“¡Gracias!” “Vielen Dank!” “Xièxiè!” There are thousands of ways to say “‘Thanks!” But when it comes to your customers, which actions have the most impact? With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it’s the perfect time to show gratitude to your clients, candidates and employees. If you need a little creative inspiration, I’ve curated this… Continue reading
They work long and hard. Your dedicated account managers may spend hours, days or even months closing new staffing accounts. But just a single service slip-up can cause new clients to run. Operating with a revolving door of clients is inefficient, expensive and demoralizing for your team. After investing so much time, money and effort… Continue reading
What do Best of Staffing® winners do differently? It’s simple: they treat their talent amazingly well! Summarized from Inavero’s What Makes Best of Staffing® Winners Different?, this infographic highlights the key actions BOS winners take that give them distinct advantages in recruiting and retaining exceptional candidates: Lessons for your staffing or recruiting firm: Treat your… Continue reading
…a website that’s intuitive, simple and welcoming – or one with copy so dense that it’s impossible to find what you need? Service staff who are friendly, resourceful and truly helpful when you call – or ones who act clueless or put-off by your requests? The guy on the left – or the guy on… Continue reading
How accurate are your perceptions of your candidates’ and clients’ experiences? Maybe not as accurate as you think: A recently published HelpScout ebook cites a troubling statistic: 80% of companies say they deliver “superior” customer service, while just 8% of people think these same companies deliver “superior” customer service. A 2014 study by CareerBuilder and… Continue reading
In a past role at a former company, I was unexpectedly appointed as the call center’s Customer Service Trainer due to a major corporate restructure. I’d never worked anywhere but in marketing departments before so this world was new to me. What I learned, I still carry with me into most of my day-to-day interactions,… Continue reading
Your client wants a “needle in the haystack” candidate. Yesterday. Your candidate wants a higher pay rate – and expects you to negotiate it. Your client who places one order a year (if that) requests a customized report that takes longer to prepare than his temporary’s assignment. New technology and heightened customer expectations make delivering… Continue reading
Ever heard of the inversion technique? (No, I’m not talking about flipping a bucket of ice water over your head – we did that a few months ago!). The inversion technique is a unique approach to problem-solving that starts with imagining worst-case scenarios – and then using those scenarios as the basis for developing solutions…. Continue reading
We all have clients who annoy us. You know who I’m talking about: those demanding, wish-washy or just plain irritating clients who take up a ton of our time and attention (and are the toughest to please). Frankly, irritation can be a two-way street. None of us is perfect, either (myself included!). In fact, we… Continue reading
Struggling to channel your inner Carnac? (Apologies to those of you who are too young to appreciate the reference.) You’re not alone. In most industries, including staffing, today’s customers are becoming more difficult to read. They’re far less loyal and trusting than they used to be. Their needs are more diverse. And while you might… Continue reading
Every staffing and recruiting firm has ’em. You know whom I’m referring to – those impossible-to-please, impossibly rude customers with utterly impossible expectations…and still, it’s your job to provide them with shareworthy service, day in and day out. When your clients or candidates are angry, upset or otherwise impossible to deal with, it takes some… Continue reading
Yes. Sure. Absolutely! Simply reading positive words like these makes us happy – which may explain why staffing and recruiting firms so often say “Yes” to customers when they should really say “No.” “But Victoria,” you ask, “Isn’t great customer service all about ‘going the extra mile’ to make clients happy?” Well, yes – and… Continue reading
In the staffing industry, we put a lot of effort into making positive first impressions with potential clients. And rightfully so. Staffing decision makers often decide within minutes whether or not they will give you a shot at their business. But does your staffing firm put as much effort into managing candidates’ first impressions? You… Continue reading
#3 – Thou shalt not take the name of thy customer in vain. #10 – Thou shalt not covet thy competitors’ service process. Okay, so these aren’t actually commandments of great customer service – I just thought they’d make for an interesting lead-in! But if you’re looking for a basic set of rules to help… Continue reading
How well does your business recover when something goes wrong? In a perfect world, every client walks away from experiences with your company feeling thrilled about the service they received. But we know how the real world operates. Even the best businesses don’t get it right every time. At one point or another, we all… Continue reading
