“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
~Marianne Williamson
~Marianne Williamson
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.
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.
All stories and articles appearing on this site are the property of Sam Murray. They are protected by U.S. Copyright Laws, and are not to be reproduced in any way without written permission. Copyright 2013 Sam Murray All Rights Reserved.