Giving great customer service isn’t a matter of doing what you think your customers want, it’s a matter of doing what your customers want. One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is in assuming they know what their customers want without getting to know their customers and identifying what they really want. Managers who make sure they and their teams are clued in to their customers are in the best position to give exceptional service.

To understand customers, it is important to get close to them, to stay tuned in to them, and to think like them. Frontline employees are the key. They present the face of the business so it is crucial that managers train them to interact well with customers. Customer service managers who know how to train effectively and then follow up to observe and provide meaningful feedback are in a great position to develop customer loyalty.

Every customer service manager wants to develop strong teams in which coworkers interact well with each other and take responsibility to provide exceptional customer service. But many will attest to the fact that even though they understand how important customer service is, they often have employees who do not appreciate its importance. In addition, managers will often ignore employee behavior problems because they do not know how to deal with them. The sad news, for managers, is that ignoring problems will not make them go away. Ignoring problems will make customers go away.

Managers interested in learning what it takes to motivate their employees to give top-notch service will find their answers by reading Customer Service Management Training 101. This book teaches managers how to be effective leaders and how to develop the necessary skills they can use to communicate, train, and inspire their frontline employees who are responsible for customer satisfaction. It also provides a good teaching tool for personal skills development.

Customer Service Management Training 101 utilizes the successful format of Customer Service Training 101, providing step-by-step lessons to help new managers learn how to become effective leaders and veteran managers to improve their skills. It is divided into three parts: managing yourself, managing others, and managing for results.

Each chapter includes a skills checklist, a ‘real world’ practice lesson, and goal planner. Chapter topics include: understanding your personal management style; developing solid leadership qualities; planning and organizing; communicating up, down, across, inside and outside; training for excellence; building a strong team; monitoring performance; providing meaningful feedback; and finally, focusing on self-development and making yourself the best you can be.  

Customer Service Management Training 101 will stand the test of time because it focuses strongly on managing and leading frontline employees to provide exceptional customer service. While other aspects of a business undergo continual change, the fundamentals of customer service management remain the same.

The most important benefit of being an effective customer service manager is found in increased productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction. It is always cheaper and faster when frontline employees do the job right the first time. Satisfying an unhappy customer costs a lot more, both in dollars and time, than satisfying a customer on the first try.

As a manager, your success depends not only on how well you perform, but on how well your employees perform. Your success depends on your mastery of leadership and management skills. Whether you are a new manager or a veteran, Customer Service Management Training 101 will help you get to the top of your game and stay there.