Elevating Customer Service to Meet Customer Expectations

September 8, 2021 | Reskill Your Workforce | 3 min read
A new curriculum for delivering next-level customer service

I recently shopped online at one of my favorite retailers, and a product that I ordered didn’t meet my expectations. I called customer service to arrange a return and was told that it had been 32 days since I made my purchase. As a result — and even with the original packaging and a receipt, they could only offer me a merchandise credit for the current selling price which was significantly less than I had paid. I questioned the customer service representative and she told me emphatically that there was “nothing we can do.”

But, there was definitely something I could do. Take my business elsewhere — to a retailer that focused on the increased buying power from a loyal customer. A business that had a customer-centric approach to customer service. A business that didn’t believe in the words, “nothing we can do.”

We all know that it’s easier to keep an existing customer than to attract a new one. A satisfied, existing customer becomes a repeat buyer and, quite often, a champion for your product or service. A disgruntled customer has choices — and the choice is usually to take their business elsewhere.

Customer service is a strategic imperative for organizations. It’s an important part of a company’s brand and a key driver of brand loyalty. But today, we see that the nature of customer service is changing as companies increasingly look to overall customer experiences. Digital adoption is a key component with organizations focusing more on automation. Customers actually prefer — and look for — chat interactions for simple self-serve requests.

And that’s why I’m so excited about our new Customer Service curriculum. While our existing customer service curriculum remains our most consumed content in the Business Skills Collection, it was time for an update to address the changing nature of customer service.

We designed these eight courses to give your customer service reps the skills they need to understand their customers on a deeper level and empower them to deliver next-level customer service. These courses will help you understand your customers, create positive engagements, and ensure happier outcomes.

Developed in partnership with NueBridge, a global consulting and advisory firm focused on customer experience, management, operational excellence, and strategic growth, these courses are intended for both new and seasoned CSRs. They use a scenario-based approach with creative text treatments, typography, and graphic design.

Here’s a quick look at the new courses:

  • Adapting to Your Customer’s Cues
    Learn how to recognize your customers’ cues, identify a strategy to get the most from these cues, and how to best respond.
  • Interpreting Customers’ Service Priorities
    Understand the scope and interdependence of your customers’ priorities and how to address both their implicit and explicit needs.
  • Discovering Customer Needs
    Employ a combination of skills to analyze beyond stated requirements and uncover a full spectrum of customer needs.
  • Fostering a Service Mindset
    Provide an exceptional level of customer service by developing a customer-centric mindset and attitude.
  • Engaging with Customers
    Boost CSR confidence, flexibility, and efficiency in every service interaction through proven techniques and best practices.
  • Generating Effective Solutions
    Discover new ways to dig out the root causes of problems, align the proper solutions, and deliver satisfactory resolutions.
  • Becoming a Chat Agent Star
    Apply best practices for implementing an effective chat service and develop appropriate communication skills adapted to the channel.
  • Strengthening Your Service Skills
    Gain a deeper sense of achievement by recognizing key success strategies, boosting skillsets, and developing career paths.

Armed with the knowledge gleaned from these courses, customer service representatives are ready to find the right solution for every client. In today’s business climate, there’s no time for a “there’s nothing we can do” mentality. It’s time to empower your customer service team to respond with, “let’s see how I can understand you and your needs a little better, come up with a solution, and keep you as a satisfied, loyal champion for our goods or services.”

Click here to learn more about our new Customer Service Curriculum, part of our Business Skills solution. Or reach out to your Skillsoft Customer Success Manager.

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