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Employees Role in Service Delivery. Chapter 11. Service Employees and Their Behavior. Why Are Service Employees So Important? Are All Service Employees Equally Important? Which Are More Important: Technical Skills or Social Skills?. Are All Service Employees Equally Important?.
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Employees Role in Service Delivery Chapter 11
Service Employees and Their Behavior Why Are Service Employees So Important? Are All Service Employees Equally Important? Which Are More Important: Technical Skills or Social Skills?
Are All Service Employees Equally Important? • Boundary spanners – the frontstage/line employees who link an organization with its customers. • Represent the organization to customers as well as provide information about customers to the organization • Can range from subordinate positions to professionals • Technical skills – the proficiency with which service employees perform their tasks. • Social skills – the manner in which service employees interact with customers and fellow workers.
Importance of Service Employees • Service employees: • Are the service – e.g., hair cutting, personal training • Are the organization in the customer’s eyes • Are the brand – e.g., a flight attendant - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIEIvi2MuEk • Are the marketers – most service firms look to build relationships with their customers
Ensuring Service Employee Excellence • For all workers—the frontstage “boundary spanners” and those who work backstage--its important to: • Hire intelligently • Train intensively • Monitor incessantly • Reward inspirationally • Sometimes, it’s necessary to address employees’ poor performance
The Changing Role of Employees in Service Firms • Many routine transactions are now conducted without involving front-line staff, e.g., • ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) • IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems • Websites for reservations/ordering, payment etc. • Though technology and self-service interface is becoming a key engine for service delivery, front-line employees remain crucially important • “Moments of truth” affect customer’s views of the service firm
Tools to Identify the Best Candidates • Employ multiple, structured interviews • Use structured interviews built around job requirements • Use more than one interviewer to reduce “similar to me” biases • Observe candidate behaviour • Hire based on observed behavior, not words you hear • Best predictor of future behaviouris past behavior • Hire those with service excellence awards and complimentary letters • Give applicants a realistic preview of the job • Chance for candidates to “try on the job” • Assess how candidates respond to job realities • Allow candidates to self select themselves out of the job
Singapore Air What are the implications of the following communication? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNEJrd6GkSY&feature=youtu.be