Schools often seek customer service training providers specialising in soft skill development; which is fantastic as there are many to choose from, but finding the right training provider can be challenging.

Sadly, if you haven’t had a negative experience with an external training provider, you probably know someone who has. Perhaps…

• The trainer was inexperienced in the topic or as a trainer
• The time and money spent didn’t achieve the desired outcome
• The training provider gave a poor level of service – they don’t practise what they preach.

You are not alone, as we often hear of these and other unsatisfactory experiences that have left schools not trusting training organisations. Rest assured, many professional and competent external training providers are ready and waiting to help you, but before you hit ‘google’, keep reading.

DIY SOLUTIONS

First step. Before engaging an external training provider, be clear on what outcomes you seek and ask the provider how they would address your needs rather than telling them what you want. This will give you an insight into whether they use a “one size fits all’ process or if they seek to learn about your school and offer customised solutions.

Ask training providers the following three questions;

1. What workplace experience do your trainers have in the chosen topics?
2. What schools have you worked with, and how did you help them?
3. How will you learn about our school, staff, and customers?

Speak to the trainer. It is common for the person who takes your information and arranges the training program to be different to the person who turns up on the day.

Contact your governing or industry body. They should be able to recommend reliable and professional training providers.

LET US HELP YOU

If your staff need people (soft skills) development, i.e., customer service attitudes, teamwork, stress management and dealing with difficult people, then we will repair your confidence. Our Professional Development Sessions for your ESS are your first step.

Fill out our contact form or give us a call to find out which training solution will suit your ESS and school best. If you wish to proceed with any of our recommendations, your allocated trainer will work with you to design and schedule your program/s and will be your go-to person every step of the way.

We have an extensive list of delighted customers who are happy to speak with you and share their experiences with our services:

“I’ve been to many, many, many corporate training sessions in the past and was a bit sceptical heading into the training but am very happy to say I found your session one of the best I have ever experienced.” Georgie Mckeown – Norwood Secondary School

“Everyone really enjoyed your presentation, and I have to say I don’t get that response to PD very often! It was in plain English. It was fun. It was relevant – most school PD is aimed at outcomes in the classroom and it’s often hard to break it down it how it relates to the office staff.” Leanne Fry – Business Manager, Benalla P-12 College

By Cate Schreck – Director of Just For Schools & Author of The A-Z of Service Excellence

The post 3 things to do before engaging a customer service training provider appeared first on Just For Schools.

Sound familiar? On those days, you probably wish you could hang up a sign that says “Do Not Disturb”, but even then, you know that phones will still ring, emails will still ping, and people will still ‘tap you on the shoulder’ and say “I know you’re busy….but”

Why can’t your ESS see and leave you alone when you are working on things that ultimately help them?

Why do you need to remain calm and professional when those around you ignore your needs?

Because an essential part of being a leader is to lead, part of the ‘job description’ is to be open to guiding others and to communicate professionally with co-workers and customers of your school. This doesn’t mean ignoring your own needs because they matter too, but how Leaders ask for what they need, say no to the demands of others, and make time for urgent tasks, sets a standard.

Like it or not – leaders are watched. They are the people that ESS look to for examples of how to behave.

Leaders who can self-assess and self-regulate negative thoughts and feelings are displaying a key component of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and the impact of EQ on the leader and those they interact with is less stress, fewer mistakes, and an increase in respect.

Leaders with EQ know that when they’re not optimistic, their feelings can impact their behaviour. Negative behaviours will impact negatively on everyone they interact with – and that isn’t good for anyone.

Here are a couple of examples of the impact of leaders not using EQ:

1. When approached by staff, a leader who ‘snaps’ or sighs may be considered rude or aggressive. Sure, this outcome may make the team think before interrupting in the future, but it can lead to staff ‘walking on eggshells’ and nervous staff making mistakes – that you will have to address.
2. A leader who drops everything as soon as someone asks for help says, ‘Yes, no matter what you need or when, I am your person”. Nice sentiment, but it may lead to an overworked leader and a team who don’t use critical thinking skills – which can lead to bored staff who make mistakes – that you will have to address.

Leadership is a combination of skills, knowledge and action. The great news is that anyone can learn to be a respected leader. Just For Schools works with School Business Managers who want less stress and more time to celebrate and a team of ESS who work together to achieve a remarkable reputation for the school.

How do we help? Just For Schools designs and delivers customised Professional Development sessions for School Business Managers and ESS, and 1:1 coaching for leaders.

If you would like more information, please contact us today, so you can lose the “Do Not Disturb” sign.

By Cate Schreck – Director of Just For Schools & Author of “The A-Z of Service Excellence”

The post The sign that you are low on leadership skills appeared first on Just For Schools.

The #1 concern, and the concern of School Business Managers, was how to professionally interact with rude, angry or upset customers at your school.

We know this because since 2012 (when Just For Schools commenced), it has been the most requested training topic for Education Support Staff.

Professional skill development in the area of difficult customer interactions is not a one dimensional, one session, or one time activity. The art of professionally interacting with challenging humans has many layers of soft skills (people skills) and below gives you an overview of just some of the sessions we deliver at Just For Schools to build confident and professional frontline ESS:

• After Shock – Managing stress after difficult customer interactions.

