Branson says teamwork is vital to customer service

Mon, 10 Jan 2011

Branson says teamwork is vital to customer service

In order to provide good customer service, a strong team must be in place, claims world-famous entrepreneur Richard Branson.

The Virgin founder says it is vital that teamwork comes into play for firms that want to achieve top-level customer service. Writing in the Wall Street Journal this week Branson continues: ‘Good customer service on the shop floor begins at the very top. If your senior people don’t get it, even the strongest links further down the line can become compromised.’

Branson claims that providing training for employees on the importance of working as a team is vital to the success of any business. Opportunities to learn at work and learn at home are both effective when providing management and team training.

He speaks of the importance of having strong links in every customer service chain and suggests that management training is as vital as customer service training. Providing recognised customer service qualifications for workers will have positive repercussions on staff morale and turnover, and will also heighten staff employability.

People working on the ‘frontline’ - dealing directly with customers - should be trained fully to ensure they are confident. Although it is impossible to train staff for all eventualities, training will help to equip staff with the knowledge needed to do a good job for the company.

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