• Unit 3: Customer Service Skillsets

    A variety of tools and technologies may be employed by customer service workers to attempt to discern customers' needs and concerns. Since the flow of customer connections can flood quickly, workers need to be able to effectively and efficiently multitask, manage their time, and network with other members on their service teams. These critical skill sets are covered in this unit.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 8 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • explain essential customer service skills using the telephone, email, and Internet;
      • outline methods for effective time management; and
      • propose tactics for productive teamwork.

    • 3.1: Customer Service and Telephone Skills

      • Dr. Steven R. Van Hook's "Customer Service Telephone Skills" URL

        Read this article on customer service and telephone skills. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to take time to investigate.

    • 3.2: Customer Service via E-mail and the Internet

      • Dr. Steven R. Van Hook's "Customer Service through E-mail and the Internet" URL

        Read this article on customer service through e-mail and the internet. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to take time to investigate.

    • 3.3: Teamwork

      • Dr. Steven R. Van Hook's "Customer Service Teamwork" Page

        Read this article on effective customer service teamwork. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.

    • 3.4: Time, Stress, and Work Health Management

      • Dr. Steven R. Van Hook's "Customer Service Worker Self-Care" URL

        Read this article on self-care for the customer service worker. Be sure to take careful notes to help study for the unit quiz and final exam. Spend 30 minutes visiting the featured customer workplace for examples of effective customer service tactics. If you can find employment listings of interest to you on that website, you may want to investigate those.

    • Unit 3 Activities

      • Unit 3 Discussion URL

        After reviewing the unit materials, please post and respond to the following topics on the discussion forum. Feel free to start your own related posts, and respond to other students' postings as well.

        1. When talking on the telephone, what techniques have you found useful? What might you do differently based on this unit's readings?
        2. When communicating over the computer, what tactics have you found useful? What might you add to those based on this unit's readings?
        3. What are your own most effective ways of managing your time? What tips from this unit might help you do it better?
        4. Have you ever worked on a team project, either at work, on the job, or just a family task? How did it go? What might you suggest?

      • Short Writing Exercise: Customer Service Skillsets URL

        Prepare a 300-500 word document as if you were the manager of a customer service department orienting new employees on the best practices in telephone and computer communications, as well as team work effectiveness and personal development. Based on this unit's readings, what are the key suggestions you would offer to help your new employees be effective in their positions? Once you are done with the document, post it to the discussion thread and leave comments on your classmates' work.

      • Unit 3 Assessment Quiz

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.