Communication starts with knowing and understanding your customers, but as Socrates said, “Know thyself,” and to know others, you must know yourself. Wouldn’t it be more effective to approach customers based on your strengths? Let’s analyze the D.I.S.C. behavior types and learn how to deal with each type of customer through a CS campaign in May.
What is the D.I.S.C. Behavioral Type Test?
The D.I.S.C. test was first introduced by Professor William Molton Marston, the inventor of the polygraph, who explained that human emotions are expressed in four different behaviors depending on environmental factors. D.I.S.C. classifies human behavior patterns as introverted or extroverted, task-oriented or people-oriented, and further categorizes them as Dominant, Influencing, Steady, and Conscientious. The D.I.S.C. test, like the MBTI, ends up with 24 personality types that are different combinations of these four behavioral types.
Dominant is a behavioral style that combines extroversion and task orientation and is characterized by developers, results-oriented, intuitive and creative people who have a strong sense of self and are goal-oriented. They are motivated by challenges and drive, so they are afraid of losing control, but they don’t exclude other people’s views and feelings. They are confident, self-assured, and honest with their feelings. Quick decision-making and realism are also their strengths.
Tip for dealing with Type D: It’s hard to get good results in customer interactions when you’re all about yourself. This personality type is best at making small talk and being a good listener.
Influence is a combination of extroverted and people-oriented behavioral styles, with a positive outlook and sense of humor. They get along well with customers and can easily gain their trust by skillfully leading conversations.
Tip for dealing with Type I: Emotional Type I’s are vulnerable to negative feedback because they don’t like to be acknowledged and are susceptible to pressure. Therefore, when you receive a dissatisfied customer, try to remain realistic and calm instead of taking it personally.
Steadiness is introverted, people-oriented, and loyal to organization and discipline. They seek stability and find comfort and motivation in maintaining the status quo. They are team-oriented and have a “yes-man” mentality, willing to take a step back for the good of the whole.
Tip for Dealing with Type S: They often put themselves on the line to stabilize and support the organization, which means they’re more likely to be stressed. You have excellent communication skills and are well-liked by others, so it’s okay to speak your mind from time to time. Remember that this can actually increase their confidence in you.
Conscientiousness is an introverted and task-oriented personality type that is often reserved and rational. They tend to be perfectionists and fear criticism of their work. They have high expectations of themselves and others, which can make them overly critical.
Tip for dealing with Type C: Because of their task-oriented and cautious nature, they are often criticized for not showing much emotion and lacking empathy. This can make it difficult for them to communicate with customers. This is where listening and empathy training comes in. Practicing putting yourself in the customer’s shoes will make you more effective at your job.
What is the primary D.I.S.C. personality type among Hyundai Glovis people?
Customer service thrives when there is mutual understanding between the customer and the service provider. In May, Hyundai Glovis conducted a customer service campaign to understand the personality of employees and develop an optimal customer service manual. Participants were requested to take the D.I.S.C. test to discover their personality, explore the characteristics of various job types, gain insights into customer interaction tips, and subsequently register to develop a customer manual tailored to their individual type. As a result, 217 employees participated in the campaign and wrote their own customer service manuals based on their personalities and results.
The first thing that stood out about the campaign was the D.I.S.C. type of employee. Of the more than 200 employees who participated in the campaign, IDSCs were the most common type.
Customer Service Manual by Manager Park So-hyung
My behavior type is IDSC with strong sociability. I have no problem using my sociability to establish a good business relationship with customers/partners from the first meeting. I am confident at least when it comes to dealing with overseas customers because I have established good relationships that have actually led to good results.
IDSC’s tip for dealing with customers is “Don’t be afraid of negative feedback! I came up with my own handbook based on my past experience working with international clients. The first time we met with a client, it was difficult to work with them because of some negative comments and infrequent feedback. However, by constantly thinking about what solutions they might need from us and being proactive, we were able to share important information that could be used as a foundation for our business. In the course of our work, there are some clients/partners who are friendly, while there are others who are complainers and stubborn and make it difficult for us to work with them. If you are a similar type of Hyundai Glovis people, I recommend that when facing such customers/partners, you don’t get demotivated by their negative feedback/attitude, but rather proactively think about “what solution can silence them” and remember the saying “you can’t spit in a smiling face”. I will follow this response guide so that I can continue to provide quality customer service without getting discouraged!
Customer Service Manual by Manager Jang Min-seok
My behavioral type is CDSI with a strong Cautious component. I focus on understanding the client’s internal and external environment to determine their exact needs and what are the key evaluation factors in their decision making. I believe it is important to learn more from what the client says than from what I say and to propose a good solution based on that, so in my work I always think about the underlying cause and effect and try to control the variables.
This cautiousness helps me gain the trust of my clients, but sometimes I’m not bold enough and miss the mark. This D.I.S.C. assessment will help me in my work by giving me an indication of my tendencies and recommendations for communication skills that I had only vaguely thought about. I will try to develop my strengths and improve my weaknesses so that I can be trustworthy to my clients and helpful to my coworkers.
Customer Service Manual by Senior manager Choi Bo-ram
Our behavior type is IDCS with strong sociability. Since consulting is about providing solutions to clients’ problems, we believe that communication with clients is very important. We use our sociability to actively communicate with clients and build a good foundation of trust.
In addition, I realize that I have a strong sense of initiative, and when I communicate with customers, I try to reflect and check whether I am making my own claims instead of listening to the customer. I recently took a class on communication, and the most important thing in communication is “listening”! When I wrote the CS Response Manual this time, I remembered the lecture, so I think I selected the content that I should “listen” to the customer’s story first, instead of telling my story based on my D.I.S.C. type results in my own Customer Response Manual.
Customer Service Manual by Manager Lee Won-hee
I am a DCIS pioneer. When working with customers, I tend to put myself in their shoes and think carefully about how to make them happier. I believe that my initiative and thoughtfulness are the basis for the trust that customers have in me. I will continue to put myself in their shoes and be an answer pioneer who provides accurate answers and solutions to uncertain requests, inquiries, or claims.
In my first job, when a complaint or request came in, I was short-sighted and rushed to solve only the requested problem, which led to additional requests and side work to solve the underlying problem, and the customer felt uncomfortable. However, through D.I.S.C. type inspection, I was able to come up with a better solution by thinking from the customer’s point of view and carefully thinking about solving the underlying problem. We will continue to go further through a strong trust relationship with our customers! Cheers!
By the Editorial Department
2023.06.20