The people on the front lines are the voice and face of your organization.  If your call center handles client calls, their behavior influences not only customers' perception of your company, but  of your clients' organizations as well.  What call center reps say on the phones is often what determines customers' future loyalty and buying behavior.

Major Media's three-part Going the Distance^©sm  training series builds the specific consultative process and high-level communication skills that front-line employees and managers need to effectively manage the customer relationship, enhance customers' perceptions, upsell, cross-sell, and increase loyalty (and profitability!) with every contact.    

A 2-day Coaching Workshop enables the participants' managers, supervisors or team leaders to coach these skills on the job. 

TARGET AUDIENCE 

Going the Distance^©sm is designed for CSR's, TSR's, Help Desk and tech support staff -- everyone who interacts with customers.  This training series is  appropriate for both new and experienced employees.   

OBJECTIVES 
 

Develop long-term customer loyalty, trust and commitment in every interaction.

Fully diagnose customers' issues, problems or complaints.

Ensure that all issues are resolved to the customers' complete satisfaction.

Improve loyalty and retention of customers who choose price over value.

Increase overall account profitability through cross-selling, upselling and add-on sales.

Improve customers’ perceptions of your organization’s service quality.

Promote total customer satisfaction.

Improve employee motivation and commitment. 

 
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION   

Going the Distance^©sm is divided into three parts, each of which consists of two four-hour modules. This highly interactive training focuses on on the consultative process and specific communication, negotiation and sales skills which have proven to influence: 
 

• customer loyalty,
• likelihood of future purchases and referrals
• recovery from service problems and complaints 
• upselling and cross selling of products and services. 
 
 
The vast majority of customers say they are satisfied, but that doesn't translate to loyalty, and it doesn't mean they're not vulnerable to competing companies, products or services.  

The two four-hour modules of Part One,  Going the Distance One Customer at a Time^©sm, enable participants to effectively apply the specific consulting and communication skills they need to: 
 

• Build and maintain a highly positive relationship with each customer -- one customer at a time.
 
• Effectively apply the appropriate consultative skills to enhance customer loyalty in typical interactions.
 
• Successfully demonstrate the appropriate consultative skills to build customer satisfaction and loyalty in complex service interactions.
 
• Enhance customers’ perceptions of your organization’s service quality with every interaction. 
 
  
The way in which CSR's, Help Desk and tech support personnel handle service problems and complaints can make or break the customer relationship with your organization or your clients.  Just 9-30% of customers whose complaints are not successfully resolved will remain customers.  Yet 90% of those whose complaints are resolved to their satisfaction will buy from the company again.  In fact, they are more likely to remain loyal customers than those who never complain.¹  

The two four-hour modules of Part 2: Going the Distance to Make it Right^©sm build on the process and skills developed in Part 1.  Participants learn to apply the specific consultative, communication and negotiating skills they need to: 
 

• Prevent escalation of problems by understanding and effectively responding to the emotional components of customers' reactions.
 
• Defuse a wide range of challenging customer behaviors.
 
• Effectively diagnose both the problem and its underlying causes to ensure a completely successful resolution.
 
• Ensure a win/win resolution of problems and complaints.
 
• Build (or rebuild) customer trust and loyalty.
  
 
Customers who use several of a company's products are significantly more loyal -- and profitable -- than those who use just one.  Service and support interactions present substantial opportunities for upselling, cross-selling and add-on sales.  When correctly handled, the selling process, itself, is perceived as a service by the customer, but many service and support representatives are uncomfortable about selling.   
 
Part 3: Going the Distance to Build Customer Value^©sm  develops consultative sales skills in a context that makes suggestive selling a natural outcome of the service process addressed in Parts One and Two.   Participants learn to apply the specific skills they need to: 
 
• Determine the appropriate time to sell in service or support interactions. 
 
• Use information obtained in the course of service or support calls to link the customer's needs to additional products or services offered by the company.
 
• Present product or service information in the context of the individual customer's situation and needs.
 
• Know when and how to overcome objections and close the sale.
 
• Maintain a supportive relationship with the customer throughout the call.
 
 
TRAINING METHODOLOGY  

Going the Distance^©sm training integrates behavior modeling with statistical analysis of each participant's interactive behaviors. The combination lets participants see  how their skills measure up to the success model, and the precise steps they need to take to improve. All GTD elements are built around a Core Module which introduces the program's philosophy, process and models, and links these key elements to the participants' on-the-job experience.  

 Instructional strategies include video segments, highly participative discussions, small group exercises, and role play simulations with extensive individual feedback. Contrasting scenarios  dramatize different approaches to a variety of retention situations, and help participants consider how they handle analogous issues with their own customers.  

Role play practice sessions provide for maximum practice and feedback. Pairs of participants, equipped with audio recorders, play each other's customer in a variety of situations which can be specifically tailored  to your company and their jobs. Each pair privately critiques their own tapes and analyzes the impact of their behavior on the outcome of each scenario.  

 
  Participants measure their skill development against the Going the Distance^©sm 
  statistical behavioral model, across several, increasingly complex, role plays. They use this 
  information to build personal profiles of their skill development, and detailed Action 
  Plans for ongoing improvement on the job.  

In the Going the Distance Coaching Workshop^©sm , participants' team leaders, supervisors and managers learn to use the same profiling methods as tools for continual performance improvement.  
 
For complete information on Going the Distance from Customer Service to Customer Loyalty^©sm  
 please contact Joan Krawitz, Director of Learning Resources.  

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 ¹ Data courtesy of TARP