When you think of the word customer service, what images pop into your brain? Do you see a musty warehouse with thousands of desks or cubicles crammed together with people just shouting and upset? It’s not your fault, this is the way we have been taught that call centers are. In fact, there may have been some customer service centers actually doing things like this and may still do!
It’s time to break the negative customer service mentality
If you have ever worked in a customer service center or know someone that has, ask them how they truly feel about it. Did they LOVE their job? Did they feel it was the best job and they skipped home with a smile? Doubtful.
Here are some facts I bet you didn’t know about customer service by Helpscout.
“I think it’s critically important to have a guiding principle when making any decision that impacts the team. I always think to myself, is this choice making the lives of our team members better? Building a culture that supports the well-being of our team is what gets me excited about coming to work every day.”
– Jen Vinciguerra, VIPdesk Connect, Vice President of People & Culture
It’s time to change the way we look at customer service
VIPdesk Connect is not just a name, it’s a team. It’s a team of people that believe in people. Customer service centers are full of people, not robots. We don’t believe in pressuring people to be fearful of working so hard they hate their jobs.
This article, ‘The Worst Job I Ever Had: Working in a Call Center for a Cell Phone Company’ by Lucas McDaniel is why we do what we do. Let’s change worst into best.
It’s time to change the meaning of the word customer service
Let’s break the negative paradigm right now. We believe each person deserves what they are worth. That means great pay, work-life balance, excellent management and a chance to work hard to prove their own worth.
It’s time to get paid what you deserve
When you hear customer service center, you think of the most basic, demotivating and unflattering work environment. Well, again, time to break the paradigm. We don’t refer to our employees as a customer service team. They are brand ambassadors, they live and breathe the brands, products or services they represent and have the best knowledge when it comes to their customers. They are the true experts helping our clients with their orders and purchase considering while trying to increase the positive perception of the brand and increasing the lifetime value of each and every customer. Of course, this can also be the starting point of a career within the company they are supporting.
Petra Geiger writes of the Benefits of Cultivating Brand Ambassadors vs. Sales Associates.
“78% Of customers say that competent customer service is the single biggest factor contributing to a positive customer experience.” – Genesys
It’s time to work hard, play hard
Full-time Brand Ambassadors are offered the same benefits as a salaried employee of any rank – paid time off, sick days, vacation days, insurance. We are all humans with the same needs! There is no reason someone who is handling calls should have less worth than an executive employee.
Robert Montenegro writes a bit more about happy Brand Ambassadors – and these guys are out in the field! We live our brand on the phone, through the product, and with our hearts.
The next time you hear the word customer service center please picture a person happily sitting in their home office or even in a beach house, with a nice cup of coffee in their hand, possibly a dog by their side enjoying a conversation helping someone.
Let’s break the paradigm together.
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