Counting on a team versed in good customer service skills is quintessential to keep your company sailing to a good harbor.
As dealing with customers represents the right opportunity to engage them with your product and services; customer service skills are not only basic but paramount in all the different stages needed to make the deal.
Let’s give a look at the top 6 Customer Service skills that your team needs to master, and why.
Top 6 customer service skills
1. The first impression
We have only one chance to make the best of the first impression. Whether personally, by phone or through online applications; your prospects and customers will always remember that very first time when they were contacted by your company. Then, why jeopardizing your only shot to hit the mark with them?
The correct answer here is, you don’t have to. In fact, the best thing you can do is establishing detailed standards in a script for making even more memorable that first approach; so you guarantee a good start for a long-term relationship.
This is the reason why you need to focus your efforts in giving to your agents the best training in customer service skills. As they are in charge of making this first bond; they are obliged to give the best of themselves to engage your prospects from that very first impression.
2. Make your teams wearing your customer’s shoes
More than a number for achieving your goals, your prospects are human beings who need and deserve respect and empathy. One of the most effective ways to give them both is by offering the service you’d expect for yourself.
In such regard, one of the problems your teams face is structure. They need to do their numbers in certain timing to achieve corporate goals, and the best way of doing so is by using a script to keep control on every stage of the process. So, the trick here consists in sounding natural even when using the script.
Hence, you need to train your teams in developing the capability to use the script as the simple tracking reminder it is; while professionally giving to your prospects/customers the answers they expect.
Then, developing empathy is one of the customer service skills you need to master. Implant in your agent’s mind a simple notion: If you were on the other side, would you prefer to talk with another human being, or with a human-like robot?
It’s simple: Your prospects and customers expect solutions, yes, but also insight. Gift your agents with the capability to control the script instead of letting the script controlling their natural capabilities to solve whatever your prospects/customers need. Let them wear your customer’s shoes and walking with them beyond the script’s borders.
3. Honesty and accomplishment
Although these two aspects seem pretty basic and obvious, truth is that they’re so self-evident that most agents end by forgetting about them. But, instead of pointing out how counterproductive this results, let’s focus on solutions to avoid making this mistake.
Honesty and accomplishment are milestones to generate confidence and comfort in your prospects and customers, and if you keep cultivating these customer service skills, your brand will for sure highlight by its own merit.
4. Organization
Same, organization is another obvious aspect we tend to take for granted. However, as there are plenty automated solutions to cover the operative aspect of the organization; let’s focus on the added value it gives to your teams.
Organized teams drive entire companies to success, but it begins in each agent. Then, take your time to make them understand the importance of keeping under control their own agendas.
5. Improve your customer service strategy
For sure, your staff has base customer service skills to interact with prospect and customers. But how trained are they to please customers even before they demand a specific service? The answer has multiple levels:
Use and make the best of social media. Create communities and interact with your customers in a daily basis. Post photographs; content and publish reviews of your events; show the faces behind the website. Let them know you’re there for them, program webinars on valuable issues and offer Skype meetings for more personalized attention.
Also, identify the opportunity behind complaints. Be prepared to professionally respond to attacks at the first event; and assign specific agents to specific customers so to build a solid relationship. Offer VIP packages, special discounts, make surveys and take your time to interview them. Ask your best customers to write a recommendation letter for your sites. In short, let them know you care about them.
6. Respond for your employees
Whatever it happens in customer service, begins at the CEO’s office. In other words, example is the best teacher. Then, leadership is critical and must cover a list of positive aspects headed by accountability.
It’s simple: You can’t blame your base employees if you haven’t detailed their responsibilities and activities task by task. Communication, attention to details and even attitude must be properly appointed and carefully designed to achieve the company’s goals.
This is to say that your employees are as important as your customers are to achieve your company’s goals. So, it’s fundamental to cultivate a close relationship with them and teach them how to deal with your customers with your own example.
These top 6 customer service skills guarantee your agents to finally close the deal, and make happy customers who will recommend you. Make your channels and agents the best means to measure your products and services. Use and adopt ITIL-based solutions to boost your customer service skills, and make of them the best way to gain and save money.
