Knowing how you are likely to respond to a customer is a good way to begin dealing with a situation, and this survey from CSDP Corp will help with that.

1)  You’re working at the front counter and a customer walks in looking uncertain. You:

A) Welcome him and offer your assistance, of course!
B) Greet him and go back to what you’re doing. He’ll come and talk to you if he has any questions.
C) Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t make eye contact. He’s probably in the wrong place anyway if he looks so unsure anyway.

2)  You’re answering phone calls at a help desk. A frustrated client calls with her ongoing complaint that has not yet been resolved. You:

A) Apologise for her difficulties in getting the problem resolved and make sure you get it fixed for her, even if it
means involving a manager or some other party. You will see it through to resolution.
B) Apologise and fix the problem if you know-how. If not, you transfer her to some other department.
C) Tell her that there is nothing you can do to help her. If no one else has been able to fix her problem why does she think you’ll be able to?

3)  While working on a project with a client you realise that there has been a misunderstanding in what he wanted vs. the product you have provided him with. The best course of action is to:

A) Apologise for the miscommunication and make sure that you now understand fully what his needs are. Then, flush out a game plan as to how best correct the situation and get him what he actually wants.
B) Try to sell him on why the product you’ve provided him with is so much better than what he had in mind. That will save you the time and money to change it!
C) Ask him why he didn’t make himself clear in the first place. How dare he tell you he wants something different this late in the game!

4)  It’s ten minutes to closing and a client walks in with a laundry list of things she needs help with. You:

A) Do everything you can to help your customer no matter when she walks in the door.
B) Help her, but remind her of your store hours. You’re almost off and she needs to hurry.
C) Explain to her that you are nearly closed and she should come back tomorrow if she has such a tall order.

5)  You’re slammed at work and in the middle of two transactions at once. The phone rings with a customer needing assistance. You:

A) Apologise for the inconvenience and explain to him that you are tied up currently. You get his name and number and promise to call him back in 15 minutes, once you are free and can properly assist him.
B) Put him on hold. If what he needs is important enough, he’ll wait.
C) Let the phone ring. Someone else can answer it or he can call back.

If you answered…

Mostly A’s:

Service Hero:

Congratulations! You are a Service Hero! You have the willingness and the know-how to go the extra mile to provide spectacular customer service. You have the best interests of your clients and your company in mind at all times. You are willing to give your all no matter how inconvenient or difficult your customers’ needs or requests are. You take pride in your work, and your relationships are rewarding because of this.  Any employer should be proud to have you as a representative of their business.

Mostly B’s:

Apathetic Agent:

While you’re surely not the worst service person out there, your customer service skills could use some fine tuning. It may be helpful to spend some time thinking about what ways you would want to be treated if you were the customer. Also, it is important to remember that every service interaction is an opportunity to build and shape the image and future of your company. Being so-so is not enough. Take this wake-up call as an opportunity to grow and learn to be a better service representative. You have the potential to shine, now just work on honing those skills!

Mostly C’s:

Service Zero:

Your customer service skills leave A LOT to be desired.  It is important for you to realise that the way you treat your customers is a reflection on yourself. It would be good to ask for help from managers and co-workers and try and learn how a customer should be treated. If all else fails, think about how you would want someone to treat you in a service situation? Or your Mom?! If all this fails you may want to consider a new career. Not everyone is cut out for a service career. These are demanding positions and take a lot of care and skill, but can be greatly rewarding as well!

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