I recently tweeted:
The customer isn't always right but always deserves respect; like everyone else.
It seemed to resonate since I received a number of ReTweets. But how many of us actually see it applied?
Respect for Customers
We all want our front-line employees to respect our customers; but respect must be earned. Your customers usually can't earn that respect since the relationship is unbalanced and transitory.
Management has to earn that respect in the name of their customers. And, the best way to do it is by offering respect up front. It shouldn't be difficult; you did hire them to take care of your customers, so you must have something that you find redeeming and trustworthy in them.
How to Demonstrate Respect for Your Employees
Kristina Evey recently posted "Top Ten List to Improve Customer Service and Satisfaction" written as a set of requests from customer service staff to their management. Applying it goes a long way in gaining respect.
But, what about the basics? Customer service teams are usually tight-knit groups and they know a lot more about your company than you may think. They can ferret out information anywhere since that's what they usually have to do to serve their (your) customers. They also build and rely on informal networks within the organization.
So, don't think that they don't know about the negative comments that are made about them by management or colleagues.
So what can you do as a manager to ensure that customer service staff feel respected?
- Don't allow anyone to make disparaging comments. Demonstrate that you consider that customer service is a pivotal role in the company.
- Show interest. Sit down with them and chat as human beings. It doesn't always have to be about work either.
- Pay them what they're worth. This may be the most difficult to implement unless you're the CEO. Unfortunately, I continue to see companies where customer service and support accounts for 50% of revenue with 70% or 80% margins yet these employees are still the lowest paid in the organization. Does that make sense?
- Give them value-added training. Not just to make the numbers, but training that helps them grow. And make some of it off-site like you do for others.
- Have them participate in decisions. You trust them to handle your customers, don't you think they can be trusted to help decide how the schedule will work?
- Make it a career, not a job. Stop hiring customer service people who just want to get their foot in the door and move on. Make the customer service role coveted within the company so that others will want to move into the department and not out of it.
- Finally, give them positive feedback. Don't give them feedback only when they make a mistake. Notice when they do things right, thank them for serving your customers, celebrate when a customer sends a thank you note. You get the idea.