Specialist

Case Analysis: TRAINING for CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALISTS

As a part of the president's initiative to remove “barriers to learning" at a regional mid-western

university, an analysis of student services operations was conducted. The analysis revealed that the

barriers deemed most important by students were those that would delay or prevent them from

registering for classes. These barriers fell into three areas:

1. Resolving issues relating to fines accrued over the previous terms (e.g., library, parking, late fees)

2. Completing forms accurately and meeting processing deadlines for financial aid in time to enroll in

classes

3. Acquiring appropriate advice so that they enrolled in the right classes (avoiding the problems

associated with drops and adds)

As a result of this analysis, the university decided to create a new position called customer service

specialist (CSS). The job description is presented here.

General Summary

Supervise, support, monitor, and assist with the continuous improvement of the work unit's customer

service functions and related operational activities. Ensure quality customer service, both in person

and over the telephone. These activities require a working knowledge of the work unit's program

policies, procedures, and regulations and an understanding of other departments and systems that

interface with the work unit's activities.

Essential Duties

Personally provide and ensure that customer support staff provides positive customer service

practices throughout the work unit, including greeting departmental customers in person or over the

telephone, identifying their needs, obtaining necessary and appropriate information, and processing

customer requests in a manner that will best meet the needs of the customer.

Monitor staff and ensure that customers perceive customer service support staff as treating them

with courtesy, respect, tact, and a sincere desire to meet their needs.

Provide mediation and resolution to customer complaints and requests within delegated authority

limits and consistent with departmental policies.

Communicate to customers the departmental policies and procedures related to their needs, and

provide customers with the appropriate forms and instructions.

Design and implement systems to ensure that forms turned in by customers are the correct forms for

their service request and that they are complete and as accurate as possible.

Work with the appropriate departmental administrator to identify the training needs of designated

support staff in the work unit who provide direct customer service. where called for, provide on-the-

job training and coaching. Work with the designated department administrator to identify suitable

training experiences for customer service support staff.

Recruit, interview, and make recommendations in the hiring of customer support staff. Identify

processes and procedures in the department that are causing problems for groups of customers (not

individuals), and work with department management toward their improvement. Where authorized,

implement improvements in systems, processes, and procedures that will increase the customer

satisfaction capability of the department.

Develop and maintain a network of contacts with other university departments that commonly

interface with the work unit.

Interact with other university departments to resolve a customer's problem, or meet the customer's

needs. Interpret and reconcile account records related to area of assignment. Receive, read, and

interpret correspondence, and determine proper handling. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Supervision Received

Supervision is received from the designated departmental administrator.

Supervision Exercised

Supervision may be exercised, as determined by the appropriate departmental administrator, over

customer service representatives, clerical support staff, and student support staff in the work unit

who provide direct customer service.

Qualifications

Ability to read, write, interpret instructions, perform basic arithmetic, and communicate orally and in

writing at a level typically acquired through the completion of a college degree is necessary.

Personal computing skills sufficient to use work processing and spreadsheet applications and to

perform file management and data input/retrieval functions are necessary. Knowledge of specific

software applications and university information systems utilized in the work unit assigned is

desirable.

Supervisory skills needed to provide direction to subordinates, monitor and manage subordinate

performance, and to plan, organize, and coordinate the customer service activities are required, and

supervisory experience is desirable. Preference is given to those who master basic customer service

and problem-solving skills as listed:

 The ability to communicate accurately and pleasantly with customers (across a wide diversity

of cultural backgrounds) is necessary to identify customer needs and solve customer

problems.

 The ability to communicate moderately to highly complex policies, procedures, and

regulations and to ensure understanding of these while working under pressure (e.g.,

handling several requests at the same time) is required.

 Effective problem-solving abilities are requires to 1) identify and prioritize customer service

problems, 2) conduct a root cause analysis to determine the cause of a problem, 3) develop

a range of alternatives that will remove the cause of a problem, 4) identify the alternatives

that are most effective, and 5) develop an implementation plan for carrying out the alternative

selected.

 Effective conflict management skills are required (e.g., defuse emotionally charged

situations, clearly identify issues, and clearly communicate procedures for resolving the

issue, and working with the customer to develop a resolution acceptable to the customer and

work unit).

 Knowledge and understanding of university, state, and federal policies, systems, procedures

and regulations as they pertain to the work unit's ability to meet customer needs and to areas

of the university that interface with the work unit in meeting those needs.

Those hired without the preceding competencies will undergo training before assuming job

responsibilities. During the training period, these individuals will be considered temporary

employees. Upon successful completion of the training, the classification will be changed to

permanent. Failure to complete training successfully will result in termination of unemployment or

reassignment to another position, at the discretion of the university.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a typical office environment.

After the position was posted and advertised, 25 applicants were selected. Unfortunately, only seven

applicants were assessed as demonstrating the desired level of problem solving and customer

service knowledge and skills.

CASE QUESTIONS

You are assigned the challenge of designing the training program for the temporary CSS employees,

who must complete training before they become permanent CSS employees.

1. What are the training objectives for the CSS training program? Indicate how these objectives are

tied to the KSA requirements. Assume that all trainees have college degrees but need KSAs in all

other areas listed in the Qualifications section.

2. On the basis of the training objectives, provide a training agenda and indicate the time allocated

and order of modules in your program.

3. For each module, describe the goals of the module and the training methods you will use to

accomplish it. Provide your rationale.

4. How will you evaluate whether each person in your training program has mastered the knowledge

and skill levels needed to perform as a CSS? Describe the types of questions you would ask of

those supervising the CSS employees graduating from your program