Because many candidates prepare canned answers for those kinds of questions, Gonzales likes to come up with questions that will take them outside of their usual spiel. One of his favorites for the holiday season was, Tell me about your family. Another was, Who would you recommend for a customer-service position? Who wouldn't you? Why?
Physical cues and verbal answers can tell you a lot about a candidate's attitude, but customer service is increasingly being delivered in print over the Web. With the rise of email and instant messaging, it's imperative that a customer-service representative have strong writing skills. At Webvan, Gonzales gives candidates three or four different customer concerns and asks them to write a response. "Some of them really struggle with it," he says. "We have to find out if they can form a complete idea on paper."
In such a tight labor market, finding candidates who pass these three tests with flying colors can seem an insurmountable task. But Anthony Parks points out that better service can lead to more sales. "Great customer service costs," he says. "A company's fundamental philosophy has to be customer-centered. You have to believe in a quality service experience."
Contact Amy Nobile and Mike Gonzales at service@webvan.com, and Anthony Parks at anthonydparks@yahoo.com . To find out more about Arthur Andersen, go to www.arthurandersen.com.
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