COMMUNICATION

This guideline is one of the more important for both management and employees. It is a two-way street, and both should strive to keep the airwaves open. Even though communication is a two-way street, it must start with management.

Management should set the standard by creating an environment conducive to openness without fear of reprisal or ridicule. At all times communication must be polite and conducive to enhancing self-esteem. The best way to get started is as with all the other guidelines: establish a steering committee to set the policy and the guidelines for implementation.

Then create the opportunity for employee involvement teams to get the program underway.

Some of the more common and effective programs include:

company newsletters, staff and employee meetings, and an open invitation from management to allow employees at all levels to hold informal conversations or brainstorming sessions in employee lounges during breaks.

MANAGEMENT TOP 5 CUSTOMER FOCUS

Management must develop an attitude that puts the customer in every decision made. The customer is the reason we are in business. Without customers there would be no job to perform, no requirements to be met, and no reason anyone would wish to purchase your company's stock.

As explained in the Introduction, there are two kinds of customers: internal and external. External customers provide income for the organization through purchasing goods or services. Internal customers (employees) satisfy the requirements of the external customers and the requirements of others in their own organization. Both are important and need to be understood for an organization to succeed and prosper.

External Customers

The expression "The customer is always right" is not always true; however, one right of the customer is always true: "The customer has the right to purchase from whomever he wants." With this in mind, we should make every attempt to make sure the customer wants to buy from us.

To assess the needs of your customers, utilize input from all customer contact personnel. In an organization that follows TQM principles, input can come from the sales representative, your marketing group, the quality department, manufacturing, customer service, and engineering. The method in which the input is provided can be reactive or proactive. Both sources should be looked upon as opportunities for satisfying your customers' needs.

Reactive input is in the form of customer complaints or from interpreting customer purchase orders or sales inquiries.

When customer complaints are received, either as written complaints or in the form of returned goods, most organizations react as fire fighters and focus on the hot spot.

We sometimes ignore the system that created the problem in the first place. When a purchase order or sales inquiry is received, most organizations interpret their customer's requirements through the mirror of their own paradigms.

Proactive input is solicited through visits to the customer's place of business, visits to your facility by your customer, customer satisfaction surveys, and by cross-functional teams consisting of employees from customer and supplier facilities.

All these activities should be part of management's strategic business plan.

Internal Customers

In a TQM environment, the attention paid to employees is as important as, if not more important than, attention paid to the customer. The employee is the internal customer of the organization, the individual who can make things happen.

His or her understanding of the organization's goals and commitment to the customer must be complete. This can be assured by following a three-step process that includes (1) an employee survey, (2) an employee training program, and (3) regular communication sessions to continually reinforce the organization's goals.

Employee Survey

The employee survey should be designed to provide an assessment of how the employee feels about the company and how he perceives his role to the customer. An example of a survey I used successfully. The TQM steering committee should review and analyze employee survey results and determine the training program required to bring employees up to speed on company goals. Training can be conducted by inside experts or by using outside resources. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

The advantages to using inside experts are cash flow containment and assuring that the training is tailored to existing company paradigms. The disadvantages of using in-house experts are having to overcome existing negative perceptions of the expert, if there are any, and removing the expert from his duties to provide preparation and training.

The advantages of using outside sources for training are many. Among them is the natural perception that an outside consultant knows more about a subject than inside people.

This advantage can create a more receptive learning environment for the employee. Another advantage is that no time is taken from anyone's schedule for preparation of lesson plans. Two major disadvantages are expense and the fact that the outside resource is not familiar with your company culture.

Both options of training must be evaluated by the TQM steering committee, and selection of training resources should be made on the best fit analysis. The key is to assure that whatever training source is utilized that the source emulates the goals of the organization.

Activities concerning customers need to be communicated to everyone in the organization in a timely manner. Most information can be distributed on a monthly basis, but special news should be disseminated as required. An ideal method of sharing news is through a company newsletter that contains information on employees, customers, and continuous improvement activities.

MOVING TO ACTION: THE FOUR BASIC STEPS

1. Explain the action you will personally take to correct the situation.

2. Thank customers for bringing their concern to your attention.

3. Follow through and follow up.

4. Give the customer a freebie. Always say ...

• “We don’t want to make promises we can’t deliver. Here’s what we can do: ...”

