9 customer service skills every business needs

 Why so much attention to customer service? Why are companies paying more attention and keenness on training their employees and developing their customer service skills? Quite simply, because achieving success, growth and continuity in the market has become dependent on the existence of a loyal customer base. In addition, providing distinguished service to customers is no longer an optional matter or a set of slogans, but has become a reality imposed by the nature of circumstances and changes in the contemporary business environment.

The formula for commercial success is no longer based on innovative promotion, appropriate price or distinguished product, but is based primarily on building a successful partnership relationship between the organization and its customers.

Retaining customer loyalty is the first and last way to achieve profitability and reduce costs. Almost 90% of customers switch to competitors after having a bad customer service experience.

9 Customer Service Skills Every Business Needs

Let's talk about some specific skills that every customer service employee, customer-facing professional, and every small business owner can learn and master to improve the quality of customer support and service:

1. Patience.

Patience is at the top of the list of customer service skills! There will be times when customers will provoke us, days when the system won't work properly, and days when it all goes wrong. Customer service staff need to have nerves of steel and be patient when things don't go as they should. A calm customer service employee will calm the customer down more than an employee who shows impatience.

2. Clear communication.

Customer service experts must have the ability to communicate clearly and well, because they are the employees that customers talk to most of the time, and who will leave a lasting impression on them. More than a quarter of customers who are satisfied with customer service would recommend the business to their friends. Customers need to understand what is happening at every step in order to feel satisfied at the end of the call. Customer service staff also detect problems long before other departments notice them, and their ability to communicate clearly with management can help solve problems before they get worse.

3. Know the product.

Obviously, customer service staff must have extensive product knowledge, and many companies give their employees scenarios for dealing with customers about their problems, but scenarios don't provide solutions for everything. The customer service employee must be able to improvise based on his knowledge of the product, and companies must give their service staff the opportunity to deal with the product and train them on how it works adequately.

4. Positive language.

The difference between “we can't get this to you until next month,” and “it's in the warehouse next month, and I'll make sure to ship it to you right away” is a huge difference from a customer service perspective. Research shows that positive language is much more effective in creating a positive impression. This helps increase customer satisfaction at the end of the call.

5. Time management

If we were in an ideal world, employees would be able to spend as much time as possible with each customer until his problem was resolved, but in the real world governed by budgets, and goals such as the number of incoming calls, the employee should be able to solve the problem efficiently in the shortest possible time without making the customer feel As if being rushed. He should also be able to pay attention to minor issues to avoid the customer calling again in the future and having to go back to each complaint a second time. Being able to balance these goals is a skill that not everyone possesses, and it can be difficult to train an individual.

The best way to achieve this is to give employees specific instructions about the average duration of each call. Make sure that this period is based on how quickly the best staff can complete calls, not just a split number of incoming calls. If you are getting more calls than your staff can handle, you should hire more staff and not demand more effort from your staff.

6. The ability to deal with surprises.

Customer service personnel need to be able to handle any unforeseen situation without becoming overwhelmed. This is one of the most powerful customer service skills, as while a customer may ask for just a simple piece of information, there are cases with a very complex problem. The employee should be able to deal with both without showing any sign of confusion, annoyance or fear.

No matter the case, you better be able to make a quick decision, or set your own guidelines/principles in such cases. The most successful employees are the ones who are able to handle things they've never encountered before, deal confidently with a customer, and have a willingness to solve a problem at all costs.

7. The ability to complete the conversation

Being able to “conclude” with the client means being able to end the conversation with certainty that the client is satisfied (or close to that) and with the client feeling that everything has been taken care of (or will be). Putting a conversation on hold after the customer has called or before all issues have been addressed is the last thing customers want, so be sure to take the time to confirm with customers that every issue has been fully considered and resolved (or will be resolved).

When the customer tells you, “Yeah, I’m done (I don’t have any more problems),” you will know the conversation is over.

8. Acting skills

Sometimes you will come across people who are difficult (or impossible) to please. Some situations outside of your control (such as a customer having a bad day, or maybe they are just plain grouchy) will start to seep into your normal customer service routine, and you will have to deal with those customers who make you feel like they don't.

They want nothing but to tire you out.

A good customer service representative has the basic acting skills needed to maintain his cheerful personality despite dealing with someone who may be naturally grumpy.

9. Desire and willingness to learn.

Things change quickly in the business world, and customer service staff are the first to experience customer frustration. Customer service staff are the ones who take calls when a company has a scandal, an infuriating policy, or something critical with a product breaks, and they do their best to fix the issues. Great customer service people must be able to improvise quickly, because they may have to change direction once or twice a day, depending on the situation.

Abstract: The needs, desires, aspirations and expectations of customers are constantly on the rise. The key to success lies in distinguishing customer service, not in the product you sell or the service you offer. Outstanding customer service skills elevate business to outstanding levels of customer service and satisfaction.