Temp to Hire Strategy for Customer Service

The pendulum is shifting back toward the fundamental values that the customer is even more important now that businesses are starving for new clients. Companies are strengthening their customer support areas to help ensure current clients are taken care of and valued more than ever as a core strategy to their survival. New opportunities for job seekers are on the horizon for those who recognize this trend and focus their efforts to acquire positions in customer service.

Some of companies may not be in a position to hire new personnel, but still need to beef up there customer service areas to execute these strategies. Temp to Hire is a try before you buy strategy that may play well for those who can be open and flexible.

Essentially, positions for these areas are available in a temporary capacity as companies begin to ramp up the infrastructure necessary to support an effective call center. Some will outsource these positions to other agencies who will hire and place you inside the company. In this situation, you are employee to The Temp Agency and the company is your customer. Your role is the same, attend to and resolve customer issues, but your paycheck is signed by The Temp Company.

The Temp Company has two basic hiring models:

1. A clause in the contract that will require you to work a certain amount of time under their payroll before you can be hired directly.
2. A "finders fee" paid to The Temp Service by the company. The company may elect to pursue this option if they feel you are the right person for the job and they want you to offer you a permanent position before you get placed elsewhere.
In either case, you are in a great position:

1. Your working
2. Your getting some benefits
3. Your getting great experience in the industry

Some positions are only temporary and will never transition to a permanent hire. So there may be gaps in assignments. However, The Temp Company has a vested interest in you... They do not get paid unless you are working in a client site. So how do you get hired?

If you follow the 8 principles of stellar customer service , you can position yourself as an ideal candidate that is sought after by companies looking to hire:

Great Listening skills - Developing effective listening skills will go a long way when determining root causes of customer problems

Desire to Assist Other People - Key component in servicing the customer. They can tell pretty quickly if you do not care about their issue or needs

Good Phone skills - Clear speaking and attentive listening will promote professionalism even though the client is thousands of miles away

Effective problem solver - Understanding the business and resolving problems quickly can create an atmosphere of accomplishment and success in yourself and across the team

Positive Communication - Communicating a positive and respectful presence will provide a reciprocal effect from others.

Committed to resolving problems - Following through to resolve issues and committing to ensuring problems are fixed will give the client a sense of their importance

Patience and understanding -Being the calming influence when tempers and anxieties are high are necessary in difficult situations

Sincere and Honest - Customers know when someone is not telling them the truth or display patronizing tendencies, which will be counter productive in the long run

The whole idea behind this strategy is to let The Temp Service find you jobs. You may need to be flexible in location, commute and job function, but it is a strategy that can provide a stop gap solution until permanent employment can be found.

Getting Started in Customer Service
Customer Services - A Place to Start