At DSI we’re in the customer support business, so hiring heroes is a necessity. Each week I’m in awe of the amazing people we have answering phone calls and emails from employees during their Dependent Audit.
The care, respect, and sincerity with which our team treats each employee who contacts us make me proud, and I often find myself bragging about our team to colleagues at other companies.
So how do you bring heroes to your customer support staff? Here are some quick tips to set you down the right path.
Integrate core values in the hiring process
You want your business dripping with your core values, and you can’t wait until after hiring someone to share those key components of your company.
At DSI, we even ask new interviews what their favorite comedy movies are. It sounds superficial, but we learn a lot from their answers, especially whether they fit in with our culture.
Be clear on what success looks like
Customer Service Expert, Shep Hyken reminds us we must be clear about what success looks like for your company. If we aren’t crystal clear in our vision, then we won’t know if the prospective hire aligns with us.
Hire passionate people
We hire passionate people. We don’t want clock punchers at DSI; we look for individuals who love what they do and who love our vision.
Hire excellent communicators
We interview candidates on the phone, via email, and through our internal chat system. Why do we go through the trouble? Because communication is important and we want to make sure our team communicates excellently on each platform we use.
Hire team players
Early on, when we were a young firm, we had a few hires that were clearly in it for themselves. Business is tough, and you must make sure the people you work with are there for you when you need them. Team players make a difference at every turn.
Always hire people willing to do more. From the individual who picks up litter in the hall when it’s ‘not their job’ to the customer support rep who goes above and beyond for a caller, people willing to do more become the champions of your company.
Hire leaders
You never go wrong with hiring leaders, and this is just as true for customer support. Leaders will elevate the team and bring energy to your department in ways you may not be able to. Hire leaders and let them make an impact on your business.
Look for empathy
Not enough people look for empathy in a good hire. That’s insane to me because compassion and being sensitive to the person contacting us is one of our core values. So for us, empathy is at the top of the traits list for an excellent customer support hire.
Customer Support heroes are all around us
Our best team members are all friends or family of someone we know or who currently works here. We have a big team, but the ones that stand out are all referrals. None come from job boards. Personally, I believe it’s because these hires came to know our business organically and were attracted to our values.
Keep your eyes open, and you’ll be surprised who your next rock star hire is.
Customer support is valuable to any growing organization, and I hope this gives you a little more insight into both how we do things here at DSI and also how you too can hire customer support heroes.