This course is designed to teach you about the customer service work environment, methods for successful customer relations, and career advancement tactics. This is the capstone course in the Saylor Customer Service certificate program, which aims to provide students with a solid knowledge base in the areas of computer skills, business communications, and best customer service practices.
The fundamental duties of a Customer Service Worker (CSW) are to answer questions and resolve problems. Success in this regard depends on the CSW's ability to connect with customers on a personal level. To that end, this unit will teach skills related to forming proper attitudes, creating strong first impressions, communicating well both verbally and non-verbally, and - most importantly - understanding just what it is a customer needs and wants.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 16 hours.
Read this article on the customer service workplace. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
Watch this video, which summarizes the fundamentals of marketing terminology and practices. Many of the terms and concepts are deeply rooted in the foundations and traditions of customer service. Please pay extra attention to the key concepts of "The Four Ps" of the marketing mix: product, price, place, and promotion. These topics are critical when defining customer demographics and the methods to connect with them. You may read along with the transcript linked here.
Read this article on how to create favorable impressions with the customers you serve. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
Watch this video, which presents basic appeals and tactics for effective communications. This video answers a few important questions: "How do you win someone's attention, and what do you do if you manage to catch it?" You may read along with the transcript linked here.
Read this article on how to understand a customer's needs and wants. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
Read this chapter, which discusses consumers' decision-making process and examines the situational, personal, psychological, and societal factors that influence their buying decisions.
Watch this video on publics and demographics. Among the most important aspects of communication is forming a clear picture of just whom the targeted audience is. This video describes key publics, demographics, and segments we should identify early in our communication planning.You may read along with the transcript linked here.
Read this article on communicating with the customer both verbally and nonverbally. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
Watch this video for suggestions on how to improve your written communication skills immediately. Customer service professionals may spend lots of time writing reports and memos. This video discusses six tips on how to do it much better. You may also read along with the transcript linked here.
Review this short slide show for tips on how to prepare a 60-second elevator pitch. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam.
Review this short slide show for tips on effective personal presentations. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam.
After you have reviewed this unit, please post and respond to the following topics on the community Discourse forum. Feel free to start your own posts and respond to those of other students. If you do not yet have a Discourse account, you can create one here, free of charge.
Prepare a 300-500 word document as if you were the manager of a customer service department hiring new workers for your staff. Based on this unit's readings, what are the key traits and skills you would want to see in applicants as you choose whom to interview? Once you are done with the document, feel free to share it with other students in the discussion forum.
Customer service workers might be assigned to workstations equipped with a telephone, headset, and computer. Alternately, other customer service workers might be in a retail store interacting with customers in person. Wherever and however the service worker connects with them, customers might be angry or pose difficult-to-resolve problems. A skilled customer service provider must develop abilities to effectively assess a situation, establish rapport, defuse anger, and work with wide diversity of customer cultural backgrounds.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 11 hours.
Read this article on dealing with extraordinary customer-service situations. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
Read this article on how to handle challenging customers. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to take time to investigate.
Please click on the link above and watch this video for suggestions on how to deal with difficult people.
Read this article on methods to work with customer diversity. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to take time to investigate.
Watch this video on international communication tactics, using themes and images that transcend cultural differences. English may connect us in the business place with a common language, but we still need to be sensitive to cultural differences. You may read along with the transcript linked here.
After you have reviewed this unit, please post and respond to the following topics on the discussion forum. Feel free to start your own posts and respond to those of other students.
Prepare a 300-500 word document as if you were the manager of a customer service department orienting newly hired employees on aspects of dealing with challenging problems and difficult customers. Based on this unit's readings, what are some possible situations and tactics you would want the new employees to be prepared for as they start their job? Once you are done with the document, please post it to the linked discussion thread to share with and receive feedback from your classmates.
A variety of tools and technologies may be employed by customer service workers to attempt to discern customers' needs and concerns. Since the flow of customer connections can flood quickly, workers need to be able to effectively and efficiently multitask, manage their time, and network with other members on their service teams. These critical skill sets are covered in this unit.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 11 hours.
Read this article on customer service and telephone skills. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to take time to investigate.
Read this article on customer service through e-mail and the internet. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to take time to investigate.
Read this article on effective customer service teamwork. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
Read this article on self-care for the customer service worker. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.
After reviewing the unit materials, please post and respond to the following topics on the discussion forum. Feel free to start your own related posts, and respond to other students' postings as well.
Prepare a 300-500 word document as if you were the manager of a customer service department orienting new employees on the best practices in telephone and computer communications, as well as team work effectiveness and personal development. Based on this unit's readings, what are the key suggestions you would offer to help your new employees be effective in their positions? Once you are done with the document, post it to the discussion thread and leave comments on your classmates' work.
A customer service position might only require a high school diploma, along with solid communication and problem-solving skills. On-the-job training necessary to learn a company's particular customer needs might last two to three weeks. There are about 2.2 million customer service jobs in the United States, and job growth looks strong through the year 2020.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 13 hours.
Read this article for information on employment trends in the 21st century, requisite skills to compete in the customer service job market, and tips from the world's top CEOs on how to fit in. Also explore the embedded links to other resources that you may find useful.
Read this article for information on employment resources, the benefits of internships, and tips to find a position in customer service. Also, explore the links to resources embedded in this text.
Read this article, which explores resources for career connections and professional development. Visit, sign-up, and search the websites linked here for employment and networking opportunities.
After reviewing the unit materials, please post and respond to the following topics on the community Discourse forum. Feel free to start your own related posts, and respond to other students' postings as well.
Prepare a 300-500 word document as if you were advising a student on how to find a job in customer service and advance in career development. Based on this unit's readings, what are the key suggestions you would offer the student? Once you are done with the document, please post it to the discussion forum for classmate comments.
Once you have completed the tasks in this final unit and passed your final exam for this capstone course, and have completed the other courses in this customer service program, you will be awarded a certificate and a transcript detailing your demonstrated customer service skills. Good luck!
Completing this unit should take you approximately 13 hours.
Please prepare a 1,500-word training manual as if you were the manager of a customer service department orienting a new employee on the needs of your department. Based on what you learned in this course, what are the key points you would want the new employees to understand as they begin their new position? You may include and expand upon your writings from earlier units. Once you have completed the document, please post it to the discussion forum for classmate comments, and for access by potential employers.
After you review the unit materials, please post and respond to the following topics on the course discussion board. Feel free to start your own related posts, and respond to other students' postings as well.
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