Customer service isn’t easy. It requires a delicate blend of understanding, assertiveness, and positivity. This guide will break down the attributes required to be excellent at customer service.
Persuasive Speaking Skills
As a customer service agent, you’re going to be faced with situations where you have to sell your brand. You might have to make the case for a product upgrade or explain why you can’t accommodate a particular request. Your comprehension and speaking skills will frequently come into play when trying to help customers understand your policies and procedures.
Empathy
Customer service agents must be empathetic to the needs of their clients. It’s not enough to understand what your customers want, you must also understand how they feel about it. If a customer is upset or frustrated and lashes out negatively at you, it’s vital that you don’t respond in kind – even if you’re feeling the same way on the inside. Customers don’t want to be yelled at by someone they haven’t met yet, so it’s up to you to keep a cool head and guide people toward solutions rather than escalation.
Adaptability
Customer service jobs are dynamic and colorful. You’re going to be faced with situations that you never imagined when you set out in this field. This may mean helping customers understand a new business policy or even just dealing with difficult people – the tips above will help, but sometimes there are no easy answers. The best customer service agents are those who listen to their customers and work with them toward a solution, even if it’s not the answer they were hoping for.
Ability to Use Positive Language
We live in a world where feedback is immediate and often brutal. The Internet has made it easier than ever to criticize and complain, but the same freedom of speech enables businesses that provide good customer service to get a positive word out about their business. This can be as simple as asking open-ended questions like “how are we doing?” instead of focusing on the negative. Word travels fast and a few good glowing reviews can send people flocking to your business for years to come.
Clear Communication Skills
In any customer service situation, you will need to be able to recite pertinent information clearly and concisely. This means answering questions easily and accurately – without being defensive or rude. It also means providing responses in a way that people can understand quickly. You might even need to communicate in other languages using translation software.
Self-Control
The best customer service agents are those who can maintain their composure in a variety of situations. It’s easy to get frustrated or angry when dealing with difficult customers who don’t understand your policies and procedures.
Taking Responsibility
When things go wrong, your customers are going to blame you. There’s no point in blaming them back (or anyone else); that won’t get you anywhere and will probably just make the situation worse. The best customer service agents take ownership of their mistakes or those of their company – even if they weren’t directly responsible.