CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES

1. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES CUSTOMER SERVICE & SOFT SKILLS

2. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • We’ve already looked at the definition for customer service and most people can easily identify both good and bad customer service. • Lets take a look at another variation of that definition. • Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectations.

3. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Don’t be fooled by the fact that your pursuing a career in the trades and won’t have to deal with customer service. • If you recall from a previous lecture, “who is your customer?” EVERYONE

4. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • If you’re on a construction site the general contractor is the immediate customer, he can be a great asset for future projects and provide an in to future work for both you and your company. • Of course the exact opposite is true too, if you piss off the GC life on the project will be miserable

5. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • You will find yourself working along side with people from the other trades, and many times we work with the electrical contractors on a project. • It’s a good idea to establish a positive rapport with these guys or you will end up at the bottom of the list if you need something from them.

6. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Service calls and service contracts are where you will need to utilize customer service skills the most. • Your company will not allow you to perform any service work if………. • You insist on wearing ripped jeans, dirty boots with holes in them, old t-shirts and hunting caps or if you don’t shave and act obnoxious any one of these is a game changer.

7. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • If you want earn more money, especially as a licensed tech you will need to develop good customer service skills. • Like it or not in this world we are all initially judged the same way; first by our looks, then by what we say and finally by what we do.

8. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • APPEARANCE, WORDS AND ACTIONS, it’s human nature. • “YOU DON’T GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION.”

9. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • The following is a short article from Inc. magazine; Looks Do Matter • Discriminating against people based on their physical appearance is wrong -- both morally, and in many cases, legally speaking. The way you look usually has no bearing on how you’ll perform in your job, and in a perfect world everyone would be judged solely on his/her merits.

10. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • But the harsh reality is this isn't a perfect world, and discrimination -- whether intentional or inadvertent -- still plays a role in the workplace. And while it should never be condoned, job seekers and employees need to be aware of how discriminatory practices regarding age, race, sex, and physical appearance can affect compensation.

11. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Unfortunately, multiple studies show that the amount someone is paid -- and in some cases whether or not they get the job -- is based, at least in part, on how they look. Obviously we’re not suggesting plastic surgery simply to get a job or a higher paycheck, but knowing about and identifying existing prejudices is crucial to helping you understand what you’re up against while job hunting or looking for a raise/promotion, so you can know what to expect.

12. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • The primary purpose of great customer service is to produce repeat business and to increase business from existing customers. • A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER. • If and when a customer complains, corrective action should be taken as soon as possible to prevent customer rage.

13. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • If the customer is complaining about small issues such as the crew is too loud or leaving a mess behind etc. you should address it immediately and assure the customer it will not happen again. • If it’s a problem beyond your control like billing or invoicing issues you may have to call your office and speak to a project manager to have them correct the situation, assure the customer that you will follow up.

14. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • When dealing with customers it’s a good idea to be empathetic, empathy is the ability to understand another person’s position without getting emotionally involved. • In other words, put yourself in the customer’s shoes and try to see the situation from their point of view.

15. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Employer’s value well mannered employees because they are a reflection of the company, customers appreciate good manners and prefer to work with people they like. • Think about it, do you want to deal with a trash talking, ill mannered loud mouth, do you like dealing with people who have bad attitudes, do you look forward to rude, impatient service at a restaurant?

16. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Saying “PLEASE”, “THANK YOU” and “EXCUSE ME” is appreciated and can go a long way in providing a decent customer experience. • When meeting customers you should shake their hands firmly, look them in the eye, smile and repeat their name. • By repeating their name during the introduction it will help you remember their name.

17. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Many employer’s will say “I’ll hire someone who is inexperienced but has a great attitude over someone with a lot of experience but has a bad attitude”. • So attitude plays an important role in both the hiring process and in customer service, and a small part of that is all about smiling.

18. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • And then there is the fake smile, it can do more damage than help.

19. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • It should be mentioned that if given the opportunity, sign up for the company retirement plans, these are typically 401Ks. • If they match try to contribute up to the matching amount, its free money. • Social security probably won’t be there for you so it will be up to you to start saving as soon as possible for retirement.

20. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • We’ve already started addressing soft skills so lets put a definition to it. • Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people.

21. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. • Soft skills are just as important as hard skills, which are job competency, education and experience.

22. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few.

23. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • As an expert in your field customers will look to you for answers. • If you don’t know the answer admit it and tell them you will look into it, by doing this you will build credibility with the customer. • The following slide is a short article from Inc. Magazine;

24. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • When it comes to credibility-building, the three most powerful words in the English language are: "I don't know.“ • Many salespeople, technicians and most managers think that they'll lose credibility if they admit ignorance, especially about something about which they "ought" to know. However, the exact opposite is the case.

25. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • Admitting ignorance makes everything else you say more credible. Admitting ignorance marks you as a person who's not afraid to speak the truth, even when that truth might reflect poorly on you. • Needless to say, the "I don't know" should be followed by a plan to discover the information that's required, if the issue is truly important. And you WILL be judged on whether you deliver on that promise.

26. CUSTOMER RELATIONS & BUSINESS PRACTICES • But here's the thing: people dislike a know-it-all. They can often sense, at a gut level, when they're being BSed. Even if they're taken in, when they find out (as usually happens) that they've been BSed, they never trust the BSer again.