Reducing

Customer Effort
Facilitators Guide

Carlo Villavicencio
Karen Quiambao
Reginald King
Hiedeliza Mendoza-Dayandante

Reducing Customer Effort

Estimated Run Time <4 Hours- Inclusive of 15 minute Break>

Class Size: 8-10 participants
Admin Tasks

>Prepare Materials for the class.

Greeting and
Introduction

Projector
Laptop/PC
Handheld Devices- (For Socrative)
Others (writing Materials, Handouts, Etc)

Setup Socrative/Teachably Accounts and Login

Start by Greet the class and welcome the participants to the training.
For your reference you may use the suggested format below:

Name/how you would like to be called

Tenure with Sykes
Tenure with the account
An adjective that describes your personality. (The first letter should be the
same as your name.)
Once the entire class is done with their introductions, introduce yourself as well
using the same format.
Segue: Now since we have introduced ourselves using adjectives I would like to
begin with an adjective as well. The adjective is Effortless. So I would like to ask
your idea of an effortless experience.
Objectives

Developing a
Problem Solver
Mindset

SAY: Now the reason we are here tonight/today is to learn about the Effortless
Experience. <SHOW: Course Objective Slide> Because we want to create and
develop a new mindset for our agents, A mindset that is geared towards Customer
Advocacy.
Now let us take a look at what we want to achieve at the end of the training:
<SHOW General Objectives Slide>
Develop a Problem Solver mindset
Identify factors that drive unnecessary Customer effort and how to avoid
it
Understand and apply the rationale behind the Notions Scorecard
Know when to stretch some process/ guidelines for the customers
interest without surpassing the limitations (Security, Liability and Integrity)
Anticipate and resolve customers next foreseeable issues
Segue: Now that we have identified the objectives of this module, let us first try to
define what a Problem Solver is.
> Engage the Participants
What is a problem?
How do you solve a problem?

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<SHOW: Becoming a Problem Solver Slide>

EXPLAIN and ASK for input: Identifying the problem is always the first step. You can
never solve an issue that you are not even aware of.
Careful analysis of the situation and assessing it accordingly can help you provide
an effective Solution, which is the most important part of solving the problem.
SAY- In our daily lives we are faced with things or decisions that may be
considered as problems. You figure out if you are going to turn left and right. You
choose what you are going to wear. You decide how much sugar you need in your
coffee. Each decision you make is a way of solving a problem, ergo, everyone is a
problem solver.
Key Takeaway: <SHOW Remember Slide>
NB: Take time to answer any questions from the group.
Understanding
Customer Effort

<SHOW: Segment Title Slide>

>Engage the Class
<SHOW: Something to ponder slide>
Think about your Best and Worst Customer experience.
Identify the two main reasons why it came out the way it did.
Post your answers on Socrative.
>Process the answers
Call on your learners by name and ask them to share the reason behind
their answers.
<SHOW: Customer effort slide>
SAY- Based on a study conducted by CEB, they defined customer effort as the
amount of time and energy that a customer had to put forth to have his request
completed/facilitated. Relating this to what you have shared, let us try to
categorize each response if it falls under the enumerated causes of unnecessary
effort.
>Processing
Try to group the responses if it falls under:
- Repeat Contacts
- Channel switching (chat to phone, phone to web etc.)
- Transfers (from different DEPT)
- Repeating Information
- Robotic Service
- Policies/ Processes customers have to endure
>Generalization: Furthermore, 65% of customer effort is driven by the customers
interpretation of how the representative made them feel during a service
interaction.

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Sample Customer
Verbatims and Key
Take aways

<Show Sample Verbatim Slides>

SAY Now let us take a look at what our customers had to say when they had
interactions with us.

Transition to Key Takeaways

SAY: Now, what does this tell us, and how are we going to prevent these
comments from appearing on our surveys?, we simply have to go back to the
foundation of building an excellent customer experience, which is meeting the
customers expectations. In our context as tech support, this means that each of us
has to remember that:
<SHOW: Key Takeaways Slide>
You are a Problem Solver
- See every call as an opportunity to help a customer
- Critically think to understand the customer needs
- Use expertise to provide the best solution
SAY: and of course, we have to ensure that we avoid our customers from
experiencing:
Common Causes of Unnecessary effort (Hassle Factor):
- Repeating Contacts
- Channel switching (chat to phone, phone to web etc.)
- Being Transferred (from different DEPT)
- Repeating Information unnecessarily
- Robotic Service
- Enduring Policies/ Processes that they dont really have to.
Transition to How do we reduce customer effort?
How Do We Reduce
Customer Effort?

