Customer service skills

Today’s customer service involves much more than face-to-face conversations or answering phone calls. With the proliferation of digital service channels and the growing demands of tech-savvy consumers; customer service roles have become more challenging.

Apart from good product knowledge, service agents need to have a full range of customer service/support skills to successfully perform their work duties. Thus, to be able to provide the level of service consumers expect.

Why soft skills matter in customer service

Despite the wide adoption of Artificial Intelligence and self-service technologies; human-to-human interactions are still key to delivering an outstanding customer service experience. Today, 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of customer experience. And when it comes to providing excellent service experience, it’s the soft skills that create the difference between an average service agent and the one who can really delight and ‘wow’ your customers.

What is a hard skill? To put it simply, a hard skill can be taught through training, school, or practice. Examples of hard skills can differ based on the industry. Here are some hard skills examples; language proficiency, management skills, typing speed, or a certificate/degree.

Hard skills, like specialized knowledge or technical abilities, are important. However, soft skills are becoming more critical. According to the Wonderlic National Employer Survey, 97% of employers agree that soft skills impact job performance. The LinkedIn survey also found that 57% of business leaders consider soft skills to be even more important than hard skills. In essence, soft skills in customer-facing positions are paramount.

Top 10 customer service skills to develop

Here are some of the most basic customer service skills that every employee, whose job includes interacting with customers should master.

1. Effective listening

Active listening can be found on almost any customer service skill set list. Effective listening means being focused and fully present in the conversation. Therefore, you can truly understand what the person on the other end is trying to say. Good listening skills can help agents avoid misunderstandings, handle service issues faster, and be more efficient. Studies show that most people tend to remember only 25% to 50% of what they hear. Thus, developing good listening skills is essential for face-to-face and voice interactions.

2. Attentiveness

Attentiveness is one of the key skills in customer service. Being attentive to all the details the customer is sharing allows agents to target the problem precisely and avoid miscommunication. Since customers demand a personalized experience, service reps require a great level of attentiveness to make interactions more personal. Even when they have to stick to certain canned responses; attentiveness can ensure the dialogue remains meaningful and personalized for each customer.

3. Patience

Service agents have to deal with unhappy customers on a daily basis. Thus, patience is one of the most essential customer service soft skills you can have. Demonstrating self-control and the ability to stay calm in challenging service scenarios can help diffuse tense situations with frustrated customers. It also takes patience to professionally interact with customers who struggle to describe the problem or follow the agent’s guidelines/instructions.

4. Empathy

Empathy – the ability to sense and share the emotions of others. It is a must-have customer service skill. Showing concern, caring, and understanding can go a long way, especially when interacting with complaining customers. Take into account that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customers feel, they are being treated. It comes to show that empathy allows you to create emotional connections with customers which is the foundation of a good customer service experience.

5. Clear communication skills

Clear communication is one of the most important customer service skills for everyone working in customer oriented positions. Both oral and written communication skills matter equally. Using unclear language, slang, specific jargon, mumbling, or being unable to get the message across in a clear and concise manner can create customer dissatisfaction. Communication skills are also interlinked with the ability to use positive language, which is discussed below.

6. Ability to use positive language

The ability to use positive language is among the most desired skills needed for customer service. How service agents phrase their responses can have a big impact on the way customers perceive your company. Saying ‘This product will be available next week’ instead of ‘We don’t have this product right now’ makes it easier for customers to accept the information. Therefore, using a positive sentence structure can create a better impression of your customer service.

7. Problem-solving skills

Good customer service basically means getting to the core of the problem and immediately coming up with the right solution. With excellent problem-solving skills, agents can address challenging service issues more efficiently and make appropriate decisions, while also being able to think pro-actively and creatively if a problem arises. Moreover, problem-solving skills also help service agents manage conflicts and deal with unhappy customers.

8. Positive attitude

Consider the stressful nature of a customer service job – constantly dealing with complaints, negative feedback, and customer frustration. Being able to maintain a positive attitude in these situations can help service agents avoid burnout, stay motivated, maintain good performance, and high productivity levels. A positive attitude is also the key to more effective customer interactions, building emotional connections with customers, and creating positive service experiences.

9. Adaptability and flexibility

No list of good customer service skills is complete without adaptability and flexibility. There is a lot of variability in the average customer support rep’s daily routine. For instance: different customer personalities, different problems to solve, and different support channels to manage. Therefore, adaptability and mental flexibility are critical skills as they help service reps adjust to challenging situations that can arise.

10. Time management

Since customer service agents usually have a variety of tasks and responsibilities to handle during the day, time management is one of the must-have skills for customer service agents. Time management includes smart planning, setting realistic goals, prioritizing daily activities, minimizing interruptions, and delegating tasks. These skills help service reps manage their workload effectively, meet deadlines, maintain high performance, maximize their productivity, and handle multitasking.

Discover on your own

Connect skills with software

Improve your service with customer service software. All of the customer skills mentioned above are highly important to have efficient and effective customer service. However, customer service software, such as LiveAgent, can improve agents’ workflow and help them prioritize the customer inquires.

With such software, you can set the priority of customer inquiries. You can use automation, such as Time Rules, SLAs, and other LiveAgent- Features. Customer service software also enables your agents to handle all customer inquiries from one interface. As a result, your agents can handle more inquiries and improve customer satisfaction.

If you would like to learn more, read LiveAgent – Customer service software.

Or you can test everything right away with our 30-day free trial down below.

Related Articles

Customer service skills

Customer service agents need to have a full range of customer service skills to be able to provide the level of service that consumers expect.

5 customer service skills that will make you stand out

Customer service skills can make a huge difference between the average customer service agent and the one who is able to provide WOW service.

Customer service skills

A customer representative should be well-skilled and have a great knowledge about products. They should also carefully listen to customers.

Customer service theory

The key principles of good customer service are speed, honesty, and accessibility. These principles lead to customer loyalty, satisfaction, increased revenue, and improved brand image. Measuring customer satisfaction through KPIs is crucial. LiveAgent offers a comprehensive help desk solution to put these principles into practice.