Recruiting and retaining the best customer service managers is critical if we want to grow as a company. Customers are more likely to switch to another company if they do not feel their needs are being met.

To attract the best employees, we must be clear about what we expect in new hires, make the onboarding process quick and painless, have clear organizational structures, and provide backup and support to our customer service managers if they encounter a particularly difficult customer or a particularly difficult question. If we support our customer service managers, they will be able to support our customers and help us grow regardless of what happens in the rest of the world.

What Are Businesses Looking for in New Hires?

When looking for the best customer service managers, it is important to recognize what education, skills, and knowledge are required for such roles. All customer service management positions typically require a background in customer service. Organizations are also increasingly requiring candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a closely related field, as well as specialized credentials. Furthermore, we need to look for people who enjoy interacting with others and are eager to troubleshoot and find solutions to any concerns or questions that our clients may have. If we do not have a good idea of what we are looking for in a new hire, we may struggle to find someone who is a good fit and who is willing to stay with our organization for the long term.

Onboarding of New Employees

When we make a job offer to a candidate and they accept, it is essential that we quickly integrate them into our organization’s structure. One critical consideration is how we can reduce ramp time for new hires because the longer this process takes, the longer we will be without someone in this pivotal role in the organization. Filling out HR paperwork, showing new employees the ropes, and giving them the opportunity to shadow someone else in their role to see our business’s procedures in action are all possible components of the onboarding process. If we do not have enough customer service representatives, we risk losing business because we will be perceived as being less responsive to our clients’ needs. Finding ways to streamline the process so that we always have the people we need to provide amazing customer service is critical to our organization’s ability to thrive.

Having Well-defined Organizational Structures

If new hires struggle to understand our organizational structure, they are less likely to provide the best possible service. This includes ensuring that our customer service managers are empowered to consider our customers’ needs and listen to the feedback they provide as the primary driver of our business priorities and actions. Anyone in the company can make actionable changes to their processes based on the feedback provided by customers, instantly improving each customer’s experience.

Getting to a “Yes” should be the goal of anyone who is in a public-facing role. It is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that customers are being listened to. Customers will not feel heard if the manager does not have a thorough understanding of the organization and the organizational structures that are in place. Customers don’t want to be directed to the wrong department or feel like they must play phone tag to have their needs met.

Providing Support for Our Customer Service Representatives

If we want to keep customer service managers, we need to make them feel like we have their back. When dealing with customers, there will always be difficult moments when customers make the customer service manager’s job stressful. This means that managers must be aware that if they encounter a problem, they can seek assistance, brainstorm solutions with others, and will be supported regardless of the actions they must take to assist the customer.

Furthermore, it is critical that customer service managers feel free to find customer solutions without being micromanaged. This includes creating an organizational climate in which a manager can take a moment to pause and take a breath when needed, because burnout is more prevalent in organizations where employees fear being judged for seeking assistance or advice.

Customer service managers are responsible for overseeing customer service in an organization. Here, we discuss the skills and qualifications that are needed for the position.

Customer service manager jobs are typically available in large organizations that have a customer service department. Some customer service manager positions may also be available in small businesses. Managers typically work full time, and their work hours may include evenings and weekends. Some international positions may also require travel.

Customer Service Qualifications

Most customer service manager positions require customer service experience. Increasingly, organizations require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field. Specialized qualifications are becoming more widely available. For example, Ohio university offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Customer Service Leadership.

The good news is there are many scholarships available to help students pay for college. Some scholarships are based on financial need, while others are based on academic achievement or merit. Scholarships can come from the federal government, state governments, colleges and universities, private organizations, or businesses.

Applying for scholarships can be time-consuming, but it is worth the effort. Students should try to apply for as many scholarships as possible in order to maximize their chances of receiving financial assistance for college. Going Merry scholarships for college make the process quick and simple. With one application, students can be matched with hundreds of relevant scholarship opportunities.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to paying for college. Scholarships are just one piece of the puzzle. Students and their families should also consider other options like grants, loans, and work-study programs to help make college more Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students based on their academic achievement or other talents. Financial need-based scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate financial need.

To be eligible for a merit-based scholarship, students should have a strong academic record, participate in extracurricular activities, and have good leadership skills. Some scholarships also require students to submit an essay or other writing sample. To be eligible for a need-based scholarship, students must demonstrate financial need. Students who are eligible for need-based scholarships may also be eligible for grants or loans.

