YSU Teaches Customer Service to Its Employees

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Can you smile and talk at the same time?

It’s a customer service skill worth practicing, said Rosalyn Donaldson, Youngstown State University’s manager of training and development. “When you smile, it conveys a friendly and positive attitude. It’s a nice approach when you’re welcoming a customer to your office in preparation to serve them.”

Donaldson recently discussed ways to expand and emphasize customer service on campus as part of “Customer Service – the Penguin Way,” a new training program by the YSU Office of Human Resources for YSU employees.

The next session of the course for employees is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on March 2 in Kilcawley Center. To register, click here.

“We want to create a climate of customer service. It is the lifeblood of who we are as an institution,” Donaldson said. “I think we’ve created a program that will help us to put a renewed focus on customer service in a fun, competitive atmosphere.”

The course was custom designed for YSU by David Rust, president of a Cleveland-area business-consulting firm called Coaching Solutions. Discussion topics – such as phone etiquette, caring for the irate customer, defusing anger and email tips – were based on suggestions from university administrators.

Participants are encouraged to work in teams, discussing their own positive and negative experiences with customer service. There is also time for brainstorming on ways to improve service and to resolve recurring interpersonal problems in the workplace.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.