You may have all the values of a job-seeker, but what companies are looking for in potential customer service staff is more specific that you think it is. Though the customer service profession has a lingering reputation for high turnover rates and burnout, there are people who thrive in this field, and make a career out of it. If you have the following qualities, you may be one of them.
1. You never lose your cool
Patience and graciousness show that you are ready for this job. Being on the frontline often puts people under a lot of stress, and as a customer service representative, you’ll be handling customers with various attitudes. Some of them may be upset, and they may take their frustrations out on you. If you are able to stay calm and level-headed in such times, you possess one of the greatest attributes to have in the industry.
2. You are a multi-tasker
Consumer expectations are only growing with time. Not only do you have to deal with erratic work schedule, you also can’t expect there will be sufficient staff to cater to the customers on the line at a point in time. There will be many situations in which you have to respond and explain promptly to every customer, while juggling other tasks.
3. You are attentive
Customer service is not about copying and pasting a set of instructions to solve a problem. Every customer has a unique situation, and the ability to listen is crucial to providing great service catered to them. For instance, customers may not give feedback for your software in the way that your manual talks about it, but when they say it is difficult to use and thus they are facing problems, you need to listen to them and work to better understand their difficulties. Paying attention to the details will help you in helping them solve the problem.
4. You make complicated things easy to understand
If the solution requires multiple steps or for the customer to follow instructions to fix their issue, knowing how to summarise information and make it digestible is key. Work to break down complex concepts or complicated steps as best you can, and do your best not to become openly frustrated if they are confused or taking a long time.
Do your best to step into the shoes of the customer in order to empathise with them, so that you you can then speak in their language and assist them.
If you have what it takes, you can start exploring customer service jobs for a career.