• “Here is a possibility: ...”

• “You can ...”

• “We do have ...”

• “I’ll check into this right now and get back to you before ...”

• “There is an alternative: ...”

• “What options have you already considered that I may be able to assist you with?”

FOUR CALMING SKILLS

Your choices ...

• Be indifferent

• Let the customer upset you

• Use each contact to learn calming skills

The Four Calming Skills

Skill 1. Keep your cool ...

• Don’t take the situation personally.

• Think: I am a professional who is paid to treat people professionally. I will learn something from each encounter.

• Focus on the issue: How can we solve this problem?

Skill 2. Let the customer blow off steam.

Skill 3. Don’t argue.

Skill 4. Acknowledge the customer’s anger.

HANDLING IRATE CUSTOMERS 104: MOVING FROM ANGER TO ACTION

Handling Irate Customers 104: Moving From Anger to Action

1. Review the Principles Driving Your Team’s Customer Service Mission

2. Introduce the Lesson

SCRIPT: So far, we’ve tackled calming skills, laser listening skills, and “never say” statements. Today, I want to focus on action skills.

How do we quickly and professionally assure customers that we’re here to do something about their problem or complaint?

3. Explain and Discuss the Skill(s) to Practice

SCRIPT: There are four steps we need to take to move from anger to action.

Let’s look at each one individually and discuss some simple tactics to help us implement them.

First, “Explain the action you will personally take to correct the situation.” At this point, you may know exactly what to do because the problem is within your realm of discretion to handle; or you may know exactly

where to find the information you need, or whom to contact; or we may have a policy or standard operating procedure to cover the problem. [Offer practical examples that would fit the latter scenario.]

Whatever the case, it’s important that the angry customer see you as someone who can—and will—do something to solve the problem. That assurance becomes part of the calming process.

Our second step is “Thank customers for bringing their concern to your attention.” No big song or dance is needed here. A simple “Thank you for bringing this to my attention” will do. The trick is to say it as if you

really mean it. [Adopt lighthearted tone.] And you do mean it because you are a professional problem-solver who just loves to handle people like them.

LEADER’S NOTE: If you have another approach, feel free to use it. But remember the bottom line: Saying less is more at this point in the interaction.

SCRIPT: We discussed the third step—“Follow through and follow up”—during initial training, when we created our standard operating procedure for problem-solving.

You know it’s your problem until it’s solved, and if you’ve been practicing this step all along, it should be second-nature—even in the face of an irate person.

LEADER’S NOTE: In Stage 3, we recommended creating an SOP for handling complaints and a “go to” list of resources. If you haven’t created these yet, make them a priority.

Use the fourth step from the slide if it’s applicable to your business. And if it isn’t, you might want to ask, “Why isn’t it?”

SCRIPT: Finally, the fourth step is our goodwill gesture, our exceeding-customers’-expectation gesture: “Give them a freebie.” For example ... [Offer options that members can use in these situations. Ask them to

recommend other things that you might add to your “freebie” list. Be sure to explain which free offer is appropriate for a variety of situations.]

4. Conduct a Team Activity

LEADER’S NOTE: Create three or four role-plays that engage the team in using the tactics you just taught.

Give them a synopsis of real-life scenarios they may encounter and that conclude with the customer asking, “And what are you going to do about it?”

5. Set Goals for the Week

LEADER’S NOTE: Challenge members to practice these tactics with customers and each other during the week. Ask peer leaders to spring “pop quizzes” on difficult situations. For example:

• “An irate customer returns an item, saying it’s broken. However, it’s not really broken—the customer just didn’t follow the directions carefully. What are you going to do about it?”

• “An angry customer complains that the service we offered did not meet their expectations. What are you going to do about it?”

6. Assign Accountability for Follow-Up

LEADER’S NOTE: Peer leaders are accountable for giving pop quizzes, keeping score of great responses, and electronically submitting those responses to you before the next team meeting.

On your part, print the best new responses for use at the next meeting.

7. Announce Contest and Prizes

LEADER’S NOTE: Use the best responses to award prizes at your next meeting or to enter winners into a drawing.

Handling Irate Customers 104: Moving From Anger to Action

Moving to Action: The Four Basic Steps

1. Explain the action you will personally take to correct the situation.

2. Thank customers for bringing their concern to your attention.

3. Follow through and follow up.

4. Give the customer a freebie.

Free items: Situations:

ASSIGNMENT OF THE WEEK

Practice these steps with customers and one another during the week. Be prepared for a pop quiz at any time.

HANDLING IRATE CUSTOMERS 103: AVOIDING FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE

Handling Irate Customers 103: Avoiding “Foot in Mouth” Disease

1. Review the Principles Driving Your Team’s Customer Service Mission

2. Introduce the Lesson

SCRIPT: The last time we met, we focused on laser listening tactics to better understand the customer’s real problem. How can we figure out a solution if we’re caught in the fog of a customer’s anger and can’t define the problem? We can’t. That’s why this week I want to talk about how to avoid creating more emotional fog by keeping your foot out of your mouth.

Let’s look at our handout.

3. Explain and Discuss the Skill(s) to Practice

SCRIPT: In our initial training on communication and problem solving, we worked with a list of things we should never say to customers. Do you remember? [Elicit affirmative responses.] Today I want to focus on what not to say especially when dealing with an irate customer.

LEADER’S NOTE: Show Slide 103. Read each line, asking after each, “If you say this, what would an irate customer say in return?” For example, the line “You should’ve told me that in the first place” will insult the customer and may provoke the response “I did say that, but you weren’t listening.” Keep this interaction fast-paced, upbeat, and fun.

4. Conduct a Team Activity

LEADER’S NOTE: Return to the “never say” list and ask members to recommend alternatives. You can either engage the entire team in this or break into groups for a 5-minute brainstorming session. Also, ask a peer leader to collect the best statements, collate and distribute them right after the meeting, and post them with today’s slide.

5. Set Goals for the Week

LEADER’S NOTE: Challenge members to practice the best statements with customers and with one another throughout the week. (See scorecard method in lesson 102 as an option for recording successes.)

Also, ask them to electronically submit other effective statements to you or a designated peer leader during the coming week.

6. Assign Accountability for Follow-Up

LEADER’S NOTE: Peer leaders are accountable for collating, distributing, and posting the best statements.

Front-liners are accountable for practicing and submitting new alternatives. Print the best new responses for the next meeting.

7. Announce Contest and Prizes

LEADER’S NOTE: You can use the best new responses (and best scorecards if applicable) as the basis for awarding prizes at the next meeting or entering winners in a drawing.

Handling Irate Customers 103: Avoiding “Foot in Mouth” Disease

Never say:

• “You should have told me that in the first place.”

• “You’ll have to ...”

• “You must be mistaken.”

• “Our salespeople messed up again.”

• “This is the third time I’ve heard that complaint today.”

• “I’ve never heard of that happening before.”

• “It’s that darned computer again.”

• “There is nothing I can do about it.”

• “I don’t know.” [Period]

Alternatives:

ASSIGNMENT OF THE WEEK

Practice and stick it to ’em!

HANDLING IRATE CUSTOMERS 102: LASER LISTENING - WHAT ARE THEY REALLY SAYING?

1. Review the Principles Driving Your Team’s Customer Service Mission

2. Introduce the Lesson

SCRIPT: At our last meeting, we focused on one of the biggest challenges you face when confronted by irate customers: keeping your cool. Today we’re moving on to the next challenge: making sure that we’re

clear on the real problem or issue so we can address it quickly and effectively. To do that, we’re going to sharpen our listening skills. [Distribute copies of Handout 4B.]

3. Explain and Discuss the Skill(s) to Practice

SCRIPT: There are two related listening tactics I want you to be aware of and start to practice this week.

These will make you a great listener in every area of your life, not just here at work, and are particularly important to practice when emotions are running high. Basically, they’re the “laser surgery” that cuts through the anger the customer is throwing at you, so you can get to the real problems underneath.

