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Customer service is one of the most crucial departments in any business. Customer-facing employees portray the image of the company in the eyes of the consumer, and one encounter with an employee can make or break a sale.

Imagine this scenario: an excited customer requests online for a service. Because of modern technology, the customer assumes that the service will be performed within a few days of registration. Almost a week later the company calls to set up an appointment time for installation. Annoyed at the amount of time it has already taken to schedule the appointment, the customer grudgingly agrees to the first available time.

The day of the appointment, the technician responsible for installing the service calls to say he is on his way, but the technician does not show up until three hours later. In order for the technician to install the service, the customer needed to be present. The customer's entire afternoon was interrupted by the late technician.

The customer needed the service, and because of the time he had invested he decided to stick with service, but he never recommended the company to anyone because of his experience. Companies with poor customer service or inadequate customer-facing employees risk losing potential clients, and often lose business rather than retain it.

Customers have specific expectations when dealing with businesses, and when those expectations are not met or exceeded, companies risk establishing a negative reputation. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools in gaining and retaining customers, without recommendations companies cannot expect to expand. A negative story about a bad experience with customer service is more impactful than no recommendation to the company.

How can businesses identify people with high-potential for being effective customer-facing employees?

Customer service assessments can measure how well a person fits specific customer service jobs within an organization. These assessments evaluate each individual's behaviors, attitudes and skills to determine who is most capable of holding a customer facing position. Placing a person with poor communication skills or a melancholy attitude in a customer-facing position can result in losing customers rather than gaining them.

Customer service assessments can also evaluate what current and future employees believe is a high level of customer service, while simultaneously showing whether or not they align with the company's perspective. Businesses should strive to solidify the expectations they hold for those involved in customer service, and to communicate those expectations thoroughly. Once a standard has been set it is easier to assess who fits the standard and who does not.

How can companies know if their customers are satisfied with their customer service departments? Customer loyalty surveying tools are available to gather ongoing, critical account intelligence that helps to assess the relationship between the business and the consumer. Insight into the customer's perception of the existing business relationship allows businesses to create a targeted strategy for customer-facing teams in order to continually improve the consumer's relationship with the company.

A company interested in serving customers on every level possible should invest in customer service assessments. These tools are designed to give companies the necessary insight to excel in customer service. One bad experience can ruin a string of potential customer's perception of a company. Having the right people in the right place will enable businesses to exceed customer's expectations and generate more business through their stellar reputation.