Module 12 — Communication and Customer Service

Module overview and learning outcomes

This module trains practitioners to operate high-performance customer-facing channels: phone, email, live chat, social media, and in-person interactions. By the end of Module 12 learners will consistently meet standard service targets (first response under 60 minutes for email, under 30 seconds for phone, and average chat response under 60 seconds) and demonstrate measurable improvements in CSAT, FCR and NPS. Typical delivery time is 16 classroom hours plus 8 hours of supervised on-the-job practice; a blended schedule (4 x 4-hour workshops + 8 hours e-learning) is proven effective for teams of 5–25 agents.

The module covers verbal and written techniques, active listening, de-escalation scripts, ticketing and SLA configuration, quality assurance scoring, and legal/compliance requirements (data protection, accessibility). Assessment combines a 30-minute observed call, two graded written responses, and a KPI improvement plan with targets (e.g., improve FCR by 5 percentage points in 90 days). Successful completion issues a certificate with a unique ID and recommended re-certification every 24 months.

Core communication skills (practical list)

• Opening and closing protocols: 6–8 second greeting, confirm the customer’s name within 12 seconds, and close with a recap and next steps. Script examples: “Good morning, this is Alex at Service Team — may I confirm your name and account number?”
• Active listening: use three validating statements per interaction (e.g., “I can see why that’s frustrating,” “Thank you for telling me,” “Let me make sure I understand”). Aim for 60–80% talk-to-listen ratio per call.
• Structured problem solving: use the 4-step method — Clarify (30–90s), Diagnose (1–4 minutes), Action (2–10 minutes depending on complexity), Confirm & Close (30–60s). Document every action in the CRM within 2 minutes of call end.
• Written clarity: for emails and chat, keep sentences ≤ 18 words, use plain language (grade level 8), include the resolution summary in the first 40–60 characters of the subject or chat summary.
• Empathy and boundary setting: use empathetic statements followed by a solution statement within 20–40 seconds for phone and chat; limit escalations to cases with legal, safety, or repeated failed resolution after two standard attempts.

Channels, SLAs and operational benchmarks

Design SLAs per channel and measure adherence daily. Industry benchmarks to target: average handle time (AHT) 6–8 minutes for phone, 12–18 minutes for email cases, and 8–12 minutes for chat sessions including wrap-up. First Contact Resolution (FCR) target: 70–80% within 30 days. CSAT targets should be ≥ 85% for transactional surveys and NPS ≥ +30 for relationship surveys after 6–12 months of continuous improvement.

Practical SLA examples: Phone — answer within 30 seconds for 80% of calls, abandon rate ≤ 3%; Email — initial response within 4 business hours (or 1 hour for high-priority), full resolution within 72 hours; Chat — first response within 20–60 seconds, resolution within 20 minutes for Tier 1 issues. Implement automated triage rules in the help desk to route urgent items (payment errors, safety, system outages) to senior agents within 5 minutes.

Handling difficult customers and escalation procedures

Use a two-stage de-escalation model: Stage 1 — containment and empathy (90–180 seconds): acknowledge, apologise if appropriate, and state actions; Stage 2 — solution and closure (2–15 minutes): present options, execute the chosen option, and confirm satisfaction. Example script: “I’m sorry this happened, I will take ownership for the next 10 minutes and explain exactly what I will do. Option A is X (immediate fix); Option B is Y (temporary workaround). Which do you prefer?”

Escalation matrix: Tier 1 agent — 0–15 minutes on call or 1 exchange in chat; Tier 2 specialist — 15–60 minutes internal handover; Tier 3 product/engineering — 24–72 hours with weekly updates. Maintain an escalation contact log; sample emergency escalation line for internal use: +44 20 3123 4567 (Module 12 Support Desk, available 08:00–18:00 UK time). Use email subject templates for escalations: “Escalation: [Ticket#] — Impact: [High/Medium/Low] — Expected Response: [24h/72h]”.

Measurement, KPIs and reporting

Track and report the following KPI set weekly and monthly: CSAT (transactional) — target ≥ 85%; NPS (quarterly) — target ≥ +30; FCR — target 70–80%; AHT — target 6–8 minutes phone; Abandon rate ≤ 3%; SLA compliance ≥ 95%. Use a dashboard refresh cadence: real-time for queue levels, hourly for service levels, daily summary for leadership. Example formula: FCR = (Number of tickets resolved at first contact / total tickets) × 100 over a rolling 30-day window.

Quality assurance: scorecalls against a 12-point rubric (greeting, verification, listening, empathy, solution clarity, ownership, accuracy, compliance, wrap-up, documentation, timeliness, tone). Aim for an average QA score ≥ 90% across all agents and a calibration session once every 2 weeks between team leads and QA analysts to harmonize scoring standards.

Recommended tools, pricing and implementation checklist

• Ticketing & multichannel: Zendesk (https://www.zendesk.com) — pricing from $19/agent/month Basic to $199/agent/month for advanced; Freshdesk (https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk) — from $15/agent/month. Implement over 4–8 weeks with a phased rollout: configure SLAs (week 1–2), routing and macros (week 2–4), and reporting dashboards (week 4–8).
• Voice & IVR: Twilio (https://www.twilio.com/voice) — pay-as-you-go; plan for telephony budget of $25–$60 per user/month for cloud numbers and call minutes depending on volume. For on-prem SIP trunks expect one-off hardware of $1,500–$5,000 for small installations.
• Quality & coaching: NICE, Calabrio, or integrated QA modules in Zendesk/Freshdesk. Budget for QA software typically $5–$20/agent/month plus 0.5–1 FTE QA analyst per 25–40 agents for evaluation and coaching cadence.

Training, assessment and continuous improvement

Design the training calendar: initial 16-hour induction, then 4 hours weekly coaching during the first 90 days. Role-play exercises: 30-minute scripted scenarios (5 per trainee) covering refunds, technical faults, and compliance-sensitive situations. Measure competence by: QA score ≥ 85% after 30 days, CSAT contribution ≥ 80% in first 90 days, and peer shadowing completion (5 calls both directions).

Continuous improvement: run biweekly 60–90 minute “case review” sessions to analyse 5–7 recent tickets, identify systemic root causes, and assign corrective actions with owners and deadlines. Maintain a knowledge base with article review cadence every 30–60 days and use version control to timestamp updates (e.g., KB Article ID 1201, last updated 2025-06-01).

Compliance, accessibility and documentation

Ensure all customer interactions meet data protection and accessibility rules. For EU/UK customers ensure GDPR-compliant lawful basis for processing and retention policy—commonly 2–6 years depending on financial and contract rules; consult legal for exact retention schedules. Phone lines must include a recorded notice when calls are recorded (e.g., “This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes”).

Accessibility requirements: conform to WCAG 2.1 AA for any web-based support, provide TTY/Relay options and a text-based escalation path. Sample accessibility contacts: Accessibility Desk +44 20 3123 4568, [email protected]. Keep written logs of accommodations and ensure staff receive minimum 2 hours annual training on accessibility and bias-free language.