LEADER’S NOTE:

SCRIPT: Those tactics are (1) check for understanding, and (2) repeat or paraphrase the complaint to acknowledge you heard it correctly. These tactics may sound simple, but they’re not easy to put into practice. Let’s take a closer look.

First, check for understanding. Picture an irate customer who is either babbling or saying almost nothing.

In either case, you have no idea what the real problem is. It’s hidden in the fog of the customer’s emotions.

Of course, you keep your cool and acknowledge their feelings—and how are you going to do that? [Elicit responses based on the previous lesson.] Then, you prepare to check for understanding.

LEADER’S NOTE:

SCRIPT: There are several strategies for drawing more information out of the customer. For example, you can simply say, “Tell me more about ...” and fill in the blank with the appropriate words. [Offer examples from your own experience; for instance, “Tell me more about why this product isn’t serving your needs.”]

Or, you can say, “I want to make sure I’ve got this right. Would you repeat what happened one more time?” Another possibility is, “Help me to understand the situation so we can get this resolved quickly.

Would you run that by me one more time?”

Are there any strategies that you have found useful? [Have the team add these additions to the handout.]

LEADER’S NOTE: Show Slide 102.3.

SCRIPT: Once you’ve checked for understanding, go on to the next tactic: Repeat or paraphrase the complaint to acknowledge you heard it correctly. You want to assure customers that you heard them clearly and have

really got it right. This will calm them down and position you as someone who’s there to help, not hassle.

Our lead-in statements are simple. You might say, “Let me make sure I heard you correctly”; or “Let me make sure I understand the problem correctly”; or “Let me see if I have all the facts here.” Then comes the hard

part: “What you’re saying is ...” Depending on your ability at laser listening, what follows makes or breaks the conversation. Did you really nail it? Did you really understand the problem or the situation? And, there’s no doubt about it, most customers will give you immediate feedback to let you know how well you did.

4. Conduct a Team Activity

LEADER’S NOTE: Create several role-plays based on situations in your business that might conclude with these customer statements: • “This store [or business] always messes up!”

• “That’s not what I was told the last time I called [or was in here].”

• “If I don’t get better service, I’m going to call the Better Business Bureau!”

Ask one member to play the irate customer, and call on others to respond using the tactics you just presented. Make this interchange fun and fast-paced.

5. Set Goals for the Week

LEADER’S NOTE: Ask members to look for as many opportunities as possible to practice these tactics with customers and one another during the coming week.

Distribute scorecards—large index cards will do— and a strip of fun stickers. Ask the team to “stick it to” members who are caught handling an irate customer well or who respond effectively to instant practice sessions. Challenge them to do on-the-spot role-plays throughout the week based on their own experiences or on scenarios you and your peer leaders create and distribute randomly. Finally, ask them to bring their scorecards and examples of what did and what didn’t work to the next meeting.

6. Assign Accountability for Follow-Up

LEADER’S NOTE: Everyone on the team is accountable for this assignment.

7. Announce Contest and Prizes

LEADER’S NOTE: The person who has the most stickers by the next team meeting receives a prize or is entered into a drawing.

 Handling Irate Customers 102: Laser Listening—What Are They Really Saying?

Laser Listening: Two Basic Tactics

1. Check for understanding.

• Strategies:

— “Tell me more about ...”

— “I want to make sure I’ve got this right. Would you repeat what happened one more time?”

— “Help me to understand the situation so we can get this resolved quickly. Would you run that by me one more time?”

— Other strategies:

2. Repeat or paraphrase the complaint to acknowledge that you heard it correctly.

• Lead-ins:

— “Let me make sure I heard you correctly.”

— “I want to make sure I understand the problem correctly.”

— “Let me see if I have all the facts about the situation.”

• Then:

— “What you’re saying is ...”

ASSIGNMENT OF THE WEEK

Practice and stick it to ’em!

THE FIVE HALF HOUR COURSES

Program Outline: 

In each session, you are the instructor, delivering hardhitting content and making weekly assignments. Allow approximately 25 minutes to present the lesson and 5 minutes to make assignments and wrap up.

— PROGRAM OUTLINE —

• Handling Irate Customers 101: Staying Calm in a Perfect Storm

• Handling Irate Customers 102: Laser Listening— What Are They Really Saying?

• Handling Irate Customers 103: Avoiding “Foot in Mouth” Disease

• Handling Irate Customers 104: Moving From Anger to Action

• Handling Irate Customers 105: Saying No Without Getting Punched Out

The following leader’s guide provides you with the materials you need to present these training modules.

Note that the slides and handouts are presented at the guide’s conclusion, with one handout per module. As always, feel free to customize the material to fit your team’s needs and your training style. Remember, in this

setting, you are the instructor who drives the content.

Why This Series?

When we asked young service employees what they most wanted to learn, hands down they responded, “How to handle angry customers.” They did not mean just complaining customers, or those with problems to be solved, but customers who are overtly irate, even hostile. So that is why the Stage 4 courses deal with this issue.

FOLLOW UP MEETING AGENDA

Determine which weekly lessons need follow-up sessions.

During these, you are primarily the coach and facilitator. Base your approach on your observations during the week and the results of team assignments.

Be sure to check on how well members practiced the lesson: What did they do very well? Where do they still need to improve? What “unexpecteds” did they encounter that should be addressed? What coaching can you offer during this session? What awards can be distributed at this point? What follow-up learning needs to take place?

Based on the results, make assignments for the coming week. When the team is ready to move on, introduce the next training topic.

Other Preliminaries

Pacing Your Lessons—and Roles

Since mastering any new skill requires practice, present a new lesson one week and review and reinforce it the next—and maybe the next and the next. To do this, you  must play three roles: that of the instructor who introduces fast, hard-hitting content; that of the coach who observes team members during the week, gives them on-the-spot feedback, and guides practice sessions during team meetings; and that of the facilitator who

focuses team members on what they’ve learned and uncovers the strengths that lie within each of them. Of course, all three roles will overlap and each is essential  to your intervention strategies.

Conceivably, the following five lessons could cover 10 to 15 weeks of training. It’s your call. Your job is to balance “buzz” and “burnout”—to keep your team members engaged and excited about learning without sending them into overdrive. Ask your peer leaders to help you take the team’s pulse, and make adjustments accordingly.

Multimedia Options

Before you roll out new lessons, assemble an in-house video crew to film brief interviews with people who are already performing well in these skill areas. Many young workers have a facility with video technology

and would love to tackle this creative project. Engage some as interviewers and provide them with an initial list of questions.

Next, start creating your proprietary video training library by asking your crew to edit and catalogue the video clips according to topic. Along the way, add to the library by engaging your team in acting out customer service “dos and don’ts.” Rather than spending training dollars on videos that may or may not fit your situation, you’ve customized your own—and given your team a great learning experience in the process.

HALF HOUR COURSE AGENDA

Half-Hour Course Agenda

Adapt this seven-step agenda to review lessons as well as present new ones. When reviewing, use the Stage 2 handouts. When presenting new lessons, see our Stage 4 material. And don’t forget—30 minutes is

a short amount of time, so you’ll need to move each course along at a fast pace.

— HALF-HOUR COURSE AGENDA —

1. Review the principles driving your team’s customer service mission. Begin each lesson with a lively

review of your “sales message.” For example:

“Customer service is non-negotiable,” “It makes work more enjoyable,” and so forth.

2. Introduce the lesson.

3. Explain and discuss the skill(s) to practice.

4. Conduct a team activity. Get the team involved in a case study, role-play, or brief brainstorming session.

5. Set goals for the week.

6. Assign accountability for follow-up.

7. Announce contest and prizes (if applicable).

LEADER'S NOTE : CLIENT'S COMPLAINT

LEADER’S NOTE: Open the floor to discussion. Be sure to cover the reasons for such documentation:

1. Written documentation protects front-liners as well as the organization if a customer says no action was taken.

2. It helps managers understand problems and complaints more clearly.

3. It identifies recurring “fires” that need immediate attention.

4. It becomes a training tool for how to handle similar situations in the future.

C2. Create a Complaint Tracker and an Action Plan 45–70 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Customize the Complaint Tracker handout to fit your situation, distribute your version to the team, and discuss how to use it. Entertain suggestions for revisions and then develop a step by- step action plan to implement it. The tracker and action plan become your next SOP.

