If you work in customer service, you’ll appreciate more than most when others are getting it wrong – parcels that fail to arrive, tradesmen who disappear before the job is finished, shops where you’re blanked while standing at the till.
But as a professional you’ll also be one of the first to recognise those individuals and organisations getting it right.
Cathy Brown has always been on the frontline, managing dental practices where her job is to ensure patients are left smiling.
What she’s learned, she says, is to deal with everyone as an individual and recognise names and faces of regulars. Keeping customers informed is important too.
“In a dental environment there can be delays because treatment takes longer than anticipated. I’ve always taken the approach that by keeping those in the waiting room informed of the reason for any delay, they’re much less likely to grumble about being kept waiting.”
She herself gives repeat business to companies that give good service to her and word of mouth recommendations are vital.
“Over the years I’ve done a great deal of work on my home and I’ve used the same team of builders every time. Their work is exceptional and they have an attitude to match. As a result I’ve recommended them to many friends.”
As she’s prevented from driving because of a back injury, she also relies on a local taxi firm to take her everywhere – again she sticks with the one firm that offers a standard of service above the norm.
“The other day I came out of the supermarket to find there was a 40-minute wait for taxis. I phoned the company and they immediately came and picked me up. They were willing to put my needs first because I’m a good customer.”
Not all customer service roles involve such regular and personal contact with customers, but if you can cultivate a similar ethic there are many companies with vacancies on s1jobs who want to hear from you.
They know what’s missing from many of today’s transactions is the personal touch and, if you have the skills to make callers and clients feel as if they are being treated like an individual, you’ll be in big demand.
In roles like these every bit of experience counts, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve been involved in customer service for a multinational or cultivated your skills working in a local cafe, you can find the right career move.
For the latest Customer Service vacancies visit s1jobs.com