May 15 2009
How To Empower Your Customer Service Representatives
Effective service requires that you empower customer service representatives. When these team members are micromanaged and must seek approval for every problem resolution, the impression left with the person seeking assistance will be very poor.
To empower customer service representatives, it is important to define exactly what the policies and procedures are that must be followed in problem resolution. These steps should be documented and training should be provided so that empowered employees know what to do and how to do it as well as how far they can go in creatively resolving the concern or issue with which a client has come forth for help.
It is necessary that you select empowered customer service representatives that you trust to make decisions and that have a track record of performing their assignments with empathy and caring attitudes. Of course, there has to be a level at which approval is required but in the case of repairing, replacing or rectifying problems within certain cost limitations, the team members must be trusted and allowed to do their jobs. This will ensure that customers feel that they have reached a caring customer service representative that can act freely to solve the issue at hand.
Nothing is more frustrating than to contact a company’s service department only to be told that you will have to fill out a long form and then the staff will have to request approval to act on the clear problem when there is no question that it is not the client’s fault but that the company should act on the point in question. Having empowered customer service representatives that can tell the customer exactly what can be done to help resolve the matter, whether that be a replacement, repair, discount on the service, discount on a future product or service or whatever is appropriate in the specific situation, will allow the client with a service issue to have a very positive experience.
There should be some areas in which you empower customer service representatives to make a decision entirely alone and document the action taken to help the client. When more money or time is involved in repairing the relationship with the client, there may have to be an approval process where a higher level manager is contacted; in some cases where large amounts of money or time are involved, even higher levels of leadership may be to become involved. This doesn’t mean that the representatives can not be empowered to act, however. In these cases, the team members should be empowered to contact appropriate parties, even with the client present, and schedule the needed approvals or even obtain the approvals immediately by telephone.
If you empower customer service representatives, time and money will be saved in the long run. While repairing relationships can cost some time and money in the short run, the return business and the word of mouth advertising you’ll receive is worth every penny of the investment made on the part of the business. You’ll also have happy, productive employees that feel trusted and valued, making the quality of their work lives much better.
By Business Editor
