Business Perspective:The best customer care personnel are essential in every company

Tuesday was not a very good day for me and my brother. We had so many errands because our sister is getting married. We went from one office to the other in our bid to beat the next week deadline before the wedding. Our first incidence is when we went to a certain bank to get some money. First of all the ATM machines were not working, so we were forced to use the counter to withdraw some cash. After the transaction I decided to go to the office which deals with electronic cards to ask if they are aware that all the three ATM machines are not in working order. The attitude we received from the customer care personnel of this bank that were in charge of this office was very worrisome to say the least. There were two employees, a man and a young lady. The man looked at us to suggest like we were some kind of dirt and the lady could not believe that we were saying the truth about all the ATM machines not being in good order. Their attitude told us that they did not appreciate the fact that we went to give them feedback; in my opinion these two do not know why they are sitting in that bank, they should be sent home. The second incidence happened in a tourism agent office. We went asking for some information and the customer care girl was extremely rude to us she had no ethics whatsoever. We just left the office without doing what had brought us there.It has been said so many times, that business has become difficult, and it is up to the business owners or the managers to make sure that the employees represent the real image of the company. Customer service personnel are the face of the company, if you have one attitude lady sitting behind the desk in the name of representing the company, then I am sorry to say you are doing your business total injustice. Over the years, I’ve heard countless professionals say that when hiring employees they value a candidate’s service-oriented attitude far more than technical skills or even product/industry knowledge. This is because they have learned from experience that the skills and the procedures can be taught; attitude has to come from within. When interviewing a person for such positions, if you don’t like the attitude, don’t hire that person because chances are that they will never change. There are things that are important when dealing with clients in this field. Positive language ; this is the art of using words and phrases to create a positive image in the customer’s mind-with an emphasis on what can be done, not on what cannot. Using positive language shows a willingness to serve and a commitment to building customer loyalty. Customers need to feel that they have been heard and understood, and that doesn’t happen without good listening on the part of the customer service personnel. After which the customer service person should confirm with the client whether they have been served up to their expectations and are happy with the services. Letting the client go when they are unhappy builds are a very bad reputation for the company. Good customer service practices are essential to achieving customer satisfaction and building customer loyalty in every industry and market. Investing in an extraordinary customer service team can quickly pay off as you increase your customer base and enjoy repeat business. Improve the customer service performance of your business by hiring talented people, giving extensive employee training and establishing clear guidelines; anyone who feels they cannot play the part should be left to go because you cannot try to save an employee at the expense of your business. kayitesius@yahoo.com