Written by Claire McCue, Manager of Digital Marketing and PR
More than any other place in the world, our society is known for demanding superb customer service. How can a company ensure that their customer service meets that standard? The secret lies in equal measures of effectiveness and efficiency in the hiring practice. Knowing the bar is set this high, companies must have a strategy in place for finding qualified candidates for these positions.
Here are five practical steps for recruiting ideal customer service teams:
1. Optimise the hiring process
Design and implement a multi-layered hiring process to ensure that only the best candidates make it through to the final selection stage.
- Provide an effective and cost-efficient online interface that accepts applications and evaluates initial screening according to low-level criteria.
- Test in-depth analysis of attitudes and behaviours with a software interface. This method produces a high degree of accuracy in its results because each characteristic is confirmed through several different equations.
- After initial screenings, only qualified candidates should be invited for in-person interviews.
2. Clearly define what is needed for success
This will serve as a measuring stick for prospective employees and subsequent employee evaluations. A comprehensive job description is also very important when addressing legal concerns and helping candidates fully understand what will be asked of them in the position. It must also provide complete answers to these questions, among others:
- What specific tasks need to be performed?
- What level of knowledge is required?
- What are the key performance indicators for this position?
- What are the characteristics of the working environment?
3. Define your ideal employee
Use the job description to develop a persona that embodies the perfect employee. Name the skills, abilities, and knowledge that this person must have. When conducting in-person interviews, use this persona description to determine whether each candidate is a good fit for the position and the organisation.
4 Test Candidates with practice scenarios
See how candidates handle the types of situations that occur most often. If dealing with irate customers will be part of the job, have candidates demonstrate their instinctive abilities to manage these types of interactions.
5 Provide comprehensive training
From the office of the CEO down to the service technicians, every organisation should project a consistent image. The tone and content of every message should conform to one standard, because these impressions are long-lasting. It is very important that each and every representative who deals with customers receives training on the company’s messaging strategies in theory and practice.
It takes a special kind of person to handle an interaction with an irate customer, take time to understand his or her concern, re-frame it, de-escalate the situation, and resolve the conflict. There are always limits to what can be done to appease customers. Skilled customer service representatives protect the company’s reputation, help build customer loyalty, and end every interaction with a smile.
Many companies have simply accepted high attrition rates as part of doing business in this field. However, if they were to see how much that attrition costs them over time, they would realise the importance of implementing a sound selection process.
