Why are consumers increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of help
they get from customer service departments? The authors’ surveys and
interviews with contact center personnel worldwide suggest that
companies don’t hire the right people as frontline reps, nor do they
equip them to handle the increasingly complex challenges that come with
the job. Every rep can be classified as one of seven types, say the
authors. Supportive “Empathizers” constitute the largest group, and
managers prefer them. But take-charge “Controllers,” who make up only
15% of all reps, actually do best at solving customers’ problems. To
expand their numbers, companies need a fresh approach to hiring— one
that involves crafting job postings and screening applicants
differently. Companies should also revamp their training practices,
using new curricula and on-the-job coaching to help all types of reps
learn to act more like Controllers. Another key step is building a
culture that values and rewards Controller behavior. That might mean
evaluating reps on their ability to use good judgment rather than follow
a script, and soliciting their ideas to improve the organization.
INSETS: SIMPLY SOLVE CUSTOMERS' PROBLEMS.; THE SEVEN TYPES OF REPS..
[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]