Shoppers who frequently find themselves apoplectic by the apple juice, grumpy near the granola, or frowning by the frozen food aisle might crack a smile at the news an American supermarket giant is developing technology to detect unhappy customers.
Walmart wants to use checkout cameras with facial recognition technology to identify signs of anger and dissatisfaction in its shoppers. If an unhappy customer is caught on camera, more tills will open, queue times fall and everyone goes home happy.
So the theory goes. Or maybe they could just employ extra staff?
Such queue-busting tactics may not be a top priority in the housing sector but good customer service is. Councils and housing associations – whose staff deal with hundreds of tenants on a daily basis – know customers are key to their success.
Working in housing customer service is not all sunshine and roses.
Queries and complaints about repairs, defects, rent payments, landscaping, and anti-social neighbours make up the typical workload of staff, which include housing officers, housing support assistants, repairs administrators, and allocation processing officers.
To keep the house in order, customer service skills need to be top notch – this is what we advise.
Use the human touch
There’s nothing that gets a customer more riled then getting through to an automated system, especially if they’ve an urgent matter to discuss. Customers want to be heard and feel valued and that means having a human being on the end of the line. Making contact needs to be straightforward and simple, either on the phone, on social media or through live webchat.
Don’t keep them hanging on
If a customer has water flooding through their ceiling or sewage seeping into their garden, response times are vital. Set up call-back targets and, even if you’re unable to offer an immediate solution, explain what action you’ve taken and an expected time frame for a resolution.
Keep everyone happy
Good customer service pays for itself again and again. Customers who have had a good response are more willing to forgive the odd slip-up in the future. Happier customers mean fewer calls from Mr and Mrs Angry. Satisfied customers are also the best kind of ambassadors a housing organisation can have.
Encourage staff training
You’re dealing with people’s homes – a hugely important part of their lives – and that demands the right kind of training. Staff need to be properly equipped with listening and empathy skills. Most councils and housing associations have dedicated charters setting out customer service expectations.
Check out housing vacancies on s1jobs and smile while you’re winning!