Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	12/05/2017
Top Code	050100 - Business and Commerce, General
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S),  Pass/No Pass (B)

Course Description

This course teaches students skills, strategies, and techniques for developing, improving, and delivering quality customer service to attract new customers, retain existing ones, and increase overall profitability within an organization. Focus will be placed on managing relationships with customers, customer service teams, as well as designing products and processes with customers in mind. Current trends and issues in customer service will also be explored. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Course Outcomes
2. Identify the challenges and importance of providing outstanding customer service.
3. Solve problems related to customer inquiries, complaints, and issues.
4. Discuss ways of meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of a diverse customer base to enhance customer loyalty.

Course Objectives

• 1. define customer service and identify methods of delivering exemplary customer service to attract new customers, retain existing customers, and increase overall business profitability.
• 2. list, discuss, and demonstrate the various ways of meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations.
• 3. respond effectively to resolving customer problems as well as know how to avoid, minimize, and deal with conflict situations.
• 4. increase job performance through good time-management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• 5. communicate more effectively with customers and co-workers.
• 6. better assist customers with diverse backgrounds, hearing and vision disabilities, mobility impairments, and age differences.
• 7. develop techniques to enhance customer loyalty.

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Lecture Content

Customer Service Importance and challenges of delivering exemplary customer service  Key elements of outstanding customer service  Reasons why customer service is so rare  Enhancing customer relationships  Cost of losing a customer  Service recovery and retention Internal and external customers a. Customer diversity b. Customer expectations c. Customer interaction d. Customer loyalty Technology and customer service Team Building Importance of teamwork and team commitment Characteristics of effective teams Roles of team members Common team problems and how to deal with them Personality assessments as a team-building and customer-service tool Attitude Types of attitudes Maintaining a positive attitude Primary causes of bad attitudes Attitude adjustments Problem Solving and Decision Making   Problem-solving process and approaches Blocks to problem solving Decision-making techniques Steps in the decision-making process Conflict Resolution Conflict styles Causes of conflict Steps for conflict resolution a. Customer-related b. Work-related c. Personal Workplace Communication The communication process Methods of communication a. Verbal b. Non-verbal c. Telephone Fundamentals of communicating with customers Obstacles to effective communication Listening a. Power listening b. Barriers to effective listening Stress Management Workplace and personal stress a. Causes of stress    1. Internal stressors    2 . External stressors b. Consequences of stress    1. Physical    2. Emotional    3. Behavioral c. Costs of stress Managing stress a. Stress management tips and techniques b. Coping with the challenging customer Managing organizational change Anne Riches 4 stages of change a. Disbelief and denial b. Anger and blame c. Reluctant acceptance d. Commitment Changes in the corporate culture a. Understanding change b. Reactions to change c. Resistance to change d. Accepting change e. Creating change f. Maintaining change Time management Benefits of good time management Self-diagnosis: Where does your time go. Time wasters and what to do about them a. Workplace time wasters b. Self-generated time wasters Time management tips and techniques a. Planning b. Goal setting c."To do" lists d. Prioritization e. Organization f. Delegation g. Perfectionism h. Procrastination

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)

Reading Assignments

TextWebsitesHandouts

Writing Assignments

Role playing on how one would deliver exceptional customer service, problem solve situational cases dealing with difficult customers, and analyze video/DVD case studies.

Out-of-class Assignments

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Demonstration of Critical Thinking

The entire course centers around critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making activities as they relate to building teams, making attitude adjustments, solving customer problems, making active and effective decisions, avoiding and resolving conflict, communicating effectively, minimizing and managing stress, balancing schedules, and fostering ethical behaviors.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Role playing on how one would deliver exceptional customer service, problem solve situational cases dealing with difficult customers, and analyze video/DVD case studies.

Eligible Disciplines

Business: Masters degree in business, business management, business administration, accountancy, finance, marketing, or business education OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in economics, personnel management, public administration, or Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Legum Baccalaureus (LL.B.) degree OR bachelors degree in economics with a business emphasis AND masters degree in personnel management, public administration, or J.D. or LL.B. degree OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. Management: Masters degree in business administration, business management, business education, marketing, public administration, or finance OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in economics, accountancy, taxation, or law OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. Marketing: Masters degree in business administration, business management, business education, marketing, advertising, or finance OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in economics, accountancy, taxation, or law OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Lucas. Customer Service Skills For Success, 6th ed. McGraw Hill, 2015 Rationale: . Legacy Textbook Transfer Data: