I had no
clue what I was really getting into with Public Relations. I had never worked
in PR. I only knew that it sounded like something I could see myself doing. I
think many of my classmates felt the same way before entering the PR world. The only job I ever had was four years working
as a Customer Service Representative for our local Canadian Tire. I often thought,
how could this help me for a job in PR? Turns
out quite a lot. Here are a few elements that make good PR like Good Customer
Service;
1. Purpose
According
to our lecture notes, the primary purpose of PR is establishing and maintaining
good relations between organizations and their audience. Public relations use a
variety of tactics to foster positive communication, like publicity, fundraisers
or events, or media relations. While customer service does not use the same
tactics, customer service, in a nutshell, is supporting customers to ensure
they come back for future purposes. Whether a job in customer service means
taking customer complaints, organizing transactions, or giving out deals, Customer
service is a way organization can foster a good relationship with its audience
of customers to grow trust, and loyal customers, which is similar to Public Relations.
Essentially Customer Service and Public Relation are both used to create
positive communication between an organization and its audience.
2. Listening
Good
listening skills are essential in both Customer Service and Public Relations.
In Customer Service you are constantly talking to customers, whether taking
positive feedback about coworkers, hearing negative feedback about a product,
or hearing complaint after complaint, it is extremely important to have good
listening skills. Good listening skills means being able to help the customer
the way they need and knowing how to communicate with them. If a customer is
angry or frustrated listening is the best way to understand the customer and solve
issues. This is similar in Public relations. While in PR, you might not be talking
one on one to every customer, there are ways you will have to listen. Focus
groups, Surveys, informal interviews, and media monitoring are all tactics used
by public relations that make listening skills extremely important. PR needs
good listening skills in an issues management context. Specifically, listening
to social interest groups, or negative social media interactions to adjust
practices and address concerns. PR practitioners need to listen to the news and
social trends too to stay in the know. It is important to listen to the needs
and expectations of the audience that may affect the practices. Customer
Service can help to build the listening skills to work in a Public Relations
context.
3. Problem
Solving
Problems arise
in many jobs. However, working in Public Relations and Customer Service puts
problem-solving at the core of the work. In Customer Service, you will be in
the front line of problems and issues managing. Whether a cashier has a dispute
with a customer, A customer is threatening staff, people trying to use fake receipts,
or having to tell someone no, it is the Customer Services Representatives' job
to be the buffer of communication. That means being organized, keeping a clear
head, and being able to communicate to diffuse the ‘bomb’. This is extremely
relevant in Public Relations issues management. As we talked about in class, the
PR practitioners must be available in case of a crisis, even at 3 a.m. on a Sunday.
This means being available to craft and communicate a response in heightened stress.
PR representatives need to be collected, able to adjust and be organized, which
are similar skills needed by a Customer Service representative.
Public
Relations and Customer Service are not the same professions, however, I realized
that I shouldn’t discount the valuable experience taken from part-time jobs. These
skills can all be applied to different parts of PR and can make you a better practitioner.
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