Five

F eFrree
Cu
usto
omerSService
e
Trai
T nin ngG
Gam
mess

eecustomerservicetrainninggamestthatwehaveeusedwith
Thefollowinggarefivefre
clientsdu
uringourcustomerservvicecoursesfformorethaanadecade.

Wefrequentl
W lyreceiverequestsfortrrainingideassfromorgan
nizationswisshingtodevvelop
theirown netiquettepprograms.Intheinteresstofimprovvingbehavior,wearesharingthese
activitiessforusebyo
others.

Youarewelco
ometoincorporatethem mintoyourcustomerseervicecoursees.
Youmayalsolinktothem
m.
However,we
H requestthaatyounotpu
ublishtheminaprinted
dguide,onlin
neguide,or
otherwisewitthoutourpeermission.

Eachoftheactiviitieslistedre
equiresabasicknowled geofcustom
merservice.Whileweaare
oanswerque
happyto estionsabou utthemechaanicsoftheggamesandaactivities,weekindlyrequ
uest
thatyoudoyourownresearcho onquestionssrelatedtoccontent.

Form
moreinformaationaboutonsitecusto omerserviceeworkshopssandseminaarsforyour
group,plleasecontacctusatinfo@
@businesstrainingworkss.comor30119343250.

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