Hiring and training customer service–minded employees is an essential way to support the idea that customers are the heart of the co-op. But before posting a job opening or conducting an interview, you’ll first need to understand — and agree on — the culture of service that your co-op wants to embody and articulate that for your staff.

How does your co-op define customer service?

It’s important for the co-op’s leadership team and managers to be on the same page about customer service, and to define what it looks like for your co-op overall, as well as for specific positions. While the skill set for a front-end employee may be different from a maintenance person or deli cook, every job has a component of customer service. Clearly defining what your co-op means by “excellent customer service” will help you hire new employees to meet that standard and will help all staff understand the expectations for their job.

Additionally, the human resources department is responsible for ensuring that the co-op’s job descriptions, policies, processes, the employee handbook and performance reviews all reinforce and support the outstanding service culture you’ve defined.

Recruiting and hiring with a customer focus

It is harder to master a “customers first” mindset than to learn position-specific tasks, so seek applicants with an aptitude for service by calling for those skills right in the job posting. Job descriptions often list task-oriented responsibilities without mentioning how the employee will be expected to interact with shoppers. Now’s the time to revisit your co-op’s job descriptions to ensure they include the customer service skills necessary to excel in a role.

Next, consider where you advertise job openings and the language you use within them — do they reflect the skill set you seek? If you typically post only on the co-op’s website and a specific job site (for example, Indeed), expand your search and explore different avenues to reach potential candidates. Think about other business sectors known for great customer service and post on job sites where you expect those skilled, qualified applicants are searching for new opportunities. For a good example of how a business uses job postings to focus candidates on customer service, visit Trader Joe’s career website.

During a job interview, ask behavioral questions to identify and assess an applicant’s customer service skills. Since past performance is the strongest indicator of future behavior, ask candidates to describe their past customer service experiences. You can also ask how they would handle specific scenarios — either positive or challenging ones — such as resolving a customer complaint in a way that satisfies the shopper. Do their responses align with the service culture your co-op has defined? Whenever feasible, include a store tour that lets the candidate observe the department where they would be working, to give them a realistic preview of the job.

Onboarding and training

Once your co-op has defined customer service, included required skills in job descriptions and successfully hired someone who shows a great aptitude for excellent service, onboarding newly hired staff should be a natural extension of this process. During the first day and first week of orientation, provide new hires with more information about co-op culture and the expectations for their role, and make resources available to help them be successful, such as a job buddy or a peer mentor. After orientation, move into a job- and department-specific training plan that covers more tactical responsibilities. When customer service is a thread woven through all phases of training, new team members hear it, see it and understand it is integral to their on-the-job success.

Long-tenured or more experienced employees can (and should) develop and hone their customer service skills through ongoing training and feedback. One effective technique is for managers to observe their team members’ everyday interactions with customers, then offer feedback and one-on-one coaching. Be sure to recognize instances of great customer service and thank team members for how they handled specific situations. You can also share positive feedback received from customers.

For more resources, log into Co+op U and explore our Hiring for Long-Term Success courses, and read the article Attracting the Best of the Best.