Customer experience is difficult to measure and the quality of service is defined by the receiver. Innumerable sessions on service training focuses on doing the right things: wish the customer as he walks in, smile on eye contact, be attentive, attend to his needs... but we fail to understand that if these happen mechanically, the purpose is lost — the customer experience is still left undesired.

It is important, therefore, that the customer service associate is personally equipped to handle that experience and uphold the service brand. Training is important but more critical is hiring the right person. Service delivery is not a science; it is an art and while education helps, it is the persona that manifests it. The right skill-sets to look for in a frontline career is the ability to listen, to be comfortable with people, to work as a team, to be honest and more importantly be willing to serve.

It is here I would say that it is better to hire someone with a natural smile rather than teach someone to smile. The idiom of “hire bright, train right and results follow” may not apply in a service environment. It is better to say, “hire right, train bright and magic happens”.

The writer is CPO, Textiles & Apparel Business, Aditya Birla Group