Customer service superiority and building rapport were the themes throughout New Hampshire and Vermont as numerous fuel dealers attended my customer service seminars.  Participating in small groups, attendees created diagrams and acrostics on flipcharts.  Plus, internal follow up obstacles were listed, prioritized and published for future reference.  Attendees learned that the benefactors of improved internal communication, among coworkers, are the external customers.

Technicians, drivers, phone reps, dispatchers and supervisors came to sharpen their service skills – each seminar was sold out.  The job title diversity allowed for greater empathy among employees who may not always understand what their coworkers endure in the course of a work day.

When I teach soft skills to mechanical workers, they understand that their job is more than just diagnosing and troubleshooting technical problems.

Each seminar was SOLD OUT.

Using the most innovative instructional design methods, I educated fuel dealers in world class service behaviors and disciplines.  Building rapport was the primary objective.  Attendees listened to actual phone calls which demonstrated both correct and incorrect ways to handle price-shopping callers.  Videos were also utilized to demonstrate the power of a first impression or lack thereof.

Technicians, drivers, phone reps, dispatchers and supervisors came to sharpen their service skills.

Technicians, drivers and phone reps worked at building rapport.

Building Rapport

“What a great seminar and opportunity given to our member companies. Steve Coscia’s seminar had the attention of the audience and engaged all with the working group activities,” said Lisa Jo Steiner from the Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire. “Steve really showed us the importance of building rapport.”

In cooperative learning the instructor is the center of authority in the seminar, with employee tasks more closed-ended and often having specific answers.

A group, multiple choice word game exercise is a cooperative learning example because the answers in building rapport are pre-determined.

On the contrary, with collaborative learning the instructor surrenders his authority and empowers groups of employees who are often given more open-ended, complex tasks whereas a group determines their own answers to complete an acrostic.  Both cooperative and collaborative exercises enable building rapport for seminar attendees.

Lynn Simino enthusiastically displays her diagrams.