In the previous post, we spoke about the relationship between the treatment of employees and their interaction with customers. If customer loyalty is your objective however, recognize that there is much more to developing a great customer service reputation.
From the start of the recruitment notice, management should pay careful attention to the personal characteristics of applicants and use HR software tools to evaluate whether the individual is suited for a customer service position. Ideally, this should be the case for all employees, but especially for those who will be involved in direct customer interaction.
It might be unwise to expect someone who is introverted, a poor communicator, or who has an aversion to high people engagement to deliver excellent customer service in an area which requires strong listening skills, the ability to empathize, and the willingness to follow through to resolution. However, it is not impossible for an employee with the desire to develop competence in these areas.
This is where good management comes in. Recognizing strengths and weaknesses from as early as the recruitment stage will inform management of their ability to fit into the company’s vision. It could also save future revenue loss that might threaten customer retention due to employee error or misconduct.