[IPAC-List] Customer Service Position Description

[Brull, Harry]

And then there was a snowy day at Denver Airport with long lines to rebook cancelled flights.
A man elbows to the front of the line and announces "I need to get to ...."
The gate agent tells him he will just have to take his place in line.
He responds "Do you know who I am?"
She then keys her mike and announces
"Ladies and gentlemen. Can we have your attention. We have someone here who is uncertain regarding his identity."
To which he responds, "F....k you lady
Her response, with mike still keyed,
"Sorry, you'll have to get in line for that as well"

Now that's customer service coupled with quick thinking and grace under pressure.

Harry Brull
Harry Brull (sent via Blackberry)

----- Original Message -----
From: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org <ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org>
To: IPAC-List at ipacweb.org <IPAC-List at ipacweb.org>
Sent: Sat Jan 08 17:09:13 2011
Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] Customer Service Position Description

The comments about context around "maintains a positive attitude" are key from an I/O psychologist point of view.  However, I think that most people who are applying for a customer service position know that the full sentence from Joel's original post is "maintains a positive attitude in a job where people call to complain and a fair percentage are going to be rude or abusive towards you."

Warren

Warren Bobrow, Ph.D.
All About Performance, LLC
(310) 670-4175
www.allaboutperformance.biz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shekerjian, Rene" <Rene.Shekerjian at cs.state.ny.us>
To: <keith.poole at phoenix.gov>; <IPAC-List at ipacweb.org>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] Customer Service Position Description



>I love this line from the Keith's example:

> 

> The duties of this classification differ from other clerical counter duties by the responsibility for providing information of an interpretive or procedural nature and the frequent contact with distraught or irate individuals.

> 

> Would you please hire me? :-D

> 

> René 

> 

> René Shekerjian | Testing Services Division | NYS Department of Civil Service | 518-474-3778

> ============================================================================================

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: keith.poole at phoenix.gov [mailto:keith.poole at phoenix.gov] 

> Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 4:11 PM

> To: IPAC-List at ipacweb.org

> Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] Customer Service Position Description

> 

> I was originally thinking Joel was looking more for a job posting position 

> description, but he is looking for class spec...my bad, here is a link to 

> a customer service class spec.  We wouldn't use a phrase like "maintains a 

> positive attitude" in a spec.

> 

> http://phoenix.gov/employment/descrip/title/01080.html

> 

> Keith Poole

> Human Resources Supervisor

> City of Phoenix Human Resources Dept

> Employment Services

> (602) 262-7140

> keith.poole at phoenix.gov

> 

> "Phoenix - 2009 All-America City"

> 

> 

> 

> Lance Seberhagen <sebe at erols.com> 

> Sent by: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org

> 01/06/2011 12:52 PM

> 

> To

> Mark Hammer <Mark.Hammer at psc-cfp.gc.ca>

> cc

> IPAC-List <IPAC-List at ipacweb.org>

> Subject

> Re: [IPAC-List] Customer Service Position Description

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> I agree with Mark that realistic job previews are a great to use in job 

> ads and the employee selection process generally. However, Joel's 

> original question was about what phrases are typically used to describe 

> job duties and skills in position descriptions, not job ads. Position 

> descriptions should also discuss working conditions and anything else 

> needed to achieve the purposes of the position description. But, geez, 

> it's hard to cram everything into the very concise position descriptions 

> that most organizations like to use, so we normally throw all of the 

> juicy details into our fun-filled job analysis reports.

> 

> Lance

> 

> Lance Seberhagen, Ph.D.

> Seberhagen&  Associates

> 9021 Trailridge Ct

> Vienna, VA 22182

> Tel 703-790-0796

> www.seberhagen.com

> 

> 

> 

> On 1/6/2011 2:01 PM, Mark Hammer wrote:

>> I get the ads on our internal government-wide job board sent to me

>> daily, essentially to see what the state of advertising is and what

>> sorts of processes people are running.  A lot of them have phrases like

>> those listed in this thread, and I find myself asking "Well, what for?

