Why is it important to be Professional?
Professionalism in customer service is essential as it significantly influences customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and overall business success. It plays a crucial role in fostering trust, satisfaction, and loyalty, while also safeguarding the brand and promoting growth. This professionalism reflects positively on both the company and its employees, creating a beneficial cycle of positive interactions and satisfaction for everyone involved.
How to define ‘Professional’
The dictionary defines "professional" as having qualities associated with trained and skilled individuals, including effectiveness, skill, organization, and a serious approach. But what does that really mean? HOW do you show skill and effectiveness in someone or something in customer facing role? WHAT do you have to do?
Tips for delivering a Professional customer service
At Performance in People (PiP), we’ve defined ‘Professional’ as ‘Well presented, articulate, respectful and knowledgeable. We’ve analysed 1000’s of customer experiences (recorded through the use of mystery shopping), and populated a set of characteristics that contribute to delivering a ‘Professional’ service, including:
- Articulate/Fluent speaking
- Efficient
- Thorough product knowledge
- Respectful of customers decisions
- Smartly presented
Delivering ‘Professional’ customer service should be straightforward– and that’s why we’ve broken it down and simplified it into a specific characteristic library. Professionalism plays a crucial role in building positive, lasting relationships with customers. By incorporating these traits into every service interaction, you not only enhance the experience but also increase the likelihood of repeat business and positive referrals.
Professional – a behaviour within the award-winning BMS® methodology
PiP has developed an objective way of measuring the impact of behaviours on customer experience. The Behavioural Measurement Score (BMS®) is proven to link directly to improvements in independent CSS, voice of the customer and NPS measures. It analyses the 6 key behaviours that impact most on the customers’ experience: Friendly, Enthusiastic, Professional, Interested, Attentive and Helpful.
The methodology is used by 100+ UK organisations, providing valuable benchmarking data to understand their specific areas of behavioural performance and how they compare within and outside of their industry.
At the UK Customer Experience Awards, BMS® was crowned the winner for the ‘UK’s Best Customer Experience Measurement’. It also received an award for ‘Best Customer Experience Innovation’ and is now recognised as “the science behind delivering a great customer experience”.
Contact us to find out more about how our BMS® methodology can help improved your customer service!