In addition to academic qualifications, there are a number of customer service skills that are essential for success in the field. A good customer service manager should have strong communication and leadership skills, be patient and detail-oriented, and have the ability to stay calm under pressure.

10 Skills for Customer Service Managers

1. Communication: Customer service managers need to be able to communicate effectively with customers, representatives, and other members of the organization. They should have strong writing and verbal communication skills.

2. Customer service orientation: A customer service orientation means that the manager is focused on providing excellent customer service. This involves working to improve the customer experience and ensuring that customer needs are met.

3. Patience: Patience is important for customer service managers, as they may have to deal with difficult customers or handle multiple customer inquiries at the same time.

4. Detail-oriented: Customer service managers need to be detail-oriented in order to properly understand and address customer concerns.

5. Problem-solving: Problem-solving skills are important for customer service managers, as they will often have to troubleshoot customer issues.

6. Decision-making: Customer service managers need to be able to make decisions quickly and efficiently in order to resolve customer issues in a timely manner.

7. Stress management: Customer service managers need to be able to manage stress in order to avoid burnout. They should be able to stay calm under pressure and maintain a positive attitude.

8. Time management: Time management skills are important for customer service managers, as they need to be able to juggle multiple tasks and priorities.

9. Team player: Customer service managers need to be able to work well with others in order to effectively manage a team of customer service representatives.

10. Leadership: Customer service managers need to have strong leadership skills in order to motivate and guide their team. They should be able to set goals and provide direction.

These are just a few of the skills and qualifications that are essential for success in the role of customer service manager. If you possess these skills and have customer service experience, together with a bachelor’s degree you will be well-suited for a career in customer service management.

Managing a customer service team takes dedication, hard work, and the right skill set.

If you want to further develop your customer service management style, there are training solutions out there that can improve your talents and create a better working environment. This article looks at some of the best training solutions in more detail.

Mental Health Training

Mental health is a very crucial topic in the business industry, and the mental health of your staff can make a huge impact on the customer service that they provide to customers. Poor mental health can lead to more sick days, more stress in the office, and general feelings of unhappiness at work. This will cause poor performance and productivity.

When you know how to recognize signs of deteriorating mental health in your employees, you will better understand how to help them, which will cause employees to be more open about their mental health. Sometimes, a discussion is all that is needed to turn someone’s day around and get them back to themselves again.

To best care for the mental health of your customer service team, you must understand mental health yourself. If you are new to this and need a deeper understanding, you may want to take a mental health coach certification. You can receive training and certification from experts such as the iNLP Center. This course can help you develop your skills to become a life coach, enhancing your management style and leading to a happier team. Training like this can be completed online and will assist you in learning valuable things, like how to calm your employees during and after stressful calls.

Industry Training

Another way to improve your customer service management style is to get industry-specific training. No matter what field of business you are in, there is a training solution out there that can keep you up-to-date with changing events and develop your business acumen. This will also provide you with the credentials and certification to train other employees and managers, which will benefit everyone within the business and is a great way to reach that promotion or pay rise.

Recruitment Training

As a manager, you are responsible for hiring new customer service employees to work for the business, so you should understand how to do this effectively. Recruitment is a difficult process and one that takes years to master. To improve your recruitment skills and find the best employees, you should consider recruitment training. This can guide you through creating an interview process that works, refining your interview skills, and choosing the right employees for your team.

Your recruitment strategy should be as streamlined as possible to attract more potential employees and create a stress-free environment for yourself and the interviewees. A good customer service manager knows how to find the best talent in a pool of CVs and cover letters. Employee retention is a vital part of any business, so refining this process will eliminate the need to get rid of new starters who are not performing. There is also less chance of people leaving the business if you hire the right candidates to begin with.

Customer Service Training

This may sound like an obvious one, but many managers forget about the importance of customer service training. As they are no longer dealing with customers on a daily basis, it can be easy to leave customer service training to the customer service employees. As a manager, you need to understand the basics of customer service, as well as the skills required, and any current changes.

You cannot help and train your employees when you are still focused on the outdated training and experience you had years ago. In the business industry, things are constantly evolving, so ensure that you keep your customer service skills up to scratch.

