We all know that customer service is the key to success in any business. It stands to reason that if people feel valued and receive a great service they’re more likely to keep coming back and tell their friends, family, and colleagues how great you are. It’s all about really engaging with staff and giving them a fantastic experience, and that comes down to a few important factors:
- The ethos and values of your business
- Communication
- Strategy and measurement
- Your customer facing team
Your frontline staff can make or break your customer relationships, so make sure you take on the right people for the job. Empathy, patience and a helpful, friendly attitude don’t come naturally to everyone, so it pays to make sure that you ask all the right questions at interview and follow up on references.
Competitive Advantage
If a new recruitment drive isn’t on the cards a customer service training course is essential for anyone who has any contact at all with the public. Not only will it help those less outgoing and empathic team members learn some important skills, it will serve as a timely refresher for everyone else too and reinforce good practice.
If you really want to show your customers you care and that you’re known for providing an exemplary service, customer service certification is the way forward. When you can demonstrate excellence in this area it immediately puts people at ease and reassures them that you’re a company that can be trusted to do right by them.
This will also give you a competitive advantage over other similar businesses, and show your customers and rivals that you have what it takes to survive in a tough business climate. People skills should never be underestimated, so even if some of your staff team lack in other areas, if they’re great with your clients, adapt their jobs accordingly and hang on to them – they’re like gold dust.
Certification may seem like an unnecessary expense or waste of time, but if you do go the extra mile and gain accreditation/certification with a reputable organization it will pay for itself in no time.
Let’s take a look at some of the many ways in which customer service certification can take your business to the top.
1- Investing in employees makes them happier
Spending money on staff development is a Win/Win situation. It helps you build a team who are highly skilled, and it shows your employees you’re willing to invest in their futures.
Helping your people to gain industry recognition will be great for their long term career development, which in turn will make them happier and more motivated to do a good job for you. When people are happier in work, they’re nicer to customers and more likely to stick around – meaning fewer HR headaches for you.
2- It reassures people
Businesses that have taken the time to gain certification are giving a message to the outside world that quality is important to them. See it as a badge of honor or kitemark – people will automatically have more faith in you than they will another company who claims to do great work but has little to back it up.
When you can show your customers that you uphold the highest possible industry standards it gives the much-needed reassurance that can often be lacking in a saturated market.
3- It makes workers more productive
Numerous studies (Microsoft, Novell, IDC to name just a few) have proven that employees with recognized industry certifications are more productive. This is partly due to the fact that when people are properly trained they’ll be able to perform their jobs to a higher standard and are far less likely to make time-consuming mistakes.
It’s also down to the fact that happy people are naturally more motivated to do a good job (see point 1) and work hard for their money.
Is your business ready for customer service certification? Get in touch with our team at Ethos today and let’s make it happen.
