This is a list of articles written and copyrighted by Dave Kahle or the noted author. New articles are added regularly. If you are a publisher, feel free to use these articles as they appear, or edit them to fit your publication's needs. Make sure that you print and return the publication terms of agreement if you decide to use any portion of the editorial content offered here. Thank you - and enjoy!
Who is Responsible for "Customer Service" in Your Company? Everyone!
Customer service skills are identified and developed for existing and new customer service employees
with the Customer Service Perspective skills assessment.
Keeping your customers satisfied is essential to building a successful, growing business. Customer satisfaction keeps your customers coming back and buying from you again and again. When everybody in your company is capable of providing effective customer service, your customers enjoy positive experiences whenever they interface with your people.
Many companies work hard to increase sales, but they overlook the importance of doing the little things that keep customers happy and buying more. Satisfied customers are priceless assets on which to build a successful business, yet many companies place more emphasis on selling to new customers than servicing current ones.
While the value of attracting new business cannot be discounted, it is equally important and cost effective to grow your business by serving your existing customers. It is often easier to accelerate your business by cultivating the customers you already have rather than having to constantly attract new customers.
What does exceptional customer service do for you?
Keeps customers with you longer.
Gives you an advantage over your competitors.
Increases customer purchases in size and frequency.
More customer referrals and recommendations to new customers.
Builds your business reputation; reduces complaints and problems.
Saves resources - It costs five to ten times as much to get a new customer than it does to keep a customer.
Satisfied customers often offer suggestions for making your business better. By reducing customer defections, you can boost profits by 25% or more.
What are the elements of exceptional customer service?
tact
trust
focus
flexibility
empathy
courtesy
conformity
problem solving
conscientiousness
communication skills
Customers go where they are wanted and stay where they are appreciated. The Harvard Business Review reported that 2 out of 3 (67%) customers who chose a new supplier said they were satisfied with their former supplier. Even more bewildering, a whopping 85% of customers who said they were satisfied, also said that they were willing to try other suppliers. Just because you got 'em, doesn't mean you'll keep 'em.
If it is true that happy customers buy more, then your business will benefit tremendously from incorporating Customer Service Perspective™ assessment as an investment in your human capital.
Extensive research has identified ten specific behavioral characteristics and proficiencies essential to extraordinary customer service. The Customer Service Perspective™ assesses your job candidates and employees to see how they score in each of these important areas. Additionally, you customize the assessment and define forty-nine aspects of great customer service as they apply to your business. Assessment results provide a training and coaching guide for effectively communicating customer expectations to every employee with clarity and specificity.
How is the Customer Service Perspective™ organized? The Customer Service Perspective™ identifies eight behavioral characteristics and two proficiencies that are essential to extraordinary customer service. This is the information needed to coach and train your people to deliver world-class customer service.
What does Customer Service Perspective™ measure? Customer Service Perspective™ measures the behavioral characteristics of trust, tact, empathy, conscientiousness, conformity, focus, courtesy, and flexibility, as well as proficiencies in vocabulary and mathematics. It also measures the percentage of agreement with your company's Customer Service Policies and Attitudes based on the patterns you have created.
What do the results of the Customer Service Perspective™ assessment provide? The results of the CSP provide you with descriptions of each factor being measured and gives you structured interview questions that are based on the applicant's responses that you can use during the interview.
All of the information is organized into an easy to follow manner with bar graphs that give you a visual summary of the applicant's results. Any areas of concern and/or inconsistency in the applicant's responses are brought forward and described with a legal interview question you can use to probe the issue in more detail. The results will also outline evasive answers the applicant provided that may be areas of concern.
Customer Service Perspective™ has three types of reports:
The CSP Placement Report
A Job Match Percentage that tells you how well job candidates measure up to your customer service standards and the degree of alignment between their customer service perspective and the specific expectations of your company.
