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Five Free Customer Service Training Games
Five Free Customer Service Training Games
Five Free Customer Service Training Games
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Kindreggards,
Kate ZZabriskkie
BusinessTTrainingWorks,Inc. 1 CusstomerServiceTrainingGaamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingw works.com
2012
TableofContents
Standards,Please!.......................................3
LetMeTellYouWhatICanDo...................4
ExplainYourself...........................................5
InformationConnection..............................7
TheEasyWay..............................................8
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 2 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012
Standards,Please!
Purpose:
Toillustratetheimportanceofconsistencyandfollowingservicestandards.
Goal:
Toinstillanappreciationforhavingrulesandanunderstandingofwhytheyareimportanttofollow.
MaterialsNeeded:
None
Directions:
Lineeveryoneupononesideoftheroom.Explainthatthegoalistoreachtheothersideoftheroom.
Todoso,participantsmustmeetcertaincriteriathatyoucallout.Forexample,Takethreesteps
forwardifyouarewearingred.Giveaboutthreeinstructionssuchasthatone.Then,onthefourth
round,selectsomeofthepeoplefromthebackandmovethemtothefront.Selectsomefromthefront
andmovethembackseveralsteps.Continuetoplaythegameinthiswayuntilsomeonereachesthe
otherside.
Debrief:
Askparticipantsiftheytookthegameseriously?Mostwillprobablytellyouno,andthattheydidnot
becausetheruleswereunfairandunpredictable.Askparticipantsiftheyenjoyedthegame.Mostagain
willprobablytellyouno.Fromthere,transitionintoadiscussionaboutservicestandards.Workingin
smallteams,havethegroupcreatealistofthebenefitsofhavingservicestandardsinplace.
Youshouldexpecttoseeanswerssuchasstandardshelpemployeesandcustomersknowwhatto
expect,andtheygivesomethingbywhichbehaviorcanbemeasured.Or,Standardshelp
organizationstobefairandconsistent.
Time:
15Minutes
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 3 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012
LetMeTellYouWhatICanDo
Purpose:
Toillustratetheimportanceoftellingpeoplewhatyoucandoandnotwhatyoucant.
Goal:
Tohelpparticipantsthinkcreativelyabouthowtheycanavoidsayingno.
MaterialsNeeded:
None
Directions:
Havetheparticipantsstandinacircle.Telleachofthemthattheywillaskanothermemberoftheclass
forsomethingthatheorshecannotsayyesto.Thatpersonmustthencomeupwithanappropriate
response.Whenthatroundiscomplete,theresponderthenmakesarequestofsomeoneelse.
Forexample,Iwantfiletmignonforlunch.Thepersonreceivingthatinformationmustthenrespond
withalternatives.Thecafeteriahasavarietyofoptions.WhileIveneverfoundfiletmignononthe
menu,theydohaveawonderfulbeefsalad.
Themoreoutlandishtherequests,themorecreativetheresponsesmustbe.Usuallytherewillbeone
ortwopeoplewhocauseanoutburstoflaughterfromthegroup.
Debrief:
Fromthisexerciseparticipantsshoulddiscoverthattheycanfindwaystoofferalternativestoany
requestnomatterhowridiculous.Nobodylikestohearaboutwhattheycanthave.Customersfeel
morevaluedifyouprovidesuggestionsandalternatives.
Whentheexerciseiscomplete,youcancontinuethelearningpointbyhavingthemembersofthegroup
listthetypesofrequeststowhichtheytypicallysayno.Fromthere,havethegroupbrainstorm
alternativestoofferinthefuture.
Time:
20Minutes
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 4 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012
ExplainYourself
Purpose:
Toshowparticipantsthevalueofexplainingtocustomerswhatyouaredoingbeforeyoutakeaction.
Goal:
Toincreaseparticipantawarenessoffearoftheunknown.
MaterialsNeeded:
Ruler,scarf,gloves,andearmuffs.
Directions:
Askfortwovolunteers.Explainthatyouwillnothurtanyone,butyouwillbeplacingitemsofclothing
oneachofthem.Youwilltakeeachthroughasimilarexercise.Wheninteractingwiththefirst,youwill
bepolitebutprovidenoexplanationforyouractions.
Thankthefirstparticipantforvolunteering.Thenbenddownandremovehisorhershoesandmeasure
bothfeet.Whendone,placetheglovesonthepersonshands.Nextaddascarfandtheearmuffs.
Whendone,removetheitemsyouhaveadded.Nowasktheparticipanthowheorshefeltduringthe
exercise.
Onceyouhavegatheredthatfeedback,moveontothesecondvolunteer.
Thistime,however,explainthatyouaretakingmeasurementsforwintergearandthatyouwanttobe
surethatyougetaproperfit.Askthevolunteertoremovehisorhershoe.Tellthispersonwhatyou
willmeasurebeforeyoumeasure,andsoforth.Keeptalkingthroughouttheactivity.
Whendone,askthevolunteerandtheclasstocommentonthedifferencebetweenthetwo
approaches.
