Customer Contact - Essay Example

Customer contact is essential in every business. In fact, it is considered to be the primary reason for the success or failure of every business. Therefore, it is important to look closely at the requirements for customer contact employees. However, business managers should also take note that the qualities necessary for the employment, are not sufficient to assure quality service of customer contact employees. Rather, they should also be well-trained in order to make sure that they are empowered to confidently perform their duties and responsibilities. This paper will discuss some of the requirements for customer contact employees as well as the reasons why they should be trained.

Since customer contact employees are the front-liners in every business experience, they should have the qualities which can help ensure the retention of old customers and the attraction of new ones. According to DMG Consultancy LLC, customer contact agents should “demonstrate service excellence; apply in-depth product, procedure, and system knowledge to produce optimal outcomes and process outstanding oral, written and interpersonal skills”. In order to give excellent service, an employee must know the basics of his task such as job descriptions, the extent and limitations of his jurisdiction, and other important matters. “The contact center is a critical area where the customer’s experience and attitude towards the company are developed” (Prunty & Pritchard). Therefore, one should be trained for him to be able to properly and efficiently perform his duties for a highly satisfactory service. It is not enough that an employee knows the primary information about the company and his responsibilities one should also study the customers because “a problem is created when contact centers take action without really understanding their customers” (Prunty, et.al.).

In addition, applying in-depth product, procedure, and system knowledge cannot simply be done by informing an employee about them. He should be trained to perform such duties so that he will not waste his time experimenting with what must be done and perhaps during the process, jeopardize the business. The customer contact employee has the power to make a business a failure or success (DMG Consultancy, Prunty, et.al.) depending on one’s training or the lack of it. Training employees give them a well-defined description of their tasks, empowering them to achieve gains for the organization and customers (Blancero & Johnson). It must be noted that in the world of business, more and more competitors are rising and they are constantly improving their services. Therefore, in order not to see the demise of a business, managers must continually empower their customer contact employees through training and other informative activities.

Lastly, social skills are a must for customer-contact employees because they are dealing with other human beings. Being able to talk a lot is not enough. Instead, effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills should be acquired. Therefore, training should be given to employees for they to know what and how to say on certain occasions and to particular customers. For instance, it is good to admit that a business is not actually able to deliver something the customer is demanding however, it would be a bad thing for the company if the customer contact agent simply says so. This is where training will play its part. Employees will be taught how to phrase their words in such a manner that the customer does not get offended by the response and find another company that has better offers or also does not have the service but has excellent customer contact employees.