Conflict Resolution Training

Anyone that has worked within the customer service industry understands how vital conflict resolution strategies are. No matter where you work or how good your employees are, there are going to be times when a customer asks to speak to a manager. To set the best example for your employees and to resolve the conflict on the first phone call, it is important that you keep your conflict resolution training up-to-date.

Leadership Training

A great manager can do more than just manage their team; they can lead their customer service team to success and create a thriving workplace where targets are met, and productivity is at an all-time high. Many leadership and management training courses online can give you the experience and skills to become more confident in your role, manage your team more effectively, and increase your numbers. To enhance your customer service management style, consider how you can become a better leader.

Communication Training

Communication is one of the most important topics in business, whether you work in retail, customer service, or healthcare. As customer service representatives work to develop their communication to offer the best customer service possible, it is only fitting that a great manager understands effective communication and can practice this themselves. Regardless of how well you think you can communicate, there are always ways to improve this skill, which can benefit both employees and customers.

A great manager is able to listen to the needs of their employees through both speech and body language. They are able to get their point across in a way that is authoritative but not undermining. When you can communicate better with your employees, they will be able to communicate better with you. This approach can improve the working relationship between management and employees and fosters a positive and open work environment, where employees feel cared for and listened to.

Training solutions such as mental health, customer service, industry-specific, communication, leadership, and conflict resolution will enable you to unlock your full potential. If you want to improve your customer service management style, get back to basics and educate yourself in your skills to be a great manager and leader.

If you are like many managers, you were promoted into your position after being good at your job. However, being great at one particular thing does not necessarily prepare you to become a manager, which in some cases is an entirely different skill set.

On top of that, while there are some skills that all managers should develop, others are particular to working in customer service. The tips below can help you excel in this position.

Support Your Staff

Customer service is often a high-stress position. Your employees may be dealing with those who are already upset when they make contact because they are having a negative experience with your service or product. It’s critical that you don’t make your employees feel as though they are trapped between angry customers and an angry boss. Instead, empower your employees to make their own decisions in dealing with the public and make sure they know that you have their back. Train them effectively and avoid micromanaging them. These are strategies to keep your team engaged and continuously working towards a common goal as a team.

Automate

One challenge you can face in management is that it might feel as though your to-do list never ends. So that you can focus more on the types of tasks that are best done by humans, make an effort to automate as much as possible. For example, if you are in charge of a fleet, with a fleet management platform that includes GPS tracking, you can focus on improving customer service, helping the company grow by ensuring a positive experience. Tracking software can help your staff as well, giving them the ability to provide more precise information about when they can expect a delivery. Whatever industry you work in, look at the latest tools for automation and choose the ones that will be the most beneficial in your situation.

Learn to Motivate

All managers should be good at motivating employees, but it can be particularly important in stressful environments like customer service. Managers should employ a variety of techniques to increase motivation. Incentives are good, and so is being a strong communicator and giving your team talks that boost their enthusiasm. Making sure your employees have the tools they need to do their job is also important. A common problem that people often face when they work in customer service is that they are not given much freedom to craft solutions. This leaves both employees and customers unhappy and frustrated. Making sure that your staff has what they need to solve problems makes your life, your employees’ lives and your customers’ lives easier.

Know What Customers Want

Training, motivating, and retaining employees is important, but you need to have customers to make any of that possible. Find out what your customers want. What kind of solutions are they looking for? What upsets them? Do satisfaction surveys to identify what they are want to happen when they call your business and what upsets them. For example, one of the main things many people are looking for when they call a company’s customer service department is acknowledgment and an apology, and providing them with this can often go a long way toward keeping the person coming back.

What separates great customer service managers from others with similar training? These five habits.

The best customer service managers (CSMs) are masters at multitasking. They perform administrative duties, demonstrate efficient management skills, and manage teams of customer support representatives. Most importantly, they ensure customer satisfaction whether face-to-face, over the phone, or through email.

Customer service skills may be similar from job to job, but managers with these 5 habits excel at motivating, communicating and coaching their teams. They separate ordinary from extraordinary customer service managers.

1. Exceptional customer service managers see team building as a daily activity and know their responsibilities as a team leader.

While a good customer service manager knows they are in charge of team decisions, they also know their team–which members have strengths and weaknesses, and what those strengths and weaknesses are. They can effectively delegate tasks, but also trust their team to complete assignments without micromanagement. They provide training when and where it’s needed most.

A customer service manager practices leadership by guiding their team to do well while keeping morale high. Team members chase performance goals when there are obvious targets and clear rewards. The CSM creates an atmosphere where every team member works to achieve these well-defined, consistent performance goals. Periodic appraisals and evaluations combined with incentives can help motivate workers. Forward-thinking recognition and reward programs drive employees to perform better.

Above all else, a CSM must practice empathy for team members who often have complex backgrounds, lives, and situations.

2. They always put customers first.

Satisfied customers are the best brand ambassadors. The most important metric of any company is customer satisfaction and happiness. A customer service manager must therefore, by habit, advocate for the customer and put them first. If he or she does not, neither will other members of the team.

CSMs analyze complex customer issues from every angle and appreciate the complex challenge of finding the right mix of what customers want, what employees can provide, and what the company offers.

Leaders demonstrate ideal behavior. The CSM must communicate a timeline for solutions and display–by example–correct methods for replying to questions and addressing difficult situations. Good habits of leaders become good habits of team members.

3. The best managers have excellent negotiating skills.

Negotiation skills are crucial for customer service managers because they play a critical role in resolving conflicts and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. Effective negotiation requires the ability to listen actively, communicate clearly, and understand the needs and desires of both parties involved in the negotiation. In a customer service context, negotiation skills can help managers resolve customer complaints and disputes, manage expectations, and build strong relationships with customers. Mastering the skill of negotiation is crucial for effectively managing employees and dealing with customers. With SNI’s negotiation training, you will gain the necessary understanding of how to approach different negotiations using various styles and methods.

4. CSMs exercise a high degree of emotional intelligence.

Customer service manager jobs are not easy. A customer service manager serves three separate entities: the customer, their team, and their company. Understanding the context of difficult situations takes a high level of emotional intelligence. If an upset customer calls, what is the underlying cause? How does the behavior of one customer impact other employees and other customers? The average day for a CSM can include customer service, employee discipline, and a meeting with management. Only when the ability to manage multiple challenges becomes habit does a workday become efficient.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of customer service management. Whether in-person, on the phone, or over email, it’s about conveying clear information without reverting to jargon. Remember, communication has a two-way flow: effective, empathetic listening is a key habit of highly effective customer service managers.

5. CSMs enjoy strategy and organization.

Organization is a key habit of outstanding customer service managers, and it begins with good documentation. When there’s a problem, they take a few minutes after the conversation to write the details. What was the issue? Who was it with? What did customer service representatives say to remediate the issue, and what was the outcome? Reports about critical issues can help with future issues. A CSM can use documented customer interactions to better train staff.

Strategy-building and planning can prevent problems before they happen, and offer staff protocols to deal with common, everyday occurrences and problems. Good managers prevent mundane issues from consuming too much time and prevent major issues from consuming an entire day this way. Good managers prioritize, delegate, and focus the most energy on the right things. They both deliver customer service and address issues.

These five habits of exceptional customer service managers translate well to almost any industry. With practice, these competencies build skilled teams and successful companies. Most importantly, they help organizations focus on important customer issues and deliver superior service.

About the Author

Ian Miller is the Editor of CSM Magazine – the leading resource and community for customer service managers and professionals.

Bryan Horn talks standards and why he believes it is essential to have a dedicated director with a customer-first mindset leading your customer service operation.

I must admit that I am a fan of world-famous British chef Gordon Ramsey. Sure, I know that a lot of what happens on his shows is scripted to make good television. Yes, he can be overbearing, condescending, and boorish. But despite all of this, he is known for one thing: standards. No matter what part of the world his restaurants are located in, his high standards will be met. Fail to follow them, and you are out of a job.

For Ramsey, standards are everything. Consistency is key for him. He expects and demands perfection across his brand, and he goes to great lengths to make sure his name is being represented accurately. As part of his television empire, Ramsey hosted a show called Hotel Hell and followed a similar premise to his Kitchen Nightmares program. Instead of struggling kitchens, he visited and revamped struggling hotels.