Open the floor to discussion on when the complaint tracker should be used. For example:

• When a problem or complaint repeatedly occurs (this is a “fire” that managers need to know about so they can address it once and for all)

• When a service person doesn’t have the expertise or authority to handle a customer problem

• When the issue can’t be resolved immediately and requires further investigation

Generate a list of everyday situations that would require a tracker.

Continue discussion by clarifying your “back-up strategy” for when a problem is beyond your front-liners’ expertise but can be immediately addressed by someone else. What words should they say? For example:

• “That’s a great question. Let me find someone who can give you a great answer.”

• “I’m not 100 percent certain how to deal with this.

Let me [find/contact] someone who can give you help immediately.” Also discuss guidelines for submitting the form:

• How soon after the event must it be completed?

• To whom should it be sent?

• How soon afterward should front-liners follow up with the recipient as well as with the customer?

Reinforce the principle “It’s my problem until it’s solved.” Conclude discussion by covering any other guidelines or parameters required by your situation.

C3. Wrap up the Workshop 5 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Inform your team that you will distribute the revised tracker and action plan by whatever deadline you’ve chosen. Once they receive this material, it becomes another standard operating procedure

for which they are accountable. You want them to test it out and be ready to report back on its “pros” and “cons” at the next team meeting or workshop.

Workshop D.

Create a “Go-To” List 60–90 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Since your people need to know who has the information, experience, or expertise to handle particular products, services, or customer issues, the “go-to” list may be the next most practical

tool to address.

D1. Review Tools 20–30 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: You and/or your peer leaders will do the initial homework for this workshop, so this session may be shorter than the others. If so, use the extra time to review and reinforce the work that

the team accomplished during the last session. For example, check on how well the complaint tracker is working by asking the following questions:

• Are there any glitches that need revision?

• Are there any new issues that need to be addressed?

• What challenges and triumphs have team members had in using it?

Open the floor to “stories” of their experiences.

D2. Introduce “Go-To” List of

Key People 35–50 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Prepare a list of products, services, and problem areas and a corresponding list of key people your front-liners can contact for information or support. Include other employees, managers, product/

service suppliers, consultants, and service providers, and give their contact information. Ideally, you want a minimum of two resource people for each area.

Discuss this list with team members and get their input on other areas where they may need help. Add those to the list with corresponding contacts.

Point out that the “go-to” list is another tool that will be amended as new issues arise and people change positions, gain expertise, or come into or leave the organization. Therefore, you want them to look for

additions/corrections and submit those to you or a designated peer leader.

Finally, decide how to make this initial list easily accessible to everyone. Possibilities include putting it in a computer database, in their customer service binder, and on a sheet near phones or cash registers.

D3. Wrap Up the Workshop 5–10 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Summarize what you accomplished in this workshop; then give your team a preview of the next workshop. Let them know they will develop answers to customers’ frequently asked questions, and

assign them to pay close attention over the coming week(s) to the questions that customers consistently ask. They should record the questions and submit them to you, preferably electronically, by the deadline

you specify.

Optional: Make this assignment a contest, and offer prizes for the quantity as well as quality of the FAQs.

Workshop E.

Create FAQs 60–90 min.

E1. Introduce the Process 5–10 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Prepare a handout of the most common and pertinent customer questions your team submitted. By all means, add your own. Keep in mind that soon you’ll have the team create one-page information

sheets; therefore, put aside any questions that would be better addressed in that format, namely, those that require extensive details, specs, and specialized language.

Optional: Award prizes to those who contributed the most questions and the best questions.

SCRIPT: In our discussion of communication skills on [date], we learned that saying as little as possible is one of the keys to successful communication. However, that doesn’t mean saying nothing. It means we

listen carefully to what customers say, and choose the right words to respond appropriately.

What are the “right words”? That’s the focus of today’s workshop. First, we’ll create rough drafts of the best answers to the questions you submitted; then we’ll practice and refine them before we roll them out to

our customers. It’s one thing to have answers written down on paper; it’s another to be able to deliver them clearly and confidently.

