Holding interviews at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning is one of the best ways to determine which of the folks clamouring to work for your company have what it takes to be a service star. Consultant Jeff Mowatt, on his eponymous website, says that interview time will screen out a large number of non-starters: "Those who do show up prove they have the ability to be efficient -- even when it's uncomfortable."
Other tips
- See if the candidate is dressed appropriately for work, even at that early hour. "Trying to deal with a dress code after someone is hired is an uphill battle," he notes.
- Ask, "How are you?" Their responses will give clues to how they will deal with customers. If they complain about being tired or tell long stories about themselves, be wary. If they say something positive and ask how you are, that may indicate they are upbeat and focused on others.
- Interview the prime candidates over lunch, and watch how they interact with the server. Are they outgoing and nice to the person? Do they take forever to make a decision about what to order? What you observe may offer signs of how they approach their work.
- Hire for attitude over aptitude. Technical tasks can be learned but changing attitudes is difficult. For customer service stars, you want people who are outgoing, efficient, and pay attention to details.
Harvey Schachter