We can keep saying it till our vocal chords collapse, but it’s exceedingly important that your customer support representatives are knowledgeable in the products and services with which they’ll be assisting customers. But extensive training, email templates and basic phone scripts aside, there’s another way to go about finding reps that will swoop in and do your business proud.
Next time there’s an opening in the customer support department, leave job search sites like Monster and CareerBuilder behind. Think about it: the ideal candidate will be enthusiastic about your product or service and will have an extensive amount of knowledge gained from already being a customer–who wouldn’t jump at the chance to work for a company they already frequent and love?
It’s time to put your traditional hiring methods behind and search for customer support representatives within your very own pool of clients.
Needle in the Haystack
Let’s face it, trying to find long-term customer support reps can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Many may apply, but it takes a special kind of person to respond to customer concerns and feedback with flair. That’s why a man named Morgan Lynch founded Needle.com, a company that handles live chat customer service for a number of businesses by hiring reps who are already fans.
A recent article on USAToday.com revealed that Lynch found potential customer service reps, or “Needlers,” by sending individuals notes on company fan pages on Facebook as well as Twitter. This way, he’s discovered the true experts on companies and products that can provide the highest quality customer support out there.
A Unique Model for Hiring
So why not take Lynch’s lead? Instead of supplying random recruiting companies with generic postings or surfing Craigslist for potential employees, consider going to places where your customers hang out. Post available job listings right on your customer support webpage. You can even draw in employees by adding a link to a default support reply template in Infusionsoft when positions are available. Or mention where interested customers could apply within your on-hold messaging.
Think about it: the last people your customers want to be talking to about troubleshooting are those who have never even used your products. Someone reading blindly off of a script can’t help your customers the same way that a seasoned user can. And if personalized customer support is what you’re going for, then this may be the way for you to go the next time you need a new rep!