First impressions are often wrong, yet they are very important. A single action that wows a customer, especially a new customer, may go a long way to influence a favourable opinion about the business. A single mistake by a customer service associate can also completely turn-off a new customer. Perhaps nothing is more important in customer service than getting it right at the first attempt.
It's common to see customers rate the same customer service associate differently, from 'very good' to 'very poor'. From my experience as a customer service associate, I know how much first impression counts. It can either win you friends or earn you enemies. I've had some customers asking for a feedback form to compliment or criticize my service quality. Occasionally I go out of my way to go the extra mile to meet customers' needs, probably because there's not a high traffic of customers waiting to be served.
There are also times, especially when the shift is understaffed, where I am unable to pay adequate attention to some customers because of pressure from other customers waiting, getting impatient, and physically agitated. When faced with attending to customers who have been waiting for a considerable time, what will you do? There's this customer before you, they need your help with something that demands you being out of your desk for some time to attend to his need. Then there's this long line of other customers before you and they are eagerly waiting to be attended to. You know you're doing your best, but you're overwhelmed.
Much has been said about seizing the moment of opportunity to wow customers and leaving lasting impressions with them. But when you are so pressured to the point that you are no longer in a position to deliver and your integrity is about to be compromised, how do you handle that? Quitting is not an option here. You love the job, you have a passion for it, you want to acquire the necessary experience and grow, but the environment isn't giving you the opportunity. What are the solutions?
