The 11 customer service skills you need to succeed in any industry
We outline the 11 customer service skills your staff need and why you must help develop them
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In the last few years we have witnessed an acceleration of technologies that remove friction from customer interactions, partly thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, consumers carry higher expectations for customer service than ever before – and they will vote with their feet when these demands are not met.
Effective and efficient service is a key component of the customer experience and when done right, it can make or break a customer’s loyalty while significantly reducing churn. In fact, CX Network’s Global State of CX 2023 found that 43 percent of our network members have witnessed an increased demand from their customers for instant service or delivery.
Enabling faster, more personalized customer service is undoubtedly great for the customer experience, however this has also meant it is harder than ever to meet customers’ demands.
To satisfy customers, thereby increasing their loyalty and ultimately, company revenue, it is crucial to deliver outstanding customer service consistently. Here we outline the 11 customer service skills that are necessary to succeed no matter what industry you are in, and why developing the skills of customer service employees is just as vital to the success of your business.
1. Effective communication
Exceptional communication skills are extremely important for customer service professionals, who should be able to convey information clearly, listen to customers' needs carefully and respond in a helpful and professional manner. This applies whether it’s face-to-face communication, or via email, social media, or another channel.
2. Emotional intelligence
It is a well-known fact among CX practitioners that creating emotional connections is vital to ensure customers keep coming back, and to do so people working in customer service must be able to understand and even detect customers’ emotions in order to resolve problems. Showing empathy is also important, as by putting yourself in the customers' shoes you are more likely to have a greater understanding of their issue and respond effectively.
3. Attentiveness
Showing customers you are paying attention and even pre-empting what they might need is key to leaving them satisfied in the case of a query or complaint. You can show you are ‘actively listening’ by asking relevant questions and even paraphrasing these to show you understand their needs.
4. Patience and resilience
Global events of the last few years have led to emotions running high, and dealing with frustrated or irate customers is challenging. Staff handling customer queries and complaints need to be resilient to deal with these effectively and without it negatively impacting on their wellbeing.
In our CX Talks session on employee experience earlier this year, Dr Nicola Millard, principle partner at BT, explained: “We have customers who are demanding more across all channels and so our frontline employees are under increasing pressure. We mustn't forget humans like talking to humans, particularly when it does come to that complex and emotive stuff… how do we support them?”
5. Problem-solving skills
The ability to problem-solve is crucial for acting on customer feedback. Successful customer service professionals can analyze customer issues, think critically and provide prompt and effective solutions. This may involve escalating more complex problems to others when necessary, but overall turning a negative experience into a positive one can leave a lasting impression on the customer.
Additionally, problem-solving as a skill is more vital than ever because of the rise in social media as a way for brands to interact with consumers. As Alex Soliman, regional customer care center lead at Ikano Retail (an IKEA franchise), explains, “customers are much more likely to vent frustration on social media and the reach is much further than any other channel.”
6. Time management
Efficient time management is necessary to handle multiple tasks, prioritize customer needs and ensure timely responses, all of which are key parts of any customer service role. There are deadlines in customer-facing roles, particularly when it comes to resolving queries, so meeting these and managing workloads effectively are vital skills.
7. Flexibility
The ability to adapt to different personalities, preferences and communication styles is important for successful customer service. Being flexible to meet the unique needs of each customer helps build positive, memorable relationships between them and your brand.
8. Collaborative working
CX is not just shaped by the customer service department; it takes a collaborative effort from across the organization to ensure customers are satisfied. For example, working closely with payments teams is important too, as mistakes with billing are the source of many customer woes.
Additionally, greater collaboration between departments means information on products, services and data related to customer interactions is more likely to be shared efficiently, leading to better responses and frictionless service.
Bikram Mazumdar, the division VP for South East Asia, North Asia and India at Sprinklr, explains how important this is when it comes to leveraging different channels. “If I am talking to a brand on WhatsApp, I do not want to be called. If I am calling someone, I do not want to be served elsewhere. And if I do wish to switch channels, I certainly do not wish to repeat the whole conversation again.”
9. Continuous improvement
A continuous improvement mindset has two benefits: possessing up-to-date knowledge of the products and services you are offering, as well as benefiting personal development. A workforce with the tools to continuously learn is more likely to have greater employee satisfaction, which has a direct impact on productivity.
10. Multitasking
Juggling multiple tasks is a significant part of a customer service role, whether it is taking calls while searching for information on a computer or handling queries while keeping an eye on the shop floor. This is especially important for periods where there is high demand.
While the use of automation (such as deploying chatbots) can simplify this in some areas, the need for companies to offer an omnichannel approach means there is a greater requirement to manage communications over the phone, via email, chat and various social media platforms, sometimes simultaneously.
11. Friendliness
Last but certainly not least, creating a welcoming and friendly environment by having a positive attitude helps customers feel more comfortable and valued. Being friendly, approachable and eager to help are the first qualities customers will notice, and are vital for creating positive experiences they will remember.
Why developing customer service skills is good for business
By developing the customer service skills of your workforce, you are enabling them to be empowered to take care of customers in the moment, without having to escalate every scenario to other members of staff. Consider the additional waiting time this would create if employees are under-trained and unable to respond to requests.
Providing regular, flexible training also benefits employee wellbeing. Magnus Geverts, VP product marketing at Calabrio, explains that by doing this you can “help agents achieve the perfect work-life balance to stay energized and better able to cope with complex customer issues and high call volumes. From experience of listening to our customers, most agents want training to be more frequent, personalized and flexible.”
Resources for customer service skills training
To help you get started, NICE has a comprehensive range of downloadable worksheets on its website created for call center staff, covering empathy mapping, resilience-building, and how to train and manage remotely.
TalkDesk has free training courses online in English, French and Spanish, including contact center soft skills and how to handle challenging customers.
CX Network has also partnered with David Hicks of TribeCX on a City & Guilds accredited masterclass that includes how to deliver customer-centred change and using journey mapping to improve customer experience.
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