I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Quality

Essential Question:

How can increasing the quality of customer service skills benefit both yourself and the organizatio

Bridge:

Focus Shift

Content:

Phone Customer Service

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: Student workers develop a personal sense of what “quality” means and connect this concept to themselves.

Activity: The supervisor begins with an open invitation for staff to share their own perceptions and opinions about the following question” “What do we know about quality?” Set up certain items beforehand: paper towels (brand name and generic), food items (chips, colas, etc. of different quality), music on CD and tape, etc. Groups experience each set of items and share personal opinions as to the relative quality of each item.

Assessment: Student participation.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: Staff members further attend the concept of quality in respect to customer service.

Activity: 1.) Working in smaller groups, staff members make lists of the reasons why we consider one product a higher quality than another similar product of the same type. 2.) Groups create their own definitions of quality using some of the above generated reasons. 3.) Each group shares its definitions and individual staff share additional stories of quality cusotmer service experiences.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: Staff shift their focus from a personal view of “quality” to what form quality takes in the arena of “customer service”

Activity: Staff members each select and cut-out numerous pictures from an array of magazines to create a group collage depicting “quality customer service.” Small teams work together to create a jingle for an imaginary company that wants to advertise its excellent customer service.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: Supervisor provides direct instruction on quality customer service telephone skills. Narrow the concept down to the topic-phone skills. Teach the class what the experts say on phone skills. What have surveys told us? inform it. How is it done? Give information from the experts.

Activity: 1) Supervisor presents Powerpoint presentation/lecture on phone skills including how to thandle the angry caller, transferring calls, how to say ”no”, etc. What do surveys by colleges say students look for in regards to customer service? Staff watches a humorous video on phone skills. 2.) Supervisor gives a short lecture on use of voice and shows a short film on how the vocal cords work. A handout summary of the important telephone skills is distributed.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: Staff practices these skills with each other.

Activity: 1.) The supervisor presents several sample scenarios. Staff works with partners to devise strategies they would use in each situation. 2.)Staff takes turns practicing new vocal skills with each other. The supervisor challenges them to handle interruptions and background noise without losing their poise. 3.) Staff completes a brief objective quiz to check for understanding of the principles presented and practices.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: The staff explores how they will use what they have learned.

Activity: 1.) Staff works with a partner to create three phone call scenarios in which they give the callers only a portion of the call. These are written on index cards. 2.) The supervisor collects all notecard sample scenarious. Staff arranges their seats in a circle so they can all see each other. The supervisor tosses a “koosh” ball into the group. The first person to catch it draws a card and responds quickly to the scenario, speaking into a large, funny play telephone. The “game’ continues until all staff have participated at least twice and all notecards are used.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: Staff reviews what was learned from the “koosh” ball toss experience.

Activity: The supervisor debriefs the game and reviews the key points learned. Staff work in smaller teams to write a mission statement defining our commitment to our customers. Each team’s statement is written on poster board for the whole staff to review.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: The staff celebrates learning and adopts a mission statement for their program.

Activity: Each team shares its mission statement poster. The group discusses what they like and don’t like about each example. As a total staff, they agree upon one statement that will be printed, framed, and hung in the Center for all customers to see.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: