A Peak Behind the Curtain – Palmer Hamilton Customer Service

Michele Stamper, Manager Customer Service – Palmer Hamilton

Customer perception is everything to Palmer Hamilton’s customer service department, and we are the ones working to keep it front of mind at every step of an order. Waiting for the customer to come to us with an issue is not enough. Instead, we are pulling from our vast understanding of the customers’ needs and expectations to proactively build a customer-friendly experience that stops potential issues before they reach the end user.

We are involved in your furniture project every step of the way to advocate for you to Palmer Hamilton’s many departments. To understand how we have consistently achieved industry-leading customer service, here is a look behind the curtain at who we are, where we fit into the project and what we offer to Palmer Hamilton customers.

 

People

A great customer service team starts with hiring the right people. I’m very selective about the people I hire, and my criteria goes beyond what they have on their resume.

When we interview potential candidates, we focus more on personality and soft skills than anything else. I can teach the right person over the weeks they spend in training to understand the products and how the business operates, but I can’t train someone to be kind and caring while also being confident and assertive. These traits are imperative for the job, which is why, in addition to our interviews, we do personality testing to make sure that each candidate has the right disposition for both the job and the team environment.

As a result, we have fostered a cohesive and collaborative culture within the customer service department. Everyone has their territories to focus on, but people are consistently sharing ideas and asking questions to ensure their customers have the highest level of knowledge at their disposal.

 

Places

In addition to working well within our team, the customer service representatives need to be active observers and communicators with various departments throughout the entire process. We are the ones who receive the request for a quote or design book, and we are the only ones who will stay with each project all the way through completion and beyond.

When a request for a quote comes in, we pull from our expertise to offer transparent details about the pricing, timeline and project scope. Once the quote is approved, it becomes a project, which we send to production and continue to check on in daily meetings to ensure that the timeline is being followed. The transportation department usually attends these meetings as well, and we will communicate with them to coordinate the final delivery schedule and logistics. In addition to ensuring our dealer partners’ expectations are exceeded upon delivery, if necessary, we will monitor response times from our warranty department to ensure our high standards of excellence and transparency are carried forward throughout the entire process.

 

Things

In addition to our everyday work with other departments, we are also involved in broader initiatives to enhance customer perception of Palmer Hamilton’s overall operation.

A recent change we implemented in our own department is advanced shipping notices, which communicate critical delivery information to the dealer partner working with the school on the project. This comes in response to feedback asking for specific delivery details to ensure schools are ready for their new furniture. Disposing of the old table and chairs can take time, and an exact date for delivery takes the guesswork out of the removal timeline, increasing the ease of doing business with Palmer Hamilton.

Now, we’re focusing on turnaround time. When a new quote request comes in, we want to establish a consistent process that allows us to provide accurate quotes within eight hours. Our research has indicated that speed is one of the customer’s top priorities, and working to accomplish that first step faster is another way we have proactively enhanced the overall customer experience.

If you are interested in any other behind the scenes details or would like to submit any other feedback to enhance your customer experience, we are (as always) happy to help!