A contact center is a challenging and dynamic work environment. Agents must address many customer issues and personality types while maintaining a steady performance.
These 11 customer service skills are crucial to making this happen.
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Positivity
As the saying goes: happy employees = happy customers. Yet, preserving positivity when dealing with many demanding customers is not always easy. Customers may have waited in the queue for a long time, feel misled, or be transferring misdirected emotions toward the agent.
In each scenario, a positive attitude helps to change the conversation’s tone, turn the conversation around, and deliver excellent customer service. In turn, this may result in continued business and customer loyalty.
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Active Listening
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking about what to say next instead of listening attentively to the customer. Yet, when agents do precisely that, they often miss critical pieces of information, extending the contact, creating confusion, and irritating the customer.
As such, agents must stay alert, considering the customer’s tone to paint a clear picture of the situation. After all, listening refers to more than just hearing the customer speak – agents should understand the context and act accordingly.
Quick tips like scribbling down notes, avoiding assumptions, and steering clear of noisy backgrounds may also help.
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Empathy
Empathy in customer service is the ability of an agent to put themselves in the customer’s shoes and consider how the problem has impacted them. Think about: what emotions are they likely feeling?
In doing so, agents can convey to customers that they understand how difficult their situation is, helping to build rapport, create a connection, and meet their emotional needs.
Listening closely to the customer is the cornerstone of empathy. Yet, listening to recordings of empathetic interactions, roleplaying tricky scenarios, and acknowledging the perspectives of others will help to coach this critical service skill.
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Problem-Solving
Problem-solving is the bread and butter of customer service. Presenting agents with easy access to customer context and support materials will help. Yet, some agents can think creatively and find new ways to solve issues. Such a skill is invaluable.
While it is not a simple skill to train, coaches can facilitate better problem-solving by commending excellent examples of innovative thinking and working with management to remove restrictive targets. These could include handling time and service level pressures.
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Patience
A patient agent can accept and endure delays, difficulties, or discomfort without getting annoyed or upset.
In the absence of patience, both the consumer and the customer service rep will encounter an unpleasant service interaction. Indeed, the tone of an impatient agent may reflect a state of perpetual discontent, which often irritates customers.
Patience is critical to avoid such unpleasant scenarios. Unfortunately, it is a tricky skill to nurture. Yet, coaching self-awareness, so agents can understand their “impatient triggers” is likely key.
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Assertiveness
When interacting with rude, obnoxious, or impatient customers, agents should take charge of the issue. If they are excessively timid or submissive, customers will likely lack confidence in them and continue their rampage.
Of course, empathy is better when dealing with upset and angry customers. However, from time to time, customers can cross the line.
In these scenarios, avoid confrontation. Instead, convey confidence using a clear, consistent tone of voice and asking closed questions to keep control of the conversation.
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Adaptability
While an agent may have a standardized customer service playbook, consumer issues and inquiries seldom follow a one-size-fits-all format. Each individual’s circumstance is distinct, and agents must adjust accordingly.
Finding personnel with great adaptability will improve an organization’s customer success rate and help recruit future leaders capable of navigating extremely complex contact center situations.
Contact centers can test and nurture this skill by giving agents new tasks to complete, such as organizing a charity fundraiser and giving them the space to come into their own.
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Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential tenet of excellent customer service. No agent should feel like they are on an island – which is an unfortunate trend in many remote working environments.
Yet, some are introverted and unwilling to engage with the wider team. Crucially, this could negatively impact wellbeing.
In addition, when agents fail to collaborate effectively, the troubleshooting process is more tricky, extending calls and putting reps under increasing pressure.
Mentoring schemes can foster this collaboration while integrating unified communications into the contact center can help build a more positive, collaborative culture.
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Persuasion
Persuasion is widely regarded as an essential sales ability, but it may also enable better customer service.
Nearly every day, agents have the opportunity to convert issues into solutions and disappointed consumers into brand ambassadors. They must be convincing if they are to complete this task.
Communicating with confidence is crucial here, as is a pleasant attitude, to present persuasive reasoning that results in conversions.
To do this, empower agents with the authority to make a judgment call on the spot. For instance, an operation may allow agents to provide a discount or complete an upsell if they sense that the moment is right.
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Resilience
In customer service, resilience and the capacity to bounce back from setbacks or disheartening interactions are invaluable.
Very few clients call to appreciate an organization’s excellence. Most customers raise an issue or complaint, which is likely to have had an adverse effect on their emotions.
Therefore, individuals in customer-facing positions remain resilient. Part of this is recognizing that consumers do not have a personal axe to grind with the agent.
Reminding agents of this and the importance of comprehending the customer’s perspective is essential to building resilience.
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Curiosity
Curiosity to continue learning is a crucial characteristic for customer service reps. Employees trapped in a rut or lacking fresh challenges might feel unsatisfied and bored with their employment.
On the other hand, agents inspired to further their abilities, learn new skills, and build better customer relationships are happier. Moreover, they are likely to provide the best service too.
To inspire such curiosity, gamification often helps. Integrating the technology into a learning environment will help facilitate a culture that acknowledges agents’ dedication and rewards them with incentives.