The placement report also has "Considerations for Interviewing." Whenever a job candidate's score misses your customized Job Match Pattern, his or her report suggests interview questions to stimulate conversation regarding the issue in question. This usually results in a better understanding of the company's customer service position and effectively communicates the company's expectations and policies.
The CSP Coaching Report
Identifies the areas where individualized training and coaching will effectively instill the customer service attitudes you want in all of your employees.
The CSP Individual Report
Helps employees increase their awareness of their customer service skills or lack thereof. It is a tool to help them become better employees and deliver the kind of customer service that contributes to the success of your business.
Customer Service Perspective deserves to be an important part of your company's people development initiative. It will enhance your company's reputation, productivity, profitability, and future.
Customer Service Perspective™ Sample Report
To receive a Customer Service Perspective™ sample report and pricing
information, fill out the information requested in the form below and press
the "Send Now" button. Within a few minutes you will receive the report via
email auto-responder as an Adobe PDF attachment.
Articles
We all Run Call Centers - Customer Service Issues! Statistics concerning customers who change from established business relationships to new ones are startling. 67% of customers who started new business relationships report that they were "satisfied" with their old ones. 85% of all "satisfied" customers indicate that they would be willing to try a new supplier. Why would satisfied customers leave? To some extent most businesses function as customer service call centers. Where else will customers go for service when face-to-face contact is not feasible? .... [Read more]
Which Test Should we Use? by by Jeff Schroer
Psychometric assessment products exist in great variety and quantity. Many businesses have employed assessments to support their recruitment, retention, development, and succession planning strategies. However, few are aware of the U.S. Department of Labor's position regarding the use of tests and assessments in areas of employment. They provide 13 basic principles that employers should follow when considering and/or designing an assessment initiative.... [Read more]
Does Your (Hiring) Elevator Go To The Top? by Jay Werth
Think of the hiring process as an elevator ride, and your manager as the elevator operator. Job candidates are people trying to squeeze into your elevator. The load of all these passengers puts a strain on the elevator and your manager who must also attend to other pressing issues. It's tempting for your manager to quickly eyeball the passengers, letting only a few of them onto the elevator at the first floor and turning away the majority.... [Read More]
Job Growth Low - Productivity Up - Jobfit is Pivotal Factor As the first quarter wound to a close, the government not only reported meager job growth for March, but also revised the already-anemic numbers for the preceding two months-downward. While economists debated whether the numbers were accurate, many maintained that the methodology missed the thousands of new micro businesses being created by former employees turned entrepreneurs.... [Read More]
"We recently used the customer service as a training tool to help our existing staff better understand their strengths and weaknesses. I found the Survey most helpful in identifying areas that our team members both excel at and can use additional training." Aimee Hathaway, Human Resources Manager
"I wanted to express how pleased we are with the results we have been obtaining by utilizing the Customer Service Perspective. It is without question that we have dramatically improved the quality and productivity of our staff over the past year. We are quick to give your products the credit for this dramatic improvement. I cannot imagine why any business could not experience the same results we are experiencing. It has been such a pleasure to hear the many compliments from our members and guests regarding the improvements we have made in our staff. I cannot thank you enough." Travis Branam, Manager of Club Operations
Q. How do I order, or receive a sample, or find pricing?
A. You may do one of two things. You can either call our office at 800-331-1287, and someone would be glad to help you, or you can place your name and email in the auto responder above, and you will receive a sample report as well as ordering and pricing information.
Q. What does the text provide?
A. The Customer Service Perspective™ tells you how a person measures on eight key behavioral characteristics: trust, tact, empathy, conscientiousness, conformity, focus, courtesy, and flexibility, as well as proficiencies in vocabulary and mathematics. It also measures the percentage of agreement with your company's service perspective. You receive a questionnaire that helps us determine your company stance on customer service issues. You then get to see where the person taking the Customer Service Perspective deviates from your company stance.
