In six years Uber has amassed $5.6 billion in total funding, attracted between 2,500 and 5,000 employees, and started a revolution in terms of customer service. Uber provides private drivers on demand to individuals in most major cities across the US. As part of this service, both the passenger and the driver leave a rating for each other. This concept that customers can be rated is completely new to the customer-centric business world. However, it is working wonders to improve customer and driver interactions on a smaller scope. So, let’s turn this around and think about what could happen if, as a customer, your customer service representative could rate you?
As with food trucks, Kickstarter, AirBnB, CouchSurfing and Lyft, the goal is to connect individuals with business dreams with customers on an intimate scale. Focusing on Uber, people throughout the US have their own car, they are willing to drive strangers to their destination, and they want to get paid for it. This form of business increases the economic opportunities from incorporated businesses to individuals who want to earn a living on their own terms. In order to make this process most productive, the concept of customer ratings has evolved. Consider it one of the perks of micro business. In order to apply this approach to customer service on a larger scale, there are many ways businesses could benefit.
Customer service representatives routinely get roughed up by customers. Of course, when customers are calling in to a call center for assistance, they are typically dealing with a problem with a product or service. However, it does not give a customer free rein to act as if the CS rep is not also a person, with feelings. Consider this example of a Dunkin’ Donuts employee as reported by HubSpot. Here is a perfect scenario where customer rating could have possibly kept this outrageous customer from acting like a loon. The old adage “the customer is always right” has been stretched beyond its capacity. If customer reps could place ratings on customers this would potentially realign that notion to a more realistic ideal. Customers are not always right, and sometimes they get out of line, and a CS rep needs to have the ability to rebalance this teeter tottered, customer-focused relationship.
When customers call in, come by or make complaints for the least little things, it takes time away from customers who have actual issues. Customer service reps who could rank customers could ding those who call in for inane reasons, thereby reducing the number of customers who are crying wolf. This, in turn, would streamline the customer service of businesses and improve on their ROI of CS reps.
Ask anyone working in customer service and they will agree—you have to have solid interpersonal skills. Dealing with customers on a daily basis, often who are voicing problems, requires patience, strong communication skills and a desire to help others. Even so, most reps become overly stressed, causing the above average stress level for CS reps across the board, according to CNN Money. If these reps were able to show customers a more accurate portrayal of their behavior through the social measure of customer ratings, then this would reduce the stress occurred by CS reps. Along with a greater respect for reps for the work they do, customer service workers could improve their job satisfaction. Here’s the deal. When a customer is upset about something, they may overreact, and customer service is where such interaction takes place.
By rating customers it brings to light their social misbehavior, and opens up the opportunity for a discussion on how to improve the general public’s attitudes and actions when dealing with customer service.