Short Courses

Aim:
To ensure that call centre workers are presenting a positive, professional image of your company whilst also solidifying excellent customer relations, promoting sales and communicating effectively and efficiently.

Synopsis:
Communicating Effectively and Professionally
• Tone, emphasis, pace
• Listening skills

Customer Care
• Providing an outstanding service
• Identifying and meeting customers’ needs
• Building strong, mutually beneficial relations

Efficiency and Working to Target
• Setting and achieving goals
• Timing

Maintaining drive and motivation
• Listening
• Active listening
• Two way communication

Gathering Information
• Asking questions
• Probing techniques
• Research of customer

Handling difficult customers
• Remaining calm
• Tackling tricky situations
• Resolving issues

Sales
• Reaching the decision maker
• Building credibility and rapport
• Overcoming objections
• Securing Commitment

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. Understand and demonstrate effective communication skills
2. Understand and demonstrate a high standard of customer care, rapport building and describe a variety of techniques to handle difficult customers
3. Develop sales techniques and know the entire sales process from initial contact with customer to close of sale

Assessment & Certification:
Internal company assessment and certification

Duration
1 Day

Aim:
To take those in the front line or preparing to work in the service industry through the key customer care skills and to understand how to competently handle complaints, difficult customers and to how to identify how important each delegates role is in developing excellent customer satisfaction.

Synopsis:

What is Customer Care?

• Why bother with customer service?
• Why does customer care happen?

Customer Care Skills

• Attitude and behaviour
• Appearance
• Body language
• Eyes, ears and mouth
• Stroking and pacing
• Assertiveness
• Product service and quality

Communicating with and Serving your Customers

• Warm, friendly, professional service
• Disability awareness

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. State the importance of good customer care in their daily contact with customers.
2. Demonstrate the use of their customer care skills.
3. Help to increase customer satisfaction within their business by adopting an action learned approach when dealing with difficult customers.
4. Identify their role in the team and accept responsibility for the actions of other team members.

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:
To give delegates an introduction to leadership & management, performance management, running effective meetings, interviewing and communication in effective but efficient bite size chunks.  A pragmatic, fast paced look at management styles, roles, responsibilities and skill development.

Synopsis:

Leadership & Management

• What is the difference?
• Leadership skills and management skills (time, delegation, organisation)
• Problem solving and decision making / Complaint handling
• Motivating and managing staff / Giving and receiving feedback

Performance Management

• Definition and aims of performance management
• Identifying and reviewing standards of performance and behaviour
• Motivation – meeting different people’s needs
• Managing performance – evaluation, flexibility, closing gaps,
• Coaching – adapting style, feedback, appraisals

Running Effective Meetings

• Objectives – SMART, integrative, preparation and planning
• Timing – creating & sticking to an agenda, controlling communication, streamlining
• Communication – include all, debrief, and follow up

Interviewing

• Before – job descriptions, profiles, reading CVs and applications
• The interview – introduction, questioning, closing, streaming
• Development – the law, cost of recruitment and turn over

Communication

• Identify and work with communication style in self and others
• Influence/persuasion/raising questions/feedback/motivating others
• Two way, effective communication

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. Understand and demonstrate key leadership and management skills
2. Prepare, conduct and review an effective, efficient meeting
3. Understand the recruitment process and conduct successful interviews
4. Understand communication styles and how to utilise them in the workplace

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:

to develop the ability to distil key points in order to document decisions and actions.  Delegates will understand the frameworks for minute taking and adapt their individual development points.

Synopsis:

Purpose and different types of minute taking

Writing styles – what not to do

Responsibility and relationship of the Chair and the minute taker

Listening skills

Note taking – theory and practice

Being selective – knowing what you need and what you don’t

Assessing minutes

Professional tone and language

Minute Presentation

Objectives:

Delegates will be able to;

1. Understand the purpose and different styles of minute taking
2. Compile concise meeting notes covering all key points without wasting words or time
3. Be familiar with the language and tone of minutes and the roles of a meeting

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

½ Day

Aim:
To take customer service skills a step further by equipping delegates with the vital skills to be able to sell and up sell professionally.  Delegates will be given the skills and the will to enhance customer’s visits and increase profits.

Synopsis:

What is selling?

• Introduction to course content and objectives

Making the most of opportunities to sell

• Types of customers and their needs
• Product knowledge
• Identifying and creating sales opportunities

Selling skills

• Pre shift preparation
• The sales situation – positive talk, steering, offering alternatives, up selling, merchandising, selling, follow up action, formal input

Putting it into practice

• Selling role plays and demonstrations

Course Summary

• Return to original objectives

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. Identify opportunities that exist to increase average spending and sales to customers and enhance professional skills
2. Recognise the need to participate in an ‘everybody sells’ approach and introduce it into their daily dealings with customers
3. Deal effectively and efficiently with all opportunities to sell and maximise sales potential

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:
To explore the effectiveness of team working and how this will benefit any business operation.  The course will help to build high performance, multi-skilled teams and will explore the purpose and processes of effective teams.

Synopsis:

Essentials of effective team working

Why do we have teams?

The team working process

What makes an effective team?

