Recently I received this question on showing the value of a call center career or customer service career from one of our newsletter subscribers.
"I was hoping you could help me out with my question and maybe some information... What I am trying to achieve is to educate customer service representatives both current and in the future, to see customer services as a career and not a stepping stone for something else. As you would be aware that it is vital to have a good team within your company, and we have built our reputation on this fact with our customers. I am trying to portray this role as a vital position within in our company and should be looked upon as a professional career, not just a job. I am hoping you can help with ideas, information, what ever you can to help me with my research."
I think this is a question that everyone who is trying to build a team of professionals to be that vital (indeed!) face to the customer is struggling with. No matter how you twist and turn it, the reality in many businesses is that customer service is not the place to search for a career. In fact, it's often seen as a cost center, likely to be outsourced sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, because of this there is a strong perception amongst workers that customer support is either an entry level job (indeed a stepping stone for something else), or a good place to be if you have no career ambition whatsoever. As a result you attract people who are either not interested in customer service -OR- not interested in a career. Or both (ugh!).
How to change this around?
Does Management See the Value of Customer Service?
First of all, I feel there should be a clear commitment from the top that clearly acknowledges the importance of customer service in the total customer value proposition, and as a unique selling point.
If management doesn't see how customer service adds to the bottom line of the business, they are more likely to see it as a cost center.
And management loves to drive down cost.
If you can quantify (in cold hard cash) how much the customer service department is actually adding to the bottom line, then you have an argument to turn customer service into a profit center. ROI talks.
This is a major hump to take, and oh, ye lucky ones who have top management that has seen the light!
What is your goal?
The 2nd thing I'd like to address is the goal of making people view customer service as a career. Most likely you are having a serious issue with stability in your team. First you have to find people with the right attitude, train them, and then have them learn it on the job. And when they finally become a contributor, they hop to another job. I've seen it a million times.
I don't think you should necessarily go for career chasers. What you really need are people with a passion to help other people. Some want a career, others don't. The fact that someone doesn't want or need to make a career should not directly disqualify him or her for this work.
I'd even go so far as to argue that for a stable team, you need people with a drive forward, and people who like to stay put. Somewhere between them is a mix that allows people to flow in and out of the team, while maintaining a certain critical mass of knowledge and experience. But first and foremost, it's the passion to help that counts!
Do you have a Career to Offer?
Since you focus on customer service as a professional career, I'd like to discuss that as well. For people to see it as a career, you need to have a career path. What consecutive functions can you offer to employees? How can they better themselves in terms of personal development, recognition, and (last but not least) salary? Does this match the criteria of the kind of employees you'd like to attract?
If you indeed have a career path to offer, I'd say you have a major URP (Unique Recruitment Point) that you can use to recruit personnel into customer service positions. However, because of the perceptions, you should expect some resistance to that message.
In any case, to attract the right people into your team, you should really sell them on it. Just like you would sell a product or a service. Focus on the benefits, rather than the features. Let the price be right. Give them responsibility and recognition. Show them how they can further themselves by training and experience.
And even for those who look for a stepping-stone... make it a magnificent stepping-stone. That shouldn't be too hard...
Anyone who can demonstrate an initiate knowledge of what is in the hearts and minds of customers is so much closer to just about any high-valued function.
