HOW LCR-GSC DEAL WITH IMPOLITE CUSTOMERS?

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (May 27, 2022) - The Office of Local Civil Registrar-General Santos City conducted a Customers Service Skills Enhancement Seminar at the LCR building. This enhancement seminar is encouraging and empowering customer service employees to take responsibility that benefit both the customer and the organization.  It also cultivates the customer service skills of each frontline staff. The frontlines should be upskilled to improve the support they can provide, thus increasing customers’ satisfaction.

The program begins with a prayer led by Pastor Federico Pagsuguiron, Jr. and a welcome greetings from Ma’am Nenita F. Ellivera, Department Head.

The purpose of the said seminar is to learn how to manage complaints and reduce stress by taking care of customers on both emotional and rational level. Employees who have direct interaction with customers should excel at building customer relationships using emotional intelligence and broad communication skills. Furthermore, this opportunity will help the LCR office deliver quality services to the people of General Santos City. Quality services will then lead to a long-term increase in customer satisfaction.

Mr. Kart Jay-ar R. Almirol is the resource person for this Customer Service Skills Enhancement Seminar. He began by giving definitions of the key terms. He then facilitated an activity that helped the participants know themselves deeply. He let them introduce themselves and explain why they chose a particular color of the sticker paper where they had written their names. He also asked the participants to reveal a simple secret that their colleagues don't know about them. Lastly, he let them rate their confidence level in providing a good service to the customers of LCR GenSan.

After listening to all the participant’s stories, Mr. Almirol showed a graph that shows the strengths and weaknesses of each personality the color represents. Everyone is now aware of what to say and act in a particular situation and resolves a simple conflict based on each person’s strengths.

One of the reasons this event has become possible is that the LCR Office conducted its Customers' Satisfaction Survey in the year's first quarter. The survey's results were outstanding for both the Birth, Death, and Marriage Division and the Records and Archiving Division. However, they have become more particular about the comments and suggestions that the result encapsulated.

To give value to the said reports, the LCR Personnel initiated a Customer Service Skills Enhancement Seminar to turn the customers’ complaints, comments, and suggestions into a lifetime of opportunities. It is best to manage the customers’ expectations by learning and delivering approaches to exceed them. This initiative helps employees feel more confident while dealing with customers. It should also ensure that frontline employees comprehend their services altogether. It is best to improve the employees’ communication, problem-solving, listening, organizational, and team-building skills to deliver an effective frontline service.

Through this enhancement seminar, employees will understand how their actions impact the customers and the organization. Employees will become more engaged because they will be more equipped to communicate effectively with customers.

Moreover, Mr. Almirol asked if the participants had experienced poor and best customer service. Then Jenevieve Pearl Dingal shared their poor customer service experience during the ZAP Eat All You Can Experience.

They had expected high of the said restaurant, yet ZAP Staff didn't serve them well with enough food they have requested, and they also didn't expect that there would be an addition of 10% of the service fee to their total amount. On the other hand, Maria Christy Gallano shared her best customer service experience with the Beyond the Box Store at Veranza Branch. She said they are well-accommodated, and the Beyond the Box Staff answered their requests. She also compared how the same store yet different branch deliver their customer services.

Mr. Almirol then gave his insights after the sharing of experiences. He emphasized that it is not the customers’ fault if they have become reactive over poor treatment because customers came to ask for a service and expected they would get what they deserved.

He then introduced the HEARD Method for dealing with rude customers and sustaining good customer service.

Hear: Let the customer tell their entire story without interruption. Sometimes, we want someone to listen. Empathize: Convey that you deeply understand how the customer feels. Apologize: As long as it’s sincere, you can’t apologize enough. Even if you didn’t do whatever made them upset, you can still genuinely be apologetic for the way your customer feels. Resolve: Resolve the issue quickly, or ensure employees are empowered to take action. Don’t be afraid to ask the customer: “what can I do to make this right?” Diagnose: Understand why the mistake occurred, blaming no one; focus on fixing the process, so it doesn’t happen again.

The last activity was short role-playing on delivering good customer services properly. And as the enhancement seminar was about to end, Mr. Almirol reminded all participants that they should be proud to be one of the public servants who handle a wide range and varied customers of General Santos City. The program ends with a reminder and an inspiring message from the Ma’am Marlene C. Pelayo, the Assistant Department Head of the LCR Office.