15 Key Customer Service Skills for All Employees

Depending on what you are trying to sell to the consumer, you will quickly develop skills appropriate to your niche in a customer service role. However, there are some vital skills that every customer service employee needs regardless and we have a list of them here today!

Attentiveness — If you want to provide a great service, the customer needs to know that you’re really listening. Not only do you need to listen, you need to show this by making appropriate suggestions when they have finished.

Knowledge — Let’s not forget, people choose your product or service because they see you as specialists. If you have no idea what you’re talking about, this will quickly show.

Time Management — Sometimes, there should be a limit as to how long you talk to a customer. If you don’t know the solution yourself, your job is to find the quickest solution and this might be to involve others in the discussion.

Patience — At times, you will have to deal with unhappy customers. Therefore, you need to show your patience when they are frustrated. If you fail with this key skill, you could lose the customer to a service that does offer the required patience.

Positive Language — Ultimately, your job is to be as polite as possible even if you can’t help them. Rather than saying ‘we don’t have that product’, why not replace it with ‘unfortunately, it is unavailable right now but we can…’. Although the message is the same, there is a huge difference.

Communication — Despite popular belief, this doesn’t mean ‘tell every customer your life story’. Instead, it means communicate with the consumer and make sure they know what is occurring at every step of the process.

Open to Learning — Rather than being closed off and thinking that you know everything there is to know, be open to learn from others and you will become a better customer service employee.

Persuasion — When a customer comes into the shop or contacts you online, they have shown an interest. However, you need persuasive skills to turn this interest into a sale.

Tenacity — Continuing on from the previous point, you need the tenacity to make sales and step away from the ‘norm’. By doing this, you grow as an employee and help others to see what they could achieve.

Adaptable — When the customer throws a curveball, stuttering will get you nowhere. With this in mind, you should be prepared for anything that comes your way. Whether it is a specific question or request, you are the expert so make sure you know the answer.

Ability to Act — Despite your best efforts, you WILL experience customers who are not satisfied. In these situations, you have to respect that you gave it your all and keep smiling. Even when dealing with tricky customers, you need to keep that smile and willingness to help.

Tranquility — Of course, we aren’t saying you should set up a deck chair and be too laid back. However, you need to stay calm in all situations. If you’re on a plane and the pilot screams in panic, all mayhem would ensue; it is their calming presence that allows a trust to be built as strangers.

Focus — With every customer, you should have some goals because this will provide you with the focus required to be successful.

Ability to Close — In truth, this doesn’t always mean ‘make the sale’ because closing a conversation should have the ultimate goal of having the customer walk away happy.

Vision — Finally, you should be able to read all situations and how they are progressing. Whether it is face-to-face or online, your responses should be shaped by the customer and their mood, patience, personality, and more.

There we have it, fifteen vital skills that will transform anybody from beginner to customer service pro!