Training new hires

At Barnes Wendling CPAs Inc., customer
service starts the instant you walk
through the door.

That’s true for employees as well as clients.
From their first day on the job, Barnes
Wendling — which is headed by President
and Director Jeffrey D. Neuman — trains
employees on what it means to give great
service to clients.

All new hires meet with the head of Barnes
Wendling’s client service department as part
of their orientation, who immediately teaches them the company’s proper phone etiquette. But the new employees aren’t just
given marching orders. They are also taught
about the “why” behind the “how.” Barnes
Wendling believes that if you truly want
employees to understand a concept and buy
in to it, you need to show them the reasoning
behind it.

Employees are also taught about the importance of paying attention to detail. When contacted by a client, team members ask when
they need to hear a response, a small bit of
information that could mean the difference
between a satisfied and a dissatisfied client.

When answering the phone, Barnes
Wendling teaches their employees to smile
before picking it up — if not literally, then
mentally. That one step helps each employee
engage a caller in the right frame of mind,
potentially turning an average call into an
excellent client experience.

Barnes Wendling is also proactive about
soliciting feedback from its clients regarding
customer service. The firm has established a
formalized client satisfaction program that
includes a survey system.

The client services department immediately reviews any survey returned. Any category
in which a client rated the firm’s customer
service a three (average service) or below is
followed up with a call to the client to see if
there might have been a way to improve the
client’s customer service experience.

HOW TO REACH: Barnes Wendling CPAs Inc., (216) 566-9000
or www.barneswendling.com