Customer Service Scenario Responses
Spring 2012 Support Personnel Professional Development
February 29, 2012
INTERNAL
A coworker promised to assist you with a
project collating documents and mailing the
information out to all teachers in the music
department by Tuesday, even though it was
not her job. You have helped her in similar
situations in the past. It is now Thursday,
and the coworker has not come to assist. You
are now behind schedule.
EXTERNAL
Develop a customer service pledge and a
couple of protocols for all central office
employees to follow.

We pledge to be polite, friendly, and
courteous and to smile, whether
communicating in person or on the phone.
Ways we will do this include:
o Jot down notes as the person is
speaking.
o Ask for clarification as needed.
o If referring the person to someone
else, follow through to see that the
person is assisted.

We pledge to:
o Smile when customers walk in the
door.
o Ask to help them.
o Not make judgmental statements.
o Listen and not interrupt.
o Excuse ourselves politely if we
need to answer the phone.
o Lend support.
o Have resources available.
o For frequent questions, have
information printed and ready to be
given out.
o If we are assisting some else,
excuse ourselves long enough to let
the person know you will be with
him or her shortly.

We pledge to:
o Treat people as we would like to be
treated.
o Greet people and answer the phone
within a reasonable amount of time.
o Have resources at our fingertips.
1) How would you handle this situation and
why?
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Approach the person using good
communication: “Are you available to
assist?”
Send an e-mail to the person to set up a
meeting to complete the project.
Inquire whether or not there are issues
preventing the coworker from helping.
Send a reminder e-mail. Ask if the
coworker is still available. Walk over
with the paperwork and ask if he or she
is ready. Send a meeting invitation
setting up a time for the coworker to
assist.
Ask if the coworker is still available to
do the project. Reassign if necessary to
another person. Stress the importance
of the project.
Call or approach the coworker to see if
he or she is still available. If not
available, see if the coworker can
recommend someone else.
Contact the coworker before the
deadline. Ask someone else for
assistance. Send an e-mail to the
coworker clarifying days and times.
Take ownership of the project.
Baltimore County Public Schools
Support Personnel Professional Development
March 2012
Central Office Breakout Session Responses
TT\Office Professionals\11-12 Office Professionals\Spring 2012
Page 1
o Take notes about a call and repeat
to the caller what we thought we
heard.
o Listen intently.
o Be polite and understanding.
o Be helpful, eager, and empathetic.
o Help customers find solutions to
their problems.
o Greet with a smile.
o Validate the customer’s concern.
o Direct customers to the right
person/office/school.
2) Would you report the situation to your
supervisor? Why or why not?
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If the coworker is unavailable, go to the
supervisor to advise him or her of a
possible delay.
No, it was not the other person’s job.
Yes, to make the supervisor aware of
the delay and to ask for additional
assistance.
No. It is not in the coworker’s scope of
work.
If the task can’t be done in time, report
to the supervisor. Seek help elsewhere.
Get solutions to the problem: ask
another coworker.
No, not unless you need additional help
to complete the project or additional
time.
No, since the assignment was mine.
Always have a back-up (Plan B).
3) What effect might her behavior have on
your relationship? Why?
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We pledge to courteously greet customers
on the phone or in person. We will do this
by giving the office name and our name.
We will listen and repeat the person’s
concern, making sure his or her objectives
are met. We will make the person feel
welcome with our greeting and send him or
her to the correct location if we are not able
to help.

We pledge to provide the highest level of
customer service to each individual. We
will do this by:
o Providing good listening skills.
o Addressing the person’s needs.
o Finding a resolution to the
customer’s needs.
If the coworker helps, all is well. If he
or she refuses without a good reason,
the relationship will be strained.
Depending on why the coworker
couldn’t help, we would change the
approach of future requests for help and

