CHAPTER 17: THE POLICE LEADER'S ROLE IN EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE Flashcards
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
Patience and _____ clearly must be components of the police employee’s customer service tool bag.
tact
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
Huge, private sector corporations as well as tiny, mom and pop
operations enjoying a deserved reputation for great customer service require that their employees buy into several key guidelines for handling customers:
- Customers are individuals with names and feelings.
- Customers are very important to us.
- Customers are the __________.
- Customers are not interruptions to our work; they ARE our work.
- The most vital thing we do is take care of our customers.
reason we have a job
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
Not unlike the off-duty police person, the citizen seeks some specific things when interacting with a service provider.
From a civil servant wearing a police uniform, the average citizen _______ several things from that exchange:
Reliability: “You can count on me.”
Responsiveness: “I’m familiar with that kind of situation and we’ll handle it.”
Reassurance: “The worst is over. It’s going to be alright.”
Empathy: “I think I know how you’re feeling.”
Results: “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
expects
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
In addition to what he wants, there is also a list of things that the
average customer ______ want to hear from a service provider, whether that provider is a cop or a clerk.
“You should have called earlier.” “That’s impossible.” “That’s department policy.” “You will have to. . . .” “I can’t help you.”
does not
WHAT THEY DON’T WANT
Frequently heard customer complaints include:
- Slow (or no) service.
- ________; discourtesy.
- “Can’t do” attitude shown by the employee.
- “Nobody listened to me.”
- Attitude of indiffe
Rudeness
WHAT THEY DON’T WANT
Golden Rule of Customer Service.
All of these steps require an honest _________ of concern and a sincere willingness to help on the part of the employee involved.
expression
Golden Rule of Customer Service.
These will increase customer satisfaction:
1) Treat people as individuals and use their name.
2) Be a very good listener.
3) Allow him (or her) to _______, if possible.
4) Build trust.
save face
Golden Rule of Customer Service.
These will increase customer satisfaction:
1) Treat people as individuals and use their name.
Difficult people who are called by name sometimes become more ________. However, some older citizens regard today’s instant familiarity as rude. The wise service provider will get that individual’s permission before calling him or her by a first name.
reasonable
Golden Rule of Customer Service.
These will increase customer satisfaction:
2) Be a very good listener.
Listening patiently, however, may help an officer get the information he needs to resolve a problem or ________ answer a question, thereby preventing a return call to the same individual.
At the same time, it is reasonable to steer a wandering talker back to the subject. “We need to stick to the present problem for now, Mr. Jones. . . .”
accurately
Golden Rule of Customer Service.
These will increase customer satisfaction:
3) Allow him (or her) to save face, if possible.
No one likes to be ________, especially in front of others.
embarrassed
Golden Rule of Customer Service.
These will increase customer satisfaction:
4) Build trust.
A law enforcement service provider who displays courtesy, sincerity, reliability, and _______ has put a great deal of effort into trust building with a police customer.
credibility
HOW CAN THEY BE REACHED?
For example, ________ police communicators smile, when appropriate. They make good eye contact with those they are talking with and display an open posture as opposed to the crossed arms and sour expression of some-one who has already made up his mind, or who does not want to be there in the first place.
excellent
HOW CAN THEY BE REACHED?
Good communicators avoid cop talk (police slang) and utilize vocabulary ________ to their audience. They tell the truth and take nothing for granted when it comes to reaching understanding with their audience. They stress what they CAN do to help the citizen-customer. They nod their head affirmatively from time to time, not necessarily to indicate agreement but to tell the speaker that he or she is being understood and should keep talking.
appropriate
HOW CAN THEY BE REACHED?
As any veteran peace officer will attest, perhaps the most difficult customer to address is the _____ individual.
angry
HOW CAN THEY BE REACHED?
Once again, however, there exist a number of time-proven techniques that can be used to help _____ an angry complainant.
1) Try not to take the verbal barrage personally.
2) Be a good listener.
3) Try to demonstrate empathy with their situation, insofar as is reasonable under the circumstances.
4) Obviously, any law enforcement officer must defend himself if attacked.
5) To the extent possible, ignore insulting comments and exaggerated statements.
6) It is acceptable to confront inaccurate statements made by a complainant (“it took you guys an hour to get there”), but the intelligent police person will do so as gently as possible (“it was actually ten minutes, sir, but I know it felt like an hour”).
7) In defusing an unhappy customer, it is often helpful to try and reach agreement on SOMETHING, even if it is no more than concurring that it’s a beautiful day.
calm
GOOD CALL OR BAD?
Telephone manners, or a lack thereof, are often a very good indicator of the _______ of customer service in a business or government agency.
overall health
GOOD CALL OR BAD?
Unfortunately, some callers to the public sector are convinced before they even make the connection that the government employee is going to be ________, rude, and/or just plain unhelpful on the phone.
abrasive
GOOD CALL OR BAD?
Most people, police leaders included, have had the experience of
being “________” over the telephone by an employee who clearly does not give a damn. Likely, they have communicated this state of mind and attitude as much through their tone of voice as through what they actually had to say
“serviced”
GOOD CALL OR BAD?
A few “telephone tricks of the trade” for police employees include the following:
- It may be difficult, but when you are on the telephone try really hard to sound pleasant and upbeat.
- Include your name in your telephone greeting.
- Be articulate and try not to talk too fast, even though you ARE very busy. You have not saved any time if you have to repeat yourself.
- Minimize interruptions to the extent possible. Avoid carrying on a separate conversation with a colleague when you are on the telephone.
- Avoid abandoning a caller on “eternal hold.” No one really likes to listen to elevator music, the local rock station, or even a taped crime prevention message all that much.
- Consider asking the caller in a courteous manner if he _________ what he has been told. Ask if he has any further questions.
understand
SUMMARY
It is not a mysterious or unattainable commodity. In the final analysis, good customer service amounts to little more than a version of the _________: TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED YOURSELF.
Golden Rule
SUMMARY
Information provided in this chapter can be provided to his employees by the leader interested in improving the customer service they provide. It is in this way that he helps assure that law enforcement gets better and his citizen-customers get served in the manner they deserve.
The leader should correct and train where he finds it lacking
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• The supervisor must _____ his or her employees to avoid telephone discourtesies.
teach
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• Many citizens ______ to receive poor customer service from government employees.
expect
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• Law enforcement has customers, too. They are the _______ the supervisor has a job.
reason
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• Exceptional customer service can pay off in dividends for the agency as well as the person _______ the service.
receiving
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• Customers want reliability, ______, responsiveness, trust, reassurance, empathy, and results from their interaction with law enforcement.
courtesy
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• Customers do not want _________, rudeness, a “can’t do” attitude, indifference, or someone who won’t listen to their story.
slow service
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• Customers of law enforcement should be listened to carefully, treated as ________ and allowed to save face whenever possible
individuals
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• Angry people test the best supervisor’s ________ and require his utmost efforts at restoring calm.
patience
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• The best exceptional customer service guideline is to treat customers like you would want to be treated yourself.
The Golden Rule
