INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS PLAYING THE ROLE OF CUSTOMERS:

You will enjoy playing the role of a customer because “Customer is the king” in any service organization. You can express your banking requirements and the banker has to satisfy your needs.

Your objectives in this role play:

  • Experience how a customer feels when his banking needs are met/ not met.
  • Give opportunity to the banker to practice customer service behaviours

Preparation for the role play

  • Study the background information about the customer, jot down the behaviours appropriate to your character
  • Eg., Senior citizen – Anxious, careful, systematic, talk in detail about a problem
  • Businessman – In a hurry, expect quick service, assertive , demand good service etc
  • Jot down the questions that you need to ask the banker based on the given scenario.

Enacting the role play

  • Behave like a customer appropriate to the given situation
  • Ask appropriate questions and respond to the banker’s questions
  • You could bring in subtle humour but don’t overact
  • You should give the banker opportunity to practice customer service skills
  • Feel free to make up an answer to take the act forward

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS PLAYING THE ROLE OF BANK OFFICIALS:

Good service is not just smiling at customers

Good service is getting the customers to smile at you

The purpose of this role-play is to provide you with the practice of interacting with the customers who come to the bank.

Firstly welcome the customer as your welcome a guest at home

Listen to the customer and understand the customer’s needs.

Then formulate the strategy that you will use to handle the customer.

-What are the needs of the customer?

- What additional information will you need to uncover the needs?

- What information do you need to resolve the customer’s issue?

- What is the best possible solution that you can give the customer?

- Is the customer satisfied with your service?

If the customer asks you questions for which you do not have background information, feel free to make up answers that are consistent with the role-play situation.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE OBSERVER:

Observe the actions and reactions of the Bank officer when the customer approaches; does the officer establish eye contact, does he smile and greet appropriately?

What is the expression of the Bank officer while listening to the customer's issue?

How does the Bank officer handle the customer's complaint?

Does the Bank officer successfully satisfy the customer query?

Note down meticulously on the observer’s sheet all the details of the interaction, the feelings, expressions etc.

As an observer you need to understand the “Customer Interaction Cycle”. Refer the recap session.

OBSERVER’S SHEET

Welcome

Eye contact: Did the Bank officer maintain eye contact?

Smile: Did the Bank officer smile?

Greet: Did the Bank officer greet the customer?

Offer help: Did the Bank officer offer to help the customer?

Understand

Listen: Did the Bank officer interrupt the customer when the customer was talking about his issues?

Acknowledge: Did the Bank officer acknowledge all the facts & feelings displayed by the customer when he was explaining his query

Probe for more: Was the Bank officer able to obtain more relevant information from the customer by asking more questions?

Confirm understanding: Once the Bank officer has received all the information, was he able to confirm the understanding of the problem with the customer?

Serve

Provide solution: Was the Bank officer able to arrive at a solution & inform the customer of the same?

Activate resolution: Was the Bank officer able to start the process of resolving the complaint?

Confirm satisfaction: Did the Bank officer confirm with the customer the satisfaction regarding the resolution of the complaint?

Close

Propose next step: Did the Bank officer inform the customer about the steps involved in the resolution of the complaint?

Offer further resistance: Did the Bank officer offer further assistance to the customer?

Thank: Did the Bank officer thank the customer after the interaction?

FEEDBACK FROM THE OBSERVER AND DISCUSSION WITHIN THE GROUP

Observers are requested to share their feedback with the banker and customer.

Ask the bank official

  1. How comfortable were you in resolving the customer's query?
  2. What are the things that you did well while handling the customer?
  3. What are the things that you feel you could have done more effectively?

Ask the Customer

1)What are the things that you feel the Bank officer did well while handling your query?

2)What are the things that you feel the Bank officer could have done more effectively while dealing with you?

3)How would you rate the service of the bank officer – Excellent/Good/Average/Bad?

4)How did you feel while the bank officer interacted with you?

OUR LEARNING FROM THE ROLE PLAY

Reflect on the experience. What did you learn? What are your areas of improvement? Jot down your learning from the role play

Discuss the learning with the entire class.

Students can write your own role play scripts and practice again and again to improve customer service skills.