This highlights the enormous importance of competent points of contact, particularly when it comes to complaints. It is at this stage that it is decided whether a problem will escalate or become an opportunity to rebuild trust.
Between empathy and the pressure to find solutions
Working in a customer service centre demands far more than just specialist knowledge. Empathy, patience and strong communication skills are essential. Staff must be able to quickly put themselves in different situations, listen actively and, at the same time, act in a solution-oriented manner.
After all, the reality is often challenging: many callers do not get in touch when they are relaxed, but in stressful situations filled with anger, uncertainty or time pressure. Studies also show that complaints are often emotionally charged and that the focus is less on the issue itself and more on the feeling of not being heard (see Harvard Business Review, 2020). Customer service centre staff are therefore not just service providers, but also mediators, conflict resolvers and sometimes simply a calming influence in the chaos.
gswb: when the exception becomes genuine appreciation
Precisely because everyday life is often characterised by negative feedback, positive reactions have a special impact. They are rare but all the more significant for it. A recent example from everyday working life at gswb shows just how much such moments can achieve: employees Yvonne Kaya and Sabrina Schörghöfer received personal messages of thanks from customers who specifically highlighted their support. Such feedback is by no means a given; quite the opposite, in fact. Good work often remains invisible in the background because it is taken for granted as ‘functioning’.
This made the team’s delight all the greater: the recognition was not only shared internally but also acknowledged by Managing Director Ferdinand Hochleitner – complete with a small, symbolic token of appreciation.
#schongenial, when positive feedback from customers brings genuine appreciation to the fore in an everyday routine often dominated by complaints.
