Web Extras – Customer Communicator

Keep things light and creative — Reps everywhere are stressed out. Author Michael Kerr shows how humor can help.

Become an effective coach — May 1 is celebrated as “Executive Coaching Day,” but the benefits of coaching — and being coached — should be celebrated from the front lines to the executive suite. Customer service reps, in particular, should look for others who might coach or mentor them and for those who might benefit from their own coaching. Get started coaching with these five tips on how to mentor new or inexperienced coworkers.

Keep workplace conflict in check — Conflicts with managers or coworkers can be more disruptive than conflicts with customers. April is Workplace Conflict Awareness Month and a good time to brush up on conflict resolution skills.

Get yourself motivated! — Working in customer service can be stressful and de-motivating. It’s “Employee Spirit Month,” so we have suggestions from our “Ask the Panel” column on how to stay motivated on the job.

Build better relationships — February is “Relationship Wellness Month,” use the occasion to focus on the relationships you have with customers, and the perceptions that customers have of your company. Try using the LIFE acronym.

Use caution when delivering bad news to customers — Click to visit Evan Horowitz’s website, which offers more advice on delivering bad news to customers, including sample scripts for delivering bad news (scroll to the bottom of the page for access to the scripts).

Get organized! — January is Get Organized month. One important aspect of organization is good time management. Click here for tips on managing your time better.

Start setting goals for 2017 — Goal setting is usually reserved for January and those perennial “New Year’s Resolutions,” but starting in December offers an even better opportunity to review both the past year’s results and the next year’s goals. Try these four techniques.

Tips for good vocal health — The most important tool for a phone service rep is the voice, so it’s important to keep that voice strong and healthy throughout the day and throughout the year. Learn more.

Start a book club with fellow reps — November 1 is National Authors’ Day. Start your book club or reading list with these suggestions.

Quote of the Month — Post this quote from Mahatma Gandhi in your workspace to inspire your efforts all month long.

Celebrate your service champions — Send a Customer Service Week eCard, or nominate a coworker for TCC’s Frontline Spotlight Award.

How will you spend your time today? — If you need help tracking your workday activities this chart will come in handy.

Succeed via self-education — September is “Self-University” Month, and this article from the Customer Service Group archives will give you ideas on where to invest your time and effort.

Positive language keeps customer interactions positive — Print and pin up our “word cloud,” with a sampling of positive words and phrases to use with customers.