| The travel and tourism industry is primarily based | | | | go away from every contact feeling as though |
| on one thing; that is, customer service. Without | | | | they have been impeccably treated. An example |
| good customer service, a travel company, hotel | | | | of good customer service: let's say a company |
| or hospitality business fails quickly. Customer | | | | has a time rule, whereby all call backs to |
| service jobs, then, are the bedrock on which the | | | | customer enquiries are supposed to take place |
| whole edifice of good travel and good hospitality is | | | | within two hours. Tell the customer that they will |
| founded. As such, candidates are required to be | | | | be called back within two hours and call them |
| enthusiastic, motivated and extremely good at | | | | back in one. It's simple and it works every time. |
| person to person contact. | | | | Customer service jobs are easy when one knows |
| The secret of good customer service is actually | | | | how – it's all about delivering over-estimated |
| pretty simple – it just takes a little digging to | | | | promises and then coming back with a solution in |
| find it and get used to it. All companies, whether | | | | less than the estimated time. |
| they are hotels, airlines or whatever, have their | | | | It's equally possible to deal with complaints and |
| own rules, beyond which the customers cannot | | | | negative contacts in a way that tricks a customer |
| trespass. Those rules are designed so that | | | | into thinking that he or she has had special service |
| everybody knows what they are entitled to, | | | | – when in fact he or she has simply been run |
| what they are doing and what they cannot do. | | | | through the mill of company procedure the same |
| Customer service jobs, when they are done well, | | | | as everyone else. There are two golden rules for |
| are basically about adhering to those rules without | | | | dealing with complaints: one, never say that |
| letting the customers know about it. Great | | | | anything is the company's fault; and two, never |
| customer service happens when a customer | | | | blame the customer for anything. Take the middle |
| service representative is able to guide a customer | | | | ground – be sorry for whatever has occurred, |
| through the rules of a booking, or a complaint, | | | | or not occurred, to occasion the complaint: but |
| without that customer ever feeling like he or she | | | | don't actually blame it on anyone. Customer |
| is being "processed". Make each contact feel | | | | service jobs are all about maintaining a pleasant |
| unique, individual and above all like the customer is | | | | middle ground rather than diverting a conversation |
| being done a favour – and the rest is easy. | | | | into areas where arguments can occur or blame |
| It's not quite as simple as it sounds. The bigger | | | | is apportioned. |
| the company, the more rules it tends to have | | | | The right candidates for customer service |
| and the less leeway there is for transgressing | | | | employment, then, are friendly, polite and sensible: |
| them. However. Employees in customer service | | | | able to wander away from a script without ever |
| jobs are there to maintain and enhance the | | | | actually losing sight of the storyline. Done well, a |
| reputation of the company through polite, friendly | | | | customer services position can be highly |
| and successful service – and that means using | | | | rewarding – and without it, the rest of the |
| a little psychology to ensure that one's customers | | | | industry just doesn't work. |