Just like employees are the key to a company’s success, customer service is a fundamental part of the background screening process. Without it, you risk diminishing your employer brand and losing top candidates to the competition. When choosing a background check provider for your company, quality service should be a high priority on your must-have list.
A service-first provider can create an efficient, streamlined screening process for your company. With a focus on accuracy and reliability, a background check provider can ensure you hire the right employees to maintain safety and compliance. In high-stakes industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing, or transportation, it’s even more important to work with a provider that can inspire trust and confidence with top-rated customer service.
In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of background check customer service and how it impacts the entire screening process, from compliance to the candidate experience.
What is Background Check Customer Service?
At first glance, customer service may not be your highest priority when establishing a background screening program. Sure, it’d be great to work with a company that’s always there to take your calls and answer your questions — but is it absolutely necessary?
A recent survey, conducted by the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA), asked HR professionals about the most important factors they consider when choosing a background screening provider. Most respondents listed quality, accuracy, speed, and cost as their top areas. About 43% of respondents also listed customer service as a primary factor in their decision.
Based on these responses, it’s clear HR professionals have many priorities when choosing a background screening partner. But when you dig a little deeper, you realize that without quality customer service, accuracy, speed and cost can actually suffer as a result.
For example, imagine you work with a provider that promises fast turnaround times but has few account managers or no customer support staff. When you have a question or need an update, you’re likely to end up on hold, unable to reach a real person. Ultimately, this poor service delays the hiring process and costs your company time (and money).
On the other hand, working with a provider that delivers efficient, comprehensive service can transform your screening process. A service-focused partner can guarantee accurate background checks, deliver results quickly, and save your company from the high costs of a bad hire.
So how do you know if you’re working with a partner that’s committed to providing great service? A service-oriented background check provider can handle:
- Front-line questions: Does your team have questions about compliance? Does a candidate need an estimated timeline for results? A reputable background check provider will have the answers.
- Platform assistance and report statuses: When you need someone to walk you through the platform or provide a status update, you can reach out to an actual person and get a quick response.
- New users, services, or packages: Adding a new user or service is a breeze when you have a partner to help with implementation.
- Compliance support: You can receive personalized support to respond to compliance questions and legislative updates. Creative, customized solutions: The best background check program looks different for every company. A service-focused provider will create a custom package based on your unique needs.
Read more: The Importance of a PBSA Accredited Screening Organization
Importance of Customer Service for Background Check Compliance
Background checks involve sensitive and confidential information, and they’re regulated by the federal government. You must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when using background checks as contingencies for employment. Many states have additional regulations, such as clean slate laws, that can affect background screenings.
With so many complexities to consider, having a full-service provider in your corner can be a huge help throughout the screening process. A partner with a service-first mindset will go out of their way to keep you updated on changing regulations. You’ll also have access to an in-house compliance team, who can share industry information and provide best practices for a fair, compliant background screening process.
How Customer Service Affects the HR Team’s Experience
How many times have you called a company’s support line, only to have an automated voice tell you the wait time will be approximately one hour (or longer)? If you’ve ever had this customer experience, you know how frustrating it can be. During the screening process, this lack of customer service can lengthen the time-to-hire and create additional hassles you don’t need.
If you work with a service-focused background check company, however, you’ll have a dedicated team to call when you have a question. You won’t be put on hold or transferred to three different departments before you reach the right person. When you need help, you can be confident you’ll reach a live person who can provide assistance or resolve issues.
How Customer Service Affects the Candidate Experience
By the time you initiate a background check for a top candidate, they’ve likely already invested much of their time and energy into the hiring process. You don’t want to lose them with an inconvenient or drawn-out background screening — especially when you’re so close to the finish line.
A background check is often your last chance to make a positive impression on a candidate before they decide whether to accept an offer. A fair, transparent process can be a great way to boost your employer brand and convince qualified candidates to join your company.
A people-focused background check provider can make sure your company creates a positive candidate experience throughout the screening process. Ask your provider for estimated timelines so you can keep candidates informed. If your candidates need additional help or have other questions, be sure there is a customer service team readily available to provide support.
InCheck’s Commitment to Customer Service
At InCheck, we’ve made customer service one of our core values because we believe it affects the entire screening process from start to finish. This perspective guides the human touch we bring to our services. It’s why many companies trust us to handle the sensitive nature of background checks in a professional, transparent, and compliant manner.
We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service to every client and candidate we work with. To maintain those high standards, we use various metrics to gauge how we’re doing. The net promoter score, or NPS, is one tool we use to measure the customer experience.
It’s calculated by asking clients to rank our services on a scale from 0 to 10. Based on their scores, customers get grouped into three categories: promoters (scores of 9 or 10), passives (scores of 7 or 8), and detractors (scores of 0 to 6). By subtracting the number of detractors from the number of promoters, we get our NPS. A low (or negative) net promoter score indicates serious room for improvement. The higher the score, the better.
In our most recent survey, we achieved an NPS of 59 — much higher than the industry average, which is 41. Customers routinely give us high marks in several areas, including accuracy and reliability, turnaround times, and ease of use. Over and over, we also hear great feedback about the high-quality service we offer and the customer experience we provide.
Here are just a few positive testimonials we’ve received from our wonderful customers:
- “I have to say, you have an amazing team there, and we truly are satisfied with the service and the care.”
- “I want to give a shout out to the team [InCheck]. The response times are fantastic, and I want to give kudos to the team for always being on top of things when we have questions. You’re always willing to reach out and schedule meetings, and that’s really helpful.”
- “I don’t know that I’ve EVER worked with someone more focused on white glove customer service. I truly feel like I’m InCheck’s only client, and I know that is most certainly not the case!”
Partner with InCheck for Superior Background Check Customer Service
If you’re ready to work with a background check provider that treats you like a true VIP, we’re here to help. As part of the InCheck experience, you and your candidates will receive personalized support throughout the screening process. We prioritize our clients with prompt, friendly service, averaging a 15-minute response time. When you work with us, you’ll feel like a valued client — because you are. For more information, contact us today.