One question Ramsey would ask delusional hotel owners was, “When was the last time you stayed here?” Not to his surprise, the owners stated they rarely ever stayed at their own properties. This is when Gordon opened up the swear word flood gates and would let loose a barrage of insults. Through the drama of it all, Ramsey makes a valid point: every business owner needs to place themselves in the shoes of the customers they serve. Ramsey often screams, “STANDARDS! Where are your standards?” Businesses owners need to step back and ask themselves if their current standards would cause them to hand over their hard-earned money if the roles were reversed.

Every ship has a captain, who then delegates various responsibilities to his/her crew. On luxury cruise liners, a single officer (often the Guest Services Officer) is in charge of the experience passengers are having. He/she makes sure each guest is getting their money’s worth. He/she oversees a vast team of crewmembers and staff, enforcing the standards set by the captain. The captain steers the ship to a port; the Guest Services Officer makes sure everyone has a good time getting there.

Having a director of customer experience is crucial for the operation of any organization. How your guests/customers perceive your brand is key to their return. They are tasked with ensuring your customers get the best “bang for their buck” and leave your organization with a longing to return and spend more money. They set the atmosphere and create a culture that will enforce the vision set forth. If you truly wish to take care of your customers and have a customer-centric business, then a director of customer experience is key.

But it can’t be just anyone, and it can’t be a title for someone to fill. This person needs to have a customer-first mindset. They should have a genuine obsession for the experience your guests have when interacting with your brand. This individual must be passionate about the service of customers and the employees who make it all happen. Great service begins with great employees. Treat them well, and they will treat your customers well. It is as simple as that.

Here are three areas your director of customer experience should focus on. While some may disagree, I believe these elements are key areas of enforcement from a customer experience director.

Consistency

Nothing frustrates customers more than a lack of consistency. People like to know what to expect. They don’t like surprises. If you’re running a business with mediocre service, that is your choice. If you’re running a business with great service, that is also your choice. But don’t go back and forth; you are sending mixed messages to people. Companies must deliver positive experiences every time. It must be a consistent expectation for your customers. Maybe I don’t understand the nature of franchise businesses, but this seems to be a real issue.

There is a very large automotive group in Utah run by a very wealthy and famous family. Despite the prestige of the family, this chain of auto dealerships has consistently low to average reviews on social media from customers. The number one complaint is a lack of consistent practices and services across the organization.

This company believes what works in one area of the country does not work in another. I support this belief. However, instead of instituting a base set of policies that are consistent, the organization has given free rein to general managers at each individual location.

What you experience at one store might differ completely from the one next door. One general manager might promote a culture of aggressive and deceptive sales practices, while another may promote a relaxed car-buying experience. They have turned buying a car into an experience akin to going to the casino. They make people play customer service roulette: am I going to get bad service or great service? It’s the luck of the draw, a roll of the dice. This isn’t any way to treat customers.

There are certain organizations I know will provide terrible experiences every time. This is why I make every effort to avoid them. On the other hand, there are businesses I know will deliver amazing experiences every time. I appreciate both businesses for providing consistency, especially the bad ones. It helps me to decide where I want to spend my money. In both cases, I know what to expect. It’s the not knowing which drives me crazy. Regardless if you have a small store-front, several locations, or span across a vast enterprise, your service standards must be consistent with every employee.

Exceed Expectations

In a 2018 survey, Salesforce found the number one demand from customers was a memorable experience. What happens when they don’t get this from your brand? 76% of respondents stated it’s easier than ever for them to take their business elsewhere—switching from brand to brand to find an experience that matches their expectations.”  

The bar for customer service has been set so low, consumers breathe a sigh of relief when they can be done dealing with a company. Doing business has become a chore for them. No one looks forward to it. You don’t want to do it. But you have to do it.

As you read this, what comes to mind? The fast-food restaurant who gets your order wrong and rolls their eyes when you bring it to their attention? The car dealership who doesn’t want to help you with the answers to your questions, but only wants to sell you an extended warranty? What about the monster mega-store offering every product under the sun except a smile and friendly service? The cable/internet service is always mysteriously raising your price, but lowering your channel selection? Everyone has bad experiences with customer service. But what about those average experiences everyday? The ones which were just ok? Do you feel loyal to them, or do you simply tolerate them until you find something better?

A good friend of mine had an unbelievable experience at a large big-box home improvement store. He was doing some renovations on his home and needed a certain part. After perusing the aisles and having no luck, he finally asked an associate for help. This is when he found Dan.

Dan listened as my friend described what he needed. Dan sadly stated his store, nor any store in the area, carried the item.

“But I can make it for you!” He said.

My friend’s eyes raised in shock. He didn’t think he was serious and brushed him off. Dan was persistent, however. Dan had all the tools at his house and was committed to making sure my friend could finish his project.

Two hours later, my friend met Dan at his home. As promised, he finished the part in a few minutes. As my friend talked with Dan, he learned much more about this man. Dan was a custom home builder who had fallen on hard times. He was lonely and didn’t have a solid family to rely on. He was a master home builder and craftsman. And he loved helping people.

Upon completion of the project, my friend asked how much he owed for the project. Sticking his hand out, Dan simply said, “Just a handshake will do.” For people like Dan, raising the bar is second nature. He cares about people. Doing right for others and seeing their satisfaction is more valuable than profit.

These are the kinds of employees you need, not rank and file chair warmers. Seek out these individuals. It is people like Dan who take customer experience to the next level.

Think Like Your Customer and Set Standards Accordingly

If you walked into a hotel room and found the bathroom dirty, the sheets wrinkled, foul smells and dirty carpets, would you feel comfortable resting your head down on the pillows? If you stepped into a place of business and were not warmly greeted and made to feel welcome, would you spend your money there? If you walked into a restaurant and found bits and pieces of food everywhere, an unclean table and dust lining the ceiling fans, would you want to consume the food offered?

What are your standards? How do you enforce them? What happens when those standards are not met? These are the important questions you need to ask yourself when you deal with customers. If you want your customers to return to your place of business, then you must examine your standards and reflect on how you would view them through the eyes of your customers. If you would expect good service from the places you do business with, what makes you think your own customers don’t want the same thing?

A good customer experience director will put themselves in the shoes of your customers. Your customers are looking for a reason to be loyal to your brand; will you give them one? Anticipating customer needs, consistency, and exceeding expectations is not rocket science. Simply put, see things through the eyes of your customers.

If you were to do business with your own company, would the experience you receive make you a raving fan or a bitter adversary? If you are not sure what your customers want, ask them! Customers are more than willing to tell you what they want from a business. They will gladly share their ideas and opinions. The question is will you actually implement them?

About the Author

Bryan Horn is a customer experience trainer and corporate culture development expert. He has 16 years of experience as a financial services manager. He has been homeless, jobless, and everywhere in between. He brings real-world applications and stories that relate to every culture and industry.

He is the author of the internationally successful book The Customer Service Revolution: 8 Principles That Will Change the Way Companies Think About the Customer Experience and the Employees Who Work for Them and is currently publishing his second book.

Bryan is the founder of CS Solutions, a customer experience training consulting firm. He resides in Salt Lake City, UT.

For more information, please visit www.thecsrevolution.com.

Check out these five challenges currently facing Customer Service Managers on the quest for top-rated customer service.

The field of customer service is a constantly evolving one, particularly as technology advances continue to come at a fast and furious pace. While this can present new opportunities for companies, it can also create new customer service challenges that must be overcome.

Here are five challenges Customer Service Managers currently face and how to meet them.

Unresponsive Social Media

More and more customers are turning to social media avenues like Facebook and Twitter today to ask businesses questions or voice complaints. Companies that continue to be unresponsive on social media may find themselves at a distinct disadvantage in the service realm. Businesses are learning they now require designated employees to monitor social media and respond to customer messages.

Phone Calls from Hell

As technology advances, customers are becoming less and less patient with the phone calls to customer service hell. These might be defined as the interminable hold (complete with elevator music), bouncing from one employee to the next and the completely unnavigable menu system. Now is the time to streamline your phone options to make the process easier, faster and more convenient for your customers.

More Customer Choices

Customers now want more choices in how they contact a company. While old-fashioned phone calls are still often preferred, busy customers also want to look to email, live chat and social media to get their issues resolved. Companies interested in catering to all their customers will need to incorporate as many of these options as possible in their customer service department. In addition to providing more channels, customers want those channels to be as seamless as possible. That means when a customer switches from live chat to a phone call, he expects the person on the other end of the line to have all the same information as the one he was talking to online.

