Kristen Gyles | Free 15-point customer service training manual

Few topics unite Jamaicans like complaints about customer service. Whether it is having to spend half the day waiting in several lines at a government office, being ignored in a restaurant, or getting so-called ‘bad attitude’ at the bank, frustration with service culture has become almost a national pastime.

The abundance of complaints is not new. The challenges with customer service have existed for some time and Jamaican consumers have been voicing their concerns ad nauseam. Unfortunately, there has been no evidence of improvement. In fact, customer service standards might actually be worsening. Why? Of all the various stakeholder groups, no one truly takes ownership of customer service standards. Employers blame their workers; workers blame both employers and customers; and customers blame their need for the product or service that keeps bringing them back for another serving of unprofessionalism. 

In reality, poor customer service is often a result of poor or inadequate training. Further, customer service reflects the emotional health of institutions. It reflects whether workers feel respected, whether systems function properly, whether professionalism is rewarded, and whether society itself is under strain. And Jamaica, like many developing nations, carries enormous socioeconomic strain. So, to some extent, the problem is a systemic one.

But, while some issues that erode service standards are systemic, others are not, and lie within the control of customer service staff. Jamaican workers have it within their power to be respectful, polite and helpful. Add to that practical customer service training and the result is attentive and pleasant customer service staff. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem many companies have been providing such training. So, I have decided to take the bold step of providing 15 guidelines for customer service staff – free of cost.

Here goes:

1. Observe common courtesies: Simple greetings like “Good morning” or “Thank you” actually mean something to many people. You are considered polite when you use them, so use them! When the customer is leaving, you might even want to consider saying “Thank you for shopping with us” for good measure.
2. Smile: This may sound corny, but if you are opposed to smiling constantly, customer service may just not be for you. Smiling helps to lighten the mood and sets the tone for a pleasant interaction.
3. Go and find out: Sally enters the store and sees Sammy, who was recently hired as a customer service representative. Sally asks Sammy “Do you sell Vitamin C?”. If Sammy does not know, he should go and find out, because it is his job to assist the customer. “Mi nuh know” is not an appropriate response. Further, Sammy should not simply respond “no” because he wants Sally to go away.
4. Give change in hand: If the customer attempts to pay for a product or service by handing you cash, return the customer’s change by handing it to them. It is not okay to throw the change on the table in front of them.
5. Do not try to match the customer’s so-called ‘bad energy’: If a customer becomes rude, attempt to de-escalate the situation by remaining calm. Going tit-for-tat with a rude customer will only end in an argument or fight.
6. Doors should remain open until closing time: This one is not hard. If closing time is 7 p.m., do not close the door at 6:45 p.m.
7. Avoid political discussions in the workspace: Sharing personal opinions of political figures is likely to incite arguments with customers who have opposing views. Further, as a representative of the company, you risk your company’s brand being associated with your political views. This is something they likely do not want.
8. Be prepared to share information freely about products and services: In order to make informed decisions, customers need to be provided with information. It is your job to provide it to them.
9. Do not solicit: It is unprofessional to solicit money, goods or phone numbers from customers. Doing so is likely to make the customer uncomfortable and may cause them to avoid the establishment simply because, well… they want to avoid you. 
10. Avoid controversial terms of endearment: Calling a female customer ‘aunty’, ‘mommy’, ‘honey’ or ‘dear’ is risky. She may not like that. While you may mean no harm, she may take offense to being called anything other than ‘Miss’ or ‘Ma’am’. If you really want to show endearment, ask the customer if they mind sharing a name that you can address them by.
11. Avoid referring to individuals by using racial descriptions: Names such as “coolie man” and “chiney lady” may be offensive to some customers. To be safe, do not use them.
12. Do not discriminate: All customers should be treated equally and fairly. Ignoring or mistreating someone because of their age, race, gender or the way they dress is inexcusable. 
13. Friday is a normal working day (unless it’s your day off): Believe it or not, if you are at work, you should be working. This is so, whether it is a Monday, Tuesday or Friday. 
14. Limit phone conversations: Do not allow personal conversations on the phone to prevent you from addressing a customer. If you must speak on the phone for any extended period, be discrete and avoid speaking loudly.
15. Do not leave the store unattended: This one should not be controversial. If customers enter the store and see no one, they will either steal what they want from the store (bad) or leave since there is no one available to do business with (also bad).

Professionalism must be trained. And who will do the training if not employers themselves? 

Kristen Gyles is a free-thinking public affairs opinionator. Send feedback to kristengyles@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com