E2. Facilitate Answering FAQs 45–70 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Break the team into groups of three to six members, with a facilitator, a timekeeper, and a note-taker. Ask note-takers to submit final drafts to you after the program.

Facilitate the following five-step process:

1. Distribute a different set of five or six FAQs to each group. The FAQs should vary in complexity, with each printed on a large index card or a copy of the Answering Customer FAQs worksheet.

Ask groups to brainstorm the answers, and instruct note-takers to write final versions on the cards or sheets. Explain that the answers should be short and sweet. Offer examples from your own experience to serve as models. Print the examples on a handout, slide, transparency, or flip chart, so groups can see them throughout their discussion.

Considering the number and complexity of the questions, set a time frame (e.g., 20 to 25 minutes) for writing first drafts.

2. When time is up, ask group members to divide into pairs or triads, “fire” questions at one another, and take turns responding with the “scripted” answers.

You want them to hear their written words spoken aloud. Ask them to evaluate each response: How well does the response flow? Does it say what we really want it to say? Does it use the best words?

Does it convey accurate information? Can we say it with fewer but more powerful words?

3. Have members return to their small groups. Instruct note-takers to make revisions based on this exercise and to record them under “Revision” on their cards or worksheets.

4. Explain that each group should now link up with another to trade questions and revisions. Challenge the partnered groups to improve each other’s answers.

Since they worked on different questions, they’ll bring another perspective to the answers.

Ask note-takers to add the critiques to their cards or worksheets.

5. Open the floor to a sampling of questions and answers and discuss which are the most effective.

At this point, the quality of the examples is more important than the quantity. Since creating answers to FAQs is an ongoing project, you want to ensure that members can distinguish between excellent

and mediocre responses.

Also, while it’s your responsibility to review and finalize all answers, you want to teach your front-liners how to write the best rough drafts possible.

E3. Wrap Up the Workshop 10 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Collect the note-takers’ work or ask them to send it to you electronically. Ask for volunteers to continue to work on this project, and divide the remaining questions among them. Set a deadline for submitting answers (preferably in an electronic format) to you or peer leaders.

Optional: Offer prizes for the quantity and quality of the answers.

Inform the team that you will review and edit their answers for distribution at the next team meeting (or next appropriate time). Let them know where the final FAQs will be stored (for instance, in the team’s customer service binder or easily accessible database) and that additions will be made as the need arises.

Finally, create a process for practicing the finalized answers after the workshop. Here are some possibilities:

• Set up role-plays at the next team meeting.

• Have the team create an FAQ game with prizes. For example, print questions on business-card-sized stock and have members pull a card and answer the question. The person who answers the most questions

accurately within a certain time frame wins.

• Ask peer leaders to quiz front-liners throughout the week, posing a question and asking for answers on the spot. Leaders keep a scorecard, and the person who has the most accurate answers receives a

prize. Of course, ensure that all front-liners are given equal opportunity to participate.

Workshop F.

Create One-Page Information Sheets 60–90 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: This workshop is an adjunct to the previous one. At this point in Stage 3, you may want to vary your approach by asking for volunteers to work on this tool or by inviting only members who

have a talent for writing or graphic design to participate.

You also may want to use a trained peer leader to lead the discussion and collate materials for your final approval. If none of these tips work for you, proceed with the entire team as usual.

F1. Introduce the Process 5–10 min.

SCRIPT: Now that we’re really rolling with our FAQs, there is a complementary tool I’d like us to discuss: the one-page information sheet. What I’m thinking about is a graphically appealing, thoroughly accurate and detailed document about the services, products, processes, and issues that prompt lots of customer questions. In that way, when a customer asks a very detailed question that requires an even more detailed answer, we don’t have to rely on our memories—we can hand over a great-looking one-pager with all the information the customer could possibly want.

What do you think that would feel like? You could give them a first-rate answer without uttering one word. Now that’s powerful!

LEADER’S NOTE: If your business already has samples of one-page information tools, by all means, distribute models and discuss elements applicable to your team.

F2. Facilitate Creating One-Page

Information Sheets 45–70 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Involve participants in brainstorming a list of products, services, procedures, and issues that require a one-pager. Record the list on a flip chart and prioritize the items for development. Then divide

the team into groups of two to three members and assign one priority to each group.

Offer a worksheet for creating a rough draft (see our handout One-Page Information Sheet), and set accountabilities for each document. Note that the groups will be responsible for creating content as

well as graphics and layout.

Ask groups to discuss the information needed for their one-pager and the resources available to obtain it—people, catalogues, computer files, and so on. You want to teach them an effective process so they can

continue to create these documents after the workshop.

Debrief all participants to ensure everyone is on the right track and understands the results you want.

F3. Wrap Up the Workshop 10 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Divide the other priorities among groups, and ask them to commit to a series of deadlines to deliver completed one-pagers to you or a peer leader. For example, they might commit to completing

one or two per week during the next month. You might ask your peer leader to collect them and to add his or her own suggestions before passing them on

to you electronically. As with every information tool, you have the final say.

Schedule time to address these tools during subsequent team meetings.

Finally, offer special recognition/rewards for people who work on this project.

Workshop G.

Create SOPs for All Positions 60–90 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: This workshop requires everyone’s participation because SOPs should be prepared for every front-line task and responsibility.

G1. Introduce the Process 5–10 min.

SCRIPT: Today we will begin creating a series of standard operating procedures for our everyday tasks and accountabilities. We’ve already created two very important ones on handling customer problems and

tracking complaints. Does anyone remember what we did to develop them? [Open the floor to discussion, and lead members toward next point.]

SOPs are the most effective steps people can take to get results. In essence, each explains, “In this situation, to get this result, we do step one, step two, and so forth.” In this way, when someone new joins the

team, we can hand the new member our SOPs and get him or her up to speed much more quickly than ever before. So, the challenge is to make the SOPs easy to read and understand.

G2. Facilitate the SOP Process 45–70 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Tell the team to form small groups of three to four members based on the similarity of their jobs (individuals with the most similar jobs thus form a group). Give them time to do this; then ask them to

select a facilitator, a timekeeper, and a note-taker.

When ready, facilitate the five-step process below.

Allow 20 to 25 minutes for the first three steps.

1. Ask groups to brainstorm a list of all the tasks and responsibilities with which they are charged and have direct experience. Record the list on a flip chart. Keep groups on this step until the list is comprehensive.

2. Groups should now prioritize the tasks. Be sure to define your criteria (e.g., importance, frequency) before launching work on this step.

3. Instruct groups to draft a bullet-point SOP for their top priority on the flip chart. Stress that you are looking for clear, concise, step-by-step explanations for what they do and how they do it in order to achieve the best results.

4. Return to the room at large to debrief. Ask groups to take turns presenting their SOPs, and invite other members to make suggestions for improvement.

At this point, you want to create models the entire team can use for ongoing development.

5. If your time frame allows, engage groups in working on their next priority. Debrief again and check for understanding. Gain commitment from groups that they will work on SOPs during the following

weeks or months. Set deadlines and ask notetakers to electronically submit SOPs to you or a peer leader as they are completed.

G3.Wrap Up the Workshop 10 min.

LEADER’S NOTE: Again your job is to review the SOPs and finalize them. Let your team know that you will distribute each as it is completed and expect the team to implement it. In short, from that point on, you will

consider it indeed a standard operating procedure.

Creating Processes for Ongoing Development

Creating and updating just-in-time information tools is an ongoing process. For help, engage peer leaders in overseeing the next phases of this project. Specifically, ask each to head up the development of one or two categories. For example, one leader may be in charge of FAQs and one-pagers, while another may focus on SOPs for handling problems and complaints.

Once you have assigned accountabilities, be sure to do the following:

• Help peer leaders create procedures for how they will gather, share, revise and publish materials.

• Let front-liners know who’s accountable for what information tool, and encourage them to funnel their ideas, issues, questions, and suggestions to the appropriate person.

• As part of the ongoing learning process that will be defined in Stage 4, have your peer leaders lead 15-minute updates and training on new tools as they are developed.

• Create a recognition and reward system for peer leaders and front-liners who consistently contribute to this customer service initiative.