Service Excellence
How do YOU do your part to deliver on ESDC’s mandate to serve Canadians?
Service Excellence is the heart of Service Canada’s and ESDC’s work and is deeply ingrained in our corporate culture. Whether you work for an enabling service supporting your colleagues or directly on the front-lines serving Canadians, the work that you do is part of a value chain that works together to deliver our programs and services for Canadians.
Service Excellence Training
Service Excellence training is primarily delivered by the CSPS. See below for a list of mandatory and developmental courses that will help you become a Service Excellent expert!
Please note that the CSPS’s introductory Service Excellence course (S001) is mandatory for all frontline staff, and is highly recommend for anyone else who serve internal or external clients.
Below you will find various learning activities to help you improve your service excellence skills, which are organized into the following themes:
Many of the following learning activities are informal, so don't forget to take credit for your learning by manually adding your activity to your learning history (DOCX, 91 KB) in Saba.
Mandatory Frontline Training
Fundamentals of Service Excellence (S001) is mandatory training for all frontline staff and is highly recommended for anyone else who serve internal or external clients.
Fundamentals of Service Excellence
This 2-day classroom course is intended for public service employees who provide services to citizens, internal clients or colleagues. By exploring how the government identifies the service expectations of Canadians, participants will learn to deliver inclusive service using a variety of communication skills and techniques. Participants will also gain skills to cope with difficult situations, applying effective resolution strategies and techniques in practical exercises.
- Duration:
- 15 hours
- Methodology:
- Instructor-Led - Classroom
- Course ID:
- S001
Introduction to Citizen and Client-Centred Service
This online introductory course provides participants with a better understanding of the needs and expectations of citizens and clients, enabling them to take into account their perspectives in all aspects of service design and delivery.
Participants will learn Government of Canada's service delivery principles, the key concepts of citizen- and client-centered service and the five drivers of client satisfaction.
This course is recommended prior to S001: Fundamentals of Service Excellence
- Duration:
- 1 hour
- Methodology:
- web-based
- Course ID:
- T233
Additional Training
The bite-sized training below will help you improve your communication and relationship-building skills, which will help you take the next step in your journey to providing Service Excellence.
Controlling Conflict, Stress, and Time in a Customer Service Environment
Working in a customer support centre or help desk environment can be challenging. Customers can sometimes be demanding and unreasonable. For the customer service representative, understanding the emotional needs of customers, adapting to their different communication styles, and solving their problems can be extremely stressful and time consuming.
In this course, learners will learn how to:
- Identify and resolve conflict
- Negotiate with customers
- Develop strategies to better manage time and stress
- Explore how a positive approach and attitude can benefit customer interactions and lead to satisfactory conclusions.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- web-based
- Course ID:
- W021
Facing Confrontation in Customer Service
One of the most challenging and potentially uncomfortable responsibilities of a customer service representative is dealing with angry customers. By following a few simple techniques, you can usually defuse tense situations without incident.
This course discusses the typical trouble spots in dealing with angry customers and explores how to avoid these situations or overcome them. Learners will also learn how to handle a customer complaint by defusing the tension, investigating the problem and coming to an agreement on a solution.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- web-based
- Course ID:
- R012
Using Active Listening in Workplace Situations
Active listening skills are used by professionals in a wide range of occupations to enhance their work.
In this course, learners will learn listening skills that can help in the workplace and techniques for becoming an effective active listener.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- Online
- Course ID:
- C064
Communicating Effectively with Customers
Effective communication is essential to the success of any customer-oriented business. Each customer has their own style of communication and emotional response to interacting with a support centre. Customer service representatives (CSRs) must understand how to adapt to these different styles and emotions.
This course explains how to do so. It also covers how to adapt your writing style to communicate by e-mail and document incidents.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- Online
- Course ID:
- R006
Polishing Your Skills for Excellent Customer Service
As a customer service representative (CSR), creating a support culture that focuses on your customers' needs is key.
In this course, learners will
- Learn how to project an excellent service attitude that will enhance your interaction with your customers.
- Explore how to establish effective customer relationships and involve customers in problem solving. In addition
- Discover methods to communicate effectively in a cross-cultural customer support centre or help desk environment.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- Online
- Course ID:
- R008
Providing Telephone Customer Service
When you're providing customer service over the telephone, without face-to-face interaction, it can be challenging to establish the right relationship. There are many techniques that can help you consistently deliver the best customer service. This course provides etiquette tips for answering, managing and ending customer service calls.
In this course, learner will:
- Learn how to make a good impression by: listening, using questions to obtain more information, minding your tone, empathizing with the customer.
- Learn ways to adapt your approach to your customer's style.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- Online
- Course ID:
- R009
Rapport Building in Customer Service
Good customer service and strong customer relationships begin with building rapport. Building rapport requires knowing your customers, understanding their situations, and providing an empathetic ear for them to voice their concerns.
In this course, learners will learn how to:
- Build rapport with customers by paying close attention to their needs, connecting with them, and being positive.
- Empathize with customers by relating your own experiences, reflecting their emotions back to them, and normalizing their difficulties.
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
- Methodology:
- Online
- Course ID:
- R010
When the Team Wins, All Players are Winners
What is your ultimate goal? As Public Servants we are all working towards the same ultimate goal: delivering excellent services to Canadian citizens. We also all have our personal goals in our everyday work and career. In this recording, Pierre Vercheval – 14 time CFL All Star and first francophone to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame – will tell us why team success leads to individual success, why continuous improvement is important, and what behaviours will get you into the "4th quarter club" of Service Excellence and the achievement of our ultimate goal.
- Duration:
- 1 hour
- Methodology:
- Online
- Course ID:
- 00051511
Additional Resources
The CSPS has a wide range of courses and videos that support Service Excellence and related skills. Be sure to check out GCcampus to see all of their offerings. Explore the Service Specialist functional community.
Want to get involved in discussions related to Service Excellence and improving services? Join these GCconnex communities of practice:
-
GC Community of Practice Service Excellence
This is an open forum to share best practices and challenges in improving existing or developing new service strategies and service improvement initiatives within the Governement of Canada
Gartner (CEB) Subscription Service (primarily English-only)
Did you know that you can further your understanding of strategic thinking through the Gartner (CEB) subscription service? To access a host of articles, discussions and events, all you need to do is:
- Create an account (DOCX, 33 KB)
- Search their catalogue with the keyword "client service"
Mouvement québécois de la qualité (French only)
Did you know that you have access to the Mouvement québécois de la qualité's resources? To access a host articles, job-aids and trainings, all you need to do is:
- Create an account (DOCX, 33 KB)
- Search their catalogue with the keywords "client" and "servir"
Be sure to browse the College@ESDC's complete offering on competencies that support transformation such as innovation, cognitive flexibility, and digital technology.
If you have questions about these offerings, contact your Learning Coordinator (NCR) (XLSX, 31 KB) or your Learning Centre (regions).