Strong customer service skills are helpful not only for people working in a call center or a retail store, but for any business professional. We all work with people, whether they are our co-workers, clients, or other employees. This means that we all have to develop great customer service skills.
Recently, I asked Bryan Phelps, a customer service adviser with ROI Call Center Solutions, an inbound call center with operations in the United States and the Philippines, for his best thoughts on providing excellent customer service and building relationships. Here is what he had to say…
The following 5 customer service skills will not only help you create a wonderful experience for your clients, they will also help you in all aspects of your career.
- Super Listening Skills
Perhaps one of the most important set of skills you can possess is the ability to not just listen to what customers have to say, but to hear their comments and concerns. To listen to a client, you must simply give them your attention; to hear a client is to perceive, understand, and conceptualize what exactly they are saying. By both listening to and hearing your customers, you’ll be able to better assist in resolving the issue and meeting their needs.
- Exceptional Communication Skills
Communication is key when working with members of the public. Along with the ability to listen to your clients, you also must be able to talk clearly and confidently in order for them to both understand and trust you. Having strong written skills is similarly important. With exceptional communication skills, you’ll avoid misunderstandings, unwanted backlash and frustration from either party.
- Solid Patience Skills
Your patience is important to clients, but it’s absolutely essential for your success in business. “Great service beats fast service,” and the more time and effort you put into resolving your client’s concerns, the more successful both you and the business will be. This typically involves being patient and understanding.
- Dedicated Conflict Resolution Skills
Many situations that require excellent customer service involve an individual who has a problem that needs to be resolved. Having the skills to creatively assess and solve these problems is key to your success as a business professional. Improve your conflict resolution skills in four simple steps:
- Be sure that you understand what exactly the customer’s problem is and discuss potential solutions.
- Be creative in your methods of resolving the issue. Try to cater specific solutions to fit the individual needs of the client.
- If you’re unable to develop a solution that is agreeable for the customer, work with others in your business to create additional solutions and offer further assistance as needed.
- Continue to follow up with the customer to insure their issue has been adequately resolved.
- Extraordinary Empathy Skills
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand your client’s emotional state; to understand what they are saying and how they feel. In other words, you must empathize with your customers. Try to frequently put yourself if their shoes by asking yourself questions like: How would I feel if I were in his/her position? How would I like the situation to be handled if I had this issue? How would I want to be treated? Questions like this help you to be empathetic with your customer and can assist in helping you find the perfect solution for them.
This is some great life and career success advice — even if you are not a customer service professional. Put it to work in your job and watch your career take off.
Your career mentor,
Bud
PS: I write this blog to help people create the life and career success they want and deserve. Now I’m going one step further. I’ve created a membership site in which I’ve pulled together my best thoughts on success. And, as a reader of this blog, you can become a member for free. Just go to https://budbilanich.com/join to claim your free membership. You’ll be joining a vibrant and growing community of success minded professionals. I hope to see you there.
nice one..