• Staying Positive. Team harmony in times of customer outrage.

• Am I making it worse? Self awareness for frontline Education Support Staff.

• The fuel of bad behaviours. Understanding and using empathy with challenging customers.

• Taking The LEAD. A 4-step process to lead customers from emotional to rational.

• The Power of Stopping. 3-min daily activities to create a culture of confident communicators.

• I can’t hear you! What stops us all from active listening and how to turn it on.

• When customers are rude. How to gain respect face to face and over the phone.

So, as you can see from above, there are loads of professional and personal development sessions we deliver to help frontline ESS arrive and leave work feeling confident. It’s what we specialise in, and it’s what frontline ESS have needed since customer service began.

And here we are today, the start of 2022. We have been riding the COVID rollercoaster for 2 years, and frontline ESS are being asked to manage more and more difficult and demanding customers.

Sadly, a post on Instagram last week of a supermarket employee sitting in their car taking deep breaths before they started their shift, was not surprising. The comment read:

“Getting ready to answer the same questions over and over and over regarding RATs, product shortages, masks and no staff etc. I’m preparing to be abused. I can handle it, but not sure for how much longer.”

So, that’s the greatest fear – the fear of the unknown. The comments of support and shared feelings on the post were not just from supermarket staff – this kind of fear and fatigue impacts all industries. Even highly experienced and skilled customer service staff have limits.

There are of course polite and caring customers who greatly appreciate and support frontline ESS, but that doesn’t stop the anxiety fatigue that comes from an uncertain future; who or what will I have to deal with next?

What can you do about this?

Call us to discover the option that best fits your team, your time frame and your budget. 

Maybe you won’t learn anything new, but knowing that you are doing the right things now and putting in place a plan for the future will alleviate stress – yours and the stress of your frontline ESS.

By Cate Schreck – Author of “The A- Z of Service Excellence” Download the First Chapter for FREE

The post What Frontline Education Support Staff Fear Most About 2022 appeared first on Just For Schools.

Below is an overview of an interaction I recently had at a clothing store – maybe you can relate.

I walked into the store……

• I received an instant happy greeting with eye contact from what appeared to be a genuinely “pleased you are here” staff member.

• Staff member asks “How can I help you?” I said “I’m just browsing”. I kept my head down and moved away from the staff member

• Staff member didn’t take the hint. Staff member me and suggested I check out the specials.

• I say, “OK, sounds good – I’ll check them out in a minute”.  I hoped that would be enough to get them to leave me alone. It wasn’t, they kept hovering and offering more things.

• When I go to pay for the item I came in for, they told me just how great the store was and asked for my details so I can get a discount next time

• I like discounts so I fill out the required form and leave…almost tripping over myself in my hurry to get out the door.

• That same week I get a text message from the store saying I need to follow 3 easy steps to open my account and a link to do it. I don’t do it, I don’t have time. I didn’t do it later, I forget.

• Two months later I return and I don’t get a discount. I ask why and the person who serves me sighs and say’s ‘I don’t know’ then hands me the forms to start again.

The same scenario can also happen in a school environment.

• A new staff member joins the team and spends the first day sitting at a desk filling out forms with no understanding of why the forms are important. They miss signing in 2 spots and miss a section on 1 form completely..

• Staff have to advise parents/guardians of a new process. They advise this on the website and in the newsletter in the hope that people read/click, understand and ‘obey’. Many parents keep doing the old process and many more do the new process wrong.

• Some staff are sick of co-workers not cleaning up after themselves in the staff room so they put signs up reminding them it must be done. The staff room remains a mess.

When we tell people what we want them to do and how to do it, it leaves out respect and empathy for the person receiving the information. This can damage not only the reputation of the School, but the job satisfaction of all staff.

When we want others to do something new or different we must engage them early with a WHY – a WHY that inspires them to take action and/or a WHY that will have a positive outcome for them.

But, you also have to sell yourself whilst you communicate the WHY and HOW ie: be self aware, use positive body language and tone of voice, offer empathy, actively listen and encourage questions. These thoughts and actions are collectively referred to as Soft Skills.

The WHY and HOW communicated with excellent soft skills entices people to BUY products/services or BUY INTO processes, try new thing and embrace change.

Often the reason for leaving out the WHY is because we are busy. 

Emotionally intelligent ESS know that only telling people what and how, can lead to disharmony, mis-understanding and probelms with future interactions. More work and more time is then needed to repair the damage caused but not thinking and sharing WHY in the first instance.

Having the skills to ‘sell’ is a key part of any role in any business, including ESS in Schools. It allows them to confidentally sell ideas, sell change and sell new, better or different ways.

To sell well, ESS need highly developed soft skills.

Soft skills are our ability to communicate in a way that leads others to trust us, to want to listen to us and to recommend us to others. Soft skills make people feel valued and respected.

How do you improve the sales skills of your ESS?  Click here and all will be revealed.

By Cate Schreck – Author of “The A – Z of Service Excellence”

The post Why ESS need top level sales skills appeared first on Just For Schools.