If you think working in Customer Service involves grinning at customers and quacking “Have a good day, y’all!” until your jaw aches, you’re more than a dart wide of the bullseye.
You’ve also been watching too many US sitcoms!
No, today the real benchmark for providing an exceptional standard of customer care has been set far higher – duck-billed platitudes no longer pass muster.
Today’s top companies recognise that in order to keep their customers truly happy they must provide a fast and efficient service and deal with any complaints swiftly and thoroughly.
No mean feat when we consider that a complaint was handled by Receptionists, Store Assistants, Customer Service Advisors and Support Specialists every 1.2 seconds last year – that’s a lot of unmade beds, frozen modems and faulty foot spas.
Now a new Consumer Ombudsman has been launched that will investigate consumer complaints about retail companies, home maintenance, improvement or installation services, second-hand cars, car repairs and car servicing.
Of course, in companies that really do value their customers, complaints should never get that far – they should be resolved long before any third party gets involved.
And that’s where a role in Customer Service becomes such a vital link.
Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service, says the launch of the new Ombudsman is a “wake up call for any organisation that only gives an after-thought to complaint handling or customer service”.
She adds that companies that drag their heels over sorting out problems can expect to see damage done to their reputations, a downturn in levels of customer satisfaction and a drop in market share.
In other words, if a company gets it wrong often enough and does little to resolve the issues, customers will vote with their feet, taking their business elsewhere.
Jo’s comments come in the wake of the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index, which reveals that just 27 per cent of consumers are prepared to suffer in silence when things go wrong.
It also shows that 41 percent had to escalate issues they had complained about. Those of a nervous disposition look away now: that’s the highest proportion since January 2012!
Jo comments: “Too often Boards are focused on short-term sales, rather than a consistent and sustained focus on the whole customer experience that will lead to loyalty, recommendation and repeat purchase.”
In a climate of rising customer expectations and the easy reach of social media to spread the message about a customer’s frustrations, the ability to deal with complaints in a calm and effective manner is more than ever a vital part of good business.
Among the many customer service vacancies on s1jobs.com are openings for Complaint Handlers who can help unhappy customers, with not a mention of anyone having to have a good day – only a quick, effective, satisfactory resolution.
As one major telecoms company confided to us about its award-winning complaints team: “It’s not about sales targets; it’s about doing the right thing.”
For all the last Customer Services jobs visit s1jobs.com