>> Why DO I need to be able to maintain a positive attitude or remain calm

>> under stress?  What is it about the job you're not telling me?".

>>

>> Now, setting aside the fact that a great many job ads are not

>> particularly well-written, I think what is key here is to provide the

>> context in which the soft-skill in question is required.  In other

>> words, you need to be able to "maintain a positive attitude" because

>> THIS is what you're going to be doing, under THESE circumstances, so if

>> you can't do that, you're not really going to enjoy this job or thrive

>> in it.

>>

>> Too many job ads are written as if there are these "mystery qualities"

>> we're looking for, the choice to select is ours and ours alone, and you

>> shouldn't concern yourself with whether it's a job YOU want.

>>

>> That's the whiny way of simply suggesting that any listing of soft

>> skills make more sense, and are far more informative to prospective

>> candidates, when they are linked to the context in which they will be

>> necessary.  That makes them more plausible, more translatable into

>> obvious behaviours, gives some sense of how important they are to the

>> daily activities of the job, and allows candidates to self-screen out.

>> I think all the items on Lance's list are quite reasonable, but they can

>> be leveraged better when connected to job context.

>>

>> Mark Hammer

>> Ottawa

>>

>>>>> Howard Fortson<Howard at cps.ca.gov>  2011/01/06 12:10 PM>>>

>> I find it interesting that we use "positive attitude" in our abilities.

>>   I would go for your listed abilities below.  I think rather than list

>> out measureable descriptors we get lazy and use things like "positive

>> attitude" and that is just one example.  Not meaning to step on toes,

>> but sometimes I think competencies are used in the same way.  Easy to

>> put out there but much more difficult to measure.

>>

>> Great discussion,

>>

>> Howard

>>

>>

>> Howard Fortson, Ph.D.

>> CPS Human Resource Services

>> 241 Lathrop Way

>> Sacramento, CA 95815

>> howard at cps.ca.gov

>> 916.471-3449

>> 916.561.7249 fax

>> www.cps.ca.gov

>> ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

>> Helping public agencies

>> acquire, retain&  develop

>> the best employees

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org

>> [mailto:ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org] On Behalf Of Lance Seberhagen

>> Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 8:56 AM

>> To: Joel Wiesen

>> Cc: IPAC-List

>> Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] Customer Service Position Description

>>

>> One needs to distinguish between work behaviors (observable job duties

>> or tasks) and necessary worker characteristics (KSAs or competencies).

>>

>> "Maintains a positive attitude" is not a good work behavior because it

>> is not directly observable.  As a worker characteristic, one might say,

>> "Ability to maintain a positive attitude."

>>

>> In addition to mental ability, here are some other worker

>> characteristics that one might see in customer service position

>> descriptions:

>> 1.  Ability to provide courteous service.

>> 2.  Ability to provide service with a smile.

>> 3.  Ability to treat others with dignity and respect.

>> 4.  Ability to listen carefully.

>> 5.  Ability to understand needs of others.

>> 6.  Ability to speak English fluently.

>> 7.  Ability to maintain a high energy level.

>> 8.  Ability to remain calm when under stress.

>> 9.  Ability to maintain a good appearance.

>> 10.  Willingness to serve others.

>> 11.  Willingness to follow rules.

>>

>> Lance

>>

>> Lance Seberhagen, Ph.D.

>> Seberhagen&   Associates

>> 9021 Trailridge Ct

>> Vienna, VA 22182

>> Tel 703-790-0796

>> www.seberhagen.com

>>

>>

>>

>> On 1/5/2011 7:56 PM, Joel Wiesen wrote:

>>> How typical is it to include phrases like, "Maintains a positive

>>> attitude" in a customer service position description?

>>>

>>> Are there other such phrases that are often used to describe duties

>> or

>>> skills?

>>>

>>> Might you be able to share some sample position descriptions that use

>>> such phrases?

>>>

>>> Thx.

>>>

>>> Joel

>>>

>>>

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