Table of Contents

C O N T E N T S

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

1 CUSTOMERS: Delight Your Audience

1. Pay Attention 4

2. Listen Completely to Your Customers 6

3. Know Your Business 8

4. Do What You Say You Will When You

Say You Will 10

5. Follow Up for Satisfaction 12

6. Making Customers Happy Is Job #1 14

2 PERFORMANCE: Your Role of a Lifetime

7. Present Your Best Face Forward 18

8. Maintain a Positive Attitude 20

9. Exude Confidence 22

10. Honesty Is Always Your Best Choice 24

11. Energize Yourself 26

12. Bounce Back with Resiliency 28

3 PLANNING: A Good Script Begins

with Thoughtful Consideration

13. Create a Personal Mission Statement 32

14. Write a Customer-Focused Plan 34

15. Set Specific and Relevant Goals 36

16. Measure Results to Stay on Track 38

4 COMMUNICATION: Choose the Right Lines

in the Script

17. You Don’t Communicate Alone 42

18. Stop When You See Communication

Red Lights 44

19. Go with Green Light Communication 46

20. Listen, Listen, Listen 48

21. Speak Your Best at All Times 50

22. Pay Attention to Body Language: Yours

and Others 52

23. Give and Get Accurate Information 54

24. Ask Good Questions 56

25. Ask Who, What, When, Where, Why,

and How 58

26. Answer and Respond to Enhance

Communication 60

27. Assure to Make Others Feel Valued 62

28. Zap Zapper Words from Your Vocabulary 64

29. Charge Ahead with Charger Words 66

5 LEADERSHIP: Great Performances Need

Great Direction

30. Positive Leadership Begins

with Awareness 70

31. Develop Positive Leadership Qualities 72

32. Think Like a Leader 74

33. Model Leadership Behavior 76

34. Learn Critical Thinking Skills 78

35. Make Solid Decisions 80

36. Manage Your Time or Your Time Will

Manage You 82

37. Add Value to Everything You Do 84

6 PREPARATION: Things Are Going to Change

38. Get Ready: Things Will Not Stay the Same 88

39. Become a Quick Change Artist 90

40. Help Yourself and Others Work

Through Change 92

41. Remain Objective 94

42. Maintain an Upbeat Attitude 96

43. Stay Accountable for Outcomes 98

7 TRAINING: Learn Your Lines

44. Analyze Training Needs 102

45. Learners Come in Different Styles 104

46. Products, Services, and Company Policies 106

47. General Steps to Exceptional

Customer Service 108

48. Specific Steps to Exceptional

Customer Service 110

49. Conduct Market Research 112

50. Understand the Big Picture 114

51. Handle Customer Complaints 116

52. Learning Is a Continual Project 118

8 TEAMWORK:The Actors Make the Cast

53. Strong Teams = Success 122

54. Establish a Team Identity 124

55. Foster a Supportive Environment 126

56. Form a Cohesive and United Team 128

57. Strengthen Your Team by Being a Team Player 130

58. Analyze What You Can Do to Improve 132

9 MOTIVATION: Monitoring the Process

59. Hands-On Customer Service 136

60. Take Charge: Stop, Look, and Listen 138

61. Document Your Observations 140

62. Motivate Your Team 142

63. Exemplify the Right Behavior 144

10 FEEDBACK: Rave Reviews and Poor Reviews

64. Meaningful Feedback Is Focused, Specific,

and Timely 148

65. The Wrong Way Demoralizes 150

66. The Right Way Enthuses 152

67. Quick Feedback Gets Positive Results 154

68. Corrective Feedback Changes Performance 156

69. Development Plans Set Goals for

Improvement 158

70. Periodic Appraisals Are the Most

Specific Feedback 160

71. Accept Feedback Graciously 162

11 MEETINGS: On-the-Spot Rehearsals

72. Plan Productive Meetings 166

73. Lead Meetings Effectively and Efficiently 168

74. Sound Questioning Techniques Keep You

on Track 170

75. Maintain Control During Your Meetings 172

76. Strengthen Group Discussion by Understanding

Group Dynamics 174

77. Conclude Meetings by Energizing Your Team 176

78. Customer Service Meetings Keep

You Focused 178

79. Contribute Positively When You

Attend Meetings 180

12 CONFLICT: Every Production Has Turmoil

80. Conflict Is Good 184

81. Communication Is Key to Resolving Conflict 186

82. Anticipate Problems and Deal with

Them Immediately 188

83. Find Win-Win Solutions 190

84. Turn Chronic Complaining

into Contentment 192

85. Turn Problem Performers into

Peak Producers 194

86. Remain Calm and in Control at All Times 196

13 COMMITMENT: Take It from the Top

87. Keep the Momentum Going 200

88. Stay One Step Ahead of the Crowd 202

89. Pro-Act, Don’t React 204

90. Create Creative Coworkers 206

91. Cultivate Contented Customers 208

92. Develop an Attitude of Gratitude 210

93. Make Fun Time a Daily Goal 212

14 QUICK TIPS: Cue Cards

94. CHARACTER Counts 216

95. CHANGE for the Better 218

96. LISTEN UP for Better Communication 220

97. CARE About Your Customers 221

98. Face-to-Face Customer Service 223

99. Stop! Look! Listen! Act! for Outstanding

Customer Service 224

100. Customer Satisfaction Quiz 225

101. Customer Quick Bytes 226

Index 227