I propose that customer service is an assertive act, a proactive role that has an incredible impact on the attraction and retention of customers. It represents the ‘front door’, the daily face of a business, ideally setting the scene for productive, healthy relationships. I propose that customer service can often be a much harder, more gruelling role than selling; dealing with the many variables that confront a business, sorting out problems, providing advice, answering technical/distribution/supply questions, coordinating and liaising with various departments, contacting suppliers and, dealing with crises; all the while being polite, friendly, effective and efficient on a consistent daily basis.
The types of people who perform customer service best are people who are interested in people, like regular interpersonal communication, value being part of a team, like organising and sorting things out, get real enjoyment and satisfaction from helping people get what they need, and are resilient, calm and thick skinned whilst being sensitive to the feelings and needs of others. Who do you know that is like that?
Why then is customer service often seen as a lesser role, a ‘servant’s’ role, a role where you are required to put up with abuse and bad behaviour, and a role where you are expected to put up with things most other people would not tolerate? Why do many customer service people feel they have to suffer in silence?
I am in the midst of working on a Customer Service Excellence program roll out with a well respected and innovative manufacturing company in the building industry sector. They take being ‘excellent’ very seriously and as such are ensuring their customer service team are well trained in skill as well as the ethics and vision of a customer focused, quality business. As part of our work, we discuss how to deal with rude and angry customers. It was revealed by some of the female customer service staff, on our initial program, that some of the customers (male) were making inappropriate comments of a sexual nature over the phone to them and this was causing them distress – rightly so. The management team (all male except for one female) who were also on the initial program were shocked at the news, and all agreed that their staff should never have to put up with this or any other type of abusive behaviour.
Asked why they hadn’t spoken up previously about these incidents, the female staff stated that they were worried that if they stood up for themselves and told the customers concerned to stop, then they might lose their business. Credit to these staff for putting the business first however, it should never have to be at the expense of their dignity or professional behaviour. Management were adamant that this type of behaviour, abusive language or threats from customers or anyone should not be tolerated under any circumstances and if it did happen again the staff were advised to report it immediately to their manager.
We need to make sure that all our staff are safe – free from abuse, bullying and other inappropriate behaviour. I too often see customer service being undervalued by businesses and trivialised as fluffy, or being nice and ‘the customer is always right’ stuff. It is far from that. It’s a tough job. It saddens me that people, especially women, do not think they can say something when inappropriate and abusive behaviour surfaces. A recent newspaper article put paid to the issue that bullying was due to low self esteem, instead it stated that research found that bullies had an over inflated view of themselves and thus set about demonstrating this in various ways including bullying.
Perhaps we should be able to give our people, especially customer service staff, training and coaching in how to address bullying and other challenging behaviour alongside the more traditional customer service skills training. And then, back this up by a code of conduct; a charter on how we deliver customer service and what we stand for.
I defy any senior manager to sit in the chairs or stand in the shoes of their customer service staff and handle that role for a week and see how they fair. The program on channel 10, Undercover Boss, gives us a glimpse of senior executives taking on the roles of their staff, often service staff in the front line. They are usually shocked at how hard these roles actually are and realise that without their customer service staff they do not have a business. Whether your staff are servicing customers via the telephone or in a restaurant or over the counter, we need to make sure that we back them, keep them safe and help them be at their best, and that includes having the skills and the right to address inappropriate and abusive behaviour without the fear of losing one’s job.
Customer service is the back bone of any business, driving home our values, messages, vision and the state of our relationships with each other and our customer community. Let’s take customer service seriously.
Remember everybody lives by selling something.
Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au
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