A quality customer service team is a critical part of success.
The prevalence of online services has conditioned most consumers to expect instant gratification by removing much of the natural friction associated with human interaction (think fighting traffic, waiting for return emails, or sitting on hold on the phone). Consumers’ collective desire for virtually frictionless interaction will have a profound impact on every aspect of customer service, including how that service is provided.
Self-Service vs. Customer Service
Since consumers handle more and more of their daily interactions themselves, customer service representatives end up being faced with only the issues that the consumers have been unable to resolve on their own (i.e. the most difficult ones). This, coupled with the consumer’s desire for a quick, easy solution, has created a higher demand for skilled customer service professionals than ever before. Many companies struggle to keep up with these demands.
The Right Personality
Meeting these demands starts by hiring the right people. But what is the “right personality” for customer service? Typically, this is someone that can show empathy and take control of a situation.
- The Empathizer: “Enjoys solving others’ problems. Seeks to understand behaviors and motives. Listens sympathetically.”
- The Controller:“Outspoken and opinionated. Likes demonstrating expertise and directing the customer interaction.”
Most good customer service representatives are in the empathizer category. They can really listen to a customer’s issues and find a solution that will work well for the customer. Controllers aren’t really very empathetic, but they can really get things done. While they are still focused on customer care, they are a lot more focused on finding a solution than listening to a problem.
Taking Control by Loosening the Reins
Since controllers get the most done, they are ideal for businesses. It is far easier and less time consuming to encourage the controller mindset in existing employees than it is to find and hire a new team. It is important to remember that the controllers don’t do well with a lot of strict rules. They usually prefer to improvise. Giving customer service representatives a list of guidelines as opposed to strict rules allows these people to do what they do best and find solutions for more customers.
Answering Services from TeleRep
TeleRep knows how important answering services are to your business. We are well known for our professionalism and excellent customer service when dealing with your valued customers. Let your customers know you care, right now, with live chat services. To learn how TeleRep can help set your business apart, contact us online or give us a call at 1-800-638-2000. To see more examples of what we’ve done, follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.