may not rely on this coworker in the
future.
You would lose confidence in that
person. Tell the colleague you
appreciate the offer to assist even if he
or she was unable to assist.
o We wouldn’t have waited until
Thursday.
o We would remain on good terms.
In the future, get a commitment up
front before the project is assigned.
No effect, unless the coworker is not a
team player—if he or she is
consistently “not available.”
Learn from the mistake the need for
Baltimore County Public Schools
Support Personnel Professional Development
March 2012
We pledge to greet each customer
courteously with a smile and positive tone.
We will listen attentively and offer
assistance. We will treat customers as we
would want to be treated. We will follow
through on requests. We will validate
concerns. We will use the following
protocol: Strive to defuse/de-escalate
situations.
Central Office Breakout Session Responses
TT\Office Professionals\11-12 Office Professionals\Spring 2012
Page 2
better communication. The mistake is
not necessarily negative. It may
indicate a need for better project
management on my part.
Baltimore County Public Schools
Support Personnel Professional Development
March 2012
Central Office Breakout Session Responses
TT\Office Professionals\11-12 Office Professionals\Spring 2012
Page 3
Spring 2012 Support Personnel Professional Development
March 8, 2012
INTERNAL
A coworker promised to assist you with a
project collating documents and mailing the
information out to all teachers in the music
department by Tuesday, even though it was
not her job. You have helped her in similar
situations in the past. It is now Thursday,
and the coworker has not come to assist. You
are now behind schedule.
EXTERNAL
Develop a customer service pledge and a
couple of protocols for all central office
employees to follow.

We pledge to:
o Treat the customer with respect,
acknowledge the customer’s
objective and concerns.
o Be part of the customer’s solution,
not the problem.
o Be willing to listen.
o Provide detailed information and
guidance.
o Follow up with the customer when
necessary.
o Greet the customer with a positive
attitude.
o Identify ourselves and office.
o Write down information.

We pledge to promptly provide efficient
customer service by identifying ourselves
to the customers and listening to their
concerns with patience and understanding.
Protocols we will use to do this are:
o Timely follow-up if necessary.
o Providing additional contact
information if necessary.
o Saying “thank you” for inquiring.
o Showing respect.
o Listening.
o Showing concern/empathy.
o Giving undivided attention.
o Being positive.
o Being patient.

We pledge to greet all with courtesy and
professionalism by:
o Identifying ourselves and our
office and by asking how we can be
of service.
o By listening patiently without
1) How would you handle this situation and
why?
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Confirm with the coworker by Tuesday
to see if he or she is going to assist with
the project.
Confront the person to give a friendly
reminder that he or she agreed to assist.
Make other plans to get the task
completed.
Ask the coworker if he or she is
available or if I should ask another
coworker.
Check with the coworker before
Thursday. Have a back-up plan.
Communicate with the coworker.
Reapproach, reevaluate, ask someone
else to help with the task.
Ask the coworker if he or she can assist
and when will he or she will be
available.
We would not wait until Thursday to
contact the coworker. We would use
humor in addressing the coworker. We
would take ownership of the project.
2) Would you report the situation to your
supervisor? Why or why not?

Do not report the situation to the
supervisor unless it will negatively
Baltimore County Public Schools
Support Personnel Professional Development
March 2012
Central Office Breakout Session Responses
TT\Office Professionals\11-12 Office Professionals\Spring 2012
Page 4
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impact other task timelines.
Let the supervisor know that you are
behind schedule but have asked for
assistance.
No, because it was not the coworker’s
responsibility.
No, because the coworker was not
assigned to the job. Report the
situation, not the person.
If the coworker is not available, ask the
supervisor if there is someone else who
can assist.
No, unless the situation is repeated.
interrupting, and providing
appropriate customer service.
o By making eye contact, speaking in
a pleasant tone of voice, and
smiling.

We pledge to be courteous, pleasant,
helpful, informative, resourceful, and
compassionate to all customers. We will
accomplish this by listening.

We pledge to:
o Greet everyone with a smile and in
a professional and courteous
manner.
o Listen to customer concerns while
maintaining eye contact.
o Assist customers if we can or direct
them to someone who can assist.
o Empathize with their concerns.
o Keep the conversation positive.
o Treat customers the way we would
want to be treated.

We pledge to:
o Isolate the issue; if necessary, get
the person’s name and phone
number and call him or her back.
o Repeat what the caller is saying.
o Be truthful.
o Respond in a timely manner.
o Show sincerity and respect.
o Listen.
3) What effect might her behavior have on
your relationship? Why?
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Ask for assistance differently. It would
not affect the relationship.
None—it could be a flag depending on
the excuse.
Probably would not ask her for
assistance again. May be unreliable
because of the lack of communication
skills.
It wouldn’t affect the relationship.
If the person could not help because of
his or her own workload, it would not
affect the relationship. If the person
could not help because he or she did
not want to, it would put a strain on the
relationship because it would create
mistrust for future projects.
If repeated, it might affect the
relationship.
Baltimore County Public Schools
Support Personnel Professional Development
March 2012
Central Office Breakout Session Responses
TT\Office Professionals\11-12 Office Professionals\Spring 2012
Page 5