Customer Service Tips

Tip 1

15-5 rule: Here’s one simple method for improving the morale and atmosphere at your school or cost center: practice the 15-5 rule. When you’re in a hallway, acknowledge every customer or coworker by making eye contact at 15 feet. When you are 5 feet apart, smile and extend a friendly greeting.

Tip 2

We've all had negative experiences with companies and organizations. In the past, when you approached a company representative to describe your problem, did you feel as if that employee listened well and tried to deliver an acceptable resolution? In a large school district, with thousands of children and futures at stake, we will all encounter impassioned parents/guardians who are concerned, frustrated, or worried. Here are some general guidelines to follow when you encounter such a parent/guardian.

• Allow him or her to vent
• Identify the problem
• Make every attempt to satisfy
• Show concern and respect
• Avoid placing blame
• Don't take it personally

Tip 3

All Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) employees speak at least two languages—the English language and body language. Research suggests that as much as 93 percent of a person’s daily communication is nonverbal. This communication is delivered through shoulders, posture, eyes, smiles, hands, and eyebrows.

We all have moments in which our words and body language offer conflicting messages. If you catch yourself in the midst of one of these moments, remember that you are not alone. Take a deep breath, sit up straight, make good eye contact, and try to manage a smile. Your ability to communicate in a positive manner might be just what someone else needs to improve his or her difficult day.

Tip 4

Are you familiar with good telephone etiquette? The I Am JCPS customer-service initiative encourages all employees to answer incoming calls on or before the third ring. Avoid using the speakerphone to answer incoming calls. And, if you have to place a customer on hold, which is often necessary, ask the caller for permission.

Tip 5

The district’s Customer Service Training Program encourages employees to transfer telephone calls as a last resort. When transferring a call is necessary, make every effort to provide the caller with the extension or correct telephone number beforehand. Make sure that you are transferring the call to the right number. Most of all, be patient and kind to the caller when you receive a transferred call.