No one goes to their job and says, "I'm going to do a bad job today." In fact I believe just the opposite. I believe that everyone wants to be good at what they do, to be successful at their job and their life. I also firmly believe that every person has an innate desire to make a difference in the lives of the people around them. If this is true, why do so many businesses continually struggle to offer good customer service? I think I can sum up the reasons in two words - Inconsistent and Unprepared. Most companies train their employees to provide outstanding customer service, but the training is either inadequate leaving the employee unprepared to handle the situation or the company's processes intervene preventing consistent delivery of great customer service.
Inadequate training is the biggest underlying cause of poor customer service. I'm not attacking the trainers who teach customer service skills. I think they are doing as much as they can with the time allotted to them. The unfortunate truth is very few employers allow sufficient time for training. The aphorism so commonly expressed is "On the Job" training. In other words, learn as you go. Since trainers typically have all types of employees in "mandatory" customer service training classes for a limited time, the trainer will usually keep the class broad in nature so to include everyone. At the end of the class, participants leave with an excellent understanding of why providing excellent customer service is necessary and no idea how to deliver it. Smart companies take the training process to the next level - job specific training in how to provide outstanding customer service. Specific tactics are given and difficult situations are discussed so the employee will know what to do when faced with it on the job. Companies that excel at providing excellent customer service give their employees the tools to be successful. They train their employees to be prepared for any situation and to deliver consistently outstanding customer service.
For more information on how to provide outstanding customer service, check out the new website - Keys to Great Customer Service
Inadequate training is the biggest underlying cause of poor customer service. I'm not attacking the trainers who teach customer service skills. I think they are doing as much as they can with the time allotted to them. The unfortunate truth is very few employers allow sufficient time for training. The aphorism so commonly expressed is "On the Job" training. In other words, learn as you go. Since trainers typically have all types of employees in "mandatory" customer service training classes for a limited time, the trainer will usually keep the class broad in nature so to include everyone. At the end of the class, participants leave with an excellent understanding of why providing excellent customer service is necessary and no idea how to deliver it. Smart companies take the training process to the next level - job specific training in how to provide outstanding customer service. Specific tactics are given and difficult situations are discussed so the employee will know what to do when faced with it on the job. Companies that excel at providing excellent customer service give their employees the tools to be successful. They train their employees to be prepared for any situation and to deliver consistently outstanding customer service.
For more information on how to provide outstanding customer service, check out the new website - Keys to Great Customer Service