Park Management Lesson 3

• Communicatie
• HBO

Park Management Lesson 3: receptionist / anrgy customer

Lesson goals

1. Understand and apply theory learned to both topics
2. Complete self-evaluation
3. Provide peer feedback 

Your own experience with/as an unhappy employee or with/as an unhappy customer

5-minute task:

Think back to your work and customer experiences: do you recall having a talk as an employee or with an employee/co-worker about their dissatisfaction (topic 1)? If so, how did it play out?

If that does not resonate with you, think about an experience you have had with an unhappy customer or AS AN UNHAPPY customer - what happened? (topic 2)

What were the 10 tips for dealing with unhappy employees in the preparation for todays' talks?

1. 1-on-1's

2. coaching

3. paying attention

4. new projects

5. training

6. money

7.  time off

8. telecommuting/work from home

9. mentors

10. moving on

Bonus info- keep it positive, keep in constant contact with employees, give constructive feedback and help often.

Original source:

https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-ways-to-deal-with-an-unhappy-employee/ 

PRACTICE

In your groups, take turns playing the manager, unhappy receptionist and as a viewer who gives feedback. Use the documents on Teams to prepare/give feedback.

Discuss with a partner & answer: who/what is involved in sales?

Not just the sales department but also various other people: all service-based businesses rely on bringing in clients, which is sales whereas product-based businesses all work toward the common goal of selling their product. Marketing, human resources, customer service, etc. 

True or false: only the customer service department is responsible for customer service?

1. True
2. False

FALSE! To some degree, customer service is part of every employee's job.

What is more important: what you say or how you listen? Explain what you learned from today's theory reading.

Your ability to listen effectively is as important as your ability to speak, if not more. When you listen effectively, you discover what is important to the customer, so that when you talk you really say what the customer wants to hear. The theory covered two key topics in the successful sales process: how do you discover customer needs and how do you negotiate a business deal? Students learned how active listening and assertive speaking are important tools for sales and service.

According to the reading, why do most people buy?

• to meet a need.

• often primarily an emotional decision; a rational decision (to justify the sale) comes second.

Discuss with a partner & answer: what kind of questions can you ask to identify customer needs?

• What are you looking for?

• Why are you looking for something like this?

• What problems or challenges do you encounter?

• What made you want to view the product or service I am offering?

• What questions can I answer about the product or service I offer?

• What is your experience with these products or services so far?

• What do you want to achieve with what you are looking for?

• What does your company do?

• What is important to you in a business relationship with a seller or service provider?

Confirm you understand the needs

Examples:

So you're frustrated with a lack of reliable service, and you want that service turned into actions, not just words. Is that right?(reflective describe)

You say you are looking for a training program that can show your employees how to service your customers and keep them happy? (to describe)

True or false: you need to understand the customer's objections before you try to fix them?

1. True
2. False

TRUE:

If you respond to an objection by speaking first without fully understanding what is going on, you risk alienating the customer. Speaking without real understanding can make you sound like a salesman. Chances are that the customer will no longer want to do business with you.

What can you do to appear sincere and confident?

• Make direct and good eye contact.

• Speak in a clearly audible voice and confident.

• Use a tone that communicates knowledge and respect.

• Match gestures with the flow of your message to add enthusiasm.

• Sit up straight and look alert.

Show empathy when dealing with angry customers

Examples:

"If I hear it that way, everything has been one big frustration for you so far. Is that right?"

(feedback feelings)

"You feel uncomfortable because this process has not gone as fast as you expected?" 

(reflective describe)

Alternative solutions

You can ask something like "What would you like to have happened?" Sometimes the solution a customer wants is less than what you had in mind. If the customer now wants something from you that you cannot deliver, you simply say: "We need to find another possibility that is more feasible".

Avoid words that provoke reactions in your language. Focus on what you can do, not what you cannot do.

Discuss with a partner & answer: what were the 8 tips for dealing with angry customers?

1. Keep yourself under control. When a customer has strong emotions, it is easy to go defensive. However, this still helps you the customer. Your defensive reaction can only increase the tension. Shift your attention from your feelings to that of the customer. This makes you better able to listen effectively and if you do, you don't have to defend yourself at all.

2. Listening to facts and feelings, not to style and manner. This tip builds on the previous one: focus on what you really need to listen to and understand, the content of the customer's message in the emotions being conveyed. If you just pay attention to the way the message is delivered, you will irrevocably lose sight of the meaning of the message. After the conversation, make sure you can understand the whole message you are hearing; so the facts and the feelings.

3. Cooperate, not against. Sometimes in situations with difficult customers, the service provider sees the customers as the problem and therefore shows little understanding or help, so that the customer's problem remains underexposed. That gives you a kind of battle, you against the customer

Instead, look at the situation with the following formula: you + the customer against the problem. When you focus on that, you work with the customer to solve a problem: a much more positive approach, which is focused on collaboration.

4. Follow troubleshooting guidelines and use flexibly. Following troubleshooting model from the previous section. Know that the troubleshooting steps are in a general order, but adapt to the situation. More importantly, you often repeat step 1 (giving responses with empathy) in the conversation based on how the customer comes across. The tools that you must always use in this communication are the following:

•active listening with empathy

• formulate positively in an assertive manner

• solve problems with an emphasis on solutions.

5. Make the communication personal. So that you know the name of the customer and use it occasionally during the conversation. Also gives your name. Now you have 2 people who know each other by name and work together on a problem, not 2 relative strangers who are in an emotionally charged situation. This personal approach is particularly helpful in relieving tension and creating a pleasant atmosphere for talking.

6. Ask for help if you need it. Do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself if you are not sure how to best solve the customer's problem. You do not want to promise the wrong things, then you make the customer was really angry. However, he also does not want to be an obstacle that is unable to solve a problem and that says no because he does not know what he is riding.

Let the customer know you need to sort things out and set a time to call back. Seeks the necessary support, so that the customer gets the best possible solution.

7. Apologize for others' mistakes, but don't criticize them. When the cause of customer irritation is someone else's fault in your organization, sincerely apologize as if you were the one who made the mistake, then focus on the most positive as soon as possible and correct the action you can to undertake. Avoid criticizing a colleague or other department that caused the error. You represent the entire organization for the external customer. When the customer becomes critical of your own organization or people in it, you convince the customer that he should stop doing business with your company. Rather focus on solving the problem.

8. Use positive self-talk. like most people, you probably talk to yourself regularly. When you ask people if they ever talk to themselves, many people nervously raise a finger as if they are afraid to admit that if you often do it out loud, others will wonder if you are healthy. But talking to yourself in yourself is completely normal. We also call that thinking.

In stressful, challenging situations, you may say a lot of negative things to yourself in your head: what a misery, or why should those customers bother me today, but maybe other positive thoughts are going through your head.

With positive self-talk you give yourself a message that keeps you communicating positively. You have to find your own wording for this, things like: "stay focused," and "listen," and make them positive. These kinds of messages help you to better control yourself and are more willing to help solve their situation, which is essential for solving problems for difficult customers.

PRACTICE

In your groups, take turns playing the manager, angry customer and as a viewer who gives feedback. Use the documents on Teams to prepare/give feedback.

How would you rate your own performance today on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being perfect?

010

Did you actively participate today (think theory, role-play, feedback)?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

Preparation for next week

• Lesson 4: Talk 5 "Meeting with a prospective client"
  
• Read the theory doc for talk 5
• Read the content of talk 5 and prepare to practice it/take notes