<SHOW: Segment Title Slide>

Build a Standard that upholds Customer advocacy to reduce Customer Effort.
SAY: This is the very first step to take in order to reduce customers effort. The
standard should be implemented across the enterprise to ensure that all
personnel involved will have an idea of what we are driving and what we want to
achieve.
Now let us take a look our current standards:

Explain briefly what is the Notion scorecard and how this will help lower
down the exerted effort of the customers
Display the sample notion scorecard and describe how to use the form
<Show Notions Scorecard Slides>

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SAY: Now, let us discuss the 3 main differences of the Notion scorecard to the
Quality form

1. Highlight: Process and Support Policies vs. Customer Experience

Quality Monitoring
Give emphasis that agent has to abide by the guidelines set by the
company regardless if it will be convenient or not for the
customer.

Notion Form
Agents go out of their way to create a great customer experience
but still has to consider the limitations
1. Will not bypass Security (Security Authorization)
2. Will not create Liability (will not cause damage or loss to
customer equipment/ business)
3. Always maintain Integrity (will not do anything Illegal,
Unethical and provide misleading information to the
customer)

SAY: To better understand this difference, heres an example of the difference.

Inform the participants that the example indicated per difference are calibrated
scores from the vendor calibration (client) and notion calibration session done
with Sir Ken.
> Engage the participants
Ask the participants which one is better
Ask why is there a need to set limitations for the RepSat Notion scorecard

2. Highlight: Evaluation per Segment of the Call vs. Overall Interaction

Quality Monitoring
Its a black-and-white or a yes-no form, focused if the agent
followed the process or not.

Notion Form
Emphasize that since the call is evaluated after listening to the
entire call, the agent still has a chance to turn things around to a
positive direction or redeem oneself if the call did not have a good
start.

Slide 20 - Put a stress on: Agent will be coached on the minor things that were
missed but did not negatively affect the totality of the call.

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3. Highlight: Spiels vs. Actions

Quality Monitoring
Agents are required to say a specific words or spiel in a timely
manner and words that are not allowed to use in a call, like:
> Empathy statement - should be stated after the issue was stated
by the customer and all throughout the call
> Commitment statement - should use urgency words such as
right away, now, etc.
> Slang gonna, wanna, No worries, No problem, yeah,
thats cool, right on, dude, dear

Notion Form
Agents should always follow through on their commitment like
> Customer was guaranteed that they will be helped but screener
immediately referred the customer to OEM without
troubleshooting.
> If the customer was promised to be hand over to the next
department, warm transfer should be done
> If the customer was advised will be called back after an hour,
call back should be done in an hour. If unable to do it, endorse to
supervisor/SME.

>Generalization The Notion form focuses on the customers experience when

calling Tech Support. Company policy and support can be bypassed provided that
the limitations were not violated or disregarded.

Transition to In-depth look at the Notions Scorecard

Connection/Rapport
with the customer

Transition from Call Obs VS Notions

<SHOW: Segment Title Slide>
>Engage the participants:
Highlight : Our goal is for our customers to feel that WE CARE about their
issues. Makes our customer feel IMPORTANT.

What are your thoughts about the attribute?

In your experience as a customer, how can you tell if someone is truly

connected with you?

What are the things that we, as agents can do to bridge the gap between
us and the customers?

How is education connected to connection/bridging the gaps?

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EXPLAIN: How the attributes described in the slide differ from the
traditional/generally accepted Rapport-building with the customers. The
facilitator can stress important points like: would it matter to the customer if you
asked them about the weather? Or their dog on the background?

>Play the call and process:

- How did the agent improve the gap between him and the customer?
What made you say that the agent was sincere/not sincere in helping the
customer?

Do you think there was enough education provided? Why?

How will you apply the things that you observed on the calls that you
listened to in improving the connection with your customer?

>Generalization: Definitely, building a partnership and bridging the gaps are

important components of customer connection, but these alone are insufficient
without customer education.

Active Listening

Segue- SAY: Okay, now that we have learned about connection, let us discuss the
next attribute but first I would like to ask you a question
>Engage the participants

Divide the class into two and ask them to differentiate Active Listening and
Passive Listening using a T-CHART ---how do we say that someone is actively
listening and how do we say that someone isnt?

