Emotional intelligence on the front line

Many consumer-facing businesses perform poorly on the front line. Their employees should make use of emotional intelligence, or EQ, during “moments of truth”—those few interactions when the customer feels strongly about the outcome. At banks, for example, they involve activities such as receiving financial advice and negotiating mortgages as opposed to more mundane matters, like buying traveler’s checks. After a positive moment of truth at a bank, more than 85 percent of the consumers in a survey increased their value to it by purchasing additional products or investing additional assets; when things turned sour, upward of 70 percent reduced their commitment, though not all of them ended it totally.

 
What’s more, contrary to accepted wisdom, companies can act to enhance the front line’s EQ. To learn why and how, read “The ‘moment of truth’ in customer service” (2006 Number 1) (Premium).