Online Class: Customer Relationship Management

Customers love and cherish companies that treat them the way they (the customer) want to be treated. People are now prepared to pay more for good service.

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  • 13
    Lessons
  • 19
    Exams &
    Assignments
  • 2,130
    Students
    have taken this course
  • 9
    Hours
    average time
  • 0.9
    CEUs
 
 

Course Description

Mastering Customer Service: A Comprehensive Guide to Excellence

Customer service is the lifeblood of any successful business. In today's fast-paced world, we engage with customer service more often than we realize. From calling our internet provider, making a reservation at a restaurant, to even making a simple online purchase, the spectrum of customer service is vast and touches every aspect of our lives.

Recent statistics indicate that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. With the digital era reshaping commerce, the lines between physical and online retail are blurring. It's evident that the need for top-notch customer service, both in-person and online, is higher than ever. Those at the forefront of delivering this service – professionals like you – have a pivotal role in this customer-centric economy.

Let's dive into what this course offers, layering each topic with real-world relevance and tools to ensure you excel in the realm of customer service:

  1. Understanding the Customer-Centric Organization: Delve into the significance of customer service. Trace its evolution, comprehend Total Quality Management (TQM), and grasp how perceptions have shifted over the decades.

  2. Self-Assessment of Your Customer Service: Engage in a thorough introspection of your current customer service skills. How does your organization stack up against competitors? This module encourages critical self-reflection and understanding of how emotions play into customer interactions.

  3. Your Company's Service Lens: Learn about the three foundational elements of service excellence. Are your company's practices truly customer-centric? Understand the difference between being inward-focused versus outward, customer-focused.

  4. Crafting a Customer Service Blueprint: Familiarize yourself with the strategic aspects of service. From garnering genuine feedback to employing client-centric practices, realize the economic imperative of excellent customer service.

  5. Hallmarks of Stellar Customer Service: Identify the key components of outstanding service delivery. Understand the importance of consistency, criteria for success, and the need for continuous learning and awareness.

  6. Training for Service Excellence: Dive into best practices for training and development. Explore brainstorming techniques, the art of problem-solving, and the essentials of coaching for service mastery.

  7. Evaluative Techniques: Surveys, interviews, or focus groups? Discover the nuances of each method, their pros and cons, and acquire the skills to craft an effective customer service survey.

  8. Customer Retention Strategies: Step into the shoes of your customer. Understand their desires, establish measurable standards, and learn the do's and don'ts of keeping customers loyal and satisfied.

  9. The Subtleties of Service: Grasp the nuances of non-verbal communication, understand the pivotal difference between data and actionable information, and navigate the ethical landscape of service.

  10. Navigating Challenging Situations: Equip yourself with techniques to handle difficult scenarios. From learning the art of tactful refusal to managing anger, this module will bolster your resilience and adaptability.

  11. Digital Era Customer Service: In an age where the internet has revolutionized commerce, understanding the nuances of online customer engagement is vital. Learn how to cultivate trust, loyalty, and establish a robust e-commerce presence.

  12. Deciphering CRM: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is no longer a buzzword but an integral part of modern business. Understand its facets, choose the right tools, and harness its incredible potential.

  13. Future-Proofing Customer Service Management: Look ahead and envisage the future of customer service. Will it be predominantly people-oriented, or will technology reign supreme? Strategize and position yourself for the upcoming shifts in the service landscape.

Who Should Enroll?:

  • Aspiring Customer Service Professionals: Kickstart a rewarding career by gaining a holistic understanding of the field.

  • Existing Professionals: Sharpen your skills, stay updated with the latest trends, and ensure you're always at the top of your game.

  • Business Owners: Understand the intricacies of delivering exceptional service to elevate your brand and foster customer loyalty.

In conclusion, this course offers a panoramic view of the world of customer service, infused with actionable insights, real-world examples, and tools to ensure you're always a step ahead. Dive in, and master the art and science of customer service excellence.

Course Motivation

A Customer-Centered Organization
 

Customers appreciate and respect companies that treat them the way they wish to be treated, as opposed to the way most companies actually treat them.  

There are two rules you should follow when dealing with people: the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule. While the Golden Rule is always a good principle to keep in mind when dealing with everyone, let alone customers, the Platinum Rule is even better.  

The oft-quoted Golden Rule states: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Here's the Platinum Rule: "Do unto others as they would like to have done unto them."

The big difference is, of course, that you should not concentrate on what you think customers might like and treat them accordingly, but go to the trouble of finding out what the customer wants and giving it to them. 

How Important Is Good Customer Service?

The relationships you build with your customers do not need to take a long time. Essentially, they need take only a moment or two. Necessity often dictates that is all the time you have. How well you communicate with your customers, and whether you treat them efficiently and courteously make up the essence of superior customer service. 

After all, what does a smile cost? If you can address a customer by name, that is superb. Stop to think how you felt the last time you attended a shop or restaurant and the server smiled and addressed you by name?   

Let us quickly look at the flip side: What is your gut reaction when you go to a restaurant and the servers address you in a way that has certainly become too common, such as, "Hi, guys," or "Good evening, guys?"
 
