Customer Services Skills You Need
There is so much more to working in customer service than answering the phone and communicating via email. As technology advances live chats and social media have made a big impact on the way people now communicate. Customers like to know they are talking to an actual human being and not a robot, especially when it comes to the online world. Though people assume there many are different skills involved when it comes to answering the phone and speaking over email, the main skill involved is the ability to empathise with the customer. Customers tend to notice if the person dealing with them is being sincere or not, if they sense this, they can start being rude and that’s when things can spiral out of control.
Smile Over the Phone
It may sound weird; however, a smile can be portraited through the phone. Customers can just tell by the tone of voice used if you’re being friendly or not. Ensuring you always sound authentic and are being as helpful as possible will go a long way. Talk exactly how you would if you were face-to-face, also ensuring your body language matches the tome of voice.
Listen First, Then Validate the Problem
If you are dealing with a partially irate customer, they may not be in the mood to listen. Let them get it all out their system first, ensure you are listening, then evaluate the situation. Showing empathy in this type of situation is crucial, if the already upset customer senses you are not being understanding they will most likely get even more upset and annoyed but direct it at you. Showing them you are trying to understand and find a solution will work strongly in your favour.
Acknowledge the Customer
Customers like to know they are being heard and that you are understanding what they are saying and why they called or emailed. A touch of empathy will go a long way, especially when the customer is already angry. The main point of the customer contacting you in the first place is to complain about a service they have received that isn’t working, although you might not always have the answers to the problem, reassuring them you will have another member of the team look into the issue is always a good idea. Also listening to small details that they have mentioned and repeating them back to the customer will show them you are listening and engaged within the conversation.
Using Phone Scripts
It’s not uncommon for some companies to give employees scripts to go off, this technique is more common in organisation that answer calls all day long. Although, if you are nervous about maybe answering a call for the first time and are unsure how to respond to a customer’s question, a script may not be a bad idea. Be aware though, customers can start to tell if you are reading off a script, try and answer questions as naturally and quickly as possible to avoid detection.