If you are trying to run bussiness with great customer service you should mind the following skills that everyone of your customer service team have to have:
1. Listening
This is essencial for every employee engaged in customer sevice. Why? Because listening to what the customer want you will be able to provide the best service. This includes not only hearing, but understanding of what is being said. Remember this when searching for customer service associate.
2. Empathizing
This means that you not only have to listen to the customer, but to involve yourself in the conversation. To put yourself in the customer's shoes and look over the situation from his perspective. This will help for providing the best solution for your client.
3. Comunicating
Yes. Customer service is a two way comunication and whoever is involved have to have the ability to speak clearly. It is very important to sense the mode of the person from the other side, or on front of you and speak to him in a way that he will understand you.
4. Reaction speed
No matter if the customer is infront of you, or on the phone, or on the computer, the speed of reation is essencial. Noone wants to wait for a responce! That's why you should have the ability to react as fast as you can. The faster the better. this doesn't mean to lower the quality of the service for the speed.
5. Improvising
Most companies have guidelines for customer service that are suggesting sertain reactions to most common situations. But these guidelines cannot provide solutions for every situation. For some situations is required help from the supervisor, but other can be solved by improvising. The best customer service associate is the one who can be creative and find solutions by improvising.
Search for these qualities in everyone of your staff who is engaged in customer service. If everyone have them all this means you will provide great customer service.