Acquire These Top 7 Customer Service Skills

Being in customer service is an art of balancing multiple skillsets all at once.

A great customer service department starts with highly-skilled customer service agents. When a person is working in customer service, a variety of skills are required to respond correctly and handle difficult issues with grace and excellent people skills.

While having a multitude of skills is always best, there are certain skills that ranked higher than others.  Customer service agents who possess these skills seem to perform very well and excel in both customer satisfaction and retention. In this article, we are going to look at seven essential skills any company should look for in customer service agents.

#7 – Empathy Towards Customers

When you are working to help a customer or client, it is important to be able to put yourself in that person’s position so that you can properly understand the issues and concerns.  While some positions or worries can seem silly or less concerning to us, to that person, it is a real trouble, and you need to understand that to be able to help them properly.

Empathy is a skill set that some people naturally have and can use better than others. When interviewing a potential candidate for a customer service job, it is often one of the things the interviewers will be looking for.

#6 – Resourcefulness

Another important skill is resourcefulness. Having a great variety of skills is always a positive thing, but knowing how and when to use them to get the job done is just as important.

A good customer service agent also needs to be able to work with what they have at the disposal to solve the issue the customer is having. Oftentimes this means that the answer might not be immediately evident, but by working through the solution, the problem can be solved.

#5 – Negotiation Tactics

The ability to negotiate well is essential since customers often want solutions that are not possible. Working with that customer and negotiating a reasonable and acceptable solution will be beneficial to both the company and the client.

Failure to negotiate correctly can result in the customer becoming more upset and can often derail any potential to settle the dispute appropriately. Proper negotiating can also be crucial in a sales environment when converting a lead that is not automatically on board.

#4 – Time Management

Customer service departments can be incredibly busy and dynamic workspaces. They require agents to be both fast and thorough in order to accomplish all of the tasks that need to be completed. Proper time management is the key to being able to determine when something requires more time and when time can be saved for another issue.

#3 – Ability to Personalize

When working with multiple clients per day, it can be easy to fall into a ”cookie-cutter” set of responses and approaches to a problem or concern. A good customer service agent needs to avoid this and have the ability to personalize each response or solution to fit that specific customer.

When you can personalize the service, you are providing to a client you are looking out for their best interest. Often, the client will be able to understand this, which makes for improved customer experience, increased satisfaction, and retention.

#2 – Attention to Detail

Customer service agents are often tasked with complex responsibilities. It is usually crucial for the company that everything is handled correctly and that everything gets finished on time. Because of this, attention to detail is one of the most essential skills a customer service agent can have.

#1 – Communication Skills

The driving force behind a successful customer service department is excellent communication skills. It is also a mandatory and important skill for those in the customer service role.

To be able to communicate effectively with customers and with other departments is what makes everything sync together. Communication is paramount to any other skill set. Without the ability to communicate effectively, it becomes impossible to use your other skills to solve problems and provide a solution.

About Ansafone Contact Centers

Ansafone Contact Centers is an award-winning, BPO provider with 50 years of world-class customer experience and brand care. We are a national call center with omni- channel services, fully-equipped to help you in business and any special circumstances.

Request a quote or call 800-510-0514 to learn more about our custom solutions for creating exceptional customer service experiences for your clients. We’re happy to offer insight into what your customers seek from your company’s language offerings and tailored customer solutions.

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