1. Customer Service 101
Sandra Drum, Public Information Officer
Gloria Vazquez, ESL Coordinator
March 8, 2012

2. Front Line Communicators
You are the Key!
Does your school/department roll out
the red carpet for everyone who
comes in contact with your school?

3. Customer Service
Respectful & Responsive Service=
Student Success and Public School
Advocates
The atmosphere of any school is what the
customer says it is.

4. Educational Excellence
is only possible in an environment which
promotes service and delivers excellence

5. Who are your customers?
Colleagues, parents, teachers, students,
volunteers, senior citizens, business persons,
community members, faith-based partners
Expectations are the same – Excellence!!

6. A Front Line Check List:
Tips for Success

7. What do your customers want?
•Friendliness
•Understanding and Empathy
•Fairness – Just & impartial treatment
•Control – Customers need to feel they can have an
impact on the outcome
•Options & Alternatives – other avenues available for
them to get what they seek
•Information – Customers need & want information
about policies and procedures

8. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
FOR OFFICE PERSONNEL
1. Students and parents are the most important people in any
school.
2. Students and parents are not dependent on us; we are
dependent on them.
3. A phone call is never an interruption of our day; in fact, it is
one of the reasons we have a job.
4. A parent does us a favor when he/she sends children to
our school; we are not doing him/her a favor.
5. A parent is part of our business, not an outsider.

9. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
FOR OFFICE PERSONNEL
6. Parents are not cold statistics; they are flesh-and-blood
human beings with feelings and emotions like our own.
7. A parent is not someone with whom to argue or match
wits.
3. Anyone who calls or visits our school is deserving of the
most courteous and attentive treatment we can give.
4. A student is the life-blood of every school. Each student
matters.
5. Without students, schools close.

10. Front Line Communicators & Customer Service
•We only get one chance to make a great first impression.
•Whoever answers the phone or greets “guests” only gets
one chance. The only thing important when you answer a
phone is the person on the other end of the line.
•Think about your best – and worst experience with
customer service (phone or in person)
•Zappos
•Hilton

11. Front Line Communicators & Customer Service
“Top 10 Tips”
10. Take an interest in each customer by offering your
full attention.
9. Greet every visitor with a smile.
8. Answer all calls with a pleasant greeting.
7. Speak with strength & clarity. Be heard by the
customer but not by others.
6. Choose clothing & accessories that project your
professional image.

12. Front Line Communicators & Customer Service
“Top 10 Tips”
5. Thank a customer for waiting.
4. Be familiar with procedures, services & other
necessary information.
3. Speak well of co-workers without being defensive.
2. Respond with urgency.
1. Maintain composure – without exception!

13. Tips for all…
•Answer phone within 3 rings.
•All phone calls or messages returned within 24 hours.
•Check your e-mail at least 2x daily.
•Reply to e-mail with 24 hours (when appropriate).
•When visitors enter your work area, visual contact is made within 5
seconds.
•When visitors enter your work area, a smile and oral greeting within
30 seconds.
•Respond to customer concerns within 24 hours and solve the
concern as quickly as possible.
•Follow up with customer within one(1) week after the concern has
been resolved.

14. Tips for dealing with a customers’ language barrier:
• Be aware of your body language.
• Slow down, but don’t shout.
• Show without so much tell.
• Be patient.
• Maintain your sense of humor.
• Learn a few phrases in your customer’s language.

15. Resources for dealing with a customer’s language barrier:
• Bilingual staff at your school
• District-wide Spanish interpreter, Merary Richardson
Office: 252-451-8521 Cell: 252-567-3746
E-mail: marichardson@nrms.k12.nc.us
• ESL Coordinator, Gloria Vazquez
Office: 252-462-2483 Cell: 252-382-1126
E-mail: glvazquez@nrms.k12.nc.us
• Google Translate http://translate.google.com/
• Omniglot: Common phrases in many languages
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/welcome.htm

16. Telephone Basics: Brochure and pocket
guide
For ANYONE answering the phone:
•“Good morning, Englewood Elementary School. This is
Deborah speaking (or Ms. Ladd). How may I help you.”
•“May I put you on hold?”
•“Thank you for calling.”
•When they say “Thanks for your help” answer “My pleasure”
(or something similar).
•If you need to transfer them to someone who you believe has
the answer to their question, make sure they have your name
and phone number so they can call you back if they can’t reach
the person you recommended.

