The Charlton branch of One Stop Estates operates in a highly competitive market. Team member Toby Fosh said: “We deal with people face to face every day and high-quality service is what helps us attract, satisfy and retain customers.
“Sometimes when people come in to the office it’s because they have a problem that they want us to deal with immediately, like a broken boiler or washing machine. But I found it difficult to deal with customer complaints. When I couldn’t supply an
instant solution to their problem, some
customers would become really angry and start shouting at me.
“I wanted to be able to respond in a
professional manner, but didn’t know how to, so tended to stay silent, letting them rant and rave before passing them on to my manager to
deal with. It was very difficult for me.
“In our line of business, you need a good reputation to succeed in the longer term. I knew it would benefit the company if I could learn how to resolve customer complaints in
the right way, so when my colleague at our St Leonards-on-Sea branch recommended the Train to Gain service, I was well up for it!”
“Gaining the qualification has really boosted my self-esteem, too. I feel good about myself and I feel in control at work, which means that I’m more productive – and happier!” |
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A skills broker from Triangle visited Toby at the Charlton branch to discuss his training requirements. Toby said: “He recommended the NVQ Level 2 qualification in Customer Service, which would be delivered free of
charge through the Train to Gain service. As you can imagine, this news went down extremely well with my manager, because small businesses like ours often can’t afford the luxury of external training.”
Soon after that visit, Toby started working towards his NVQ and was visited at work regularly by an assessor. Over the course of the following six months, the assessor
observed Toby during his interactions with customers and gained an
in-depth understanding of his role and the skills he was using to carry it out successfully.
Toby said: “I had to provide evidence for a whole range of competencies that are part and parcel of customer service. Things like the importance of introducing myself correctly and always carrying ID, the procedures to
follow when visiting someone at their home, and the professional way to behave during stressful face-to-face customer encounters. Much of it was common sense, really, but it was good to learn about best practice.”
Having achieved his NVQ, Toby feels far more confident about dealing with customers and handling complaints. He said: “Before the course I tended to freeze, not say anything and hand the problem over to my manager. But
now I’m much calmer and more effective in those situations because I follow a set process: listen, empathise, apologise and then decide what action to take.
“The NVQ in Customer Service is an excellent idea for anyone who’s young or inexperienced in dealing with people at work and wants to gain new skills in this area. Gaining the
qualification has really boosted my self-esteem, too. I feel good about myself and I feel in control at work, which means that I’m more productive – and happier!”
The owner of One Stop Estates, Chris Byron, is also impressed. He said “Completing the NVQ course has given Toby the knowledge and confidence to enhance his performance and
professionalism at work. I’ve really noticed a difference in him, and have promoted him to the position of Lettings Manager as a result.”
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