Delivering a Service to Customers 1

Delivering a Service to Customers 1

Knowledge Based Questions

Open Ended

What is a customer?

Poll

Do you deal with customers in your current job?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

What is your job?

Open Ended

How do you greet customers in your job (if relevant)?

Customers may include:

• Contacts from other organisations

• External customers

• Internal customers

• Members of the public

• Patients

• Service users 

Greeting customers in a professional and courteous manner

• Organisational requirements are different depending on the industry.

• Generally, every organisation needs staff to greet customers in a friendly, polite and professional way. 

• Smile, be enthusiastic and welcome the customer – “Welcome to . If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask”.

Poll

Do you wear a uniform at your work?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

If you are starting a new job, what questions could you ask about the uniform in your workplace?

Workplace Appearance

Similarly to greeting customers in a professional, courteous and concise manner according to organisational requirements, the same ‘intent’ will be generally expected with personal presentation at work

Workplaces Vary in Appearance Requirements

Uniforms with strict codes

Casual and no rules whatsoever

There might also be rules about jewellery etc, but other issues might include:

• Personal hygiene

• How you speak

• How to behave 

Some questions you can ask about your uniform:

• Is there a uniform available?

• Can I wear jeans or denim clothing?

• Do shirts need to have collars or sleeves?

• Are pants necessary or can I wear skirts or shorts?

• Is there specific clothing or footwear which are necessary for safety reasons?

• Is it safe to wear jewellery in the workplace and what type of jewellery is allowed? 

• Do I have to tie back my hair?

Your position in the company! 

• A manager may have to wear a suit and tie for men and formal business attire for women

• A builder would need to wear overalls, work pants, high visibility top and protective glasses, gloves, steel capped boots.

• A warehouse worker may have to wear overalls or work clothes that can cope with dirt, dust and moving products around.

Open Ended

What interpersonal skills help when talking to customers and understanding their needs.

Interpersonal skills may include:

• Listening actively to what the customer is communicating.

• Providing an opportunity for the customer to confirm their request.

• Questioning to clarify and confirm customer needs.

• Seeking feedback from the customer to confirm understanding of needs.

• Summarising and paraphrasing to check understanding of customer’s message.

• Using appropriate body language.

Surveys!

• You can employ a survey method either designed by you in the workplace or if a more expansive and independent survey is required you can engage a consultant.

• Gauging your success or otherwise of meeting acceptable levels of specific customer needs and any cultural, family and individual differences, can be discovered with a survey

Addressing Special and Cultural Needs

If your initial survey does not uncover the answers that you may need to address special or cultural needs, you may wish to research further

Open Ended

Considering different customer needs, how can you help a customer and be sensitive to their specific needs?