Heroes, victims, or villains?
Customer service staff in branches today, heroes, victims, or villains?
Today face-to-face customer service staff is under a level of exposure never experienced nor expected before
We consider them HEROES because they are literally exposing their body in customer service. Some can act as VILLAINS when we observe some “frictions” with customers in stores and we hear phrases such as “Put on the mask!” “Sir, keep your distance!”. A high and imperative tone creates the doubt in the customer whether we are taking care of them or we are telling them off. We have observed other behaviors such as avoiding eye contact or apathy. We can also consider them VICTIMS because their health is at risk. And here is the biggest challenge they face, how to be nice, empathic, and understanding with a customer who may be focus of contagion? The strange paradox is that today the staff play the three roles at the same time and they need the tools to deal with this new scenario.
Today may be more than ever it is crucial to take care of the EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE that is discussed so much so that it reaches the customer. Do we LISTEN TO the front office staff? Do they have the tools? Do we have direct feedback, without intermediaries?