Note:Youcaneasilyalterthisexercisetoworkindifferentenvironments.Insteadofdressingthe
volunteers,youcouldaskthemaseriesofquestions.Forexample,whatcolorsdoyoulike?Orwhere
wouldyouliketotravel?Withthefirstvolunteeryousimplyaskthequestions.Withthesecond,you
wouldprovidereasons.Forinstance,Weareplanningonpaintingyourofficearea.Whatcolorsdo
youlike?Or,Weareconsideringyouforathreemonthoutoftownassignment.Wheremightyou
liketogo?
Debrief:
Whattheparticipantsshoulddiscoverthroughthisexerciseisthatexplanationsareimportant.
Customersreactbetterandcooperatewhentheyareinformedandunderstandthereasonsbehindyour
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 5 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012
questionsoractions.Forexample,ifyouarerunningthisexercisewithagroupofrepairtechniciansyou
mightusetheexampleofrepairingacustomersdishwasher.Mrs.Jones,sothatIamableto
troubleshootaccuratelytofigureoutwhythedishwasherisntcleaningthewayitusedt,oIneedtoask
yousomequestions.Whendiditstartactingup?Areyouabletohearanythingdifferent?Andsoforth.
Time:
15Minutes
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 6 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012
InformationConnection
Purpose:
Toillustratethedifficultyofcommunicatinginformationwhenthereisnoiseintheprocess.
Goal:
Toencouragecustomerservicerepresentativestoaskquestionstoconfirminformation.
MaterialsNeeded:Penandpaperforeachparticipant.
Directions:
Thisgameissimilartotheoldtelephonemessagegame.Havethegroupstandinacircle.Startwitha
messagewrittendownonacard.Showthecardtothepersontoyourleft(personone).Heorshemust
thenwhisperthatmessageintotheearofthepersontohisorherleft.Afterdoingso,personone
shouldwritedownwhatwassaid.Theprocesscontinuesuntilthemessagemakesitswayaroundthe
room.Whenthelastpersonwritesdownwhatwassaid,comparethattexttoyouroriginalmessage.
Chancesarethemessagewasalteredinsomeway.
SampleMessage:Ineedbananas,seafood,glue,aclock,netting,alaptop,fishingline,andahelmetin
mysuitcaseformytriptoCentralAsia.Ialsoneedanewpassportphotofromthemallandtendollars.
Debrief:
Thisgameallowsyoutomakeseveralpoints.First,itisimportanttoverifyinformation.
Second,itishardtokeeptrackofalotofdetailsinyourhead,whichiswhyitisagoodideatotake
advantageofanytoolsprovidedintheworkplacetoimproveaccuracy.Itwouldhavebeenmucheasier
tokeepthemessagestraightiftheoriginalcardwerepassedtoeachpersontoread.
Third,themorefamiliarwearewithasubject,theeasieritistokeepinformationstraight.Theitemson
thelistdonothaveanobviousconnection.
Onceyouhavemadeyourpoints,havethegroupdescribehowtheycurrentlyconfirminformationthey
hearfromtheircustomers.Whatcouldtheydobetter?Wheredotheymostoftenseecommunication
breakdowns?
Time:
15Minutes
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 7 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012
TheEasyWay
Purpose:
Toillustratethatenvironmentisimportantincustomerservice.Allelsebeingequal,peoplewillchoose
tobeinaplacewheretheyarecomfortable.
Goal:
Toincreaseawarenessofcreatingandmaintainingacustomerfriendlyenvironment.
MaterialsNeeded:MaskingTape,WatchwithaSecondHand
Directions:
Dividethetrainingroomintofourquadrantsusingmaskingtape.
Havetheparticipantcountoffone,two,three,four,one,two,three,etc.
Puteachgroupintothequadrantthatcorrespondstotheirrespectivenumber.
Assignthefollowingactionstoeachgroup:(1)Talkingnonstopwithoutlistening.(2)Repeatedly
touchingortryingtotouchyourtoes.(3)Repeatingthealphabet.(4)Havingnormalconversation.
Explainthatyouwillaskeachgrouptoengageintheactionsdescribed.Then,after30secondshave
passed,peoplemaychooseadifferentquadrant.After30moresecondsyouwillannounceanother
switch.Playthegameforfiveminutescallingtimeforaswitchevery30seconds.Theonlyruleisthat
participantsmustbeineachboxonce.Afterspendingtimeineachbox,theymaychoosetocontinue
movingorjustselectaboxtostayin.
Debrief:
Youshoulddiscoverthatbytheendofthegame,mostpeopleareinthefourthbox.Thelearningpoint
hereisallelsebeingequal,customerswillchoosetobeintheenvironmentthatiseasiestandmost
pleasantforthem.Whatcanthegroupdoforcustomerstoimprovetheenvironmentsinwhichthey
provideservice?Aretherepracticescurrentlyinplacethatcustomersfindirritating?
Time:
20Minutes
BusinessTrainingWorks,Inc. 8 CustomerServiceTrainingGamesandActivities
www.businesstrainingworks.com 2012