17. What to Say
(and what NOT to say!)
Replace With
• “I don’t know.” • “I’ll find out.”
• “No.” • “What I can do is…”
• “That’s not my job.” • “This is who can help you...”
• “You’re right. That stinks.” • “I understand your frustration.”
• “It’s not my fault.” • “Let’s see what we can do.”
• “Calm down.” • “I’m sorry.”
• “Call me back.” • “Where can I reach you?”
• “Sit down over here.” • “Make yourself comfortable.”
• “We can’t do that.” • “This is what we can do.”

18. Respectful and Responsive Service Standards
When you are on the phone
WHAT’S IN WHAT’S OUT
• Answering the phone within 2-3 rings • Immediately placing the caller on hold
• Projecting a pleasant tone of voice • Transferring a caller without being
• Stating your name and office in the sure the recipient can help
greeting • Giving up before the caller’s request
• Returning missed calls within 24 has been fulfilled
hours
• Offering options to help solve a
caller’s problems
• Setting an out-of-office message with
alternative contact names.
• Providing warm transfers

19. Respectful and Responsive Service Standards
When you sending an e-mail
WHAT’S IN WHAT’S OUT
• Responding to e-mails within 24 hours • Using all capital letters in emails – this
• Answering senders questions within is the equivalent of yelling
48 hours • Using “text talk” – no way. OMG!
• Acknowledging requests and
providing timelines for resolutions
• Projecting a helpful and pleasant tone
in written communications
• Using proper business writing format
• Fully identify yourself and school
• Setting out-of-office message with
alternative contact names

20. Respectful and Responsive Service Standards
When you are speaking face-to-face
WHAT’S IN WHAT’S OUT
• Greeting visitors immediately – both • Failing to acknowledge visitors
parent AND the child! • Sharing exasperation with visitors
• Organizing your area • Forgetting that many visitors are not
• Maintaining updated phone familiar with the layout and scope of
directories, directions to our district
schools/offices and information about • Saying “I don’t know”
your region • Failing to help visitors and not
• Maintaining composure with the connecting them with someone who
guest, regardless of the situation can
• Offering guests something to read if
they must wait

21. IF A CALLER IS UPSET:
Use “LEAPS” with the emotional caller to vent
•L-Listen: allow the caller to vent
•E-Empathize: acknowledge the person’s feelings
•A-Apologize when appropriate, even if the problem is not your
fault. You can say, “I am really sorry that this has happened” and
mean it.
•P-(Be) Positive
•S-Solve: suggest/generate solutions that you can both agree on
and/or ask what you can do to help and, if reasonable, do it! If not,
find a compromise.

22. Front Line Communicators
You are the Key!
•Hear a rumor? Contact your principal/supervisor
•Relationships. Relationships. Relationships!
•Beauticians, Barbers & Bartenders
•Caring for our guests is the number one priority of
Customer Service….
•Front Line – 1 chance to make a GREAT first
impression

23. Front Line Communicators
Our Promise – NRMPS
We promise to:
•Always make you feel welcome.
•Always respond promptly to any need you might have.
•Always work to help you find solutions.
•Always be approachable.
•Always serve you cheerfully.
•If, for any reason, you believe we have broken our promise,
please remind us immediately. After all, a promise is a promise!

24. Thank you for your attention!
Please let us know how we can be of assistance.
Sandy Drum, 462-2509, sdrum@nrms.k12.nc.us
Mary Ann Moss, 462-2523, MAMoss@nrms.k12.nc.us
Gloria Vazquez, 462-2483, GLVazquez@nrms.k12.nc.us