Customer Service Representative (CSR) Exam Prep

Hours: 200 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced
Retail Price: $395.00

Course Overview:

The customer service representative plays an essential role in an organization's success through providing product and service information and resolving product and service problems. In this course, you will learn about the various duties and responsibilities of the customer service provider, and you will practice these using a variety of exercises, hypothetical interactions, and assignments. The goal of this course is to prepare you to be an outstanding, reliable, and successful customer service representative in a business or other organization. In addition to providing students with a comprehensive education in customer service, this course will also prepare students to take nationally recognized customer service certification exams, including, but not limited to, the HDI Customer Service Representative Certification Exam.

This course prepares students to take the HDI Customer Service Representative (HDI-CSR) certification exam.

About This Course:

We are committed to offering world class interactive online courses that provide training and learning support for the student in a number of ways during their experience. This course structure has been developed to provide activities to guide students throughout the entire process of learning. Learning activities include hands-on assignments that allow students to use what they are learning to allow better transferable skills within their work environments.

When a student learns, they are not alone.   Each student will be supported by our student services department – which ranges from course mentors, registrar, and technical support assistance.   Every month students have a progress report run on them every month by our student services department to ensure they are making satisfactory progress.   If a student falls behind, we reach out to them personally by phone call every month to see if there is anything we can do to continue to assist them with moving forward in their course.

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: What is Customer Service

In this lesson, we will define customer service and discuss its importance in an organization's success.  In addition, we will explore customer needs, the benefits gained through meeting those needs, and the role of the customer service representative in this process. We will also discuss the concept of social customers.

Lesson 2: The Global Customer

Best-in-class global service is all about delivering the right information in context to optimize business processes, applications, and activities that support service.  In this lesson, we will discuss ways that the CSR can best serve the global customer. 

Lesson 3: Exceptional Customer Service

According to a study by RightNow Technologies, 73 percent of customers leave because of poor customer service. In this lesson, we will discuss ways that organizations can understand, meet, and exceed customer expectations through exceptional customer service. 

Lesson 4: Customer Service Strategy

Most organizations are made of people and customers; therefore, having a strategy for delivering consistently excellent customer service is essential.  In this less we will discuss building a customer service strategy in a way that encourages quality service resulting in customer satisfaction. 

Lesson 5: Critical Workplace Skills

Every organization has expectations of its employees.  In customer service, meeting these expectations is extremely important, as it affects the customers' experience and the health of the business.  In this lesson, we will discuss workplace skills that are critical in customer service.  In addition, we will discuss balancing those skills, setting realistic goals, and how to maximize those skills.

Lesson 6: Problem Solving

In this lesson, we will discuss the importance of the Customer Service Representative in problem solving, resolving conflict, and winning back business through excellent customer service. 

Lesson 7: Extreme Customers and Customer Retention

Every business will encounter challenging situations and difficult customers from time to time.  In this lesson we will discuss approaches for handling challenges and dealing with difficult customers.

Lesson 8: Managing Customer Service

In this lesson, we will discuss effective approaches for managing customer services representatives, such as the provision of training, team-building, a positive environment, and clear expectations. 

Lesson 9: Communication Essentials

In this lesson, we will explore communication styles, discuss the basics of written and verbal communication, and become familiar with the characteristics of effective communication. 

Lesson 10: Customer-Focused Listening

In this lesson, we will discuss effective listening and listening habits along with roadblocks to effective communication. 

Lesson 11: Nonverbal Communication, Dress, and Manners

In this lesson, we will focus on the use of Nonverbal Communication, Dress, and Manners in the best way during interactions with customers. Whether individuals are face-to-face or at a distance from each other, how either party respects and makes the other person feel can manifest in an exciting beginning or an unfortunate ending to a service relationship.

Lesson 12: Telephone and Digital Communication

In this lesson, we will discuss various forms of digital and telephone communication, including web chat, VoIP, telephone service, inbound customer service calls, and outbound telemarketing.

All necessary materials are included.

Certification(s):

This course prepares students to take the HDI Customer Service Representative (HDI-CSR) certification exam.


System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

  • Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

  • CPU: 1 GHz or higher
  • RAM: 4 GB or higher
  • Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
  • Speakers / Headphones
  • Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

  • Windows 7 or higher.
  • Mac OSX 10 or higher.
  • Latest Chrome OS
  • Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

  • Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
  • Latest Mozilla FireFox
  • Latest Microsoft Edge
  • Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

  • Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
  • PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
  • Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.


** The course outlines displayed on this website are subject to change at any time without prior notice. **