The year 2012 was a very productive year with lots of new experiences. Of note, was the birth of Centric Hub,

an endeavor we are particularly proud of. We wouldn’t be as proud of it if it weren't for your acceptance and feed

back. We are thankful for your support and hope that we continue on this journey together. We promise to continue to provide a newsletter rich with relevant information that can

help you and your organisation. Here's to a very productive New Year.

Let’s go 2013!

Good   marke*ng   skills   will   help   you   make   the   first   sale   but  Customer  Service   skills  will   keep  your  customers  coming  back.  Communica*on  is  the  key  to  providing  good  Customer  Service.  Most   people   think   of   communica*on   as   the   ability   to   speak  clearly   and   to   be   understood.   However,   other   elements   of  communica*on,  including  the  ability  to  listen  and  the  ability  to  empathize,   are   equally   if   not   more   important   in   Customer  Service.  Good  communicators  listen  first  before  speaking.    Listening

Listening  is  more  than  hearing  what  someone  has  to  say.  It   involves   a   keen   awareness   of   nonverbal   and   verbal  communica*on.   Good   listening   takes   prac*ce   and  involves   a   number   of   techniques.   Give   your   full  aEen*on  to  the  customer.  Stop  what  you  are  doing  and  look  the  person  in  the  eyes  as  they  are  speaking.  Help  by  asking   the   customer   ques*ons.   At   *mes,   we   all   have  difficulty   expressing   ourselves.   Asking   ques*ons   helps  the   speaker   iden*fy   ways   to   clarify   what   he   is   saying.  Support  the  customer.  

Responding In   responding   to   the   customer,   a   good   technique   to  ensure   that   you   understand   correctly   is   paraphrasing.  Paraphrasing   involves   simply   responding   by   repea*ng  what  the  speaker  said  in  your  own  words.  

Choosing the Right Words When  speaking  with  customers,  always  avoid  words  that  are   emo*onally   charged.   For   example,   instead   of  referring   to   someone   as   "anal   reten*ve,"   you   could  refer   to   them   as   "detail   oriented."   Use   "I"   statements  instead   of   "you"   statements.   OOen,   a   statement  beginning  with  "you"  can  make  the  receiver  defensive.    

Empathy Empathy   is   a   learned   response.   It   is   different   than  sympathy,   as   you   are   actually   placing   yourself   in   the  other   person's   situa*on   versus   feeling   sorry   for   them.  Responding   to   customer   complaints   with   empathy  requires  thought  and  prac*ce.  Try  to  imagine  yourself  in  the  speaker's  posi*on.  

to  the  Centric  Hub!  

Communicate, Communicate and Communicate! WELCOME    

Centric Hub Vol.  1  Issue  5  A  Customer  Centricity  Limited  Publication©  2013  

For  Laughs!  

         Prior   to   the   event,   a   lot   of   thought   went   into   the  planning  of  the  team  build  session  and  different  games  were   selected   based   on   the   need   to   draw   the   team  closer  together.      The  team  build  session  was  an  outdoor  event  with  lots  of   track   and   field   games   and   different   other   sorts   of  games   aimed   at   building   and   promo*ng   teamwork.  Before   the   team   build   session   proper,   the   MTN  par*cipants   were   given   personality   tests   which   had  been   specifically   produced   for   them   to   help   have   an  idea   of   the   different   individuals.   The   purpose   of   this  was   to  make   sure   that   when  we   broke   them   up   into  smaller   teams   for   the   team   build   session,   we   would  have   a   diverse   mix   of   people   in   each   team   and   they  could  work  on  their  strengths  to  build  a  stronger  team.        The  venue  was  technically  reconstructed  into  a  proper  games   field   with   the   help   of   professional   sports   men  and   the   games   stands   that   needed   specific   guidance  like   the   man   –o-­‐war   were   overseen   by   professionals  who  would  make  sure  the  par*cipants  were  doing  the  right  thing  without  any  risks  to  themselves.  Despite  this  we  had  our  health  specialists  on  hand  to  check  out  any  one  who  felt  the  least  bit  uncomfortable.    The  day  started  with  a  brief  talk  from  our  CEO  Uloma,  who   explained   to   everyone   what   they   could   expect  from   the   day   in   her   usual   fun   and   engaging   manner,  this  set  the  tone  for  the  day.  The  MTN  HOD  addressed  his  people  aOer  which,  the  fun  really  began!  There  was  the   ge[ng   to   know   each   other   stage   and   then   the  par*cipants  were  very  crea*ve  and  worked  together  as  a   team   to   come   up   with   names   for   their   teams.  Everyone  was   given   a   chance   to   par*cipate   in   all   the  games   and   by   the   end   of   the   day,   people   were  exhausted  but  sa*sfied.  It   was   a   truly   wonderful   and   fun   experience,   it   was  great   to   see   everyone   come   together,   cheering   for  their  team  members  and  suppor*ng  them.  

