Rock 8 Customer Service Traits to Win!

I love the Service Profession. A lot of people in our society look down on people in the Service Profession but we are critical to business. Although it’s one of the easiest careers to pursue and one of the most rewarding, few really excel at it. There are, however, a foundation of skills needed that can be used to move within the service profession. In my career of over twenty years as a Service Professional, I have learned 8 foundations to get noticed and get ahead.

It all begins with treating yourself like a professional.

If you treat yourself poorly, you will perform poorly. Many Service Professionals see their job as the bottom of the totem pole. As a result, management lives up to that expectation and lowers expectations and pay as a result. After all, in their minds, they are not paying professionals but just some help that doesn’t care how much they make. This is unacceptable as an outcome for the business and should be an unacceptable outcome for you as well. If you want to be taken seriously as a Service Professional you have to look like a professional first.

Although many of us cannot afford top of the line suits. ALL of us can afford decent slacks and dress shirts or shells and well-kept shoes. All Service Professionals should attend meetings with their manager and the executive team in a blazer and tie. This is the BARE MINIMUM for showing you take your career seriously. Few will want to hear your opinions if you look like you don’t care about yourself.

Possess communication skills both in writing and oral.

The difference between Service Professionals, (and its a profession, like law, or medicine, or plumbing) and professionals in other jobs is communication. The Service Professionals purpose is to tie an organization to its customer and vendors through clear and concise communication. Its not enough to just give the right answer. That is the bare minimum and that is unacceptable in today’s business environment.

World-class Service Professionals focus daily on ensuring that their communications are clearly written in the voice of the organization. They also ensure that oral communication is in plain English free of jargon, and corporate speak. Most importantly, they are well versed in the organization’s goals and priorities and are able to achieve them by applying them to daily interactions with vendor and customers. It’s not about Hello’s and Thank You’s or would you like fries with that. It’s a conscious thinking about how to drive an organization’s goals and mission through the core relationship with the customer.

Jesus’ hair is OK! Just keep it neat!

Facial hair and the hair on one’s head should be neat and trimmed. (even if you have long Jesus’ hair keep it trimmed) There is no excuse for showing your tattoos at work even if the culture allows it. Remember you are trying to ensure the customer focuses on what you say and not how you look. Keep it neat.

Customers can hear and Management can see how much you care.

Many Service Professionals work on the phone and customers don’t see them. But customers can hear slouching, frowning, and unhappy faces. When Service Professionals come to work they lay aside what is happening at home and play a character that is happy and ready to help. Some days this is hard to do. Guess what, some days it’s hard for Lebron James to go to the gym and shoot hoops. But you do it because that is a what professional does.

A Service Professional deserves to look good in front of their management. But slouching, mumbling, poor attitude, and lack of a positive attitude can take what is a great performance and reduce it to average performance. Good performance is both seen and heard in customer service.

Your workspace is an extension of your clothing.

How many times have stumbled across a cluttered or dirty workspace? Pretty common isn’t it. There is no reason to have a cluttered or dirty workspace. Many people will spend hundreds of dollars on shoes but will flush that money by not keeping their workspace clear of clutter and clean. You can still express your self! A small curated series of pictures and knick knacks can go a long way towards telling your story to leadership. But remember, your cube is an extension of your outfit and your resume. What does your space say about you?

Remember quality maketh professional.

Every Service Professional is subject to quality measures. Most Service Professionals will live up to the standard. No more, no less. Then these same Professionals are shocked when they are passed over for promotions and raises. Exceed expectations by not only keeping to your organizations quality standards but by exceeding them as well. For example, if the standard uses the client’s name at least once during an interaction, your leader will look for that single instance. But what if they miss it? Best to warmly, and not unnaturally (it sounds fake and works against you) use your client’s name throughout the interaction to ensure that you leader has multiple opportunities to hear the standard used and your client gets a world-class experience.

A word about call metrics.

Many Service Professionals feel that call metrics ruin the client experience. This is far from true. The service organization has to have an average interaction time if for no other reason than to know how many people to hire. And your clients don’t want to be on the phone for long periods of time. Think of a fine restaurant. The top restaurants are known for having service interactions that while personal are short and leave the customer to enjoy the time with a loved one. They are there to enhance the client experience not to dominate that experience. This is very hard to learn and is specific to each business. So if possible take time to shadow the best Service Professionals and use their standard at first, then exceed that standard.

Be early!!!

Many people have a hard time making it to work on time. But to be taken seriously long term a consistent pattern of showing up and starting on time must be adhered to. Service Professionals who take themselves and their career seriously know they should be at a minimum 30 minutes early. Period. Even if your team makes fun of you. Even if it annoys people make 30 minutes the standard.

If you are 30 minutes early you have time to get your computer fired up and deal with technology issues. You have time to get coffee or breakfast. You have time to read trade information or take extra training. You are gifting yourself time to be ready to perform. And if you have bad traffic or an accident you have bought goodwill with management. They know its uncommon for you to be late and will give you the benefit of the doubt. To be early in your mind change your shift time and set your clock to it. Its a small thing but it impresses if used appropriately.

Remember, being a Service Professional is as important as being a doctor or a plumber. People see the doctor once or twice a year but they interact with Service Professionals at least weekly if not daily. Don’t be afraid to take your profession seriously and apply these 8 key attributes to your performance. You will see a difference long term.

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