DEM 40082 CUSTOMER SERVICE

A customer walks into the office and asks for the deadline to file a permit application. You do not know the answer. It would be best for you to do which of the following? 

• Tell the person what you think the answer might be.

• Refer the person to your supervisor.

• Say that you are not allowed to give out that information to the public.

• Inform the person that you don't know but will find out.

A person approaches you and tells you of many complaints he has about your department. You should first:

• Assume that his is just blowing off steam and ignore his complaints.

• Check into the legitimacy of the complaints and verify the details.

• Ask for advice from your supervisor on the best way to handle the person.

• Regard the complaints as accurate and take immediate steps to correct them.

Assume that you are taking a telephone message for a co-worker who is not in the office at the time. Of the following, the LEAST important item to write on the message is the 

• Length of the call

• Name of the caller

• Time of the call

• Telephone number of the caller

A customer has come into your office and submitted an application. When you give her some more forms to complete, she complaints about all the bureaucratic red tape that is slowing down approval of her application. In which of the following ways should you respond to the customer? Discuss

• Simply be patient with her.

• Tell her the reasons why your office needs the information.

• Suggest that she can contact her state legislators if she wants to change the law.

• Say that you cannot process her application until all the forms have been completed.

As an administrative assistant, you have been training Mrs. W., who is not directly under your supervision. She has not appeared to be particularly competent during the month she has been in her position. You are explaining application procedures to a client when Mrs. W. interrupts to ask you a question. You tell her you are busy with a client and will come to her office when you are through. In a low voice, she begins to call you names and say bad things about the department. There are several clients in the office in addition to the one you are working with. The supervisor doesn't appear to be around. What should you do?

• Ignore her and continue to assist the client.

• Get on the phone and request assistance from a department administrator.

• Say, "Now Mrs. W., I said I'd be with you as soon as I could. Now please let me finish."

• Ask another employee to help the client while you escort Mrs. W. to a room away from the public area.

You overhear your boss giving a client the name of a person to contact for some information. You know this person is no longer the one to reach for this information. The client is still in the office. What, if anything, should you do? Discuss

• Do not get involved in the situation.

• Quickly take your boss aside and provide the correct name.

• Wait until the client leaves, and then provide your boss with the correct name.

• Give the individual the correct name, and explain that your boss was not aware of a different person being responsible to provide the information.

You're helping a computer-illiterate friend set up his Internet connection over the phone. He is just not getting what you are trying to explain. How much time do you spend explaining it to him? Discuss

• I'd work with him for as long as it takes.

• 10 minutes or so; I'd go through it once as quickly as possible and then hang up.

• About half an hour; I'd make sure he understands at least the basics.

• None at all; I'd get frustrated the first time he says "I don't understand."

A person is telling you a story, but taking forever to get to the point. What do you do?

• I let him/her finish the story, without interrupting.

• I let him/her finish the story without interrupting, but can't help glancing at my watch.

• I ask him/her to get to the point of the story.

• I interrupt by asking, "Does this story have a point?"

Your friend/co-worker starts to get on your nerves. What would be your most likely response?

• I would tell him/her right away that s/he is getting on my nerves because of personality trait that I don't like, and that s/he should leave me alone.

• I would hold it in as long as possible and then finally snap, telling him/her to get out of my face.

• I would avoid that person until s/he got the point that I need a break.

• I would explain that I am feeling overwhelmed with work/school/life and need a break from social obligations to be by myself for a while.

• I would explain what is bothering me, and ask for some time to myself.

When having a disagreement, I typically

• Lower my voice to an ominous whisper.

• Maintain a normal voice level.

• Raise my voice slightly.

• Raise my voice level markedly.