SPIRITED discussion about customer service and myths energised Volunteer Coordinators attending workshops hosted by international volunteering expert Rob Jackson at the Centre for Participation on June 25.
During his third visit to the region, following a guest speaker appearance at the 2018 National Volunteering Conference in Sydney, Mr Jackson was engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience, including discussions on first impressions, communication and how simply increasing volunteer numbers may not always be the best solution.
In the morning session titled âCustomer service and volunteeringâ, which attracted a crowd of 17, Mr Jackson explored the importance of good customer service in volunteer programs, and what coordinators can do to improve the service their organisation provides.
âWhether we like it or not, our societies are increasingly consumer-driven and we all now have higher expectations of our interactions with business and service providers than we did a decade ago,â Mr Jackson said.
âWe expect fast responses to questions, speedy delivery of purchases and a high standard of professionalism in our dealing with others; volunteering is not immune to this,â he said.
âAs the old clichĂ© goes âyou only have one chance to make a good impression.â
Attending the session, Centre for Participation Project Worker Kylie Zanker said she found Mr Jackson to be “engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience”.
âI particularly enjoyed the group work and discussion around the most effective and engaging customer service strategies for volunteers within an organisation,â she said.
During his third visit to the region, following a guest speaker appearance at the 2018 National Volunteering Conference in Sydney, Mr Jackson was engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience, including discussions on first impressions, communication and how simply increasing volunteer numbers may not always be the best solution.
In the morning session titled âCustomer service and volunteeringâ, which attracted a crowd of 17, Mr Jackson explored the importance of good customer service in volunteer programs, and what coordinators can do to improve the service their organisation provides.
âWhether we like it or not, our societies are increasingly consumer-driven and we all now have higher expectations of our interactions with business and service providers than we did a decade ago,â Mr Jackson said.
âWe expect fast responses to questions, speedy delivery of purchases and a high standard of professionalism in our dealing with others; volunteering is not immune to this,â he said.
âAs the old clichĂ© goes âyou only have one chance to make a good impression.â
Attending the session, Centre for Participation Project Worker Kylie Zanker said she found Mr Jackson to be “engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience”.
âI particularly enjoyed the group work and discussion around the most effective and engaging customer service strategies for volunteers within an organisation,â she said.
âRob spoke about how volunteers hold differing roles within organisations as they are both internal to an organisation, whilst also being external. The customer service and the experience that the volunteers take away from the introduction and induction process needs to focus upon the best practiceâ
âA message that I sat up and listened to was when Rob spoke about how âmore volunteers arenât always the answer. The big picture thought should be placed on valuing the difference volunteering makes to peopleâs livesâ, and offering exceptional customer service that entices volunteers to the program and organisation.â
âOpen and clear communication, being up front with information regarding the expectations of the volunteer role and being attentive and responsive were the top priorities identified when engaging and recruiting volunteers.â
In the afternoon, 21 attendees gathered for the second workshop âMyths of volunteer managementâ which explored commonly-held myths surrounding volunteering to enable coordinators to sharpen their knowledge and better support their teams.
“I had a great time in Horsham,â Mr Jackson said.
âI always enjoy working with people and groups there and we had some spirited discussion about customer service and myths about volunteering and volunteer management,â he said.
âI hope people left feeling inspired, challenged and energised to put what they learnt into practice and, as always, I hope to be back in the Wimmera soonâ.
