When we think of customer service training, we usually picture cashiers, waitstaff, or call center representatives—the people who talk directly with customers every day. But great customer service isn’t just about your frontline team; it’s actually about the whole company working together to create an excellent customer experience from top to bottom. Whether we’re talking about an employee who directly serves customers or supports those who do, their role impacts customer satisfaction. That’s why customer service training should extend beyond the front line and be a part of everything your business is and does.
Walk in Your Employees’ Shoes
One of the best ways to really understand the customer service challenges your company faces is for managers to spend time working on the front line. By directly interacting with customers, they can experience firsthand what employees go through daily, from handling difficult requests to navigating company policies in real time. This exercise provides invaluable insights into where friction points exist in the customer journey.
A key takeaway from this experience is identifying when policies hinder service. If a manager frequently finds themselves using their authority to override a policy just to meet a reasonable customer request, that’s an important red flag. It suggests that regular employees might be too restricted by rules that prevent them from making sound, customer-friendly decisions. By walking in their employees’ shoes, managers can pinpoint these unnecessary barriers and take steps to eliminate them. After all, we should want our employees to handle the small issues without troubling management.
Empower Employees to Deliver Great Service
Once managers recognize where customer service bottlenecks occur, the next step is ensuring frontline employees have the tools and authority to resolve issues efficiently. Employees shouldn’t have to jump through hoops or escalate simple problems just to keep a customer happy. Instead, businesses should establish clear guidelines that allow employees to make informed decisions on their own. If an employee oversteps or makes a mistake, that’s where additional training comes into play.
Speaking of training, it should focus on problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and company values, ensuring employees feel confident in their ability to deliver excellent service. When employees are empowered to act in the customer’s best interest without unnecessary restrictions, service quality improves, and customers walk away with a more positive experience.
Customer-First Thinking at Every Level
Customer service doesn’t stop at the front line, of course. Every area of the business contributes to the overall experience. Hiring processes should prioritize candidates with service-oriented mindsets, and company policies should be designed with the customer in mind.
A helpful guiding principle is to ask: “Does this help or hinder the customer experience?” If policies, workflows, or internal processes create more roadblocks than solutions, they should be reconsidered. When every part of the business operates with a customer-first mentality, the organization as a whole becomes more efficient and effective at delivering outstanding service. This is true whether you operate a business with departments like HR, IT, and operations, or simply have a division between front-of-house and the kitchen. Every section is interconnected.
Take the Next Step with Mystery Shopping
Understanding and improving customer service across an entire organization requires honest feedback and real-world insights. That’s where mystery shopping and customer/employee feedback surveys come in. These tools help businesses uncover hidden pain points, identify restrictive policies, and ensure a seamless customer experience.
At The Brandt Group, we specialize in mystery shopping and customer experience consulting. With over 30 years in business and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, we have the expertise and the tools to help you refine your service approach and create a customer experience-focused culture. Contact us today to learn how we can help you make your business more efficient and successful for the long haul!
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