Segue- SAY: Now lets look at our next attribute, Active Listening.
Highlight: Agents FULL ATTENTION needs to be on the customers communication
and their issue. Makes our customer feel IMPORTANT.
EXPLAIN: Looking at your TCHART, let us compare the active listening attributes to
your description.
-Process differences in their answers from the slide (if there are any) and highlight
why the item is a critical part of active listening.
>Play the call: now lets take a listen to a couple of calls and let us identify which
one passes our standards

What are the important details that were missed by the agent?
Did the agent respond appropriately? What made you say so?
Did it sound like the agent understood the concern of the customer, or is
in tune with the customer? Why or why not?

>Generalization: I think we can all agree that Active Listening plays an important
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role in reducing effort because, it does not just make us efficient and effective, but
it also makes our customers feel that they are being valued.

Rigorous Probing

Take your time to ask the class for any questions or clarifications on the attribute
before proceeding to the next topic.
Transition: Now let us proceed to a equally important attribute, a critical one I
must say, especially for us who work in Technical Support.
Highlight: Ask enough questions to COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND the appropriate
path for troubleshooting
>Engage the participants:
What does rigorous probing Mean?
Why is asking questions important?
How do we say that a questioning technique is effective?
Which questions are better> Open-ended questions? Or Closed-ended
questions?
NB: Please note that we do not define rigorous probing as just asking questions to
investigate, but asking questions to dig deeper into the issue as well as resolve
possible issues.
>Play the Calls:
What questions were asked by the agent to fully understand the issue?
Did these questions help the agent draw out important information? How
so?
Were the agents questions relevant and were logically asked? Why?
>Generalization: Being efficient and analytical is very important in reducing
customer effort, because we want them to feel that we are committed to resolving
the issue and at that we value the time they are spending with us over the phone.

Intensity for issue

resolution

Transition: Now that we have discussed the first 3 attributes, I think it is time to
move on to the next, which is Intensity for Issue Resolution.
>Engage the participants
Think of the best customer service experience you have had with a
representative or someone. What made the experience stand out?
What are the things that matter to you most when you call in to tech
support with a problem?
Will everything else matter if your issue/problem is not resolved?
Highlight: Be the customers Advocate and have a DESIRE to resolve the issue.
(Discuss attributes)
Say: resolving the customers issue is always an expectation. It doesnt matter how
nice and friendly you are, or how well you conversed or how knowledgeable you
sounded, if you are not able to provide the best possible resolution, you cannot

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differentiate yourself from any other customer service representative.

FORWARD RESOLUTION:
Do not just look at the issue at hand---utilize your tools effectively to identify what
are the possible issues that the customer may experience after his/her interaction
with YOU.
Cite examples such as: (or ask the class)
Providing BTN if Cx does not have it but is an authorized party.
Providing/Personalizing the wireless and/or PPP credentials.
Testing additional devices/email/websites
Checking for possible line issues/possible intermittent connection
symptoms.
Etc.

>Play the Call

Did the agent effectively utilize the tools to resolve the issue of the
customer? Why?
What did the agent do to validate that the issue is resolved?
How did the agent educate the customer to make sure he/she understands
what resolved the issue?
What do you think are the adjacent issues that can arise from the call? Did
the agent head off to these adjacent issues based on the call?

Customer Advocacy
and Ownership

>Generalization: We have to ensure that we are always one step ahead of the
possible issues that the customer may encounter. Resolve the issue now with
everything you can, and always head off to the next one.
Transition: Now that you know what to do, let us proceed to the last attribute of
the scorecardUnless you have any questions? (If none, proceed, if yes, answer)
>Engage the Participants:
Highlight: OWN the customers Issue and Experience

How do you remember ownership, from core skills, product, or refresher

trainings?
What does it mean to advocate for the customer?
What can we do to make the customer feel that they and their issues are
important to us?
Why do we have to take action right away?

>Play the Call: Again, lets take a listen to these calls and attempt to identify some
best practices on how we can own the issue and how we can put the customers
experience as a priority.

Is the agents approach centered on the customer and their interests?

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Why?
In what ways did the agent show/did not show that their issues are
extremely important to us?
What did you observe on the call that made you say that the agent
did/didn't own the customer's issue and their experience?

