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Customer Service English
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:10 pm    Post subject: Customer Service English Reply with quote

As the subject suggests, I've been asked to provide one day training courses for call centre employees with specific reference to Customer service.
This will include telephoning, emails, pron, manners, register etc.

Has anyone any experience in this and could give me a few pointers?
I've done all the usual searches and not got much.

Thanks in advance
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jwbhomer



Joined: 14 Dec 2003
Posts: 876
Location: CANADA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Customer Service English Reply with quote

phantombedwetter wrote:
This will include telephoning, emails, pron, manners, register etc.
Thanks in advance


"Pron"? "Register"? What are those things?
It would help it you would say what country this is in. Is this training going to be in India or China? It makes a big difference in terms of the existing language capabilities of the trainees.
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Customer Service English Reply with quote

jwbhomer wrote:
phantombedwetter wrote:
This will include telephoning, emails, pron, manners, register etc.
Thanks in advance


"Pron"? "Register"? What are those things?
It would help it you would say what country this is in. Is this training going to be in India or China? It makes a big difference in terms of the existing language capabilities of the trainees.

Pron -Pronunciation (Amazingly)
Register - formality
I don't think call centre English is particularly country specific as they have to be B2/C1 to work there, although, pronunciation may be relevant.
Any advice would be welcome
(Poland)
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soapdodger



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 203

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try this, it might help.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp8PZMn8-_E&eurl=http://www.fonejacker.tv/upgradeings.shtml
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've done similar courses for administrative staff from a variety of home countries who need to deal with the public in English by phone and in person.

A couple of small tips that might be useful -


Grammatically, modals and conditionals are useful to consider (they're related to register).

It's also useful to consider links between language and culture - one pitfall for many students is that they take too much time with repetition and overly-detailed information. For westerners, 'time is money' applies. Teaching signal words and how to highlight important information verbally helps avoid frustrating wordiness.

If they are going to be working in person in addition to telephoning, I'd also address issues of non-verbal behavior (handshaking protocols, eye contact, posture - they're all important carriers of language and meaning).
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Spiral, I'll get back to you when I have more time.

Soap man
I'm prepared for worse than that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wDjR_dL3pw
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sure - I might have some useful resources that I could direct you to.
Will give it a bit of thought.
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jwbhomer



Joined: 14 Dec 2003
Posts: 876
Location: CANADA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Getting a bit off-topic, but I used to do a lot of CS training, albeit in English-speaking countries. If you are going to be doing this in Poland (did I get that right?) one of the things you need to concentrate on -- other than language skills -- is the philosophy and attitude of customer service. The whole concept was lost in the eastern bloc and other command economies because it was irrelevant. So a new generation needs to be educated as to why customer service is important. (Because selling to a satisfied customer is the easiest job in the world!) If you can build that notion into your dialogues and other exercises, you'll do your students a great service.
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soapdodger



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 203

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for that one Phantom, you've introduced me to someone new. Will be checking the backlist on U Tube when I have a free mo!
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quoi_de_neuf?



Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chapter 2 of "The Business, Intermediate" is excellent for this - long chapter (entitled "Customer Care", I think) with plenty of material which can be adapted and/or personalised to meet your students' needs.
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

spiral78 wrote:
I've done similar courses for administrative staff from a variety of home countries who need to deal with the public in English by phone and in person.

A couple of small tips that might be useful -


Grammatically, modals and conditionals are useful to consider (they're related to register).
Good point, I think CAE Gold has a useful section on this

It's also useful to consider links between language and culture - one pitfall for many students is that they take too much time with repetition and overly-detailed information.
Very true

For westerners, 'time is money' applies. Teaching signal words and how to highlight important information verbally helps avoid frustrating wordiness.
Could you advise some materials for this?

If they are going to be working in person in addition to telephoning, I'd also address issues of non-verbal behavior (handshaking protocols, eye contact, posture - they're all important carriers of language and meaning).
I don't think this will be necessary, but thanks anyway. (Maybe the bosses)

Thanks for that.
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

quoi_de_neuf? wrote:
Chapter 2 of "The Business, Intermediate" is excellent for this - long chapter (entitled "Customer Care", I think) with plenty of material which can be adapted and/or personalised to meet your students' needs.

Thanks, I don't know the book, but will find it on your recommendation.
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jwbhomer wrote:
Getting a bit off-topic, but I used to do a lot of CS training, albeit in English-speaking countries. If you are going to be doing this in Poland (did I get that right?) one of the things you need to concentrate on -- other than language skills -- is the philosophy and attitude of customer service. The whole concept was lost in the eastern bloc and other command economies because it was irrelevant. So a new generation needs to be educated as to why customer service is important. (Because selling to a satisfied customer is the easiest job in the world!) If you can build that notion into your dialogues and other exercises, you'll do your students a great service.

This is a tricky area.
My school has been asked to deliver English language training, not act as management consultants or psychologists.
Saying that... If we don't explain why we are teaching something and how to deliver it, we could lose the interest and trust of the students.
We are not in the business of telling people how to do their jobs, but you could argue that the two are intrinsically linked?
Difficult issue.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One point I'd like to make strongly here - having taught 'customer service' across cultures, I think the key is to emphasize that 'customer service' attitude/norms taught in an English language course (need to be taught because language/attitude/culture are so deeply intertwined) are the norms from the English language world - which may be DIFFERENT to those of the learner's L1, but not BETTER.

It's pretty easy to set up a situation where an instructor can weave in cultural norms simply by emphasizing that this is the way (crazy) English native speakers approach the situation/problem/etc.

There's no implied criticism of the learner's cultural norms in this.

So in this particular context, I'd emphasize the kinds of customer service that most native English speakers are used to, that it's an intrinsic part of the culture, and here's how it's done.

Learners are usually very interested in gaining some insights into the 'whys' - because then, the specific language that they learn can more easily be applied by them to unpredicted situations. We can't possibly anticipate every situation where language might be needed, but we can give insights into the essential motivations behind language in a particular context (cust. service, in this case).

This approach interested my students, from Dutch to Russian to Asian -

You might check the website www.executiveplanet.com - they have a very interesting set of 'how business is done in....' comparisons, featuring a list of like 30 different countries. I'm pretty sure Poland is there. Obviously, it's written for execs, but you'll probably find some useful materials there for this situation too. You could pull both US and Great Britain, along with Poland, for comparison by your learners.

On the signal words and checking comprehension, give me a bit of time and I will pm you with some stuff. I've got archives all over the place, but have just got a new laptop and need to locate the correct flash drive or cd.... Shocked
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phantombedwetter



Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Pikey infested, euro, cess-pit (Krakow)

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Spiral (and everyone else), some great advice there.
If anyone is interested I have some great material for this subject and will PM you the details.

Please let me know if you have any other ideas.
Thanks again
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