Never before have customer service professionals been more critical to the success of a business.
When COVID-19 shut down stores and offices across the nation, customers and clients turned to the internet and phone to order goods and get help. Customer service representatives became, not just the first point of contact, but often the literal and only voice of an organization.
Even before the pandemic, the job of a customer service representative (CSR) was stressful and could be grueling. Those working the frontlines in stores and businesses handled all manner of in-person customer contacts, from taking returns to helping the customer find what they want.
Those in customer contact centers may never meet a customer or client, but that lack of face-to-face contact makes the job no less challenging. The person may be calling for basic information or to process an order or ask about one. The ones that test a CSRs diplomacy and tact the most are the ones from angry callers.
They try their best to satisfy every customer, even those with unreasonable demands. But when they can’t, how they’ve treated the caller makes all the difference. A customer is 4 times more likely to buy from a competitor if the problem is service related than about price or product, says the global business consultant, Bain & Co.
In recognition of the job of customer service professional, Congress designated this first full week in October as National Customer Service Week. It’s also a reminder for organizations and government, says the Professional Association for Customer Engagement, that “customer service is a critical component in running a business.”
And for that important role they play for us at Green Key Resources and organization everywhere, we salute customer representative professionals and say thank you for helping all of us in these challenging times.
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
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