Let’s face it, being a customer service rep is a tough job. Not only do they resolve customer’s issues, but they also, remotely, become the face of the company. It’s a no-brainer that soft skills are of paramount importance if you want to pursue a career as a customer service rep. However, to stand out as a customer service rep, you will require more than just soft skills.
Customers yelling at you, solving their queries, and saving your company’s face, such instances occurring at the same time may burden anyone. So, becoming a customer rep is not a walk in the park. Still, you can excel at your job by learning a few new traits.
Working in customer service for some time now, we have identified some essential qualities that every customer service representative should have. Acquiring those skills will help you feel relieved while doing your job. Let’s check these out:
1. Clarity In Communication:
As a customer agent, communication skills have the supreme importance. Imagine
stuttering or stumbling while talking to a customer. What impression will they get? If
that’s the case, a customer having loads of questions may not keep their temper in check
for much time.
However, if you’re fluent, keep the conversation clear and productive. Not only you will
be able to resolve your customer’s query but it’ll leave a good impression too.
2. Active Listening:
For a support agent, listening and understanding are two different things. You not only
need to listen to what the customer is saying but also understand it so that you can offer
an optimal solution to it.
In addition, customers talk at a different pace. You may encounter customers presenting
you with a set of queries in different manners. At this stage, you don’t want them to
repeat or miss any important piece of information.
3. Bilingual Support:
With time, companies may expand their operations in other parts of the world. They may
want to hire people adept in the respective languages. As an aspiring support agent,
being bilingual will give you priority over other candidates.
For instance, Suddenlink español entertains Spanish customers using their team of
Spanish reps. Hence, having multilingual support allows your customers to be more vocal
about their problems, which they may hesitate to address because of communication
barriers.
Speaking of which, Suddenlink, along with exceptional customer support, has great
internet, TV, and phone subscriptions available on its platform, which you can inquire
about or get by connecting with its support.
4. Practice Patience:
As a support agent, you may run into customers who would yell, curse, or want instant
solutions. Many customers are unaware of the fact that it takes some time to solve any
query.
However, consider such customers a test of your patience. Sometimes, being a rep means
exhibiting patience. Learning to calm another person is an art and patience is a
prerequisite for it. Showing composure may help you in solving the query at hand and
may leave a profound impact on your customer.
5. In-Depth Knowledge:
How can you solve queries if you don’t have a clue about your company’s products and
services? For any customer rep, having pertinent knowledge about the company’s
offerings is essential. Going into minor details and exploring every facet of products
boosts your confidence and you’ll be in a better position to understand your customer’s
queries.
6. Technical Skills:
Often called hard skills, they’re as important as any other skills. For any support agent,
familiarizing with the gadgets they’ll use makes them adept in their field. Occasionally,
customer reps often get confused while using different software, all at once.
However, companies also have a part to play here. Providing quality training to reps is
their foremost responsibility. But, you should take time out to obtain them on your own,
strengthening your profile.
7. Attention to Detail:
While attending thousands of calls every day, there is a high possibility that questions
may repeat over time. However, those queries may have minor differences and solutions
may vary.
As a support agent, avoid being over-confident, and trying to solve a query without
listening to it. It is better to listen to the customers thoroughly rather than initiate the
whole process again.
You’ll be on the safe side because the customer may provide some information at the
end, which may alter your initial response to the query (which you thought was the
same).
8. Swift Response:
One of the defining qualities of any support agent is how quickly they respond to solve
the query. In the quest to resolve an inquiry briskly, many support agents make mistakes.
As a result, it takes more time to solve the problem at hand.
Being a customer service rep, always remember to ask multiple questions about the
query. It’ll enhance your understanding of the problem and you’ll be in a position to act
quickly.
9. Accept That You Don’t Know:
In the initial stages, you may not be as quick as others, but knowing from the start that
you have to go through the process of understanding how everything works will help you
learn quickly.
With time you’ll be able to handle multiple customers, solve different queries, and give
time-bound responses with immense pressure, only if you go through the process with a
mind open for learning.
Concluding Remarks:
Being a customer service representative is not an easy task as it involves dealing with startling customers and throwing queries one after another. However, if you’re well- prepared to undergo such a hectic job, then there’s no stopping you from excelling in your career as a customer service rep.
