Customer Service Skills: Email Skills

The challenge of meeting internal and external customers' expectations requires the ability to perceive customer requirements and respond appropriately.

When much of the work is done via e-mail, clear concise communication using this media is imperative to give a professional image of the organisation.

When you write an e-mail, you are not only communicating information to another person - you are presenting yourself, in writing. People judge you not only for the accuracy and completeness of your written communications, but also for the 'way it is put across'.

The course is designed to help participants develop a fluent style of writing, to help overcome common difficulties with e-mail writing, and to inspire confidence in producing professional e-mails.

Skills Gained

By the end of the course you will:

• agree what a professional response to an e-mail should look like and contain
• identify your barriers and strengths when communicating via e-mail
• state the common myths surrounding the use of English and the plain English campaign
• demonstrate the advantages of a systematic approach to written communication - using the four block structure
• be able to effectively plan your correspondence by defining and understanding the objectives; use the appropriate level of detail required, focus on the needs of the reader and finalise the structure
• be able to start confidently and finish with impact
• discuss and review the use of appropriate grammar and punctuation
• recognise the necessity of avoiding the use of too many words, cliches and jargon
• identify the effectiveness of using positive language and powerful words and phrases
• examine ways of avoiding emotional responses
• review the customers preferred style and match it using words that will help the customer feel valued from your response
• have practised composing a range of correspondence with fluency and style
• critically review your own work and edit it accordingly
• have produced a personal 'Customer service via e-mail' action plan for implementation back at work