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Customer Service Behaviors

publication date: Aug 27, 2013
 | 
author/source: Javier Tomé, President/ HR Solutions Director People & Organizations for Business
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CUSTOMER SERVICE BEHAVIORS


NO SERVICE IN 30 MINUTES


That was just the last straw...


we must hunt and develop for the right behaviors


This time I will like to share with you two of our latest publications on "Customer Service":



  • Our latest article about how having the wrong person in a key customer facing job can affect our businesses and will definitely make us lose clients and increase our turnover, but also how Customer Service assessment tools can help us turn around this issues.

  • "Six Crucial Behaviors for Customer-Facing Employees", one of our latest Executive Briefings, where key behaviors to achieve Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty are brought to the table (you can read more at: http://www.pobconsulting.com/site/2011/03/six-crucial-behaviors-for-customer-facing-employees/)


THE CASE STUDY


You've decided that this trip to your neighborhood restaurant was your last. It's a shame because you like the food, and it's convenient but the usual server seems to make each visit an unpleasant adventure with his careless and often impatient attitude.

This time he didn't listen when you asked a question, so you had to repeat yourself. Then when he answered, his voice dripped condescension. It's not that the server is a bad person, maybe just a person in the wrong job. He just doesn't have the necessary customer service skills and behaviors, but these issues will make us lose clients, and also make us dismiss people who in the first place are there because we hired them, probably using a poor hiring process.


How many people do you have in the wrong place in your business?


It's disturbing to think that the person at the front desk, whom your customers see first, might be driving them away.

With all the competition you face to get customers, you don't want them to have to jump over obstacles once they enter your front door. But short of putting on a disguise to check out what kind of service your customers are getting, what can you do?


 
Customer Service assessments can help you find those people by using them to:


  • Create a plan that fits your customer service needs.

  • Establish a comprehensive customer service perspective for your organization.

  • Give you information to solve internal and external communication issues.

  • Building an excellent customer service reputation.

  • Select and develop people with the right Customer Service behaviors to build Customer Loyalty.

There's really no reason to let your customers be driven away by an employee in the wrong job and destroy value not letting you build customer loyalty.


In both good times and bad, the lifetime value of a customer can be exponentially greater than the value of a series of single transactions from one-time customers. In this era of social networking, it only takes one Tweet or Facebook status update to seriously damage a company's reputation.


One bad customer experience can cost you that customer for life. Hospitality service is prone to losing customers who have a negative experience. Think about these situations from the perspective of a customer. It doesn't take much for a customer to decide that you and your company aren't worth his time, effort, or money.


Profiles International found that assessing core personality traits combined with a standardized set of skill measures provides clear indicators of probable success in a customer-facing role. In 1987, Profiles developed the
Customer Service Knowledge Scale for the largest cable television provider in the US to successfully identify ideal job candidates for call centers, customer service departments, help-desks and technical representatives. This research has been continually refined over the past 22 years, with thousands of clients and across hundreds if industries. This report identifies and explains the core behaviors of your customer-facing employees that make the biggest difference for your business.


They are:

  1. Trust

  2. Tact

  3. Empathy

  4. Conformity

  5. Focus

  6. Flexibility

Are you looking and developing these behaviors on your customer facing employees?

If you find them, you will be giving a great step to improve your customer service and reduce your turnover while hiring, training and retaining top performers.

Sources:


  • "That was just the last straw....", POB Consulting, 2010

  • "Six Crucial Behaviors for Customer-Facing Employees", Profiles International, 2010


   Javier Tomé

Javier Tomé is President and HR Solutions Director at People & Organizations for Business (POB Consulting). A Systems Engineer from Universidad Metropolitana of Venezuela, Javier started as a software developer, and promoted to Manager Level in a short time because of his drive, proactive thinking style, leadership, and expertise development.  He earned a Master's degree in Management Consulting from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

Passionate about food, restaurants, and hospitality, he obtained a Culinary Arts' degree at Le Cordon Bleu Miami, which introduced him to the Hospitality Management Industry. He has worked as a cook, chef and restaurant manager, in both restaurants and hotels. 

Javier has been involved in Business Consulting for the last 10 years, developing knowledge and experience in several fields and industries.   Dedicated to helping business owners and executives develop their businesses to their fullest potential, he works with them through Organizational Modeling, Strategic Focus, and People/Culture best practices.  His stated goals include helping professionals in the industry to become more productive and successful.
===
Javier Tomé, President/ HR Solutions Director

People & Organizations for Business (POB Consulting)      www.pobconsulting.com

 javier.tome@pobconsulting.com           p: +1 (305) 509-5160




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