A team member is falling short on customer service. How do you turn their performance around?

There can be various reasons why a team member might be falling short in customer service, ranging from personal issues like family challenges to professional ones such as burnout or difficulty with technology. Instead of immediately placing blame, especially in front of others, it’s crucial to first observe their work and review customer logs and feedback. Observation is key to understanding the root of the issue. Once you have a clear picture, invite the team member to a private meeting where you can have a candid conversation about your observations. Approach the discussion with the intent to help, not to dictate. By offering support and understanding, you can work together to identify the underlying problems and find ways to improve

A considerable amount of consideration needs to be on training! We need to get away from the misconception that one size fits all! Identifying brilliance can be bypassed by our inability to have an open mind to the requirements of adaptable training styles.

Understand Customer Needs: Begin by ensuring that the team member understands the specific needs and expectations of the customers. This can be achieved by gathering and analyzing customer feedback, and using tools like surveys or CRM systems to gain insights into customer preferences and pain points

An example I have seen is team appraisal and teach the team on how to have customer service. Teams must understand how to deal with customer for successful business

From my experience, this is something that is usually at the bottom of the priority list when it should be at the top! Train your team, listen to your team and ultimately your team will be happy and your customers will receive the best service - it’s that simple!

Set Clear Expectations and Goals: Clearly define what exceptional customer service looks like and set measurable objectives for the team member to achieve. Regularly review their performance against these goals and provide constructive feedback to guide improvement.

Provide Training and Coaching: Offer targeted training to improve key customer service skills such as empathy, active listening, and problem-solving. Continuous coaching and mentoring can help the team member develop these skills and apply them effectively in customer interactions

Seek and Use Customer Feedback: Encourage the team member to actively seek feedback from customers and use it to identify areas for improvement. This can help them understand how their performance impacts customer satisfaction and where they can make adjustments

Customer service is about comfort and feel. How comfortable you are with your work, how comfortable can you make the customer, how you feel about the interaction and what you feel you can include about yourself to make a good impression. I always searched for some kind of common ground to include in the conversation with the customer to make the dialogue less antiseptic. Once they saw I was a person and not just someone who fixed their issue or sold them a good or service you succeeded in that customer service interaction. Often times they would become repeat customers.

Create a Supportive Environment: Foster a coaching environment where the team member feels supported and valued. Regular check-ins, recognition of achievements, and addressing any barriers they face can motivate them to improve their performance and engagement with customers