Service Operations Managers

 

“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.” - Henry Ford


The restaurant manager who makes sure that the restaurant processes ensure an enjoyable experience for customers, the airline staff that ensures an easy process of check-in, boarding, timely departure and baggage dispersal on arrival, the people who ensure that the online banking platform helps you transact without any glitches are all service management professionals. Service delivery jobs across the world are increasing by the day as the share of services in the economy of every developing and developed country is constantly increasing.

Service Operations Managers are the people who are in charge for the successful transformation of raw materials, technology and people into finished services. They manage a team of employees and deal with customers. They hold the dual responsibility of delivering the service and of creating an acceptable customer experience.

What do Service Operations Managers do?

Service Operations Managers develop new and innovative services and improve the quality of existing ones. They do this by analyzing the current processes and overcoming the shortcomings in them.

In the Service industry, the interaction between the customer and the employee is extremely important. Therefore, Service Operations Managers monitor these interactions as much as possible and ensure that a customer is treated fairly and respectfully. They establish relationships with customers and ensure that customers should go back satisfied and extremely happy. For example, in a fast food joint or a Hotel, a Service Operations Manager will create a communication process between all employees so that there is no wastage of time and resources. Through this process, the employees and customers will know which counter to go to buy drinks, which is the one for ice creams etc. Service Operations Managers create an environment which facilitates the optimum use of resources, staff and time. 

Find out what it is like to be Working in the Hotel Industry.

Service Operations Managers build and lead their team of employees and subordinates who help establish customer relations. They go through job applications, conduct interviews and train selected candidates. They train employees on the established service delivery processes and ensure that everyone follows the processes impeccably. They assign tasks to employees and monitor how well they perform the tasks. 

Another one of the main jobs of a Service Operations Manager is to achieve sales targets and company goals. Service Operations Managers have to make sure that the sales targets are achieved and exceeded if possible. They do this by coming with new ways to attract customers like schemes and discounts.

Service Operations Managers are also responsible for making the service operations as efficient and lean as possible. They often have to manage situations where operational efficiency conflicts with customer satisfaction and find a balance between the two. For example, at an Airport, there is a constant conflict between Airline personnel to be thorough with the ticketing procedure and safety checks, whereas customers want these procedures to be as quick as possible.Service Operations Managers find ways to make the optimum use of resources to satisfy customer requirements. 

Find out what it is like to be Working in the Airlines Industry.

Service Operations Managers are responsible for customer satisfaction. It is a tough job as the outcome depends on other employees as well as customers. Services depend on ‘contact points’ between employees and customers which are known as ‘Moments of Truth’. These contact points alone determine the success or failure of the service. One bad contact point can ruin the service for the customer. Going to watch a movie is purchasing a service. The experience of watching a movie can be spoilt if the seats or the air conditioning is not good. This is an example of a bad contact point. Such instances will motivate the customer to not come to that particular cinema hall again. It is the job of a Service Operations Manager to alleviate such bad contact points and make sure customers come to you again and again.

How to become a Service Operations Manager?

To become a Service Operations Manager, you must understand business operations, know how to lead people, and understand how to please customers. Multiple paths are possible to move into the role.

Entry level positions in most services businesses do not require any specific undergraduate qualifications. People from across different educational backgrounds are preferred based on an assessment of their skills and personalities. Good communications skills, ability to work with people, and a pleasing personality are the main qualifiers. Once you make an entry, excellent delivery, initiative to contribute and ability to work in teams and lead others can help you rise to any level. 

If you are sure that this is the right career for you, you can take the Commerce stream after 10th and pursue a Business or Commerce degree at the bachelor's level. Look for study programmes that offer Service Operations Management specializations. This will help you gain extensive knowledge about the subject. This will help you enter the industry fully qualified and aware of what to expect and how to perform. 

To improve employability, you can also go through specific industry level courses, certifications and qualifying exams. For example, the banking exams and tourism related certifications.

After gaining some experience and having assessed your fit with the industry, you can undertake an MBA to help build your understanding of the larger business related issues of your industry and build leadership skills. This will prepare you to reach the very top of the industry.

Find out about the Top 7 Careers for Managers.
 
Institutions:

There are many great institutions in India which provide excellent education in Management including Service Operations Management. The IIMs are the best institutes in India if you want to study Management. They all offer post – graduate courses. For undergraduate courses, Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu and Christ College, Karnataka are the two best institutes in India. Both of them offer B.B.A degrees.

What are the skills required to become a Service Operations Manager?

The job of a Service Operations Manager is not easy. Dealing with customers can take up a lot of time and patience. Therefore, Service Operations Managers need to be calm, composed and polite during all times. They need to have excellent communication and social skills. They need to have the ability to lead and motivate a group of employees and build team spirit amongst each one of them. Service Operations Managers need to have some basic numerical and accounting skills as they need to keep a track of the total income and expenditure. They also need to have the ability to stick to budgets and minimize costs. They should have the ability to make quick decisions and solve problems on the spot. They also need to be tactful and diplomatic while dealing with customers. Most importantly, Service Operations Managers need to possess a genuine desire to work towards providing quality services to customers and keeping them happy.

Is this the right career for me?

The life of a Service Operations Manager is all about dealing with customers and coming up with ways to keep them happy. They have to work for long hours in places like Call Centers and are constantly under pressure. It is a well paid career with excellent opportunities for growth and promotion.
Find out what it is like to be Working at a Call Center.

So if you’re genuinely interested in working hard and satisfying customers, and if you’re looking for a regular job with great growth opportunities, then this might the right career for you.

 


Production, Service and Supply Chain Management

Entrance Exam

MyVideos

Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams, follow their interests & curiosities and see the opportunities in life's setbacks-- including death itself.