 
 

The Evolution of Customer Service  

Several business movements have influenced, or completely changed, the way both individuals and companies treat customers and prospective customers. Remember the days when you called with an inquiry and heard a revolting message saying, "Please call back between the hours of 8 and 4," or something similar?  Many companies did not even offer an opportunity to leave a message.  

While this level of service was acceptable at one time, it certainly has not been for many years. Business principles such as Total Quality Management, market share, and other concepts have made a difference, with one thing in particular influencing the push toward better customer service and higher expectations in the service industry: the Web.  

When the Internet first enabled 24/7 access, customers responded with much higher expectations for answers to their questions and general information. The ability to initiate transactions on a timeline dictated by customers was a big plus. Our Internet search capabilities have made gathering information much easier, and we can conduct it largely on our own terms. Additionally, the great number and variety of mobile devices fuel most consumers' expectations for quicker and easier access to both information and services. To a large extent, we are living in an era of anywhere, anytime service. 

Several factors have made it increasingly difficult for companies to secure customer loyalty: Customers demand excellent service and assign value to companies that give it to them. Customers' experiences have subsequently emerged as critical factors in companies first gaining, and then maintaining, a competitive advantage against their competitors. The days when companies could afford to care little about their customers have long gone. Those who ignore this dynamic will very quickly find themselves lagging behind competitors, or going broke. 

TQM (Total Quality Management)
 
During the 1980s and 1990s, the letters TQM became an even more well-known acronym than the BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato).

TQM refers to a set of management practices implemented throughout an organization and geared to ensure the organization consistently met or exceeded customer requirements; i.e., enhancing the customer experience by delivering quality products. The idea is that the company or individual could gain the edge over competitors by adhering to optimal production processes, conforming to standards, and empowering staff to report any defect in production or service. 

The concept, introduced by W. Edwards Deming, was practiced first in Japanese industry in the 1950s. It started to become steadily more popular in the West around the early 1980s. "Total quality" describes the culture, attitude, and organization by which a company operates to  provide customers with products and services that more than satisfy their needs. This culture requires a dedication to quality in all parts of a company's operations, with defects and waste being removed and tasks being done right the first time around.  

Many companies have experienced difficulty in implementing TQM. Research has revealed that only around 20 percent to 30 percent of companies that have undertaken the practices have achieved any real improvements in productivity, quality, competitiveness, or economic returns. This has resulted in many people becoming cynical about TQM. Yet, a close look at the more successful companies shows a higher percentage of  them employ TQM techniques than less successful and inefficient companies. 
 
 
Perceptions
 
What people perceive is the reality for them. Never forget that. It may not be quite true, and it may be unfair, but it is reality.

For instance, if customers perceive they have received poor treatment, that is their reality. It may not have been the intention of the person serving or helping them to be of  little or no help, but that is the impression left with the customer. 

Impressions of your service will depend totally on customers' memories of certain moments: those little encounters they experienced with you or your company. Are your customers' memories of you favorable? Are those little happenings negative or positive? 

Think of the perceptions you created in your customers' minds in the past and learn from them, good or bad! 

The Hot Button of the 1990s
 
In the 1990s, the term "market share" was the hot button of business and customer relations. This was the era when the speed of doing business really increased exponentially, thanks to such innovations as fax machines, overnight delivery services, such as FedEx, across the country and the world, and, of course, the Internet. 

Do you remember when email first started to be used routinely? It quickly became just as regular a means of communication as postal mail, the phone, and the fax machine. It was not long before email was regarded as the most common and efficient way of communicating. 

When did the concept of developing deeper relationships with customers really start to heat up? Technology advanced in leaps and bounds, forcing companies to take a long, hard look at their customer communication skills. Countless numbers of magazine articles and books on the topic came out. 

The trick, then and now, is to view every customer's "touch point" as a chance to start dialogue and generate customer loyalty.  

Do not view a sale as just another transaction. That is extremely short-sighted and will certainly neither help you acquire or maintain customer loyalty. Keep in mind that acquiring a new customer costs approximately five times more than keeping a current one. The message here, of course, is to increase efforts to retain the ones you have.

  • Completely Online
  • Self-Paced
  • 6 Months to Complete
  • 24/7 Availability
  • Start Anytime
  • PC & Mac Compatible
  • Android & iOS Friendly
  • Accredited CEUs
Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider
 

Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:
4.4 / 5 Stars (Average Rating)
"Extraordinarily Helpful"
(2,057 votes)

Lesson 1 : A Customer-Centered Organization

Customers appreciate and respect companies that treat them the way they wish to be treated, as opposed to the way most companies actually treat them. 11 Total Points
  • Lesson 1 Video
  • Lesson discussions: Customer Relationship Management; Reasons for Taking this Course
  • Complete Assignment: An Introduction
  • Assessment: Lesson 1 : A Customer Centered/Focused Organization

Lesson 2 : Taking an Honest Look at Your Own Customer Service

Now is the time for you to be really honest with yourself about your individual level of customer service, and that of your company. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 2 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 2 : Taking An Honest Look At Your Own Customer Service