Digital Capability

Digital technology overall is becoming essential to any customer service operation. From  social media to mobile apps, customers want to be able to business with you from any device and location. In addition to making these digital channels available, Customer Service Managers must find ways to raise the service bar from a wide range of channels.

Data Collection and Analytics

Evaluating your customer service today involves big data – a flurry of information that must be categorized and analyzed in the most efficient and useful way. Big data consists of both structured and unstructured data, which adds to the challenge of finding ways to organize the information into a usable format. However, managers that learn to use big data to their advantage will be in the best position to adapt their customer service options to the ever-changing needs and demands of their customers.

There is no doubt this is the era of unique challenges for Customer Service Managers. Technology has given birth to changing expectations from customers – expectations that must be met if companies want to maintain their loyal customer base. The good news is these challenges also bring opportunities to surprise and delight customers in exciting and innovative ways.

Your success as a customer service manager is directly proportional to your ability to drive simultaneously customer satisfaction and employee engagement. Happy employees are inclined to go above and beyond for your customers. And when your customers feel they are cared for, they will return. You can’t satisfy customers with disengaged employees. Start there first.

So what can you do to ensure your employees are engaged? As a first step, begin by asking at least one employee these two questions every day:

What are you hearing?

You cannot even begin to satisfy customers until you remove all the potential dissatisfiers within the customer experience. The American Customer Satisfaction Index found that the response rates for electronic surveys were averaging between 5% and 15%. So if surveys are your only source of feedback, then at the most, you personally know 15% of all your customers’ angst.

If you are interacting with customers while you supervise employees, you may know between 20 – 50% of your customers’ dissatisfiers. But your associates know 100% of your customers’ complaints and concerns because your customers tell them everyday. So find out what they are hearing and act to systematically remove any potential dissatisfiers.

What can I do for you?

Jan Carlzon, former CEO of SAS Airlines and author of the book, Moments of Truth said, “If you’re not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is.” To serve the customer, your employees need the empowerment, tools and resources to take care of their customers.

Without the tools and resources, they will not feel empowered to solve customer complaints or respond to customer questions. As much as you want your employees to fulfill your customers’ needs, you need to serve your employees to fulfill theirs. So at the end of every employee conversation, whether it is a group setting or a one-to-one conversation, ask, “What can I do for you?” Listen and then act on their suggestions.

Seriously weigh every suggestion, no matter how small you think it might be. If they mentioned it to you, it is a BIG DEAL to them. Otherwise they wouldn’t have said anything. And if it’s a BIG DEAL to them, it should be a BIG DEAL to you. Whether you are able to implement their suggestion or not, always personally get back to the individual employee who offered the suggestion. It will reinforce their perception that you are committed to their success, as much as you are to your customers’ satisfaction.

The biggest complaint from employees of their managers and supervisors is a lack of communication. Ask these two questions every day to generate a flow of ideas to continually improve the employee and customer experience. Then act on the feedback you receive to drive engagement and empower your employees to deliver exceptional service that your customers will rave about to you and others.

About the Author

Bill Quiseng has extensive experience in luxury resort and hotel management. His achievements include receiving the Marriott International Spirit to Serve Award, Renaissance Hotels General Manager of the Year, Marriott International Leadership Excellence and Sales Excellence Awards.

The digital revolution has forced companies to re-evaluate their customer communication programs and marketing tactics.

From social media to customer portals and personalized account pages, companies have had to determine what digital communication and support options make the most sense for their customers.

Customer behavior has changed tremendously and businesses have been slow to catch up. But what are these behaviors, and how can companies cater to these new digital attitudes?

Here are five new customer behaviors all customer service managers need to know:

1. Customers are problem sensitive. According to a study by Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, 50 percent of consumers reported experiencing a problem with products or services in the past year. Customers are prone to being sensitive in service environments – the key is to offer fast and easy solutions to reduce frustration.

2. Customers want to solve their problems themselves. Consumers nowadays are “always on” and “on-the-go,” and expect to be able to find information at their fingertips (literally). Customer service managers need to consider mobile app customer service options.

3. Today’s consumers go online when they have questions. A Forrester study shows that 67 percent of customer support calls originate online. Customers prefer efficient over personalized service, and shouldn’t have to leave a website to find answers to their questions.

4. Calling out a company on social media is commonplace nowadays. Consumers place high value on the opinions of others when deciding to make a purchase. A customer calling out a company on Facebook or Twitter, therefore, can be detrimental to the business. Companies have to push back against this trend by having efficient service options on a multitude of channels.

