11. Read the customer - the thing with the customer service
agents is that they rarely see their customers face to face. Most of the time
they communicate with clients over the phone, chat or email. This makes it hard
for them to be able to "read" between the lines, to "read"
the customer. However, the good customer service agent has the skill to do this
without actually being in the same room as the client. By being able to read
the customer's emotional state, patience level, current mood and with just a
bit of human psychology knowledge, the customer agent can avoid misreading a
customer and the subsequent mistakes from it;
12. Goal oriented - most companies believe that employees
become goal oriented when they receive awards for goal completion and that is a
true assumption in a way. However, there are actually people that like to reach
their goals no matter what company reward they receive. Actually, the biggest
reward they get is completing the goal. So, the good customer service agent has
the "go-to" skill that can make him do anything to help a customer;
13. Persuasion - while we are not talking about using the
force to persuade customers that "this is the product you're looking
for" there are situations where this skill comes in handy. Most companies
that have their email written on their websites often receive messages from
potential customers that show curiosity in their product. The experienced
customer service agent will recognize this as a possibility to make a sale. And
while pitching in situations like these is walking on a thin ice, the expert
will be able to keep the interest of the customer alive. You don't want to miss
opportunities for new clients just because no one can create and send the right
message;
14. Positive closing - this is all about leaving the
customer with a feeling of satisfaction. Most of the problems regarding
customer support are based on skipping through customers as fast as one can. Yes,
it is important to take the call fast and get things done as soon as possible,
but did you listen carefully? Did you her all of the customer's problems? It is
so frustrating for a customer to get booted without him explaining all the
problems with the product. The good customer service agent will always wait for
the customer to hang up when he explained all of his problems, asked all of his
questions and is assured that his problems will be taken care of;
15. Attentiveness - this is one of the most important skills
a customer agent should have. Being able to listen carefully what the customer
has to say is of a vital importance to the customer service profession. Most
customers don't have the technical knowledge to explain thoroughly what is the
problem with their product (especially if the product is a software or computer
oriented). So, the customer agent should listen carefully and pay attention to
every detail the customer gives, so he can find out the reason for the problem.
More about Customer service:
1. The 5 Types Of Customers
2. Getting Back a Customer
3. 3 Signs You're Doing Your Customer Service Job Wrong