This article refers to the role that human resources play in the activity of services, offering some reflections on how to make them the main customer of the organization
Within the strategic planning process, an important element is the staff, making it extremely difficult to measure the effectiveness of human resources administration, due to the number of factors that affect it; but obviously the most important thing for this measurement will be the results achieved by the organization. That is why this work aims to lead to reflection on the role played by labor resources in the activity of services, offering some ways that allow them to become the main client of any organization.
Marketing activities as an important part of strategic planning, also has labor resources at the center of its attention. Therefore, in the marketing process, what should be the orientation of the company?
The company has to be oriented to the activity in the market, that is, to adapt the products and services it offers to the needs of the client: This has to be the objective of every organization in order to succeed, which is achievable with the staff of the company, on which your success depends.
The company, then, must define its mission with precision and realism and determine the strategies, creating the conditions to enforce this mission. It is in this sense where management personnel play an essential role, which requires, on the one hand, knowledge such as: market studies, profitability analysis, costs, financial administration, etc. and on the other hand, communication, leadership, group development, motivation, among others. In addition, it is necessary for managers to have the capacity for analysis and observation.
The manager must be able to realize that he will not be able to have satisfied customers if the employees are not, hence internal marketing is combined with what we will call external marketing. Internal marketing develops a set of activities aimed at having satisfied workers, with all the possibilities of expressing their feelings and thoughts in an organized way in any circumstance, in order to increase their motivation for work.
That is why managers must bear in mind that:
- Workers are the most important clients of the organization Adapt to each external marketing strategy and the profile of the job the person who will occupy it Inform and train all the organization's staff, without distinction of categories or tasks, about the reality of the market, customers, their needs, their complaints, claims (the latter must be a thermometer that measures the level of customer satisfaction), about the competition, so that everyone with this information is suitable for the change. Train staff in the "culture of detail", since only in this way can marketing be turned into a philosophy and a company technique. It is necessary to specify in each department, in each job, who it is your immediate internal customer,before the product or service reaches the final consumer, applying marketing between these internal customers-suppliers as well as external ones.
As has been shown, success is only achieved by changing our way of thinking and comfortable attitudes for competitive attitudes; information, the development of the control system by exception, training, together with an effective organization of communication, is the key to success.
It is necessary to bear in mind that when the employee does not experience the dissatisfaction of the client that he deals with and does not feel responsible for it, he will blame the management and the organization that imposes a task, means and methods that do not satisfy him., nor the customer.
Constant training is the key, because if you have been consulted for the launch of a new product or service, giving you the correct training and necessary information can help the client, and this is highly valued by them, since customers are not like to deal with personnel who do not know, who do not answer; and in turn the worker will feel more useful, hence in the planning of the company, in addition to the adequate selection of personnel, the most important thing is their preparation and development, which is more evident in the activities of providing a service.
It should be noted that according to the literature consulted, a service consists of the application of human or mechanical efforts to people, animals or objects, which has value for them and is capable of satisfying a need. The activity of services, despite the fact that it relies on tangible objects or products for its provision, its objective is not the creation of tangible products, but immaterial benefits to satisfy the needs and desires of consumers.
When referring to services, it must be valued in the first instance that these have characteristics that substantially differentiate them from goods and that result in the need for marketing adjusted to them. The very rise of the sector in developed countries, the increase in the level of selectivity and demand from consumers and technological development, justify the more accentuated use of marketing tools and methods.
Some of these differential characteristics constitute a problem to achieve an efficient commercialization process; but others represent advantages that must be used accordingly. In this sense, the direct and personal relationship between the service provider and the user makes it possible to know the needs and desires of the client and satisfy them more effectively and it is here where the staff, with their training, plays a fundamental role in achieving the objectives of the organization, existing different situations that demonstrate it.
The services cannot be separated from those who provide it, which makes it necessary for this to be an individualized product, that is, adjusted to the needs and desires of the client and this requires that their needs, desires, preferences and intentions be known in detail if it is intended take advantage of this feature. As the client is involved in the service, a personal communication is established between the producer and the purchaser of the service, necessitating an adequate selection and training of personnel if this communication is to be effective.
In Cuba, service activity is becoming stronger and more important, as in the rest of the world. The government and the institutions pay special attention to improving their quality and looking for those factors that may be negatively affecting their efficiency, this means that efforts and resources are dedicated to achieve an adequate functioning of this sector.
One might then wonder; Why are poor quality services sometimes provided?
Among the possible answers that we have found in research carried out in the hotel sector, the following can be noted:
- Workers do not know their products / services in depth, there is a lack of motivation and interest in serving customers, seeing them simply as a nuisance when precisely customers determine who the organization is and what it will be, without customers an organization loses its reason for being. Sometimes work with a lack or little perspective makes the worker not perceive it as interesting. Leaders train their workers little in service and if there is any training it is more technical in nature than customer service; it is necessary to develop systems aimed at the service consumer. There is little responsibility and authority to make decisions;Many times we hear the following response "you must see the administrator" or "I'm going to see the administrator" and instead of assuming an attitude of responsibility, a bureaucratic position is assumed in relation to the service. Those who provide the service are not taught to communicate anymore make decisions to promote better customer service, they are only simple repeaters of those directed by the boss.
Hence, at the center of the marketing of services is to provide quality, conceiving as such, the level of excellence of what is produced, for which according to our criteria it is necessary, among other things:
- Training and motivation of all workers, mainly those on the front line. The staff must be informed and that they see the relationship between their work and the results of the unit and the company in a systematic way Establish performance patterns, having at the center the quality of service Define what exceptional service is for the organization and know everyone (meet and perhaps exceed customer expectations) Define objectives from the customer's point of view and not from the officer or manager Evaluate the experience, skills and abilities of employees If you do not have the necessary experience, then strengthen the training. Evaluate the temperament and personality of those who have direct contact with the public.
Have criteria to establish performance patterns:
- Make sure that everyone who is directly and indirectly involved in the service understands what is expected of them (planning and organization of services).
- Develop the sense of responsibility.
- Define human patterns (attributes of those who work directly with clients).
- Makes adequate use of well-trained personnel, this allows to overcome many obstacles and provide a reliable and quality service Give those who provide service on the front line constant feedback on their performance and the reactions of customers in relation to their services Promise what you can give and deliver what you promised Keep in mind that the most important thing is to take care of your staff Develop an entrepreneurial spirit in workers Makes consistent use of incentives Decentralize management to address unique needs and preferences of clients, based on geographic, cultural and social areas Encourage individual initiative, criticism and creativity on the front line.
Last but not least, the organization must determine exactly its future. First of all, define what you want to be for your clients and what clients' needs they hope to meet before implementing any technique. Then it is that they can make strategic decisions and identify, apply and evaluate the techniques to offer quality services, bearing in mind that satisfaction depends on the level of satisfaction of labor resources.
CONCLUSIONS
By way of conclusion, without attempting to consider the topic exhausted, the importance of labor resources for any activity, whether productive or service, should be highlighted, since the success or not of any business depends largely on it.
In Cuba, despite the efforts made to improve the quality of services, we still do not have the preparation and development of labor resources, as the main element within the service development strategies, we prepare staff, but to Sometimes this preparation focuses more on the technical aspect than on customer service, which is what ultimately determines the success or failure of the organization.
Bibliography
- Kotler, Philip: Marketing. Prentice-Hall, Panamericana, SA, third edition. Bennis, Warren: Leaders, the art of command. Ediciones Merlín Libros, 1986. Pérez, José Francisco: Some considerations for the analysis of tourist activity. Economy and Development Magazine # 92.