                                                           

The atmosphere was relaxed and filled with an easy camaraderie that made it possible for everyone to truly let their hair down while at the same time bonding and having a proper exercise in team building. Personally, I think that’s the best type of learning, done in a tranquil environment were its impossible to feel guarded because everyone is truly having so much fun. Of course I had a bit of fun myself, from the planning where I was given the opportunity to try my hands at different new things to the execution where I helped coordinate things and assist the team I had been assigned to. The other thing more gratifying than seeing a plan fall into place and everything working well is getting positive feedback from the client commending our effort. The CCC team worked well together to pull of something that seemed really overwhelming on paper and I have to say I’m truly blessed to find myself in the midst of such dedicated people. Every new assignment is an opportunity for everyone to learn and grow.  

For  Laughs!  

Want An Efficient Organisation? Team Build Your Way To It!

-­‐  Onyinye  Eronini  

One of the projects we rounded up the year with was the MTN Team Build Session. It was an exciting and experiential one filled with lots of activities

aimed at promoting team work in the group.

Photo Gallery

At the FATE Foundation session

Diamond  Bank  Inductees  

Diamond  Bank  Inductees  

Diamond  Bank  Inductees  

Diamond  Bank  Inductees  

MTN  Team  Build  Session  

MTN  Team  Build  Session  

MTN  Team  Build  Session  

MTN  Team  Build  Session  

As  I  prepared  to  go  for  the  concluding  part  of  the  induc*on  training  that  day,  I  began  to  rehearse  my  closing  speech.  Thinking  of  the  really  young  audience  and  the  usually  expected  impact  that  my  trainings  have  on  them,  I  paused.      I  thought  about  the  par*cipants'  objec*ves  from  the  training,  We  build  the  expecta*ons  of  the  par*cipants  at  the  beginning  of  every  training,  especially  the  Customer  Service  trainings.  We  tell  them  to  open  up  their  minds  and  accept  a  paradigm  shiO  that  will  become  hopefully,  "A  las*ng  a[tude  change".  I  oOen  stress  the  fact  that  the  service  training  is  a  life-­‐enhancer  and  that  it  provides  nuggets  that  help  one  through  life,  beyond  the  workplace!  Then  I  thought  about  my  client's  (company)  objec*ves.  One  of  the  really  commiEed  customer-­‐focused  companies  I  know,  my  client  is  truly  desirous  of  a  service  culture  in  their  bank.  Over  20  years  ago,  they  developed  a  Vision  statement  that  stressed  customer-­‐orientedness  and  experien*al  service  delivery  as  their  vision,  mo*va*on  and  culture.  In  bringing  us  in  as  a  partner,  their  expecta*on  was  that  through  our  training  interven*ons,  both  the  knowledge  and  spirit  of  Customer  Service  will  be  communicated  and  imparted.        Then  I  thought  about  our  own  company  objec*ves.  Yes,  we  want  to  meet  the  financial  and  strategic  objec*ves  that  have  been  set  for  the  organisa*on.  Yes,  we  would  like  to  impart  knowledge  and  a[tude  change.  We  definitely  would  like  to  help  our  client  achieve  the  boEom  line  targets  by  ensuring  that  a  culture  of  service  is  entrenched  in  the  bank  which  would  ul*mately  lead  to  loyalty.  The  perfect  place.  However,  we  also  had  marke*ng  communica*ons  objec*ves.  Unlike  most  businesses,  our  success  lies  in  our  actual  ability  to  achieve  that  elusive  aspect  of  life  called  "change".  What  we  teach  must  be  no*ced  in  order  to  be  regarded  as  a  success.      Now,  our  consistent  content  development  thrust  has  been  in  that  area  exactly.  Adding  our  marke*ng  know-­‐how  to  the  training  and  post-­‐training  processes  to  ensure  true  embedment  of  the  concepts  and  actual  display  of  the  learning.  Several  clients  have  chosen  our  style  over  others  because  of  this  edge.  By  bringing  all  our  Drama  school  training  to  the  class,  we  ensure  assimila*on.  All  concepts  are  made  to  come  alive  in  class  and  actually  lived.  Going  away  packs  include  *tbits  and  personal  management  ideas  that  turn  the  par*cipants  into  a  self-­‐  policing  force  while  at  work.      Have  we  been  successful  at  it?  Oh  very  much  so!  Evidence  is  that  a  major  part  of  our  business  development  has  been  through  referrals.  Some  clients  have  asked,  "I  love  the  culture  of  service  here,  who  does  your  Customer  Service  training?"  To  which  our  alumni  respond,  "Customer  Centricity  Limited".  It  has  worked  for  years  and  has  only  improved  over  *me!  Then  I  knew  what  my  last  line  would  be.  "Good  luck  as  you  go  into  your  new  world  and  careers,  but...    No  fall  my  hand  o!"    

A  Publica9on  of  Customer  Centricity  Limited  Contact  Address:  15  Biaduo  Road,  Off  Keffi  Street,  South-­‐  West,  Ikoyi,  Lagos.  Nigeria  

Email:  www.customercentricityltd.com  Telephone:  +234  0  7065559525  

Uloma

“No Fall My Hand O!”