What are Customer Service Skills?
These skills are what make for good customer service by an employee, as well as by the company as a whole.
They guarantee customer satisfaction, thus increasing company sales. Sometimes referred to as “soft” skills, they are not highly technical professional skills.
While some employees may naturally possess good customer service skills, companies often provide special training to improve every employee’s customer skill.
The Essential Skills for Providing Excellent Customer Service
Effective customer service, although not requiring professional education, is indispensable for good business and requires good interpersonal communication abilities, intelligence, and professionalism.
Having a great customer service division in a company means good business for the company.
What are Top Customer Service Skills?
Here is a list of essential skills:
- Patience: Before any other skill is possible, a company representative must be patient and able to listen attentively.
- Tact: Customers are easily displeased or disappointed, so a company representative should always be tactful, never aggressive, or defensive, and never blame the customer. Tact also implies using positive language.
- Empathy: This is the ability to understand customers, their needs, and mood. A company representative with effective customer skills will respond in a tone and manner that will appease and reassure the customer.
- Assessment: Good assessment works together with effective empathy. To assess is to ask questions and gather customer-related information through observation to gauge the needs and potential of a customer.
- Negotiation: All of these skills come together in effective negotiation. To negotiate well, you need patience, tact, empathy, assessment, and the ability to make quick and shrewd decisions regarding customer needs and company policy to satisfy both ends.
Customer Service Skills: Examples of Good Customer Service Skills
Good customer service skills are crucial for various job positions. Here are a few examples:
- Cashier: Ensure you have enough change and give it back correctly, while being quick yet friendly.
- Technical Support: Possess the technical knowledge, experience, and problem-solving abilities required to serve clients.
- Salesperson: Assess customer needs without embarrassment and follow up with a deal that satisfies the client financially while making a profit for the company.
Listing Customer Service Skills in a Resume
These examples can help you list key customer service skills that employers in your area are looking for. Include skills such as:
- Personality characteristics: Patience, poise, tact.
- Self-presentation and communication skills.
- Negotiation and sales skills.
- Positive attitude.
- Attention to detail.
- People-oriented.
- Problem analysis and problem-solving.
- Analytical thinking.
- Organizational skills.
- Adaptability and ability to work under pressure.
- Initiative.
Additionally, include relevant skills such as proficiency in Microsoft Office, customer service software, knowledge of administrative procedures, technical/product knowledge, and languages.
It is also important to mention any customer service training or relevant courses you have completed on your resume.
The Future of Customer Service: What Skills Do You Need to Succeed?
Customer Service Skills in a Digital Era:
In today’s digital age, customer service skills have expanded beyond traditional face-to-face interactions.
With the rise of online platforms and social media, companies must adapt their customer service strategies to meet the needs of tech-savvy consumers.
Here are some additional skills that are valuable in the digital customer service landscape:
1. Online Communication: Effective written communication skills are crucial for interacting with customers through email, live chat, or social media. Clear, concise, and professional messaging helps ensure a positive customer experience.
2. Social Media Management: Companies need representatives who can effectively manage social media platforms, respond to customer inquiries or complaints, and engage with followers. Familiarity with social media tools and analytics is beneficial for tracking customer sentiment and addressing issues promptly.
3. Tech Literacy: Customer service representatives should have a solid understanding of the company’s digital systems, software, and online tools. This enables them to assist customers with troubleshooting and navigate through any technical challenges.
4. Empathy in Virtual Interactions: Empathy remains a critical skill, even in virtual interactions. Being able to understand and empathize with customers’ concerns or frustrations is key to providing excellent customer service online.
5. Multilingual Support: In a globalized world, multilingual customer support is increasingly valuable. Proficiency in languages other than English can help companies cater to diverse customer bases and provide a personalized experience.
6. Problem-Solving in Remote Settings: Remote work setups have become more common, requiring customer service representatives to be adept at problem-solving independently. The ability to think critically, identify solutions, and troubleshoot remotely is essential.
7. Personalization through Data: Leveraging customer data and analytics enables companies to provide personalized experiences. Customer service representatives should understand how to utilize customer data to anticipate needs, tailor recommendations, and offer relevant solutions.
8. Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence plays a vital role in understanding and managing customer emotions, especially in virtual interactions. Recognizing and appropriately responding to customers’ emotional cues helps foster trust and satisfaction.
As the customer service landscape continues to evolve, it is essential for companies and employees to adapt and develop new skills to meet the changing demands of consumers in the digital era.