Keys to customer service – test yourself

Just in case you wonder if anyone is really listening to you, let me assure you: We’ve heard your requests for more customer service training! In fact, I’ve just hired a new course developer to help us create a series of interesting, engaging customer service courses.

I thought you might like a sneak peek, just to get an idea of what’s coming. Don’t get too excited, though; creating new courses is a time-consuming process that doesn’t happen overnight.

Here’s a quiz from one of the first courses, just to give you a taste. Feel free to share this with your team and see how they score!

1. Your shift starts at 10:00 a.m. You arrive at:
a. 9:55 a.m. Correct! Arrive a little early so you can be ready for action right at start-time. You’re on your way to rock-star status.
b. As close to 10:00 as possible. (You never know with traffic.) Incorrect. Traffic is no excuse, and trying doesn’t get you any bonus points.
c. Whenever. Incorrect. You can do better!

2. The lobby is crowded when you arrive. You:
a. Push your way through. Hello? You have work to do. Incorrect. Pushing people is never polite, even when you’re in a hurry.
b. Squeeze through while pausing to smile and say hello to each person. Correct! Even before you’ve clocked in, you represent your company. But you already knew that.
c. Wait outside until they leave. Incorrect. You can do better, I know it!

3. Someone asks you to page their mother and let her know they’ve arrived. You reply:
a. Her room is right down the hall, you can go get her yourself. Incorrect. Even if you don’t like the request, it’s up to you to please the customer.
b. In a minute, first I have to go check in with my supervisor. Incorrect. Your supervisor will be glad that you hit the ground running on a busy morning. She may even reward you with candy.
c. No problem. Correct! You are a winner and deserve to be rewarded with candy.

4. You notice a phone line on hold. When you ask around, none of your co-workers know who is on the line. You:
a. Assume someone is helping them and ignore it. Incorrect. It’s always better to ask and be wrong than to not ask if someone needs help.
b. Pick up the line and ask if anyone is helping them. Correct! You are a phone-line genius.
c. Go tell a manager. Incorrect. Fix the problem, rather than focus on tattle-tail-ing.

5. Ben hurries by with an empty tray and whispers that he dropped an entire bowl of oatmeal in the hallway. You:
a. Laugh at him. Incorrect. Laugh on the inside, but on the outside, grab a roll of paper towels.
b. Tell him about the time you dropped an entire egg-white omelet on the owner’s wife. Incorrect. Swap stories later. For now, grab a mop.
c. Grab the nearest mop, a wet-floor safety sign, and direct guests around the area while you help clean up. Correct! You didn’t even need this training module, did you?

6. Time for your break. No one is around, and the lobby is as quiet as a mouse. You:
a. Announce loudly “I’m going on a break!” even though there is no one to hear you. Incorrect. You’re a comedian, aren’t you?
b. Find your supervisor and tell him you need someone to cover. Correct. You deserve a raise.
c. Stay where you are and skip your break. Incorrect. Sure, you’re a dedicated employee, but it’s against the law to skip breaks. Go sit down and relax! You’ve earned it.

7. You answer the phone. It’s a potential client, asking for details on availability and pricing. You aren’t sure what the answers are. You say:
a. “I don’t know, but I can go find someone who does.” Then ask if she would mind being put on hold. Correct! You’ve been paying attention, haven’t you?
b. “This is a really bad time. Can you call back?” Incorrect. Always offer to help them, or find someone who can.
c. “I don’t know,” and hang up. Incorrect. People first!

8. Let’s imagine that you asked the woman from the last question if she would mind being put on hold. The woman says no, don’t put her on hold. Now what?
a. Hang up on her. She’s obviously not willing to cooperate. Incorrect. Come on, now. That’s just not polite.
b. Say “too bad, I have to get my manager, so you’ll have to wait.” Incorrect. I know, she seems difficult, but smile and be nice. Try again.
c. Offer to take her phone number and have someone call her back. Correct! You have great talent!

9. Let’s imagine the same woman instead says she doesn’t mind being put on hold. You page your manager Monica to pick up the call. A minute later you notice that Monica still hasn’t answered it. You:
a. Leave it alone. It’s Monica’s problem now. Incorrect. We have to help each other, remember?
b. Page Monica repeatedly until she picks up the phone. Incorrect. Getting her attention is important, but she’s probably not just ignoring you. She’s busy. Give her a break.
c. Pick up the line, tell the customer that you’re still waiting on an answer, and ask if she would mind continuing to hold, or if she would rather have someone call her back. Correct! Phew, that was complicated. If you mastered that, you are truly a genius.

10. You’re helping a client in her home, and she needs to go to the bathroom. But you’re already in the middle of feeding her cat! You:
a. Finish feeding the cat. Incorrect. A visit to the bathroom probably can’t wait. The cat can.
b. Put down the cat food and help her to the bathroom. Correct! People first.
c. Ask if she can wait. Incorrect. People first.