Good Customer Good Customer Service Needs Good Service Needs Good People ManagementPeople Management
IntroductionIntroduction
Are you a people manager?Are you a people manager?
Do you have direct contact with the Do you have direct contact with the customer?customer?
Who is managing the customer?Who is managing the customer?
Role of the FrontlineRole of the Frontline
Staff at the frontline are Staff at the frontline are managingmanaging the the customercustomer
They manage the customer interaction by They manage the customer interaction by taking ownership, listening, asking taking ownership, listening, asking questions, offering a solution, dealing with questions, offering a solution, dealing with issues or concernsissues or concerns
Role of the People ManagerRole of the People Manager
Customer service plan / philosophyCustomer service plan / philosophy
Policies and procedures – get it right the first Policies and procedures – get it right the first timetime
Recruit “managers” for the frontlineRecruit “managers” for the frontline
Role of the People ManagerRole of the People Manager
Harness the energy of the team by making Harness the energy of the team by making them partners of the business them partners of the business
Allow the team to manage the customerAllow the team to manage the customer
Workshop OverviewWorkshop Overview
Recruitment of the right people Recruitment of the right people
Challenging customer behaviour and Challenging customer behaviour and implications for people managersimplications for people managers
Key Elements to an Effective Key Elements to an Effective Recruitment StrategyRecruitment Strategy
Reliability Reliability
Validity Validity
Legality Legality
Selecting the Right People Selecting the Right People
What are you looking for?What are you looking for?
What is needed to achieve your customer What is needed to achieve your customer service plan?service plan?
Selecting the Right People Selecting the Right People
When you consider a top performer, what is When you consider a top performer, what is it about this person that stands out in your it about this person that stands out in your mind?mind?
Iceberg AnalogyIceberg Analogy
Selection CriteriaSelection Criteria
The skills, knowledgeThe skills, knowledge, , attitude attitude and and behaviour behaviour required for success in a given required for success in a given positionposition
Remember the icebergRemember the iceberg
Behavioural InterviewingBehavioural Interviewing
Recognises the importance of technical Recognises the importance of technical competence however the focus is on the competence however the focus is on the applicant’s attitudeapplicant’s attitude and and motivation motivation which which drives drives their behaviour (below the water their behaviour (below the water level)level)
Difficult to train / develop attitude and Difficult to train / develop attitude and motivationmotivation
Selection MethodologySelection Methodology
Interview/s Interview/s AssessmentsAssessments Psychometric TestingPsychometric Testing Reference CheckingReference Checking
Based on the selection criteriaBased on the selection criteria
Behavioural Interviewing Behavioural Interviewing
Behavioural interviewing aims to identify Behavioural interviewing aims to identify both the applicants’ strengths and both the applicants’ strengths and development areas in the given areas of development areas in the given areas of competency i.e. the selection criteriacompetency i.e. the selection criteria
It is about gaining a balanced view of the It is about gaining a balanced view of the applicant applicant
Premise Premise
If you want to be able to predict an If you want to be able to predict an applicant’s performance, examine what they applicant’s performance, examine what they have done in the past – not what they could, have done in the past – not what they could, would dowould do
Model ResponsesModel Responses Manage Challenging Customers Manage Challenging Customers
Demonstrates a willingness to resolve the Demonstrates a willingness to resolve the issueissue
Remains calmRemains calm Assertive yet empatheticAssertive yet empathetic Displays a can-do attitudeDisplays a can-do attitude Takes ownership of the issue / concernTakes ownership of the issue / concern
Model Model ResponsesResponses
Useful to consider what you do not want Useful to consider what you do not want
Does not take it personallyDoes not take it personallyDoes not become defensive or angryDoes not become defensive or angryDoes not blame the organisation i.e. “I only Does not blame the organisation i.e. “I only
work here”work here”
Model ResponsesModel Responses
Identifies exactly what you are looking forIdentifies exactly what you are looking for in in behavioural termsbehavioural terms
Allows you to set a benchmark for required Allows you to set a benchmark for required competencycompetency
Will help you to select the “right” peopleWill help you to select the “right” people
Model ResponsesModel Responses
Useful checklistUseful checklist before, during and after the before, during and after the interviewinterview
Promotes an oPromotes an objective assessmentbjective assessment
Behavioural QuestionsBehavioural Questions
Aim to give the applicant an opportunity to Aim to give the applicant an opportunity to demonstrate their level of competencydemonstrate their level of competency against the criteriaagainst the criteria
In reality, not all applicants will meet the In reality, not all applicants will meet the criteriacriteria
Behavioural InterviewingBehavioural Interviewing
Use the SAO framework Use the SAO framework
Situation Situation Action Action OutcomeOutcome
Probe however do not lead the applicant Probe however do not lead the applicant
ExampleExample
Challenging customers can be difficult to Challenging customers can be difficult to manage. Can you tell us about a time when manage. Can you tell us about a time when you were required to manage a challenging you were required to manage a challenging customer?customer?
