Customer service is the lifeblood of every business and is something that will make or break any company long term. But putting signs in the break room that emphasize how important the customer is can only accomplish so much. Even a rigorous initial training program for your employees can break down over time. It’s an difficult task for management as well since employees behave differently when they know they’re being observed.
So, how do you monitor your employee customer service?
A great way to get a surface-level view is to employ customer satisfaction surveys. These will allow you to gauge the opinions of your existing clientele, to get a sense of the way the wind is blowing, if you will. Questions like, “What do you like about us?” and “What don’t you like about us?” are appropriate. Overall, satisfaction surveys are a great start.
For a deeper look, however, that’s where Mystery Shopping comes in. These audits allow you to spring pop quizzes on your employees without them even knowing about it until after the fact. How do they handle customers who seemingly have unending questions? What about those who don’t seem to understanding anything they’re being told? And what about argumentative customers? You can measure your employees’ product and promotional knowledge all at the same time to make sure the right products are being matched to the right people. Questions like, “Did the employee use closing statements to ask for your business?” work great in a mystery-shopping audit.
And best of all, this can be conducted in person or over the phone, both of which offer unique advantages that you can learn more in our blog or by contacting us.
Whether you elect look at the forest or the trees or both, surveys and audits can focus on whatever area you think needs the most analysis. Learning about the areas where your employees need more training, or, conversely, where they’re already excelling is a huge boon to any business. You can’t fix problems if you don’t know about them, nor can you recognize your hardest workers without this kind of customer service analysis.
Get started with surveys and mystery shopping today by calling The Brandt Group for more information.
