Customer service an important part of job training in schools, staffing agencies

The definition of good customer service may change some with time, but the foundation remains the same: the customer should always feel like they are wanted or needed, says Michael Baremore, marketing instructor and internship coordinator at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

"There are some businesses that feel they are large enough that they don't have to worry about treating customers fairly, but that is just wrong," he says. "There is always someone out there willing to take your place if you fail to meet the customers' expectations. Just offering low prices is not enough -- you have to be friendly and willing to assist customers with their needs."

Customer service is something Baremore emphasizes daily, not only in his classroom, but in the school store, which is run by marketing students. The store gives students real-world practice in money handling, counting change, inventory control, advertising and promotion, pricing and, most importantly, customer service, says Baremore.

"I try to emphasize that the customer is the most important part of any business," he says. "Many times when we are working we forget that, and think of them as distractions or an interference in our day. But as I tell my students, without customers, why would we need to work? Why would the business need to exist?"

This lesson often comes into play when students are busy with other tasks, like stocking shelves, and must quickly switch gears to help customers.

"I always say the same thing: the customer comes first, and we will finish when we can. Now we have to make sure our customers feel like they are our most important priority," says Baremore. "That is a hard concept for many of them to grasp, since many of them have never experienced that type of behavior themselves in a retail environment."

Meanwhile, Amber Prasanphanich, business technology instructor at the CTC, teaches students to apply good customer service on the telephone, in person and in writing, such as emails and office memos. She also covers multitasking, communication and language, including body language. She even sets up scenarios where students must respond to and resolve problems while providing quality customer service.

"Customer service can cause a company to maintain, gain or lose customers," she says. "These are skills that employers are telling me they need their employees to walk in the door with. Today's business world is changing. This means that customer service skills are not just face-to-face -- they incorporate technology and face-to-face. Employers are looking for employees with customer service skills in both areas."

At Talent Force, a full-service staffing firm in Cape Girardeau, employees coach their clients to find jobs and prepare for work, covering everything from resumes, interviews and promptness to good hygiene, attendance and attitude. Many clients are fresh out of school and just entering the workforce, while others have been in the workforce for years and are looking to better their skills and move up the career ladder, says Connie Mahathath, branch manager in Cape Girardeau.

"Right now employers are looking for dedication," she says. "They want employees who are going to show up every day and care about the job they're doing, and they can pretty much recognize that in a fairly short period of time."

For Mahathath, customer service factors into her interactions with job-seekers as well as employers. The better these relationships are, she explains, the better she can understand the types of employees they're looking for and the positions they're trying to fill -- and then match the right employee with the right job.

"You're only as good as your last interaction with a person," she says. "You might have built a great relationship with a company, but if you let things fall through the cracks, if you don't follow up with good communication, the relationship will deteriorate rather quickly. For us, customer service is infused in every part of the experience."

Mahathath also believes in good customer service within a company, or between employers, employees and co-workers.

"The more a company invests in employees, the more employees are going to give back to company. It's a dual process," she explains. "If all a company does is take, take, take, you're not going to have the dedication and good attendance record and good performance that you're hoping for. Companies should take a great customer service approach to their employees -- respect them, get to know them, and help them develop their own skills, and I think you can only benefit."