CSR Training Manual

Kind words can be
short and easy to
speak, but their echos
are truly endless.
~ Mother Teresa
Healthcare. Clients should feel that not only do the CSR’s care about
their wellbeing, our entire organization as a whole does as well.
This training manual is a document that represents what is expected
each and every day. Following these expectations will make our
employees (not only CSR staff) a success at whatever job they hold
within the organization.
The goal in providing excellent customer service is:
• • Client Satisfaction
• • Reaching goals
“Service above self, go above and beyond one person every day”;
this represents our overall customer service goals.
In addition to the CSR staff, all staff should have positive interactions
with the clients, creating the confidence that their problems get solved
and that the client is satisfied at the end of the interaction.
DEFINING THE SCOPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Our organization is known to provide excellent customer service
and places a very strong emphasis on serving clients that begins at
the VERY TOP. Our CEO is on board and our employees see that.
Dedication to the importance of customer service crosses every
department and every rank from the highest executive managers to the
front line representatives.
The CSR Mission Statement and the “SMA WAY” (service, integrity,
excellence) defines the essence of providing excellent customer service
throughout our organization, exceeding expectations to all those that
we are privileged to serve!
The goal in providing excellent customer service should always be
to ensure that the client is satisfied throughout the entire course of
their journey and that they have had (or continue to have) a positive
experience.
The ideas/expectations always tie back to “EMPATHY”. Every staff
member within our organization should always be focused on helping
our clients achieve their goals.
Employees who have the greatest effect on our clients may not be in
the CSR position — we are all a team however and it takes all of us to
help each client reach their goals and improve their lives, health and
well-being.
CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICIES/FINANCE POLICIES
Customers don’t
expect you to be
perfect. They do
expect you to fix
things when they go
wrong.
~ Donald Porter
CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS
Excellent customer service is the lifeblood of our organization.
Customer Service should not be a “department”; it should be our entire
organization! The following are skills that can be developed to deliver
the best experience for our clients:
• Empathy, or the ability to understand and share the feelings of
others is required at every stage of our organization, from the
beginning of the treatment episode, to completion.
• To provide great customer service, you should understand
the emotions of others and not take things personally when a
client becomes angry. At its simplest level, empathy breeds
understanding. If a client feels understood, they will feel valued.
If a person feels valued, they will engage and benefit greatly from
the services our organization is providing to them.
• Suggestions to help build empathy are: see things from the
client’s perspective, validate the client’s perspective, be aware
of your attitude, don’t just hear, listen; look for verbal and visual
cues that you are on track and the client is happy, ask the client
what are they hoping to achieve. The easiest way to define client
success is to have them define it in plain words. By practicing
these steps, you will seem more engaged and interested in what
people are saying which in turn will make the client feel more
valued and appreciated.
One of the most important skills needed to deliver great customer
service is the ability to really listen and understand what the client’s
pain point is and why they are experiencing it. Suggestions to develop
good active listening skills are as follows:
• Receive information without interrupting — pushing bias,
argument and internal dialogue aside. Show appreciation
through attentive body language — smile, nod and make small
verbal gestures such as “I see” to show full undivided attention.
Summarize the client’s pain points. This demonstrates you
understand the core problem the client is facing and will make
it easier to reach a resolution. Ask clarifying questions to gauge
your level of understanding — clear up any misunderstandings.
The most important thing we can give our clients is our attention!
We should always be going above and beyond to make sure that the
client is happy. An example would be, perhaps you are unable to handle
a client’s problem and should transfer them to another department.
Instead of giving the client another telephone number to call, only to
be placed on hold, or disconnected, do a “warm call transfer”; make
sure that someone is awaiting the call when you make the transfer and
that person knows who they are speaking with and what the call is all
about. Before completing the “warm” transfer, go the extra mile and
ask the client if there is anything further you can do to assist them.
Policies and procedures pertaining to customer service and finance
located in separate section of this training document.
It’s very important to know your clients and still be able to draw the
necessary boundary; a great interaction begins with knowing what the
client wants and needs. Client’s love personalization. It makes them
feel valued and important.
smahealthcare.org | 800.539.4228 4 CSR TRAINING MANUAL
smahealthcare.org | 800.539.4228
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CSR TRAINING MANUAL