Managing moments of truth
Featured in the Call Centres: Maximising Performance training manual
By Tony Lockwood
Category: Sales Skills
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
One of the all-time great leaders in terms of customer service is Jan Carlzon, former President of Scandinavia Airline Services (SAS). He coined the phrase ‘moments of truth’ to describe each occasion that ‘a customer comes into contact with any aspect of the company, however remote, and thereby has an opportunity to form an impression’. Following on from this, he made reference to a customer boarding a plane, folding down their tray and finding the remains of the last passenger’s meal still there. This ‘moment of truth’ may say to the customer: if this is the state of the tray, what on earth are the engines like? This training activity introduces participants to the concept of ‘moments of truth’ and encourages them to identify these within their own organisation. It shows them how to ‘walk the customer pathway’ and encounter for themselves the various systems and processes that are in place. They then examine how appropriate these systems and processes are, and look for ways to improve them for the benefit of the customer.
The training activity begins with a definition of the term ‘Moments of truth’. To ensure that the ‘customer mind-set’ is in place, the participants take part in a group exercise involving ‘walking the customer pathway’ in three different service environments, with the aim of identifying a number of examples of ‘moments of truth’. This exercise is followed by a group discussion on the pathway through your own organisation to examine the systems and processes which are in place and question their customer focus. An element of mystery shopping can be included in this exercise. Once the moments of truth and opportunities for improvement are identified, the participants work in small groups on ideas for implementing the changes, at organisational level or individual level, by formulating a Personal Development Plan. Throughout the training activity, participants are involved in group and individual exercises, and your role, as trainer, is to facilitate discussions and exercises to ensure transfer of learning.
Who is it for: Customer relations can be made and broken in the space of a second. This training activity is intended for use by trainers to guide participants to an understanding of the impact of moments of truth and empowers them to manage these moments effectively.
- Themes:
- Telesales,
- Customer service,
- Call-handling techniques.,
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 8 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:00:00 |
| No of Pages: | 11 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers with all members of call centre staff. It enables participants to broaden their knowledge of the total customer experience, focusing on every detail, however small, rather than automatically following set systems and processes regardless of the impact on the customer.
Download the training activity, Managing moments of truth as featured in the Fenman training manual; Call Centres: Maximising Performance