Customer Service
Understanding the importance of a positive
customer service experience and how it will
support your mission
Instructor: Robert Paquette
Chief, Rhode Island State Parks
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Course Goal
To strengthen your understanding of
the power and importance of
establishing a customer service
culture that results in devoted
customers that love and support your
mission.
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Course Objectives
This course will empower you to:
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Understand the impacts of negative customer service.
Create a superior customer service culture that is
consistent with your Brand Promise.
Implement superior customer service by empowering
your employees.
Analyze customer service failures and successes.
More effectively respond to customer complaints.
Implement strategies to monitor customer satisfaction.
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2013 Leadership School
Course Overview
I.
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III.
IV.
V.
Importance of customer service to your mission
Defining your Brand Promise
Empowering your employees to deliver superior
customer service in your state park
Successfully resolving complaints by honoring
customer values
Monitoring customer satisfaction
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Questions we will explore
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Why should we care about customer service?
What are the expectations of our customers?
What are reasons why we might lose a customer?
How does latest technology affect our customers?
Where and how do you keep those promises through
customer service?
• How do we know if we are meeting our customer service
goals successfully?
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Class Preparation
• In order to use our time most effectively during
class, please complete the three assignments
outlined in the following slides.
• Recommended reading is also included as
optional tasks.
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2013 Leadership School
Preparation # 1
• The basis for establishing your customer service goals is
understanding the Brand Promise of your State Park (more
background is provided on the next slide).
• Please take the attached Brand Promise Survey, which is designed
to help you identify the most important promises that you are making
to your customers.
• Follow the survey instructions carefully.
• Consider inviting your staff to take the Brand Survey with you and
combine your results.
• Bring your survey results with you to class.
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The Brand Promise
• Your Brand Promise is the Holy Grail of your customer service goals
and objectives.
• The Brand Promise describes the unique services and experiences
your visitors can consistently expect when they visit a state park.
• Your Brand Promise begins before the visitor arrives, existing as an
abstract thought in the visitor’s mind about the value of State Parks
and who you are as an organization.
• It gains momentum as the visitor first enters your State Park and
comes into contact with your places, other visitors, volunteers and
your staff.
• A Brand Promise is so strong that it can influence the way a person
behaves while visiting your park to conform with your Brand.
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Preparation # 2
• Once you have completed your Brand Promise survey, please use
your responses to complete the following sentences:
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2.
3.
4.
The ideal state park is a place where…
The ideal visitor to a state park is someone who…..
A visitor to a state park will feel….
A visitor would describe my ideal state park staff as….
• There are no wrong answers to these questions! These sentences
will reflect the priorities you identified in your Brand Survey. They are
your key messages that comprise your Customer Service goals.
• Bring your sentences with you to class.
• Examples are provided on the next slide.
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Example Messages
• Examples of Key Messages:
– “The ideal state park is a place where…people can connect, through
the beauty and serenity of nature, whether picnicking, camping or
exploring woodlands and marshes on scenic trails, in a safe, clean and
welcoming place that belongs to them.”
-- “A visitor to a state park will feel…stress-free, even revitalized, and
will leave with happy memories to sustain them.”
-- “The ideal visitor to a state park is someone who… will support our
mission through future stewardship and refferals to family and friends.”
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Preparation # 3
• Please bring with you to class at least one copy of a
letter or email from a customer providing either positive
or negative feedback regarding their experience in your
park.
• We will use these real life experiences to talk about what
went right or wrong in our customer service efforts and
how we responded.
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Preparation # 4
Please bring with you to class, situations that
you feel technology has changed the patron
experience towards Customer Service in a
positive or negative manner
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Summary of Tasks
1.
2.
3.
4.
Take the Brand Promise Survey and bring your results
to class.
Complete the four sentences that represent your key
messages from the Brand Survey and bring them to
class.
Bring at least one copy of a letter or email from a
customer providing either positive or negative
feedback regarding their experience in your park.
Consider how technology has changed your user’s
experience and be prepared to discuss positive
changes that technology can help customer service.
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Highly Recommended Reading
“Be Our Guest”
Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
By: Disney Institute (2001)
This book is available in bookstores or Amazon.com. It is easy
reading and for someone in the field where customer service is a
priority, it will be tough to put down. Whether they are called clients,
customers, constituents, or, in Disney-speak, guests, all
organizations must best serve the people who purchase their
products and services or risk losing them. Be Our Guest outlines
proven Disney principles and processes for helping your
organization focus its vision and align its people and infrastructure
into a cohesive strategy that delivers on the promise of exceptional
customer service.
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Sample Exam Questions
1. Name three ways that you can empower your
employees to provide superior customer
service.
2. A key to managing visitor conflict and
complaints successfully is by appealing to a
visitor’s _______________.
3. Name a service that can positively enhance
your visitor’s experience through technology?
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2013 Leadership School
Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact me:
Robert Paquette
Chief
Rhode Island State Parks
2321 Hartford Avenue
Johnston, Rhode Island, 02919
401-222-2635
robert.paquette@dem.ri.gov
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See you in January!
NASPD Directors
2013 Leadership School