Follow Up QuestionsFollow Up Questions
What did you do then?What did you do then?
How did you feel?How did you feel?
What was the outcome?What was the outcome?
What would you do differently next time?What would you do differently next time?
Selecting the Right PeopleSelecting the Right People
Identify the selection criteriaIdentify the selection criteria Develop model responsesDevelop model responses Develop interview questionsDevelop interview questions Conduct interviewsConduct interviews Develop / conduct assessmentsDevelop / conduct assessments Rate applicantsRate applicants Select the “right” people Select the “right” people
Challenging CustomersChallenging Customers
What is “challenging”?What is “challenging”?
What does your customer service plan What does your customer service plan suggest about challenging customers?suggest about challenging customers?
Are your people at the frontline willing and Are your people at the frontline willing and able to manage challenging customer able to manage challenging customer behaviour?behaviour?
Challenging CustomersChallenging Customers
Provide applicantProvide applicantss with a realistic overview with a realistic overview of the job, the team and the organisationof the job, the team and the organisation
If dealing with challenging customers is part If dealing with challenging customers is part of the job state this and ask BI questions / of the job state this and ask BI questions / assess to determine the applicant’s assess to determine the applicant’s motivation and skill level to be able to motivation and skill level to be able to manage this behaviourmanage this behaviour
Challenging CustomersChallenging Customers
““I want to complain! I want to complain!
I have been given the run around and am not I have been given the run around and am not happy. What sort of business are you happy. What sort of business are you
running here?”running here?”
Challenging CustomersChallenging Customers
Selecting the right people is a great start Selecting the right people is a great start and yet in reality, managing challenging and yet in reality, managing challenging customers can still be difficult ……customers can still be difficult ……
What are the benefits in supporting your What are the benefits in supporting your frontline?frontline?
BenefitsBenefits
Increased tIncreased team morale / motivation / energy eam morale / motivation / energy
Achievement of team / personal goalsAchievement of team / personal goals
Increased cIncreased customer satisfactionustomer satisfaction
Increased pIncreased productivityroductivity / profitability / profitability
Challenging CustomersChallenging Customers
What can What can youyou do to support your frontline to do to support your frontline to ensure they have the tools to be able to ensure they have the tools to be able to effectively manage challenging customers?effectively manage challenging customers?
Strategies for the People ManagerStrategies for the People Manager
Develop / review pDevelop / review policy, service standards – olicy, service standards – in line with your customer service plan in line with your customer service plan
See staff as partners in the businessSee staff as partners in the business
Empower Empower the the frontline to manage the frontline to manage the cchallenghallenging ing customercustomer
Strategies for the People ManagerStrategies for the People Manager
Provide tProvide training – customised, relevant to raining – customised, relevant to your business, in line with your customer your business, in line with your customer service planservice plan
Conduct iConduct induction, refresher sessionsnduction, refresher sessions
Conduct regular team meetingsConduct regular team meetings
Strategies for the People ManagerStrategies for the People Manager
Provide mProvide motivational / self managementotivational / self management workshops workshops
DDebrief / ebrief / provide performance provide performance feedback – feedback – incentives and morale boostersincentives and morale boosters
Develop / implement fDevelop / implement feedback mechanismseedback mechanisms
Strategies for the People ManagerStrategies for the People Manager
Analyse and act on trends i.e. review Analyse and act on trends i.e. review standards / provide further traininstandards / provide further trainingg
Role model appropriate behaviours i.e. how Role model appropriate behaviours i.e. how do you deal with internal customers / do you deal with internal customers / challenging behaviour?challenging behaviour?
Strategies for the People ManagerStrategies for the People Manager
Provide the necessary tools for the frontline Provide the necessary tools for the frontline to manage the customerto manage the customer
Allow the frontline to manage however keep Allow the frontline to manage however keep them motivated and energised to take the them motivated and energised to take the next call / serve the next customernext call / serve the next customer
Workshop SummaryWorkshop Summary
Recruit in line with your customer service Recruit in line with your customer service planplan
Allow your people to manage at the frontlineAllow your people to manage at the frontline Be a role modelBe a role model Continue to raise the bar i.e. customer Continue to raise the bar i.e. customer
service standardsservice standards