3/19/2013

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Know how. Know now.

Working With the Public

Elizabeth Killinger

UNL Extension- Hall County

308-385-5088

ekillinger2@unl.edu

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

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Working with the Public

Things to Remember

Tips for Quality Customer Service

Methods for Receiving Questions

Finding Answers

Asking for Help

Practice Exercise

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Dealing with the Public

Dealing with these taxpaying, stockholding

customers is the same as any other service job.

Offering them good service is the best way to get

repeat customers.

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Dealing with the Public

Our product is information. We extend information

derived from the research-based university.

Our customers have confidence in the reliability and

credibility of our information.

This confidence is the foundation upon which the

Extension Service is built.

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Remember…

University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not

discriminate. We offer services without regard to

age, color, disability, gender identity or expression,

marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex,

sexual orientation, or veterans status

UNL Extension offers impartial Research-based

information and include all options

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A Quality Customer Service

Experience A quality customer service provider is a person who:

1. Accepts responsibility for providing timely

customer service in a courteous manner

2. Understands that the success of an organization

depends on good customer service

3. Learns and practices customer service skills in a

positive manner

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Things to Remember Are customers always right? Of course not, but they

always have rights.

They have the right to courteous treatment, a

response based on respect, and an honest answer,

even if the answer is “I don’t know.” It is reasonable

for them to expect us to research the question and

formulate the best answer in a timely manner.

Our customers do not have the right to abuse you or to

be discourteous.

If you do not feel comfortable handling a question

or responding to an individual, refer the question

or the person to an Extension staff member.

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Methods of Receiving Questions

Phone

Walk-in

Questions in passing

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Phone Questions

Can be difficult due to no visual clues

Listening carefully is important, follow up questions

may be needed

Every time a phone call is made or received as a

Master Gardener, Extension is being represented.

The impression created is a lasting one and may be

the determining factor as to whether or not the

person will call or come back

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Phone

Learn how to use the phone ahead of time

Hold the phone directly in front of your mouth

Answer the phone with ‘A smile in your voice’

Listen closely to the client

Provide the best experience possible

Be sure to thank the client for calling, invite them to

call back again if they have any questions

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Phone Questions

Actively listen to the clients problem entirely without

interrupting

Restate the issue as you have heard it for

clarification

Follow up questions may be needed, ask either open

or closed questions depending on the situation

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Phone Questions Examples of follow-up questions

When did you first notice the problem?

How many plants or how much of the plant is

affected?

Where on the plant are you noticing the issue?

Where is the plant located in the landscape?

Do you have supplemental irrigation?

What is your lawn maintenance program like?

How many insects are there?

Where are you noticing the insects?

What do the insects look like?

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Phone Questions

If the answer is known

Relay the information to them and be sure to tell

them ALL of the options

If the answer isn’t known right away, ask for a

sample or photo.

Take their name, number, and mailing address

and tell them you will call them back or mail them

the information once you know what it is

Make it clear we don’t share client information

If you need to put them on hold, ask for their

permission and wait for a response

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Samples Brought In

Determine what information the client wants and the

best way to communicate with them

Listen closely to the client

Restate the issue for clarification

Ask follow up questions to gather more information

Utilize resources that are available for you for

identifying the problem or sample

If you don’t know right away, ask the client for their

contact information, and follow up in a timely

manner

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Questions in Passing

Can be a slippery slope

Are they asking you the question as ‘you’ or as

‘you the Master Gardener’?

If they are just having conversations with ‘you’

feel free to give you opinion

If they are asking ‘you the Master Gardener’

remember you are representing the University

and to follow those guidelines

It takes time to know which hat to wear

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Pesticide Recommendations

The University is an impartial 3rd party

Try to give the client the active ingredient; then give

examples LIKE…

Glyphosate, a product like Round-Up or

complete weed killer…

Give multiple examples if they are available

Utilize the herbicide guide if needed

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Finding Information

If you utilize the internet, gather the information from

educational resources (ending in .edu)

Start searching in UNL, if an answer isn’t found

at the UNL site, try another Extension site from

the region, KS, MO, ND, SD… before going to

others like Ohio State or Cornell

If you utilize a book, make sure it is

1. Recent or up-to-date

2. Makes similar recommendations of the

University

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Examples of Good Print Resources

