Hiring the Smile

When it comes to good customer service there is nothing more important than hiring the right person. A favorite colleague reminds me all the time about how and why Nordstrom’s is so successful with creating the ideal customer experience; they hire the smile and train the skill.

So how do you hire the smile? First and foremost look for individuals who have a positive attitude and are genuinely excited about the prospect of working for your company. When interviewing a candidate I appreciate it when the prospective employee has taken the time to research and understand what we do as a company and demonstrate knowledge about our clients, culture and our business in general.
Being a customer service specialist is not for everyone. While we would like to believe we get everything right, part of the reason you have someone answering your calls is because you are sometimes dealing with unhappy customers. I believe in trying to do as realistic job preview as possible. I have interviewed candidates for various positions and there have been times that I intentionally try to scare them away so that I can see firsthand how committed they are to the opportunity versus just looking for a job.

Hiring the right candidates is not the responsibility of Human Resources. The entire team has the responsibility for hiring the right candidates. Coworkers, fellow team members as well as managers should participate in the interview process. Listen closely in particular to what the fellow team members have to say about the candidates ability and passion to do the job. They are the ones, who do the job on a daily basis and know better than anyone what it takes to be successful.

Everything I have talked about here is not just geared towards your customer service associates but should apply for every position you hire for within your organization. Every employee acts and serves as a face to your brand.

Stay tuned for my next entry which will be all about what to do once you hire the right person and to treat them the way you want your customers to be treated.