Quality customer service is something that is important to practically every industry. Whether you’re dealing with the public or with other businesses, if great customer service isn’t achieved, you’ll likely lose business to competitors.
Here are some tips on Interviewing Tips for Hiring Managers that will help you discover the best customer service candidates for your company. Make sure your Hiring Managers knows How to hire employees with excellent customer service, to ensure your company reaches its maximum potential.
Hire Problem Solvers
When interviewing potential hires for your company, be sure to spend time investigating their problem solving skills. You don’t want someone who will think of any answer on their feet – even if it’s acceptable, but not completely accurate.
You want someone who when presented with a problem they can’t solve, is able to answer with assuring confidence that they’ll get the accurate answer and get back to the client in a timely manner – then is able to fulfil that promise. You want employees that know where and how to get the answers to problems they’re presented with. Customers want the RIGHT answer over FAST answers.
Set reasonable guidelines to empower employees to resolve problems
I worked in the finance industry for many years. Employees at various levels of responsibility were given incremental authority to resolve issues directly. For example, front line customer facing employees were able to resolve and refund issues up to $100. They had specific criteria to follow, allowing discretion for circumstances. If a loyal customer made a mistake and bounced a check for the first time, they could refund the charged fees. This increased customer loyalty, because they knew their relationship was valued.
Seek active listeners
When employees learn the art of active listening, they’re able to not only identify the problems customers are having, they can also understand what resolution the customers are seeking AND identify areas for upselling, cross selling, and referral opportunities to other lines of business.
Set aside time monthly to have one on one meeting with employees
When you set aside one on one time for all employees, you are able to let them know where and how they are excelling, improve any deficiencies they’re facing in a timely manner, and make them feel valued as an employee.
You’ll be setting an example of active listening, problem solving, care and concern, and empathy for any hardship situations they may be facing. When employees feel as though their employer cares about them and their happiness in their position, they’re more likely to perform better and promote a higher level of customer service.
Provide great training and development
Make sure you have a great program to provide job specific training, excellent customer service training, and development training so employees can train for future promotions within your company, which encourages employee retention.
When hiring managers know How to hire employees with excellent customer service, the employee retention rate should be very low, because you’ve hired superior candidates.
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