What makes an effective team leader?

Team behaviours and characteristics

Stages of team development

Roles within a team

Tolls to transform teams

All theory will be coupled with a pragmatic approach and practical exercises to reaffirm and enhance the learning.

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. Identify the benefits of team working
2. Understand roles within a team and carry out their own roles effectively
3. Explain the science behind effective team working
4. Work effectively as part of a team and continue to develop team performance

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:
To focus on what makes a customer feel welcomed and wanted and how to provide a service that does a little bit more – to surprise and delight customers.  To understand the skills and processes needed within the hospitality industry.

Synopsis:

Super Service

• What is important to your customer?
• Appearance, approach and attitude
• Acknowledging and greeting the customer
• Engaging the customer

Identifying Customer Requirements

• Showing sincere interest by asking questions
• Demonstrate great product knowledge

Provide Great Service and Selling Skills

• Concentrate on providing service beyond the customers’ expectations
• Paying attention to the little things
• State customer requirements and match product benefits to them
• Demonstrate confident up-selling techniques

Practical Skills

• Preparation for service, laying table, handling equipment, clearing of food service equipment, seating customers & taking orders, correct service procedures, menu knowledge, presentation, clearing tables, presentation of bill, reservations,

Dealing with Complaints

• The technique, who’s team are you on?

Manage the Customers Departure

• Last impressions are as important as the first

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. State why first impressions are crucial to super service
2. Identify things that can enhance customer experience and surprise them
3. Anticipate customer requirement s and eliminate service irritants
4. Recognise and practice the important of the customer departure

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:
To guide delegates through the key stages of interview preparation and provide them with essential information and experience to maximise their interview performance.

Synopsis:

Introduction to interview preparation

• What do we know, what do we need to know?

Conducting Research

• What should you know about a company?
• Where can you get information?
• How much information do you need?

Preparing for questions

• Getting pre-interview details
• Types of questions and how to answer them
• Difficult questions for you
• Recognising your chance to shine in questions
• Role specific questioning

How to Rehearse

• Practice techniques
• Role play scripts
• What should you be rehearsing

Preparing Yourself

• Attitude, appearance, time management & communication skills
• Controlling nerves

Objectives:

Delegates will be able to;

1. Effectively plan and prepare for an interview
2. Understand key techniques to improve interview performance
3. Successfully complete a mock interview

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

½ Day

Aim:

To cover the practical skills needed to make recruitment interviews productive and focused.  Delegates will understand the stages of the recruitment process and how to conduct an effective interview so that they are able to attract the best candidates and choose the best person for the job.

Synopsis:

Introduction – Why does Interviewing Matter?

• Cost of recruitment and staff turn over
• Causes of poor recruitment
• Approaches to effective recruitment
• Stages of Recruitment

Before the Interview

• Designing a job description and person profile
• Critiquing CVs and application forms

The Interview

• Introductions and openers
• Questioning the candidate
• Closing the interview – outlining doubts

Recruitment Development

• Recruitment and employment law
• Development plan

Objectives:

Delegates will be able to;

1. Conduct successful interviews
2. Create job descriptions and person profiles
3. Understand relevant recruitment and employment laws
4. Make informed, effective and efficient recruitment decisions

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

½ Day

Aim:
To enable individuals and teams to effectively lead and manage a change programme to enhance performance.  Delegates will have an understanding of the processes that can be used to encourage change, make improvements and will develop the skills to make it happen.

Synopsis:

The difference between leadership and management

What makes a credible leader?
The framework needed for change

Development of leadership and management capabilities

Identification of areas where we can improve performance

How do we improve performance?

How can we be more effective at work and in our daily lives?

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. State the difference between leading and managing
2. Understand and develop leadership qualities
3. Appreciate the framework required to create change
4. Demonstrate the skills required to improve performance and work effectively

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:

For those looking to develop their managerial skills within a call centre setting this course will allow you to understand how to keep your team motivated, well trained and able to contribute towards the success of the overall operation. 

Synopsis:

Call Centre Resources

• Making best use of resources and staff (including opening hours and shift patterns)

Setting and Getting Performance Objectives

• Agreeing on vision and objectives with management team
• Conveying company objectives in call answering and call back performance

Customer Expectations

• Agreeing and monitoring style of customer interactions
• Agreeing and monitoring call waiting standards

Down Time

• Making use of quiet spells, handling outgoing calls, making call backs, cold calling and sales calls, handling calls for third party organisations

Customer Service through Management

• Getting your team to ‘buy in’ to company products and services
• Setting and maintaining standards
• Coaching and Mentoring of performance quality

Feedback and Reward

• How to feedback to supervisors, team leaders and individuals, providing incentives
• Supporting supervisors, team leaders and lead agents
• Listening to front line staff and providing recognition

Evaluating Call Handling

• Assessing and developing selling techniques
• Coaching for effective listening
• Setting SMART goals
• Dealing with underachievers

Supporting Team Leaders, Supervisors and Lead Agents

• Delegation and empowerment

Develop Action Plan

• What now…new messages and visions putting this across to the call centre team,

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to

1. Make effective use of time and resources within a call centre
2. Develop and motivate a call centre team
3. Prepare effective management reports and get the most out of technology
4. Give meaningful feedback to agents and set and achieve SMART targets

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:

To understand the combination of factors which contribute to personal effectiveness and to further develop the skills and techniques needed to build personal impact, influence and effectiveness in dealings with others in the workplace.  

