Future of work- customer service

We have been talking about the future of work because as the world comes out of lockdown, the future of work is now in the present. One of the things that seems like a dying art but which is of utmost importance is customer service. In any and almost every business, we have all experienced a decline in customer service.

Rarely do smiling, happy, polite employees interact with customers anymore. Instead, the employees whether virtually or face-to-face do not even attempt to feign any kind of interest in the transaction or enquiry. They don’t smile and grudgingly respond to requests and questions.

Improving customer service is a top priority in organizations worldwide. They must be ready to spend a lot of money training their employees on how to provide exceptional customer service.

Buying anything is a process where the customer moves from interest to desire to decision. During that process, one of the main determinants of purchase, as well as their level of satisfaction in the sales process, is the attitude of the sales employee.

The customer’s attitude frequently reflects that of the salesperson. An employee attempting to close the sale will generally find it much easier to do if they give the customer a positive attitude and friendly disposition to respond to.

The post-sale service experience, especially in today’s environment filled with technically complex products and services is just as important. This trend will continue as technological complexity increases. This, among other things, requires post-sale customer service on a periodic or continuing basis.

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Given the customer service problems we face today, coupled with the growing demand for increased levels of pre- and post-sale customer service, the following are tips that will help us rise to meet the growing market and alleviate these possible challenges.

Recruitment is key and the starting point. People who are open, approachable, and generally happy are far more likely to respond in a positive manner to our customers’ needs. Prospective employees who act guarded or excessively shy, or who show evidence of a cold personality during the interview process, probably are not good hires at the outset.

Capacity building is the next step. When employees thoroughly understand the organization they represent, as well as its policies, products, and services, they are far more likely to interact positively with customers. Realize, though, that training of this sort is not a one-time-for-life event applicable only to new hires. Today’s organizations, markets, products, and services are dynamic and changing constantly. Keep your employees up-to-date with all the latest trends by offering continual training opportunities.

Employees have to be treated very well, the way you want them to treat customers. Unhappy employees are not likely to display a positive, helpful attitude to their customers. Instead, they will respond to customers with the same attitude and outlook they receive from managers and supervisors. Nobody can give what they don’t have.

The only way to get a true reading of your company’s customer service is to actively solicit feedback from every customer, not just the ones who you know are satisfied. Also important is to ask for feedback in a way that prompts more than superficial responses. Demonstrate your desire for honest opinions by asking proper questions. Superficial questions return superficial responses, while thoughtful, insightful questions result in honest, valuable answers. Carefully formulate open-ended question so the answers can reveal the true state of your company’s service levels.

Companies must ensure that senior leadership gets unfiltered feedback – from both operating personnel and first-line managers. In almost every organization, the people on the front lines have a clear understanding of true customer satisfaction levels. Accuracy as to how this information moves up the organizational hierarchy is key. Just as military generals strive to get accurate reports of the battlefront, many executives yearn for a clear understanding of the customer service that occurs at their organization’s front lines.

If you want to know what is really happening in your organization, get out and talk with your employees and your customers. Then, establish clear and strong guidelines for information to travel up the ranks. The more accurate information you can obtain, the better understanding you’ll have of what needs to change.

Regardless of your industry, if you want your customers to regularly experience service with amazing customer service and not the opposite, show your employees the vision to follow so you can instil customer service practices that will positively impact your bottom line.

In the future which is now, no company will function without great customer service. Many are getting by today with really poor service. This will only work for only another few months. Mark my words.