. This training will address the following areas: What is excellent customer service How to provide excellent customer service Customers basic needs How to professionally handle a customer complaint

3. Purpose and Benefits Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction can occur anytime that a customer comes in contact with any part of your cafeteria. Excellent customer service: Shows your customers that you care Lets your customers know they are important Lets them know you’re going to help them When you make people feel better about themselves, they are better customers

4. Goal Our goal is to: Develop excellent customer service skills Satisfy our customers at every step Understand that customer service is “the provision of service to customers before, during, and after a purchase” Acknowledge the customer’s basic needs Know how to handle a customer complaint by using the LAST model Listen Apologize Satisfy Thank

5. What Is Customer Service? Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during, and after a purchase

6. Exceptional Customer Service Follow these keys to success: • Friendly • Smile, establish eye contact • Positive communication ask, “What can I do for you?”, “May I help you?”

7. How To Provide Excellent Customer Service Excellent customer service requires interacting and communicating with your customers: • Greet your customers by saying, “Welcome to Café LA” • Establish a good rapport (greet them by name) • Get to know your new customers • Compliment them in a tasteful and professional manner • Offer suggestive sales, “Dawn, would you like to try the coffee cake? It was baked fresh this morning” Show you care • Let your customers know you are happy they are there • Thank your customers • Invite your customer to come back

8. How to Provide Excellent Customer Service Cont’d Pay attention to your customers and learn what is important to them • Ask questions, listen to their comments and solicit feedback about your services • Conduct preference surveys • Be attentive and responsive to their requests and complaints • Respond to your customers request by saying, “sure, right away”, “I’ll get started on that right now” • Always ask yourself, “What can I do to serve my customers better today?”

9. The Customer’s Basic Needs • There are seven basic needs that customers have universally come to expect during business interactions • Friendliness • Understanding and Empathy • Fairness • Quality • Cleanliness • Options and Alternatives • Information

10. The Customer’s Basic Needs, cont’d • Friendliness • It is associated with being greeted politely and courteously • Smile, establish eye contact • Provide positive communication • Ask, “What can I do for you?” or “May I help you?” Understanding and Empathy Customers need to feel that the person providing the service understands and appreciates them, their circumstances and their feelings

11. The Customer’s Basic Needs, cont’d • Fairness • To be treated fairly • Quality • Products • Services • Cleanliness • Clean environment • Organized service and display areas

12. Options and Alternatives • Customers need to feel that they have: • Choices • Options • Alternatives Information • Most customers want to be informed about: • Products • Services • Policies and Procedures

13. Using Requests/Complaints To Your Benefit Do You Want Customers to Complain? Yes you do! You can find out what people need by acknowledging your customer’s complaint and correcting the situation, you maintain and increase the number of students/faculty who make Café LA their dining choice If a customer does complain, he/she is more likely to come back if the problem is solved. The act of complaining can actually increase customer loyalty if you handle it well

14. Using Requests/Complaints To Your Benefit Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction can occur anytime that a customer comes in contact with any part of your cafeteria. Word of Mouth Spreads Quickly Dissatisfaction spreads more quickly that a customer’s satisfaction. Did you know it takes 30 seconds to lose a customer, but 30 days to gain a new one?

15. Why Customers Complain • Because they did not get what they were promised • Because someone was rude • Because no one went out of his/her way to serve them as a customer • Because no one listened to them • Because someone projected a "can't do" negative image

16. The LAST Model • Listen • Apologize • Satisfy • Thank

17. Handling Customer Complaints Always remain to be: • Open Minded • Honest • Professional- it is never acceptable to hang up on a customer! • Courteous • Respond in a timely manner

18. Customer Relations Tips • Give the customer your full attention, listen to them • Make eye contact, look interested and alert • Smile and nod your head • Hear the feeling • Don’t take it personally • Really try to understand their dissatisfaction • Put yourself in your customers’ shoes • Show you care • Apologize

19. Follow Up • With customer to ensure customer satisfaction • Lets customer know you care • Prepares for future challenges

20. Self Assessment • Did you handle the situation in a prompt, professional and courteous manner? • Can you improve and did you do what you said you would? • Share challenges/solutions with peers/administration/supervision • Builds relationships and trust

21. Welcome Greeting The following greeting is required whenever a customer comes in or calls Café LA State: In Person: “Thank you for coming to Café LA! How may I assist you?” Phone Call: “Thank you for calling Café LA. This is (state your name), how may I assist you?”

22. Telephone Greetings, cont’d • When ending the call • Inquire if the caller is satisfied by asking “Did I answer your question?” • Ask if they would be willing to participate in a customer service survey by saying “We would appreciate if you would take a short survey about your customer service experience.” • Finish with a positive note, such as “Have a great day

23. Telephone Courtesy Speak clearly and courteously. Smile as you’re speaking to the caller • This works! The caller will “hear” your smile through the conversation Speak at a natural pace • Speak in a clear, calm, upbeat, non-hurried, professional manner Use proper grammar • Avoid slang and endearing terms Avoid chewing gum or eating while speaking on the telephone

24. Telephone Courtesy, cont’d Provide training • For substitutes, and new employees if you assign them to answer your telephones Be knowledgeable • If a caller asks a question, take the time to give him or her a clear answer or response • The more knowledge you have, the better you are able to assist callers and not have to transfer them unnecessarily

25. How To Be Great at What You Do • Remember that great service starts with a great attitude. • Enjoy helping people. • Remember that every customer is different, so is every conversation. • Care about customers. • Create opportunities. • Anticipate problems. • Gain knowledge.