Synopsis:

Managing Time and Priorities

Developing Assertiveness

Handling conflict and difficult people

Understanding Personal Style

Influencing skills

Building personal profile and impact

Action Planning

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. Analyse their current effectiveness in the work place
2. Know when and how to use assertive communication effectively
3. Deal with conflict situations and difficult people
4. Know which influencing style(s) to adopt in different situations
5. Develop a personal action plan to enhance personal effectiveness in the workplace

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:

To introduce delegates to the theory and practice behind effective meetings; creating structure and order, working towards a solid objective and involving all meeting participants in the planning and execution of the meeting.

Synopsis:

Objectives

• Setting clear, solid, achievable objectives
• Communicating the objectives
• Timing objectives
• Determining content and meeting attendees from objectives

Timing

• How to streamline a meeting and make effective use of your time
• Commit to objectives
• Creating an agenda –priorities, results, participants, sequence, timing, where, when
• Sticking to an agenda
• Pre meeting preparation – you and the others
• Assigning topic leaders

Keeping Everyone Happy

• Include everyone in preparation – creating a participative agenda
• Controlling communication
• Staying on topic
• Summarise and follow up/debrief

Objectives:

Delegates will be able to;

1. Explain the processes involved in preparing and conducting an effective meeting
2. Create SMART meeting objectives
3. Achieve objectives in the minimum amount of time
4. Satisfy all participants in the meeting process

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

½ Day

Aim:
To focus and develop the key supervisory and leadership skills to make delegates a more effective member of a management team and to prepare delegates for a new supervisory role.

Synopsis:

Introduction to the course objectives

Leadership skills –what are they?

The task – the team- the individual

Personal management skills – time management

Work organisation

Effective delegation

Motivating and managing your team

Communication – how do we communicate?

Improving communication skills

Giving and receiving feedback

Coaching skills

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

1. State the key qualities of a leader
2. Introduce appropriate self, time and business management skills
3. Enhance their own and their team’s performance and efficiency

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:
For individuals who works to tight deadlines and you need more control over your workload, this course will help to teach improved planning and organisational techniques.

This means that by planning your workload, you will have less paper littering your desk and an efficient approach to new tasks. The result is more time to focus on the important tasks that need your time throughout the day, thanks to some effective time management planning.

Synopsis:

As a there are hundreds of tools that can help you manage your time and work more effectively. This organisation course will help you find a way that’s right for you by teaching you how to plan your workload and focussing on important organisational techniques that will help you learn to free up time for the most critical tasks.

• Time management techniques to get more out of your day
• An understanding of best practice email use
• Recognition of where your time is wasted
• Reduced levels of stress and an easier life
• Ability to set achievable goals and achieve them!
• A checklist to organise tasks logically and efficiently
• Better working relationships with others
• The ability to manage expectations of your colleagues

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to:

• Setting goals and priorities
• Putting first things first
• Meeting deadlines
• Organising your workplace
• Planning your workload
• Eliminating time wasters
• Reducing paperwork
• Handling information
• Active listening
• Best practice for email use

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day

Aim:
This Time Management course is a valuable course for anyone who feels they need to prioritise, respond to changing priorities, and react assertively when others place demands on their time. This course can be used by people in any job role or industry,

Synopsis:

This course helps learners regain control of their workload by managing both their time and their interactions with others more intelligently. Attending this course you will learn how and when to say no, how to prioritise effectively and most importantly, how to sustain these improvements over time rather than slip back into bad habits.  Everyone will leave the course with clear objectives, skills and frameworks that they can use to make immediate improvements to their time management and efficiency.

• A new focus on your purpose and objectives and tools to benchmark your success
• Effective prioritisation skills
• An understanding of your own productivity schedules and patterns
• The ability to analyse and combat the factors that sabotage good intentions
• Assertive techniques to manage interruptions and handle disruptions
• Skills for delegating to others so you can finish the jobs that really matter
• The golden rules for saying ‘no’
• An action plan to encourage self-discipline and sustained improvements
• Recommended reading list
• A blended learning experience allowing you to continue to develop skills in the workplace

Objectives:
Delegates will be able to: This course focuses on three key routes to effective time management:

Doing the right things:                               

• Seeking “value” for time like “value” for money
• Setting effective goals and objectives
• Getting into a results focused mind-set
• Motivating yourself to use your time creatively and productively
• Structure for effective delegation

At the right time:

• Using the prioritisation matrix and time logs
• Scheduling tools in practice
• Recognising “time bandits” and the strategies to beat them
• Appreciating the difference between important and urgent
• Re-prioritisation: when and where

In the right way:

• Emotional brain vs thinking brain
• Tips and tools for better organisation
• Managing expectations proactively
• Using delegation effectively to free up time

Assessment & Certification:

Internal company assessment and certification

Duration

1 Day