Customer Service: A Practical Approach (5e)

For undergraduate courses in Customer Service, Training and Development, and Service Marketing; also as a supplement for a course in Marketing Principles.

The market-leader, Customer Service: A Practical Approach, Fifth Edition, goes beyond providing reasons why customer service is important to defining proven methods for creating customer service excellence. Using an organized and concise layout, it covers a wide range of knowledge and skills and offers an extensive collection of activities to enliven and invigorate any lecture. This edition features a revised chapter on technology, new quick quizzes, job link activities, team building exercises, and expanded challenge projects. Focusing on problem solving, communication strategies and self-assessment, it transcends superficial elements and pinpoints the skills needed to improve and sustain customer satisfaction and business relationships. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1.      What is Customer Service?

2.      The Challenges of Customer Service

3.      Problem Solving

4.      Strategy for Formulating a Plan for Success

5.      Empowerment

6.      Communications in Customer Service

7.      Coping with Challenging Customers

8.      Motivation

9.      Leadership in Customer Service

10.  Customer Retention and Measurement of Satisfaction

11.  Technology and Customer Service

12.  Excellence in Customer Service

New to this edition:

• Updated coverage of new trends in customer service including immediacy of response, use of technology, and other creative new approaches to customer service.
• Examples of actual companies in a variety of industries, their customer service priorities, challenges and creative methods of providing customer service.
• Numerous activities that allow students/trainees to master skills vital to success as a business professional.
• Use of the Internet as a customer service tool.
• Explanation of the increasing occurrence of customer reward programs, preferred customer programs, and purchase tracking programs to customize the customer experience.

The market-leader, Customer Service: A Practical Approach, Fifth Edition, goes beyond providing reasons why customer service is important to defining proven methods for creating customer service excellence. Using an organized and concise layout, it covers a wide range of knowledge and skills and offers an extensive collection of activities to enliven and invigorate any lecture. This edition features a revised chapter on technology, new quick quizzes, job link activities, team building exercises, and expanded challenge projects. Focusing on problem solving, communication strategies and self-assessment, it transcends superficial elements and pinpoints the skills needed to improve and sustain customer satisfaction and business relationships. 

Tackles the important issues–facing customer service providers and managers today.

• Addresses content most critical to the delivery of excellent customer service such as problem solving, strategy, empowerment, communications, motivation, leadership, customer retention, and technology. 

Explains ten characteristics of challenging customers–in chapter 7.

• Helps readers predict problems they may encounter and prepares them to use the tools of empathy and respect to improve and resolve these challenging situations. 

Offers an extensive collection of activities–throughout the text.

• Gives students numerous ways to develop skills and conduct self-assessments.
• Saves instructors time on class preparation.