Master Gardener Notebook

Integrated Turfgrass Management for the Northern

Great Plains, EC97-1557

Guide for Weed Management, EC 130

Landscape Diagnostic Guide for Problems Affecting

Woody Ornamentals and Herbaceous Perennials, EC

1260

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Examples of Good Web Resources

Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management-

http://icwdm.org/handbook/index.aspx#rod

Web Link for NebGuides- http://ianrpubs.unl.edu

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Asking for Help

Sometimes help is needed for problem solving or

identifying the problem

Good photos aid in proper identification

Proper sampling techniques ensure good samples

for further testing

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Taking a Good Insect Photo

Make sure the insect is either still, not moving, or

dead. Insects can be frozen for 15 min.

Place the insect on a piece of paper where they can

stand out.

Provide a ruler or other item for a scale

Use plenty of light

Get as close as you can to the insect

Make sure the photo is in focus

Take several shots before uploading to the

computer.

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Taking a Good ID photo

Make sure the specimen is either still, not moving, or

dead.

If the sample is brought in, place it on a piece of

paper where they can stand out.

Provide a ruler or other item for a scale

Make sure the photo is in focus

Take several shots before uploading to the

computer.

Try not to shoot photos into the sun.

Plant material- take close ups, and distant photos

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Sending in a Sample Send several whole plants, roots and all that

represent all stages of the symptoms being

expressed (when possible). Often what appears to be

a leaf problem can be a root-related problem.

Include "normal" plants from the area near the

symptomatic plants for comparison.

Enclose the root ball in a plastic bag to keep the soil

from touching the leaves.

Place entire plant sample in a plastic bag to reduce

drying with dry paper towels.

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Sending in a Sample

Providing the following information allows more

accurate diagnosis:

Planting Date

Symptom Description

How many plants in the area are affected

What is the symptom distribution (sunny spots,

edge of planting, scattered plants, etc)

Fill out "Submission Form" and include it with the

sample.

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Lawn Samples Before applying any pesticides, cut a 4” X 4” square

or a 6” diameter circle from your lawn at the edge

between the healthy green and the brown or affected

area, including the roots and soil

Completely dead grass does nothing

Wrap the sample in paper towels or newspaper and

place immediately in a closeable plastic bag to keep

any insects in the sample and to keep the sample

fresh.

The blades should still be attached to the runners

and make sure the sample grass is not completely

dead.

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Lawn Samples

DO NOT ADD WATER, excessive moisture can cause

rapid deterioration of the sample

Provide background information; when the

symptoms first appeared, variety, chemical history,

patter & distribution of problems.

Pictures of symptoms can be helpful

Place wrapped sample tightly in a box to prevent soil

from dislodging.

Ship early in the week (Mon-Wed)

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Woody Plant Sample Collect samples from a branches that are showing

symptoms but are not dead

Canker Samples: include portion of the branch

broader between discolored and healthy bark

Dutch Elm Disease, Oak Wilt, or Verticillium wilt:

branch specimens should consist of 4-6 pieces, with

each piece measuring 6-8” long and ½-1” diameter

Pine Wilt: wedge-shaped sample of wood from the

lower trunk or base of large lower limbs that is a

minimum 1” thick. Branch from affected area that is

a minimum of ½” in diameter and 6-8” long

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Woody Plant Sample

Provide background information; when the

symptoms first appeared, variety, chemical history,

patter & distribution of problems.

Pictures of symptoms can be helpful

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Insect Samples

Soft-bodied Specimens: place in a tight-sealing

bottle with a liquid preservative like alcohol or

vinegar

Hard-bodied Specimens: wrap in loose tissue and

place in a crush proof container

Living Specimens: place with the host plant or

damaged material along with loose tissue into a

ventilated container.

Do not: tape specimens to paper, place loose insects

in envelopes, or use water or formaldehyde as a

preservative University of Nebraska–Lincoln

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There are times…

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Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture

and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–

Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United

States Department of Agriculture.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational

programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of

the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United

States Department of Agriculture.