Lesson 3 : Your Company's Customer Service Focus

It does not matter whether your company is small, medium, large, or megasized. It does not matter whether it is local or international. It does not matter what field it is in: technology, heavy industry, public sector, or manufacturing. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 3 Video
  • Lesson discussions: Business Focus
  • Assessment: Lesson 3 : Your Company's Customer Service Focus

Lesson 4 : Developing a Winning Customer Service Strategy

You have just been asked to come up with a plan for improving customer service at your organization. Are you uptight, nervous, or uncomfortable? Are you frightened -- or just plain terrified? 12 Total Points
  • Lesson 4 Video
  • Complete: Lesson 4 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 4 : Developing A Winning Customer Service Strategy

Lesson 5 : The Benefits of Exceptional Customer Service

How we relate to fellow staff members several levels removed can often have a rolling effect, which affects how we relate to customers, and vice-versa. 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 5 Video
  • Complete: Lesson 5 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 5 : The "Plus's" Of Exceptional Customer Service

Lesson 6 : The Wow Factors of Customer Service Training

Whatever the concepts and ideas you and your company come up with, and whatever improvements occur on the customer service front, the fact is that customer service staff members need ongoing support. 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 6 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 6 : The WOW Factors Of Customer Service Training

Lesson 7 : The Way To Go: Surveys, Questionnaires, Interviews, or Focus Groups

Having a customer-focused company means that you should have a thorough knowledge of what your customers want and expect from your organization. You need to be able to evaluate how well you are meeting desires and expectations. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 7 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 7 : The Way To Go: Surveys/Questionnaires, Interviews Or Focus Groups

Lesson 8 : Acquiring Customers and Keeping Them

Everyone's needs are constantly changing. This is true for people, small businesses, mega-organizations, and governments. 35 Total Points
  • Lesson 8 Video
  • Complete: Lesson 8 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 8 : Acquiring Customers & Keeping Them

Lesson 9 : Extra Considerations and Miscellaneous Factors

If, when we first went into business, we considered all the concerns and challenges that would be involved, we probably would never do it. 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 9 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 9 : Those ‘Extras' & Miscellaneous Factors

Lesson 10 : When the Going Becomes Rough, Here Is What to Do

No one, including customers, likes to hear that word, "No." Most people absolutely loathe it. We all prefer to think people can do what we want, when we want it, and how we want it. 35 Total Points
  • Lesson 10 Video
  • Lesson discussions: Difficult Customers
  • Complete: Lesson 10 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 10 : When The Going Becomes Rough -- What To Do!

Lesson 11 : Working in the World of the Web

The Internet, a project that started as a means of keeping communication channels open and sharing information, has come a long way since its inception in the 1970s. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 11 Video
  • Lesson discussions: Customer Service Online
  • Assessment: Lesson 11 : Working In The World Of The Web!

Lesson 12: CRM Is Not an Option; It Is Here to Stay

CRM, or customer relationship management, is the methodologies and tools, including online customer service technology, that help businesses manage customer relationships and deliver superior customer service. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 12 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 12 : CRM -- It's Not Just An Option -- It's Here To Stay!

Lesson 13: Customer Service Management Options of the Future

Never say never, as the old saying goes, but time and time again people do. Time and time again they are proved wrong. 71 Total Points
  • Lesson 13 Video
  • Lesson discussions: Final Course Poll - Your Opinion; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
  • Assessment: Lesson 13 : Customer Service Management Options Of The Future!
  • Assessment: The Final Exam
239
Total Course Points
 

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  • Define the customer-centered organization.
  • Evaluate your own customer service objectively.
  • Describe methods to make your company's customer service more central.
  • Develop a winning customer service strategy
  • Summarize the reasons for providing exceptional customer service.
  • Describe ways for acquiring customers and retaining them.
  • Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
 

Additional Course Information

Online CEU Certificate
  • Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
  • Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
  • Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
  • View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
  • Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media
Document Your CEUs on Your Resume
 
Course Title: Customer Relationship Management
Course Number: 8900057
Lessons Rating: 4.4 / 5 Stars (2,057 votes)
Languages: English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries
Availability: This course is online and available in all 50 states including: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
Last Updated: July 2023
Course Type: Self-Paced, Online Class
CEU Value: 0.9 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
CE Accreditation: Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
Grading Policy: Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.
Assessment Method: Lesson assignments and review exams
Instructor: John Chouinard
Syllabus: View Syllabus
Course Fee: $120.00 U.S. dollars

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Student Testimonials

  • "I thought this course was very helpful in getting a better understanding of customer relationship management." -- Brandy R.
  • "Instructor is very knowledgeable, kind and courteous. He provided a wealth of feedback and encouragement to me. It helped guide me through the course. Well worth the money I spent on the course!" -- Rich S.
  • "Excellent course and very useful for furthering my skills and employability." -- Laura O.
  • "The instructor was attentive and responded quickly to my coursework submissions." -- Gloria R.
  • "Professor thank you so much for your advise. I appreciate you so much." -- Alicia V.
  • "This is great class to take." -- LATUNIA P.

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