Customer service development

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by tysfoot, Jan 8, 2009.

  1. tysfoot

    tysfoot Byte Poster

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    Hi, im looking to get my first job in customer service or as a technical hepdesk advisor.

    im studying for my A+ and want a job in the I.T/office field but i have no experience deaing with customer or on the phone

    can anyone recommend any customer service training providers

    I think ill only need about 20 hours study and i would like a certificate to show my fist employer that im competent enough to handle customers
     
    Certifications: A+
    WIP: MCDST, N+
  2. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I've never heard of a class on customer service... not one that any employers would take notice of, anyway. Either you can deal with people on the phone with a pleasant demeanor or you can't... and you usually figure that out by getting on the phone in a real-life job situation.

    In truth, it takes no experience... that's why those jobs are entry-level jobs: no experience required.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  3. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    Customer Service courses only teach you the skills/concepts about customer service. Experience will teach you the rest, with that in mind check out:

    1. Learndirect, they have quite a few Customer service short courses (as well as NVQ's in Customer Service) starting from £34.99 (currently). Or
    2. Check out your local college, alot of them will be offering Customer service course.

    -Ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  4. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    I've been on a customer service course, funded by the company. pretty much everyone (at the time) was sent on it. It even gave you a nice little (useless) certificate at the end of it.
     
    Certifications: ITIL Foundation; MCTS: Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010, Administration
    WIP: None at present
  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Nice! :D
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  6. Arroryn

    Arroryn we're all dooooooomed Moderator

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    For me, customer service has always been personality based, and isn't therefore something that can be reflected on a certificate.

    Sure, you can be taught the concepts of customer service, like you can also be taught the concept of the emergency stop, jumping out of a plane or boiling an egg. But when the Exchange server goes down and you've got an irate senior lawyer screaming down the phone at you about getting emails out for a completion, it's real-world reactions, not the contents of a small course, that are going to come out in moments like that.

    As moments of chaos bring out epiphan-esque clarity, so do they also bring out the service guru or anger demon in us all :biggrin

    I wrote this article on what I feel customer service on an IT helpdesk encompasses, as well as basic Service 101s. You may find it useful (or you may not) but I wrote it at the time from a viewpoint of around a year in corporate IT support for an SMB, and prior to that two years working in sales, telephone-based (not telesales, which is altogether different and possibly quite soul destroying).
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, 70-410, 70-411
    WIP: Modern Languages BA
  7. tysfoot

    tysfoot Byte Poster

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    am thinking about when im at a job interview.

    if i could show an employer a certificate that im able to provide good customer service skills suely that will give me a better chance. at the moment i have no experience and most jobs ask for this

    i know these training courses are boring but begers cant be choosers and i need a job :biggrin

    im starting from the bottom so i want to show im willing to learn and progress
     
    Certifications: A+
    WIP: MCDST, N+
  8. tysfoot

    tysfoot Byte Poster

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    Cheers, im just reading though the article now
     
    Certifications: A+
    WIP: MCDST, N+
  9. Arroryn

    Arroryn we're all dooooooomed Moderator

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    What current work experience do you have?
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, 70-410, 70-411
    WIP: Modern Languages BA
  10. tysfoot

    tysfoot Byte Poster

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    i have 6 months work experience in the office enviroment but no experience dealing with customers, thats why i wante to do a short certificate so i know how to deal with customers and what lingo to use.

    what i think i might do is rent a book from the library and spend a day reading though it
     
    Certifications: A+
    WIP: MCDST, N+
  11. Arroryn

    Arroryn we're all dooooooomed Moderator

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    Nah, what I'm trying to coax out of you is so I can broach the fact that customer service isn't all talking to someone on the end of a phone.

    Is this 6 months in an office your complete work experience? If not, what else did you do?

    For this office job, were you asked to sit on your own in a room and communicate with the outside world via smoke signals and carrier pigeon? If not, I bet I can show you how you've used a form of customer service in your job. Try me :)
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, 70-410, 70-411
    WIP: Modern Languages BA
  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Winner! 8)
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  13. Evilwheato

    Evilwheato Kilobyte Poster

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    The first IT job I took I didn't have any telephone customer experience. It will be something that you will pick up. As said by Arroryn I'm sure there is something that would be customer based.
    If there really isn't anything, do some volunteering (or perhaps get a short job) where you work with customers.
     
  14. Waizer

    Waizer New Member

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    Quite a good suggestion that. Had a friend that had 0 customer service experience as he had just left college. He took a small low paying job working in an office as a CSR for 2 months. Now 2 months wasn't a long time and it doesn't look like much when written down on a CV either but come the interview and when he was asked questions about how he would deal with a customer that was angry at [insert reason here] and it was our fault he could answer from experience and it showed. Long story short he got the job he wanted, just had to wait a little longer so he could get the experience.
     
  15. GiddyG

    GiddyG Terabyte Poster Gold Member

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    Don't forget that a piece of your A+ studying will (or at least should) go into customer service as well... if you've got the Meyers book 6th Edition, have a look at pages 1097 through to 1100. It's Domain 8 in the Essentials Objectives Map, unless it's changed recently.
     
  16. Ropenfold

    Ropenfold Kilobyte Poster

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    I currently work in a call centre and much of what I do its pretty samey, You need patience more than anything else. Much of the skills I have, most people have or can be taught although I doubt a certificate will really show an employer this.

    The ability to listen, collate information and offer clear, concise solutions is pretty much the be all of working in a customer service environment, especially on the phones. A lot of requests may just require a scripted answer anyway.

    There is an NVQ in customer service, which my employer is pushing us to learn. :blink
     
    Certifications: BSC (Hons), A+, MCDST, N+, 70-270, 98-364, CLF-C01
    WIP: ISC2 CC, Security+
  17. nedski

    nedski New Member

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    I have worked in sales / marketing all my career (20 + years) although never in IT.

    As far as I see it - there are no sales or customer service "skills", just the ability to listen to people and treat them in a polite and friendly manner.

    Just treat people as you would want to be treated is my best advice.

    It's not rocket science :)
     

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