posted by Savanah on Nov 2
Training a staff in customer service skills can be a complicated endeavor when the basically principles of excellent service are not understood. When developing customer service guidelines for any business it is a good idea to first consult with other companies in your field or genre. Secondly it is important to understand your basic consumer demographic so that some general customer approaches and expectations can be expected. However, this does not mitigate the value and need for cultural awareness understanding and respect for diversity and others. Successful and ethical businesspeople such as Steve Barbarich understand the sometimes intricate dynamics of excellent customer service, which is why their businesses tend to thrive even in difficult economic settings.
Regardless of the type of business or demographic of the target audience, excellent customer service will begin with an un-compromised respect and attention priority for the consumer. And while it does not mean that a staff person must change the rules or even bend them in response to an irate and inappropriate behaving customer, it means that the consumer’s behavior should not direct the course of the staff person’s behavior. It is possible and important to remain respectful even if the staff person believes the customer is not doing the same.
Engaging in a power struggle or attitude competition with a customer can only spell disaster for the encounter. Chances of a purchase being made or continued relationship being established are zero at best and the odds of a complaint getting filed against the staff person escalate. This can affect their job security and the financial stability of the company. However, if a staff person can remain calm and respectful they can often times redirect an irate customer into a positive mood and create a fruitful exchange for both parties. In the worse caser situation where the customer is actually behaving in a threatening or verbally abusive manner proper behavior and response guidelines should be in place for the staff person. This is an extremely rare occurrence, however, and staff people should always intend to rectify and unpleasant situation or interaction.
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