TechBuzzard 
Would you like to work in customer service skills or hire new employees for this department? Then you or your team should bring along a few idiosyncrasies and skills – to trigger the “wow” feeling in the customer. You can find out which skills these are in our list here.
Incidentally, many of the skills, such as organizational techniques or specialist knowledge of the product, can be supported through training and coaching. They do not necessarily have to be fully developed from the start. But whoever has them all can only win.
Why is outstanding customer service important?
Are you wondering why customer service skills is so important even though it only brings limited sales? Well, good service does not directly bring sales, but it does ensure higher customer satisfaction and a larger proportion of loyal regular customers, who in turn are the customer group with the highest turnover.
In customer service, you score points with the following skills
communication skills
Anyone who works in customer service skills must enjoy talking to other people. Several hours a day and regardless of your mood. The language should be clear and understandable, with as few language barriers as possible . As an international company, hire people who speak different languages if possible.
In addition to the spoken word, writing is also one of the customer service requirements. If you have excellent command of writing and language, you will find the right words in the right form on every communication channel . It would be a nice bonus skill if you could also make a sketch or two to support your explanations.
good listening
It’s not just about taking your time and smiling and nodding politely. Above all, being a good listener means that the information arrives and is processed. A competent service employee will find out where the problem really lies. Even if the customer speaks excitedly, may not have all the information available or uses the wrong terminology. He also asks questions if they are necessary and lets the speaker finish beforehand.
empathy
As a waiter, never be dismissive or downplay the customer’s concerns. Better understand the anger and confusion. An excellent employee puts himself in the complainant’s position and can understand the problem. He also knows what really helps the customer.
The deadly sin would be to take the customer for a fool and show him this. It wouldn’t be fair, after all, he doesn’t share your expertise. Otherwise he wouldn’t need the service at all. Accept that nothing is as self-evident as it may seem to us as experts.
patience
Customers who contact a service point are often in an upset mood. Some of them also explain their concerns in great detail. They don’t seem to get to the point for a long time. In such a situation, do not look annoyed at the clock or start a conversation with your colleague. Your time belongs to the customer until their issue is resolved.
You also need patience when answering. Explain your statement in slow, discrete steps that lay people can understand. Also, don’t be afraid to explain the same thing multiple times a day . The third customer of the day is not to blame for the fact that two other people before him had to deal with the same issues.
Dispute Resolution Skills
Sometimes a service call gets out of hand. Then you need someone in the team who can ground the emotionally charged conversation again. Either he does so with friendly concessions or with rational arguments. Depending on what is appropriate in the individual situation. Competent service employees keep a healthy distance. You also recognize when it is enough and no solution can be found for the customer, at least not in your house.
organizational skills
In customer service, you communicate with many people in a short time. A lot has to be organized and done in a timely manner. Each case is given the time it needs, but there should be no dallying. Effective solutions are the motto. The employee then sorts himself out and can tackle the next case straight away.
He maintains an overview, even when many problems arise at the same time. He always sends the right answers or forms and refers to the right contact person. He doesn’t let anything sit too long or even forgets it. Aids are not only allowed, but wanted. Nevertheless, as a team you need someone who can help even if the technical aids fail.
stress resistance
This peculiarity goes hand in hand with organizational talent and dispute resolution skills. In customer service, it is always the most difficult when there are general disruptions and problems. For example, if there is a large defect or if an event is cancelled. The inquiries are pouring down on you, the customers are more confused and outraged than in a “normal” situation. Despite all this, suitable employees continue to work consistently, in the best case even more reassuringly than on normal days.
multitasking
This means that as a service employee, I have to listen, understand and take notes at the same time . I might do some reading or ask a colleague questions. I keep track of the time and keep my explanations short. When one task is done, I quickly switch to the next. This can be completely different in nature, but I quickly rethink.
expertise
The basis for good advice is in-depth specialist knowledge. It is therefore ideal to hire someone who has extensive professional experience . However, there are different things to know in every company. As a manager, ensure that learning resources are always available in the form of manuals, glossaries or training courses. Don’t neglect the training of new employees.
As a true expert, you can help with even the toughest questions. Incidentally, the better you understand something, the easier and more appropriate it is to explain it. The ideal prerequisite for good customer service.
interest in the product
No matter how deep his knowledge about it is: If the consultant does not like to talk about his own product or service, the result will not be good. The customer senses the aversion and becomes skeptical or dismissive himself. If the employee is enthusiastic about the product, they are also more likely to ensure that it is constantly being developed and improved.
knowledge about the company
A frequent question in consultations is: “Why should I buy from you and not from XY? It’s much cheaper there…” In this case, not only specialist knowledge of the product category and application is required, but also about the specific advantages and disadvantages of one’s own brand.
It can also happen that a customer asks questions about the company just out of interest . If he receives a satisfactory answer, his confidence in the company and its employees grows. He feels in the best of hands.
team work
Customer care is teamwork. Anyone who works here needs social skills. The aim is always to help each other so that every request is answered. When I learn something new, I share the knowledge with everyone so that they can pass it on to their customers. And I should be prepared to take on a colleague’s case once in a while.
Blame, on the other hand, is out of place. A good service employee prefers to take responsibility himself and work in a solution-oriented manner. Customers will also feel the positive working environment .
accept innovations
There are employees who do their job first-class for years. Then comes a new product or re-branding. Your team uses new techniques, everyone is fully involved – only this one, actually competent, employee resists it. He sticks to the outdated methods because they have always worked for him.
This is not a good prerequisite for working in customer care. Because buyers always want the best solution. Sometimes the perfect solution is a new approach. Not everything was better before. If you don’t accept that, you will have a hard time with customer service in the long run.
Tools to make your work easier
We humans are not the only ones who contribute to excellent customer care. Digital and analogue tools can also help. Here we present a few. Check out the link below for more methods to improve your customer service directly .
calendar
Use digital calendars with reminders by when a ticket has to be solved. Also create reminders for counseling sessions that need preparation. Calendars are already firmly integrated into everyday work, but in customer service they are still often neglected (compared to internal meetings, sales pitches or application appointments).
Wikis / knowledge management
Create a well-arranged collection of knowledge. This contributes both to professional competence and to the acceptance of innovations. Simply because the transition becomes easier. In it, document both processes (What questions do you ask the customer? Who is informed internally?) and the facts about your service or your goods.
Then tag the wikis so that they can be searched for in the conversation. Start with a quick answer at the top of every page for a quick response. Below that is longer text for more complex problems. Don’t forget to update!
CRM system
In a customer relationship management system, you record interactions with and knowledge about your customers . This way you know all your contacts and their purchases. You can understand every conversation. A CRM also allows customers to be grouped, for example by age or where they are in the sales cycle.
automations
Every company has processes that recur frequently and can theoretically be taken over by machines. Delete the “theoretical” and implement the automation. This saves a lot of time and energy.
Also Read : Rules For Professional Customer Communication
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