Q. How much time does it take to administer the assessment?
A. It only takes about 30 minutes for the candidate to complete the entire assessment, once they are finished it is scored immediately so you get the results very quickly.
Q. Is the the Customer Service Perspective™ customizable for my company?
A. Yes, it can be customized by company, position, manager and geographic region using a Job Match Pattern (see question #4 below).
Q. What is a "Job Match Pattern"?
A. A Job Match Pattern is a blueprint we create based on those people in your company who do their job the best - your top performers. Many companies claim the assessments they offer already contain what it takes to measure successful people in your industry, geographic area, or the open position in your company. This is entirely speculative! The fact is that all employees are different, each have specific characteristics that allow them to excel in certain jobs and fail in others. To have an accurate Job Match Pattern, you must assess your top and bottom performers to understand what makes them successful at how they interface with your customers. The results are compiled and a Job Match Pattern is formed. You now have the best benchmark that can be used as a tool to hire top performers, based on the pattern built around the characteristics of your best employees. For additional information, call us at 800-331-1287.
Q. From where does the assessment get administered?
A. The Customer Service Perspective™ can be administered from any computer that is connected to the internet, or can be administered via pencil and paper..
Q. For what is the Customer Service Perspective™ assessment typically used for?
A. This assessment is used as a pre-hire or post-hire tool to provide useful information or as a tool for...
job placement
coaching of existing employees
self improvement
succession planning
job description development
Q. When was the last validation study done for the Customer Service Perspective™?
A. 2003
Q. Can the Customer Service Perspective™ be used to create hiring bench marks for my company?
A. Yes, the assessment can be used to create hiring benchmarks to help you obtain top performers. In most cases, the people already working within your organization represent the best and worst examples of who you look for in new hires. Based on this we can utilize the assessment by testing your existing top performers' and bottom performers' to create a benchmark to compare any possible candidates. For additional information see the Job Match Pattern question above or call us at 800-331-1287.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. The fee structure depends on the quantity of assessments that you purchase. To get a full outline of the cost you must request a sample report.
Q. How many people can I put through the assessment?
A. As many as you would like. Just make sure you have the name and email address of each applicant. We want you to be able to differentiate the assessments you will receive.
Q. What if I don't want the participants to receive the assessment, I just want them to take it in the office?
A. You can have the assessments sent to you, your human resource director, or your testing center. When you purchase the assessments, you will need to tell us what email address you want each participant's assessment login information sent.
Q. Will I need the sales applicant to come to our office and sit at a computer?
A. No, as long as you have the applicants' email address, you can have them take the assessment on their time, not yours! Upon completion of the assessment, you will receive the results immediately. The applicant will not see the results.
Q. After I purchase assessments, how soon can I start putting people through them?
A. You will be sent instructions and a link to the testing center after you have purchased your assessments. Please allow one business day for the assessment to get to your applicants.
Q. Who will get the assessment(s) upon completion?
A. Upon ordering your assessments, you will be asked to put in the email address of the person you would like the results sent. In most cases, this is the person doing the hiring (yourself, Human Resource Director, Sales Manager, etc...).
Q. What specifically does the Customer Service Perspective™ measure?
A. Behavioral Characteristics
Tact
Trust
Focus
Empathy
Courtesy
Conformity
Flexibility
Conscientiousness
B. Proficiencies
Vocabulary
Numerical
C. Job Match Percentage (Are they a 95% job fit or a 30% job fit?)
D. Company Service Perspective (Do they interface with your customers the your company would like them to interface with customers?)
"When an employee leaves you, ...you're going to lose 2½ times
the person's annual salary, whether they're entry-level or senior
management." Dr. Pierre Mornell, as quoted in Nations Business
What does it cost you to make a hiring mistake? You can use
this simple Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet to calculate the cost.
To get a copy of the spreadsheet simply put your name and
email address where noted below and press the "Send Now"
button. Within a few minutes you will receive the spreadsheet
via email auto-responder as an attachment.
