Customer Service Training Manual - IFTA Staff Training Part One - 11-12th October 2006

Oct 23, 2026

Training manual text for IFTA staff customer service, centered on how organizations define and deliver service in the 21st century. It explains why customers are central to business success, introduces the three key elements of service, and sets practical behaviors for professional communication. The material covers listening, defining service beyond transactions, handling unsatisfied customers through troubleshooting and follow-up, email prompt responses, first-impression etiquette, and reinforcing customer-friendly approaches through communications and relationships.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION TO CUSTOMER SERVICE

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

THE THREE KEY ELEMENTS

Expand Your Definition of Service

Who are Your Customers?

Develop a Customer Friendly Approach

WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE MEANS

CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITIES

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

GOOD INFORMATION IS OFTEN GOOD SERVICE

SIMPLE ACTIONS HUGE RETURNS

CONVERSATIONS OVER THE TELEPHONE

IT’SNOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT’S HOW YOU SAY IT

TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

ANSWERING THE TELEPHONE

TROUBLESHOOTING

RESPOND TO YOUR BUSINESS EMAIL QUICKLY!

SO WHAT IS PROMPT ANSWERING YOUR BUSINESS EMAIL?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS – YOU ONLY GET ONE

MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

TEN MAJOR DO’S AND DON’TS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

HELPFUL REMINDERS FOR POLITE AND FRIENDLY RESPONSES

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH – DEALING WITH THE CUSTOMER

COMMUNICATING WITH THE UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER

SOLVING THE CUSTOMER’S PROBLEMS

FOLLOW-UP WITH THE CUSTOMER

BENEFITS OF GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE

IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT IFTA PROVIDES

Customer Service Training Manual IFTA Staff Training Part One 11 th-12th October 2006 INTRODUCTION TO CUSTOMER SERVICE 3 CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY 3 THE THREE KEY ELEMENTS 3 EXPAND YOUR DEFINITION OF SERVICE 3 WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? 3 DEVELOP A CUSTOMER FRIENDLY APPROACH 4 WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE MEANS 4 CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITIES 5 PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE 5 GOOD INFORMATION IS OFTEN GOOD SERVICE 6 SIMPLE ACTIONS HUGE RETURNS 7 CONVERSATIONS OVER THE TELEPHONE 8 IT’SNOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT’S HOW YOU SAY IT 8 TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE 8 ANSWERING THE TELEPHONE 8 TROUBLESHOOTING 9 RESPOND TO YOUR BUSINESS EMAIL QUICKLY! 10 SO WHAT IS PROMPT ANSWERING YOUR BUSINESS EMAIL? 10 FIRST IMPRESSIONS – YOU ONLY GET ONE 10 MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION 10 TEN MAJOR DO’S AND DON’TS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE 11 HELPFUL REMINDERS FOR POLITE AND FRIENDLY RESPONSES 13 PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH – DEALING WITH THE CUSTOMER 14 COMMUNICATING WITH THE UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER 14 SOLVING THE CUSTOMER’S PROBLEMS 15 FOLLOW-UP WITH THE CUSTOMER 15 IT PAYS TO PLEASE 15 INITIATIVE 16 CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAITS TO COPY 16 BENEFITS OF GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE 16 WHAT DO IFTA CUSTOMERS THINK AT THE MOMENT? 17 IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT IFTA PROVIDES 27 PACKING SPECIMENS 27 PACKING BUTTERFLIES 27 PACKING BEETLES 27 PACKING AN ORDER FOR A CUSTOMER 28 CITES 29 Customer Service Basics Introduction to Customer Service “There is only one boss, and whether a person shines shoes for a living or heads up the biggest corporation in the world, the boss remains the same. It is the customer! The customer is the person who pays everyone’s salary and who decides whether a business is going to succeed or fail. In fact, the customer can fire everybody in the company from the chairman (CEO) on down, and he can do it simply by spending his money somewhere else. Literally everything we do, every concept perceived, every technology developed and associate employed, is directed with this one objective clearly in mind – pleasing the customer.” Sam M. Walton, CEO Wal-Mart Credo from Sam Walton the owner and CEO of Wal-Mart – an international chain of department stores and the most successful company in retailing in the world. Customer Service in the 21st Century Ask any CEO of a company, president of a bank, manager of an office, minister or staff person and they will tell you HOW IMPORTANT the customer is to their operations and success. In meeting after meeting, heads of industry, the service sector, utilities, and government try to convince the audience how much they believe in customer service. “It is our mission, it is our number one priority, it is our goal, it is why we are in business, etc...,” often prove to be mere epitaphs. Unfortunately, these same “customer friendly”executives go back to their offices, de-employ office staff, fail to initiate a customer service improvement plan and send memos out saying customer complaints are unjustified andoverblown. The Three Key Elements Expand Your Definition of Service How you define service shapes every interaction you have with your customers. Limited definitions of service based on an exchange of monies for goods or service misses the overall point of customer service.“Service” should provide the customer with more than a product or action taken on his/her behalf. It should provide satisfaction. In essence, the customer should walk away pleased at the result of the transaction – not just content but actually happy. A happy customer will continue to be a buying customer and a returning customer. Who are Your Customers? Customers, buyers and clients want to pay a fair price for quality service or products, and feel satisfied they have paid for a service/product and received what they have paid for in return. They also want someone to take care of them. They need someone to understand their needs and help answer

FAQs

Why is customer service considered critical to business success in the manual?

The manual emphasizes that the customer is the key driver of whether a business succeeds or fails. Everything done in service delivery is directed toward pleasing the customer.

How should staff expand their definition of service?

Service should offer more than exchanging money for a product or an action. It should provide satisfaction so customers leave pleased—both content and genuinely happy.

What approach does the manual recommend for handling unsatisfied customers?

It advises communicating with the unsatisfied customer, solving the customer’s problems, and following up. The goal is to respond effectively rather than ignore complaints or dismiss them as unjustified.

Oct 23, 2026

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