5. Consumers are willing to pay for a better experience. According to a survey from CEI, 86 percent of buyers will pay more for a better experience. Consumers refuse to have a sub-par experience in digital channels – so much so that they would be willing to spend more on it.

By becoming aware of these new behaviors, customer service managers can adapt the strategies, technology and most importantly, the mindset needed to excel in today’s digital world.

About the Author

Mike Hennessy is VP of Marketing for IntelliResponse, a leading provider of virtual agent technology solutions.

1. Pay your customer service people well

You expect a lot from your customer service staff, so pay them as if they matter. Too often, in many companies (not yours naturally) the pay scale for customer service staff is frankly an embarrassment. Benchmark peers in your industry and pay at the high end.

2. Give your customer service people a great working environment

I don’t care what the CEO’s office is like. He earns a good salary and can afford to make himself comfortable. He’s going to do a great job regardless. But if your customer service people are stuck in airless cubicles, with little space, no view, no natural light, a wobbly chair to sit on and an unreliable computer system to use, just a broken down vending machine and a dingy bathroom as facilities, then are they going to give of their best?

You should make sure that the environment your customer service people work in is as pleasant as the manager’s office. A fully functional, reliable computer system to help them serve your customers is a must. Space to move around, a comfortable seat – assuming they are going to do a lot of sitting down – good ventilation, if possible, windows onto the outside world, attractive colors, good lighting, pictures and plants, nice bathrooms, decent refreshment facilities. Just think what you would like for yourself, and give them that!

3. Train your customer service people like they were surgeons

A quick course or two in what your company does, and in customer service techniques, a few scripts to work from, and you’ve done your training, right? Wrong! Customer service staff have a high stress job.

They are dealing with the moaners and complainers all day long. They
need patience and charm to turn negative experiences into positive ones. They need excellent skills, and so you hired people with the right personal qualities. Now they need to be backed up with consistent, regular, training. Training is a motivator. It not only enhances skills, it makes people feel important, valued and special.

Customer service is tough, and training courses are also a chance to decompress and get away from the old routine. Invest in training as if
your people were surgeons – after all, your company’s life is in their hands.

4. Give everyone a stint in customer service

Everybody, from the top to the bottom of your company, should spend at least a couple of days a year shadowing a customer service person. You will be amazed at how much benefit this will bring you. Not only will the rest of the company realize what a tough job it is to be on the customer front line, they’ll see how the way they do their job impacts on customers’ experiences. Valuable operational insights and improvements will follow.

5. Give customer service staff a stint in other departments

If customer service people truly understand your business, they’ll simply do a better job. So it’s particularly helpful for them to spend time shadowing in areas such as quality control, delivery, document preparation and similar customer impact areas. The knowledge they gain will help them cut through to the heart of the issues they hear about each day, and they will be able to make customer oriented suggestions for improvements.

6. Allow customers to supply feedback

We are used to hearing that “Your call may be monitored for quality control purposes.” In addition, it’s a great idea to allow customers to make immediate feedback on customer service – both good and bad. Use the information to highlight good and bad performance, to train and educate, but not to punish.

7. Make customer service fun

Ideally, arrange your customer service staff into teams. Mix up new and old, stronger and weaker employees, so that they can help, advise and teach each other. If you can devise a competition between teams, so much the better. This is great in situations where people are taking a lot of very routine inquiries all day long.

It doesn’t have to be for anything very grand. One of the most popular and hotly contested competitions I ever organized was for possession of a fluffy spider which jumped when you squeezed an air bulb. The best team of the day got the spider all the next day, and they could be seen jumping the spider around while they chatted over the telephone to callers.

8. Use customer service as a stepping stone to promotion

Employ qualified people in customer service. Have them spend a year there, and then review them for promotion to customer service management. Anywhere they go in your company, they will be ingrained with the understanding of what the customer wants and needs from your company.

Customer service people do particularly well in sales, but they can be invaluable in all departments. The fact that customer service is a route to promotion enhances the prestige of the job and aids your recruitment of good quality people.

About the Author

Ellen Goodwright is a freelance writer and a passionate customer service advocate! You can read more of her customer service tips at Customer Service Basics.