8 skills for a good customer service representative

1. Communication skills
   

   A good customer service representative must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with customers. Voice usage and language use are important in this regard. You also sometimes have to adapt your language and choice of words to the customer you are currently in contact with. So communication skills are not only about language skills but also about using your language correctly.

2. Listen

   A severely underrated skill. Not only in customer service, by the way, but in almost all forms of interaction. Listening involves really wanting to understand what the other person is trying to make clear to you. Listening is not done to answer but to get the question clear. It is important to continue asking if the question is not entirely clear. That way, you avoid giving an answer that is not quite the answer to the question. A good customer service representative can therefore listen very well.

3. Empathy

   Besides listening (language), understanding feelings and emotions is a very useful skill if you work in customer service. If you understand why a customer is angry then you can have a better conversation. If you can put yourself in the customer's situation then you actually come up with better solutions. With a healthy dose of empathy, you will really have an easier time especially in the more difficult conversations.

4. Problem-solving skills

   With all the listening and empathy, do you have a good idea of the problem or question? With good problem-solving skills, you can find an appropriate solution easier and faster. This skill allows you to answer questions faster and better and ensures that there is no unnecessary wait for and answer.

5. Patience

   Okay you are super good and fast in your communication. Have skills to get out of your words well and know what you are talking about. Of course, this does not always apply to the customer you are in contact with. Not everyone is equally smart or quick-witted. Not everyone is fully in tune with today's fast-paced and, above all, digital society. This often requires patience from you as a good customer service representative. You cannot go faster than the customer you are in contact with can. That's when things go wrong and you get uncomfortable conversations.

6. Tech skills.

   In customer service, you often work in all kinds of different systems. Apart from the company you work for and the products/services you provide service for, you therefore need to be quite handy with systems. Being able to switch quickly between systems, learning quickly where to find things and creating your own goat paths (shortcuts). Tech skills allow you to focus on the interaction and not have to think too much ne with the systems you have to use.

7. Multitasking

   Working in customer service is dynamic work. At least at most companies. You often do all sorts of things mixed up. A customer calling about an e-mail while you are busy with a chat. If you can't multitask, then customer service might not be for you. After all, it makes you flexible in the dynamic customer service environment.

8. Team player

   Customer service is not something you do alone. You work in a team. As a team player, you ensure that you achieve the best results as a team. As a group, you achieve more than single individuals. If you are a team player then you are a valuable addition in any customer service team? Why? Because you can ensure that the team as a whole presents better.

Do you want to be a good customer service representative? Then get these 8 skills!

These are the 8 skills you need to become just a really good customer service representative. You'll also enjoy working in customer service with these skills a lot more than if you didn't have these skills. Imagine if you had no communication skills or were just 0% empathetic. Surely, working in customer service must be a real nightmare. Read here what a good customer service is and why good customer service is important.