Customer Service Workshop
Training to offer enhanced customer service
We are all aware that a key part in the success of any business
is providing good quality customer service, but just how we
consistently achieve that is often something less easy to identify.
However the Customer Service Workshop is a training course run by
the BMF designed to help members develop the skills they need in
this essential area.
Keith Dashwood works in the Technical Support Department at
Jeppesen Marine UK, a BMF member which specialises in C-Map
cartography. Working in the field of marine navigation
software Keith regularly has to deal with wide ranging technical
enquiries. He recently attended the BMF Workshop and found it to be
very effective.
"Because I'm based in Technical Support you need to have good
communication skills with the customer and aspects of the course
focused on ways to achieve this," explained Keith. "There were
exercises based on listening and then trying to repeat what the
customer had said. We looked at how to make notes efficiently both
on paper and on a computer. This whole process definitely helped my
listening skills. We were able to analyse the situation with
customers a lot better and find out exactly what they want as
opposed to giving them something they don't want."
As part of his daily responsibilities Keith finds he has to deal
with customers with different degrees of technical ability –
questions might be simple like what navigation cartridges a chart
plotter needs or more complex such as how to interface navigation
systems. Keith says the course helped him look at ways to relate to
people depending on what their skill level is. "For example, if a
person has just bought a chart plotter and is going from paper
charts to electronic navigation for the first time, you have to be
able to speak to them on a level which is easy for them to
understand without baffling them with science." It might seem
common sense but how often do technical departments assume users
have a level of knowledge which new customers simply don't
posses?
This particular course, as with many BMF courses, is attended by
members from all sectors of the marine industry. Keith highlighted
the fact that the format helped those attending to work well
together. "There was teambuilding which helped and we were able to
discuss things with each other and then the tutor gave us feedback.
A well rounded mix of topics were covered which kept the day varied
and interesting." Keith attended with James Stuart who also works
at Jeppesen Marine and Keith said it was also very useful to be
able to discuss the course afterwards with other colleagues.
"I haven't attended a course like this before but I would
recommend it for any job where you are dealing with customers all
the time," Keith concluded. "It is essential that you are able to
deal with customers quickly and efficiently and be able to give
them the service and satisfaction that they need. Customer Service
is very important and if anyone is thinking about the course I
would say definitely do it."