ARE you an impatient, short-tempered and unfriendly individual who works as a customer service agent? If yes, I would suggest you ask the human resources manager to have you placed elsewhere in the organisation, preferably in the back office with a computer.

The truth is, many people who interface with the public are incorrectly placed and create more harm than good for the organisation.

Human resource managers and owners of businesses must properly screen and select the right people to face the public. Gone are the days when a pretty face and a nice voice would be the criteria for selecting front desk personnel.

The service of the customer service professional must be continuously appraised. The telecommunications companies in particular monitor the conversation of their customer service agents with members of the public. This, they say, is a strategy to improve the quality of service. Other companies have “undercover” people call in or visit the company to get a first-hand feel of the experience. They then report their findings to management.

If you have responsibility for overseeing the activities of front desk personnel, when was the last time you took them through the customer service drill? Or have you just overlooked the poor service? Remember, the customer service representative is the first contact with the company; he/she can either make or break the organisation.

Now call your reps together and present them with the customer service commandments. Discuss each commandment and have them explain what it means to them. Have them commit to these commandments by affixing their signatures to the bottom of the document. To further reinforce the tenets, frame them and place within view of the customer service agent and the customers as well.

Ten commandments of customer service

1. The customer is the most important person in our business.

2. The customer is not dependent on us; we are dependent on the customer.

3. The customer is not an interruption of our work, but the purpose of it.

4. The customer does us an honour when they come to our store(s) or shop online.

5. The customer is part of our business, not an outsider.

6. The customer is our guest.

7. The customer is not a cold statistic, but flesh and blood, a human being with feelings and emotions like our own.

8. The customer is not someone to argue with or match wits with.

9. The customer is deserving of the most courteous and attentive treatment we can provide.

10. The customer has the right to expect an employee to present a neat and clean appearance.

— Wayne Powell is a human resources professional. He may be contacted at crisscounsellor@yahoo.com.