'Hire the personality': Tips on finding the right employees for your service-oriented business

When Becky Davidson considers potential employees for Belladona Salon & Spa, her motto is to "hire the personality and not the skills."

"We look for what they're passionate about and we look for their personality. We can train other things, but we can't change a personality -- so really, really, a big thing is personality," explains Davidson, who, along with Linda Springs, co-owns two Belladona locations in Cape Girardeau.

Davidson and Springs opened their first Belladona location in 2007, but the two women met years earlier, while selling makeup at J.C. Penney. Experience has taught them a thing or two about customer service, and it's served them well in their growing business.

"We always let (new hires) know what we expect them to know about our clients and how we want them to be treated," Davidson says. "If you don't treat clients well, they're going to go somewhere else. You can't afford not to have good customer service."

Joyce Hunter, coordinator of outreach and events in the Office of Career Services at Southeast Missouri State University, also knows that to be true: "We remind students, it's all about the customer. In today's competitive market, what determines the success or failure of a business or organization oftentimes relies on the quality of the customer service experience," she says.

Employers consistently seek individuals with strong "soft skills," or personality traits that indicate how they interact with others, according to Hunter. During an interview, employers are looking for candidates who start the conversation by introducing themselves, smile, are attentive, listen actively and respond with verbal and nonverbal communication cues, she says.

"A great customer service person is motivated, able to maintain a positive attitude and possesses a genuine desire to offer options/solutions to those seeking assistance -- in other words, an eager problem solver who derives professional and personal satisfaction from their ability to help," says Hunter.

Good customer service workers also must be able to adapt easily, think on their feet and work well in a fast-paced environment.

Carole Lemonds hands wet wipes to a customer at Chick-fil-A in Cape Girardeau. (Photo by Laura Simon)

At Chick-fil-A in Cape Girardeau, owner Brian House looks for employees who embody the Biblical principles on which the company is based.

"The first criteria we look for is if they have a servant heart," he says. "Do they want to serve not only their guests, but each other? Typically we find that those with a servant heart translate over into the guest experience."

House says that during an interview, he looks for someone who is selfless, compassionate and warmhearted, both inside and outside the workplace.

"We bring all new hires in to talk about what my vision is and what our values stand for," he says. "We go over our service model: If someone asks you to go one mile, go the second mile. One of the biggest things I always say is, 'The handshake of the host improves the taste of the roast.' We always strive and want (guests) to feel like they're eating at our house -- what do you try to do when a guest comes to your house? And we model that into our service model. It's what we call 'second-mile service.'"

And good service doesn't stop during a hectic lunch rush -- House says an average of 115 cars visit the drive-thru from noon to 1 p.m. each day. Employees speed up the process by taking orders outdoors on an iPad, but they are still instructed to greet each customer with a friendly face, ask their name and "go the second mile," such as by asking what condiments they need with their order.

"The customer's expectation is that they want it now and they want it fast and accurate, but they also want it friendly," says House. "We always try to put our face out there and add any special touches we can along the way."

Hunter encourages individuals to remember we are all each other's customers in one way or another, and "a savvy organization that consistently gathers feedback and proactively responds to customer demands is likely to flourish."

"The customer service relationship is fluid, and everyone throughout their day gives and needs customer service," she says. "If a co-worker asks for help answering a phone, or you need more information to complete a report, these are all examples of providing customer service. Approaching any customer service transaction with true empathy, putting yourself in each other's place, can be both empowering and satisfying."

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How to give good service on a bad day

We all have bad days (or weeks, or months). But when you work in customer service, the job often demands that you set aside your personal troubles and continue to give top-notch service with a smile -- much easier said than done, right?

"We all experience times when frustration tries to get the better of us," says Joyce Hunter, coordinator of outreach and events in the Office of Career Services at Southeast Missouri State University. "I recommend something that is tried and true and appropriate to just about any situation: Take a deep breath! Repeat three times. Yes, three times. And for good measure, smile! Even if you are not face-to-face with a customer, the smile will often be projected in your voice and reflected in your demeanor. This enables individuals to begin the next customer transaction with a fresh outlook."

Brian House, owner of Chick-fil-A in Cape Girardeau, likes to put things in perspective. Knowing his restaurant is across the street from a hospital, he reminds himself and his employees that any guest could have just received bad news, or good news, before coming into the restaurant.

"Customers are paying good money to come in and eat with us, and they're paying for our best," he says. "They deserve a remarkable experience in operational excellence. When we serve guests, we want it to be intentional. Focus on that guest, because you never know what's going on in their life."

Becky Davidson, co-owner of Belladona Salon & Spa in Cape Girardeau, adds this: "We tell (employees) to leave all their baggage at the door when they come in and to put a smile on their face. That's your paycheck -- (clients) are paying you (for service). If you're in a bad mood, it can happen so far as it gets everyone else in a bad mood. Just come in and put a smile on your face, because your client is your paycheck."