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Melissa Corra
Web.com
Corra doesn’t let the fact that she is communicating mostly through live chat get in the way of building rapport with customers. There is always a cheery tone to her words and her openings and closings are always personalized so that the customer knows there is a caring person at the other end of the keyboard.
Learn more about the awardMay is civility month — How civil are you when it comes to your dealings with other people? The following self-test will help you gauge your civility score and understand how your words and actions are impacting others.
May 16, 2014 — Rudeness and incivility are everywhere these days, and can affect customer service reps as well as customers. But we don’t have to give it free reign. Use the month of May, which is International Civility Awareness Month, as a time to identify and eliminate incivility from your customer service operations and…To read more — login/sign up
How do you respond to stress? — April is Stress Awareness Month. Are you ready to handle the job-related stress that comes your way? Here are three helpful exercises.
Are you an effective listener? — To be able to listen effectively is a critical skill for customer service people. To assess your skills, try this listening skills self-quiz and keep in mind the recommendations of Joe Takash, author of Results Through Relationships.
February is National Time Management Month — An article in The Customer Communicator reminds frontline service professionals to make the most of their time. Here are two helpful tools:
Put it in writing — Sending personal notes to customers is one way to show your appreciation for their business and to help build more long-lasting relationships. Here’s an example of how The Reader’s Digest Association thanked customers during Customer Service Week.
Use December to take a look back. People who use goal-setting effectively have lower levels of stress and anxiety and higher levels of performance. Use these practical tips to set your personal and professional goals.
Karen Boyle
Purple Language Services
Boyle says she deals with the pressures of the job by mentally breaking away when she gets a chance. “I may take a walk or talk to somebody in the office for a bit, just to get my mind someplace else,” she says. And to others, she advises, “Be patient, and take advantage of the incredible support that you have around you.”
Learn more about the awardGiving thanks — The Customer Communicator newsletter suggests that we use the Thanksgiving season as a time to show our appreciation to coworkers. Here are some do’s and don’ts for showing your appreciation.
Do what you can to create a culture of motivation in the workplace — In this month’s issues of The Customer Communicator and SkillSharpener, Dr. Bob Nelson of RecognitionPRO offers suggestions to reps on how they can motivate themselves and to managers on how they can create a culture of motivation. In the following excerpt from Nelson’s 1501 Ways to Reward Employees, he offers additional advice to managers on how they can leverage low-cost recognition tools for the greatest impact.
Karen Austin
SPX Hydraulic Technologies
When asked what advice she would offer to someone just starting in customer service, Austin says, “Put the customer first. And always treat the customer like they are the most important thing at that moment, because as far as they are concerned, they are. They need your undivided attention.”
What goals do you have for yourself? — The ability to motivate yourself begins with clearly defined goals. In recognition of Self-Improvement Month, Professor Burton shares his goal-setting checklist.