>Generalization: Spiels and Scripts are not going to matter if we lose sight of the
customer being the priority. Being genuinely concerned about the customers issue
by doing all actions necessary to resolve and forward resolve their issues shows
them what the true effortless experience is.

Root Issues

Lacks Customer
Education

No Ownership

Transition to root issues---<SHOW: Segment Title Slide>

SAY: In order to get a better understanding of what are the things that lead to
unnecessary effort, let us take a look at some of the issues that we can commonly
find in a contact center environment
<SHOW Slide 1>
Inaccuracy
- Providing wrong expectation
- Wrong/ Incomplete resolution
- Erroneous information
>PROCESSING:
What do you think are the primarily affected metrics when we are
inaccurate?
What impression do we give our customers when we provide incomplete
or inaccurate information?
<SHOW Slide 2>
No or Lacks Customer Education
- Did not recap to validate customers understanding
- Did not anticipate and resolve adjacent issues
- Incomplete information and failure to provide next steps
- Missed Forward Resolve
>PROCESSING:
What happens when we dont educate our customers?
What are the benefits of educating the customers and how does this
impact us as agents?
<SHOW: Slide 3>
No Ownership
-

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Displayed Pass the buck attitude, not taking accountability

Referral to another department or to OEM when not
necessary
Did everything he can to control and end the call
Did not call the customer back even if the situation
dictates to do so
Not going out of the box

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Choose not to exhaust all legitimate options to help the

customer

>Processing:
How would you feel if someone you spoke to had no sense of
responsibility to handle your concern?
Not Engaged

<Show: Slide 4>

Not Engaged
-

Robotic Service

Just going through the motions and not in tune with the
customers need
Not focused on the customers communication
Sounds apathetic
Not responsive or responses were inappropriate

>PROCESSING:
How would you feel if someone was taking the easy way out instead of
helping you?
<Show: Slide 5>
Robotic Service
- Treating the customer generically
- Not profiling and adapting to the customers profile
- Spiel-driven
- Sounds very transactional
>PROCESSING:
Have you had an experience where you have been treated less like a
person, or more like a number? What was your reaction?
If you will have a similar experience today, how would you feel about it?

No Sense of
Urgency

<SHOW: Slide 6>

No Sense of Urgency
-

Not Listening

Did not immediately act on finding the appropriate

solution for the customers concern
Intentionally prolonging the call, multiple unnecessary
holds etc.

>PROCESSING:
Share an experience youve had in the past where you felt that someone
did not handle your concern with urgency. How did it make you feel?
What would you have done as the representative if you were in that
situation?
<SHOW: Slide 7>
Not Listening
- Having the customer repeat what he said
- Interrupting the customer
- Over talking

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Ineffective Probing

SUMMARY

Missed Important details

>PROCESSING:
Why is your attention very important when dealing with a customers
concern?
Why can this item instantaneously break a good customer experience?
<SHOW: Slide 8>
Ineffective Probing
- Asking leading questions (close-ended questions)
- Throwing out irrelevant questions
- Asking repetitive questions
>PROCESSING:
How can effective probing improve the experience of our customers?
Does the number of questions we ask really matter?
<SHOW Slide 9>
SAY: To summarize, all the items we have discussed actually matter a lot to our
customers. Turning these around, we can make our customers feel important, and
that we genuinely care about their concerns.

Calibration

<15 Minute Break>

>Welcome the participants back before resuming the session.
SAY: Now that we have discussed the standards that we have built in order to
reduce customer effort, let us once again put our listening skills to the test and
calibrate. I will be playing a call and given the scorecard and all its attributes, let us
score how the agent did on the call.
<Begin Calibration Session>
After the calibration, Transition to Process Exemption list

CTL Process
Exemption List

<SHOW Create an Environment Slide>

SAY: In line with building a standard, we should also create an environment where
agents are equipped to deliver low-effort experience.
One way is to make an exception list. Situations when agents can deviate from the
process.
> Divide the participants into 2 groups
4. Highlight: Authorization
Questions to be answered per group:
What difficulties do you encounter with the current authorization
process?

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Was there a time that you deviate from the process? Why? Cite an
example/s.

5. Highlight: Transfer Process

Questions to be answered per group:
Give situations wherein warm transfer should be done on the call.
When do we do chilly transfers?
Would it be beneficial if all transfers be warm transferred calls?

6. Highlight: Callback Process

In what scenarios do agents normally perform callbacks?
Role play: choose 1 scenario and create a 3-5mins skit.
Remind the agents to be always aware of the basic limitations.
>Generalization: Other than the HARD LIMITATIONS, we should ensure that we do
everything that we can for our customers. Although sometimes, we would have to
bend a process for it, as long as it is for the benefit of the customer, this behavior is
encouraged.
CTL Adjacent Issues
(Thinking Ahead)

Go back to the objective that discusses the adjacent issues before moving on to
the next slide. Stress the importance of forward resolution in lessening customer
effort.
Highlight : Anticipate and resolve customers next foreseeable issues
Ask agents some examples based on their experience on what are the usual
adjacent issues they usually encounter.

Wireless

You can list the examples and use this to transition to the next slide.
Highlight: Wireless issue is one of the top call drivers and repeat call drivers in the
account so it is important that we understand how wireless works.
You can read or call a participant to read thru each number. Make sure to ask the
learners why is there a need to verify these things to gauge understanding re:
wireless issues.
Dont forget to add:
- General info on min system requirements for Netflix etc.
- Channel Information
- Smartphone settings
Transition: Now were done with wireless, what if your customer is using a 3 rd party
modem? What do you think will be the issue of the customer if this is the case?

Authentication

Discuss modem compatibility and ask the agents where they will get the modem

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compatibility matrix information.

Activity: Since this is purely informational, you can provide them a copy of the
table with missing information and let them complete the table.
Example:

Discuss and check the agents answers.

Ask: What is the importance of providing this information to the customer?
Transition: Lets talk about dispatch. For this topic well have an activity.
Dispatch

>Engage the Participants:

Activity: Group the learners in 2 groups and ask them to list the dispatch checklist
that they follow and what they discuss with the customer to set proper
expectations to avoid callbacks.
After the activity, compare their answers with the one on the PPT and ask them
the importance of each.
Highlight: Dispatch status is also one of the top repeat call drivers so it is
important for the agents to be able to set the correct expectation to the customer
and also provide alternative on how they can get updates when it comes to the
status of their dispatch.
Transition: If your customer is setting up the service for the first time, what page
do they usually see once they try to go online?

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New Install

Walled Garden Page

Ask: After walking the customer through the online installation wizard, what
should you ask the customer to do?
>Go thru the list or call some of the agents and let them explain the
importance of each.

RMA

Before showing this slide...

Activity: List down all instructions and information that you are providing the
customer whenever you replace the customers modem?
Note: You can use Socrative site to get the answers of the agent.
You can show the slide after the agents provided all of their answers.
Based on the list they provided, check if they missed out any information or
instruction and then ask them what will be the implication if this was missed?
Cover everything on the list by asking them the importance of each.

Line Issues

Provide scenario: Youre customer is calling for password reset for their email, and
then you see the information on the slide, what will you do?
What could happen if you only resolve the email concern of the customer without
fixing the customers line issues?
Highlight the importance of resolving all customers issues even if this is not what
they are calling about.
Transition: So before we end this part of the module, well provide you some
troubleshooting tips.

General Tips

Ask: So before we discuss them, whats the first tool that you use in pulling up the
customers account? Why?
If the learners will be able to provide the answers, highlight the benefit of pulling
up the account in Poll and WebPro before Rx.
1. Youll be able to identify the transport type immediately thru the tool if
supported or not.
2. Youll be able to check outages easily.
3. You can easily identify if there are any pending orders.
>Generalization: We always have to bear in Mind that the customers may still have

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other issues apart from what they called about, and as critical thinking problem
solvers, we should think ahead and address these issues before they even happen.
Transition to Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways

<Show Key Takeaways Slide>

SAY: Now before we end this session, we would like to ask you of the things that
you have learned about today

Remember that you are a Problem Solver and you are here to provide
solutions to the customer
You are expected to display the five core attributes (Connection, Active
Listening, Rigorous Probing, Intensity for Resolution and Customer
Advocacy & Ownership) to avoid unnecessary Customer Effort
You should not surpass the basic limitations (Security, Liability, Integrity)
FORWARD RESOLVE is a requirement, you should not only resolve the
current issue but heads off the next issue

SAY: Thank you for attending todays learning session, and we are expecting that
you will be able to apply the things you have learned today when you go back in to
take calls.
In order to further improve this class, I would like to remind you guys to answer a
short survey in Sharepoint. Your feedback will be highly appreciated.
<End of Class>
Post training Survey

End of Class
Send the link to the participants email addresses.

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