By Mike Kennedy, Technical Evangelist
Talent Analytics, Corp.

Just before Christmas I went into a sports retailer to buy a basketball for my brother. It was a very specific request and time was short so I was on a mission to get it and go. As soon as I entered the store a retail clerk asked if he could help and I told him exactly what I was looking for. Without hesitation, he took me over to where it was and got the basketball for me. I thanked him, paid for it and went on my way.  Pleased.  Satisfied.

Where am I going with this? This is a rare example of efficient and effective retail customer service.

This is the type of employee retailers should be hiring but often don’t.  Bad customer service plagues the retail industry. Retailers favor the bubbly, friendly, chatty personality.  Our talent analytics show that customers want their customer service person to “listen more than they talk”.

When a customer wants service a “talker” can be annoying (since they rarely listen). Retailers know this issue and many use talent analytics to aid in understanding their job candidates. Customers would be better served, and retailers would be more profitable, if they hired better listeners who were more efficient and less chatty.