Cutting Corners in Service Is No Longer an Option

Customer service is emerging as a critical differentiator for businesses. McKinsey suggests that the ability to have more effective customer interactions is hard to replicate and can produce lasting competitive advantage. Another study conducted by Forrester Research confirms the correlation between customer service and loyalty across 12 industries. The social megaphone has further elevated the importance of service to most businesses, with younger demographics, in particular, increasingly going social to bash brands when they have bad experiences.

According to many sources the first step in creating a top notch service center is to create a Statement of Service Excellence.  Basically a statement on how you treat your customers, and the lengths you will go to ensure your standards are the highest possible.  Now that there is a gold standard set, recruiting the ideal employees for the customer service role is imperative. 

Customer loyalty can be worth 10 times as much as a single purchase.  Think about the harm caused by recruiting candidates who do not exhibit customer-friendly behaviors.   All of the best efforts in creating high workplace standards are only as effective as the employees you hire that fit that culture.  What are the key behaviors that recruiters and hiring managers often overlook when recruiting candidates, but that are needed to support Service Excellence?  Once you have identified the key characteristics that customer-facing employees must possess, how can you screen candidates to make sure you’re selecting the right people to hire?