Customer Service.Customer Service, online, 1999, 23 hrs., MindLeaders  This article reads like a news release, or is otherwise written in an overly promotional tone.Please help [ rewrite this article] from a to be less promotional, per Wikipedia . (800-223-3732, www.mindleaders.com), $29.95 (one user, one year, five courses); $59.95 (one user, one year, 9 series, 57 courses). Pre- and post-skill assessment. The MindLeaders Customer Service series packs a lot of useful content into its five four-hour courses. Unfortunately, they do not focus on just one audience. Within each of the five courses, the content is aimed at all levels of the organization. I think the individuals who will benefit most from all the content are a manager new to the customer service environment or a small business owner looking to emphasize customer service in his or her organization. CONTENT The five courses in the series are Defining Service, Communicating, Fixing Problems, Building a Department, and Tools of the Trade. After completing the whole series (23 hours), a beginning customer service manager will have an excellent idea of the role of customer service within the organization and how to set up a customer service system. Much of the information is very practical, covering everything from dealing with complaints to how to set up a department and select equipment. You are advised to take the Defining Service course first and then whichever courses are most applicable to your situation. The offering is strongest when it focuses on the tactical, everyday activities a new manager might face. I felt that it was less useful when talking about refocusing Noun 1. refocusing - focusing again focalisation, focalization, focusing - the act of bringing into focus a whole organization on customer service. This strategic focus, while important for customer service, seemed out of line with the rest of the tactical content. Each of the five courses starts with a self-assessment. Use this self-assessment to guide your work within the course. There is a lot of excellent how-to information within each of the courses. But you are not likely to need to cover it all. INTERFACE The interface is easy to use. Tabs on the left side of the screen let you know where you are in the course. The navigation tools allow you to move freely within the unit. It is easy to skip back and forth between courses topics, tools, and the learner homepage. The buttons on each page are clear, though I was unable to figure out how to print the whole course--something I would have liked for later reference. There are far too many pages of content. I found myself constantly clicking to get through all of the text. On the one hand, this is good design--every concept is broken into a digestible digestible having the quality of being able to be digested. digestible energy the proportion of the potential energy in a feed which is in fact digested. digestible protein see digestible protein. chunk of text. On the other hand, you end up with hundreds of pages to click through. I advise you to navigate (1) "Surfing the Web." To move from page to page on the Web. (2) To move through the menu structure in a software application. through the course using the course directory in the lefthand tab. The graphics rarely support the content. Most are clip art A set of canned images used to illustrate word processing and desktop publishing documents. pictures of people in generic business situations. I would have preferred illustrative il·lus·tra·tive adj. Acting or serving as an illustration. il·lus  tra·tive·ly adv.Adj. 1. diagrams and tables instead. The only interactivity comes in the form of test questions. While I appreciated that the pre-assessment helped me focus on my weaknesses, I found that going through 30 questions and responses was a bit cumbersome cum·ber·some adj. 1. Difficult to handle because of weight or bulk. See Synonyms at heavy. 2. Troublesome or onerous. cum . I was very impressed im·press 1 tr.v. im·pressed, im·press·ing, im·press·es 1. To affect strongly, often favorably: with the fill-in-the-blank questions. The system was able to credit me with the right answer even if I made a spelling mistake spelling mistake n → falta de ortografía . Generally, the questions are fairly easy, and I sensed that they are intended more to check that you are reading the content than to rigorously test your understanding. I also appreciated the immediate feedback on answers. The support tools are straightforward and functional. The glossary A term used by Microsoft Word and adopted by other word processors for the list of shorthand, keyboard macros created by a particular user. See glossaries in this publication and The Computer Glossary. is always accessible, and the course includes a search function, which makes the course effective as a reference tool. RECOMMENDATION The Customer Service series is perfect for a new customer service manager who needs the big picture or a small business owner for use as a reference tool. The content ranges from the strategic (setting up corporatewide standards) to the tactical (how to answer the phone). The wide range dilutes the focus of the courses. It would be best to pick and choose from the five courses, especially because of their length. New managers can pull out lessons that they can share with those above and below them. I would prefer to see this content reorganized re·or·gan·ize v. re·or·gan·ized, re·or·gan·iz·ing, re·or·gan·iz·es v.tr. To organize again or anew. v.intr. To undergo or effect changes in organization. and focused at various levels: beginning CSR (1) (Customer Service Representative) A person who handles a customer's request regarding a bill, account changes or service or merchandise ordered. Agents in call centers are known as CSRs. See call center. , advanced CSR, CSR manager, customer service executives, and small business owners. Dan Michaluk (dan.michaluk@cloudbreakcompany.com) is a former trainer who now practices law in Toronto, Canada. Customer Service star rating CATEGORY Holds user interest Good Production quality Very good Ease of navigation Above average Interactivity Average Value of content Good Instructional value Good Value for the money Very good Overall rating Good |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion