Delivery: Online
College Credit: 3 credit hours
Estimated Length: 20 seat hours
Price: $560
Excellence in Customer Service is the only broadband-specific customer service training course available today. Applying topics such as account maintenance, effective communication techniques, stress management, sales processes, and service level differentiation to the broadband industry, the course also explores the history of cable TV, technology, and regulatory bodies. Graduates of this course will be uniquely qualified within the cable industry to provide the highest level of broadband-specific customer service.
Completion Time:
The estimated completion time for this course is 20 hours. The maximum allotted time is four months from enrollment.
Benefits:
- understand fundamental broadband troubleshooting practices
- increase customer satisfaction levels and retention rates
- increase customer awareness of revenue-generating services
- better determine when a customer call requires a dispatch
- more accurately handle customer account information and billing
- utilize stress management techniques
- earn three hours of college credit
- receive credit toward NCTI Customer Care Master Representative certification
- receive credit toward NCTI Master Dispatcher certification
- receive an industry-recognized NCTI certificate of graduation
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
- explain how cable TV evolved from rural master antenna systems to high-tech broadband networks of today
- discuss the roles of regulatory bodies including the FCC, local franchising authorities and other local, state and federal agencies as they pertain to cable TV systems
- describe the difference between various video services provided in a cable system
- briefly tell how video, data and voice signals are transported between the cable system headend and individual customers
- tell how customer accounts are managed to maintain accurate customer information, including billing, services, address information and more
- practice effective communication skills, including listening, asking questions, overcoming objections, identifying good telephone answering techniques and more
- follow proper sales process to complete a sale
- handle a cancellation request in a manner that will promote retention of the customer
- manage stress by using effective coping skills, heeding emotional overload warning signs and practicing various relaxation techniques
- briefly describe a process for conducting simple technical troubleshooting to resolve a customer problem or provide valuable information for a technician to respond to a service call
Outline:
Exploring the History of Broadband Cable
Understanding original signal reception quality, exploring improved signal reception quality, examining system operation development, considering service expansion, delivering “over-the-air” programming, delivering microwave programming, delivering satellite programming, learning about local government regulations, discussing state government regulations, looking at federal government regulations and discussing the Federal Communications Commission
Presenting Cable Video Services
Reviewing basic cable service, understanding expanded basic service, defining premium cable service, understanding digital video cable service and listing cable video services
Understanding How a Broadband Cable System Works
Identifying signal sources, exploring the headend, distributing broadband signals, organizing the workforce and interacting for success, defining external and internal customers and understanding customer service processes
Managing Customer Accounts and Data
Adjusting accounts, understanding damaged or lost equipment policies, dealing with NSF check returns, providing refunds, explaining the customer’s bill, understanding the billing process, collecting on delinquent accounts, understanding payment responsibilities, batching and posting payments, collecting cash payments, discussing cash drawer reconciliation, entering data, entering orders and looking at company reports
Communicating Effectively
Visualizing the communication model, overcoming obstacles, using strategic communication techniques, hearing vs. listening, understanding listening obstacles, listening effectively, using proper voice quality, asking effective questions, avoiding dangerous phrases, exhibiting professional courtesy and answering incoming calls
Selling Broadband Services
Knowing your service offerings, organizing a sales kit, responding honestly, following the first-person principle, matching services to the customer’s viewing interests and presenting features, benefits and value, greeting the customer, verifying information, identifying the type of call, identifying the customer’s interests, building your presentation, recommending services, maintaining the customer’s commitment, looking for buying signs, closing the sale, identifying the customer’s concerns, addressing the customer’s concerns and completing the sale
Understanding the Role of Customer Service
Reviewing the CTAM report, looking at NCTA standards, defining quality customer service, serving your customer, understanding the four Cs, learning communication strategies and maintaining a professional image
Retaining Customers
Using the “stop, look, and listen” technique, understanding basic problem-resolution steps, dealing with an irate customer, handling a service cancellation request, appreciating the customer, seeking feedback and improving service
Managing Stress
Understanding stress, using effective coping skills, avoiding sabotaging behaviors, improving your resistance to stress, responding positively, relieving stress physically, assessing your stress level, heeding emotional overload warning signs, practicing various relaxation techniques, avoiding destructive style patterns, considering WMSDs, preventing WMSDs and using exercises to reduce the risk of WMSDs
Troubleshooting Fundamentals
Handling technical problems, defining types of technical problems and understanding what to avoid