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We
all have our concerns in life. We are concerned about our health, our
family and loved ones, and about everything going on around us. But for
a lot of people, job security, and our future, had never been one of
those concerns. After all, if you worked hard and applied yourself, you
could count on having a job. There were many companies whose employees
boasted about having a "job for life".
Then came
a down economy, government budget and tax issues, and rising
unemployment. Companies and industries that once thrived were now having
a hard time just staying in business. Budget cuts, salary reductions,
and layoffs started happening with increased frequency. Unemployment
rose to almost 10% in some areas. to make matters worse, companies who
were more concerned about their "bottom line" than their
employees started shifting jobs to other countries where the labor costs
were cheaper. That just added to the frustrations of a lot of people.
One thing
became increasing clear, people who were poor or marginal workers were
no longer acceptable to many companies. Since labor was costly and
staffing levels were lower, those with poor or marginal skills were
often the first to be laid off. Only the higher performers were kept on
as staffing levels decreased.
So what
does all of this have to do with customer service training or customer
service skills? Well, we're glad you asked! As we have said many times,
customer service training teaches you crucial communication skills and
techniques. These particular skills allow anyone, no matter where they
work or what industry they work in, to be more productive and more
valuable. And that means more valuable to both current and prospective
employers!
Think
about it from an employers point of view. You want to have employees who
are productive, knowledgeable, and make as few mistakes as possible. You
want employees who will instinctively "know" what to do and
when to do it. In short, you want employees who will keep problems to a
minimum and solve problems quickly once they do occur.
Let's
take it down one level further. Think about it from a bosses or managers
point of view. Who would you rather have on your staff, someone who
communicates well and has to be told something once and gets it right,
or someone who misunderstands things all the time and has to do them
over? Who would you rather have working with you, someone who makes
situations worse when they get involved or someone you can go to when
things go wrong and who you can count on to set things right?
It is a
well known fact that customer service training skills are among the most
sought after skills by human resource professionals and employers. That
is because these skills increase productivity, reduce costs in resolving
situations, and allow people to perform at very high levels!
It is
also well known that when headcounts must be reduced an employees value
to the company almost always plays a major role in determining who stays
and who gets let go. Granted sometimes it comes down to seniority or
contract rules, but even in those cases, productivity and skills still
are a major factor.
Look at
the people around you who remain employed and get promoted. Most of the
time these are the people who perform at the highest levels and are
those who are known for being able to provide their companies and bosses
with what they need when they need it. This doesn't come by accident, it
is part of a specific mindset that comes from the skills taught in
customer service training.
There are
no guarantees in life and in order to be successful one must always try
their hardest and do their best. One must always strive to improve their
skills and keep them current. But if you have these skills, and combine
them with your honest efforts, you will go a long way towards increasing
your job security, and your future security.
That's
just a fact we all need to accept and embrace. Make the effort now and
stay ahead of your competition. It is a lot easier to stay out front
than catch up when it might be too late.
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