{"id":41414,"date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/customer-service-skills\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T20:36:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T03:36:13","slug":"customer-service-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/customer-service-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"20 key customer service skills to nurture in your teams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s arguably never been so important to deliver exceptional customer experiences as it is today. Consumers are discerning, have more brands competing for their business, and can often switch allegiances more easily. Nurturing customer service skills within your support teams, therefore, is utterly crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providing a seamless experience throughout the customer journey is the difference between retaining customers and even inspiring advocacy from them, and suffering high levels of churn. But which are the most important skills for customer service that you need to look out for in new hires and foster amongst your existing teams?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s precisely what you\u2019ll learn by reading on, along with getting some useful tips on how you can level up those customer services skills across your organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<b>\u00a0<\/b>Ready to offer 5-star customer service?<b>\u00a0<\/b>Get strategies for every stage of the customer journey with this <b>free eBook<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/assets.ringcentral.com\/us\/ebook\/long-live-customer-service.pdf\" data-id=\"6a0f71041aabc\" id=\"6a0f71041aabc\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:6a0f71041aabc.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83d\udcd9 Get the eBook<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">\ud83d\udc40Get this free eBook to learn how to win in customer service.<\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:6a0f71041aabc.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Enjoy!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"what\" style=\"padding-top: 35px;\"><a id=\"customerservice\"><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is customer service?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service is all the help and advice that you as a business provide to the people who buy or use your products and services. And this applies to your prospective customers, too.It\u2019s a combination of both service and skill set: to provide the service, you need a team with the right skills. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"skills\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are customer service skills?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service skills help support prospects and existing customers. They\u2019re utilized wherever your agents interact with your audience. This includes during in\u2013person conversations, when talking on the phone, or even through text-based messaging. In short, the skills needed for customer service are essential for delivering the sorts of experiences your customers expect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Service skills involve adhering to certain key principles, including:\u00a0<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Speed <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Customers don\u2019t like to be kept waiting. They expect swift resolutions to their problems. Of course, this doesn\u2019t mean rushing. Agents should be able to maintain a rapid pace while delivering satisfactory answers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Personalization <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Agents should build genuine connections with clients. They should empathize with customers and focus on building solutions around their issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Convenience <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Customers expect you to be wherever they are. They should be able to contact you via their preferred platforms, be it on social media, email, or through a live chat service. <\/span><b><\/b><b><\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Communication <\/b>&#8211; Support is about two-way communication. When something goes wrong, it\u2019s better to reach out to customers, rather than waiting for them to contact you. For instance, if there\u2019s a problem with a product, let customers know how you\u2019re working to fix the issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"service\"><strong><a id=\"customer-service-important\"><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is customer service important?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service is crucial to attracting new customers and keeping existing ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sales and marketing have a hand in this, too, but customer service is a significant factor in purchase decisions. New customers are more likely to buy from you in the first place if they know you offer a first-rate customer experience. Plus, existing customers are more inclined to make future purchases if they receive that same great customer experience on an ongoing basis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If customers keep coming back to you, then the amount of money each customer spends with your business rises. They buy more frequently and will probably generate positive word-of-mouth for you, which attracts more customers, and the cycle continues. One of the best things you can do to harness these benefits for your business is to ensure your teams have the key customer service skills they need.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"attribute\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service skills list: 20 Attributes your teams need<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good customer service skills are what separate the best support teams from the rest. Ensuring they\u2019re present and encouraged across your organization is what allows you to deliver experiences that are reliable, personalized, and speedy, at scale. Here are 20 customer service skills examples to get you started:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#communication\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#collaboration\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaboration<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#patience\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patience<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#decision\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decision-making<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#active\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Active listening<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#empathy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathy<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#solving\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problem solving<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#dependability\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dependability<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#inquisitiveness\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inquisitiveness<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#flexibility\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexibility<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#awareness\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital awareness<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Customer_management\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer management<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#expertise\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product expertise<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#practices\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standardized practices<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#understanding\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Analytical understanding<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#skills\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multilingual skills\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#entry\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data entry\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#pos\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Point of sales (POS) systems\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#support\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technical support\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#compliance\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regulatory compliance <\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong><a id=\"soft-skills-customer-service\"><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 essential soft skills for customer service<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s start our list of customer service skills with the most important soft skills you want your reps to have and develop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are elements of customer service that most people typically associate with \u201cpeople skills\u201d and relate more to how a person interacts with others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They aren\u2019t unique to any one specific job either. Having soft skills can make you a great fit for a wide range of occupations because they\u2019re transferable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, let\u2019s look at 10 soft skills that are excellent customer service skills for your team:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"communication\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Communication<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To provide good customer service in traditional situations like on the phone and in person, the first rule is that you must speak clearly. But to provide great customer service, you must be a great communicator across all mediums\u2014adaptability is essential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because customers no longer rely solely on the phone to talk to businesses. Reps should be skilled in communicating via other channels, too, like email, live chat, and managing tickets through a customer portal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s also social media. You may be handling inbound social media messages on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you\u2019re in a business that has \u201chigh-touch\u201d (personal, one-on-one) relationships with customers or clients, you might do video conferencing calls with them. With these, body language and eye contact come into play.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udf1f Pro-tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Help your customer service team develop their communication skills by rotating staff regularly.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, you may have a customer service pro who\u2019s super experienced with handling social media inquiries. But they may not be used to dealing with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-deal-with-angry-customers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">angry customers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the phone. This is why it\u2019s helpful to cross-train your team, so anyone can pick up a conversation on any channel and deliver exceptional customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, don\u2019t forget, communicating with your customers is important, but so is communicating with your own teammates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why? Because customer service is rarely a one-person show. Someone may have more context and information about a particularly difficult customer. You might need to reach out to your sales team to see if you can offer a discount to \u201csave\u201d a customer. Or you might need to double check with your marketing team to find out more about a certain promo or feature a customer saw in an email newsletter. Being able to talk to your own team is an often overlooked, but vital, part of providing good customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thing is, though, most companies don\u2019t communicate well with each other. People might be in different time zones, they might be working from home, but the thing that we see most often is that everyone is using different tools. Teams might be using different apps for messaging, managing projects, video conferencing, etc.\u00a0 And when no one is talking to each other on the same tools, it makes collaboration hard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what\u2019s the fix?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s actually pretty straightforward. Try to incorporate every communication channel you use regularly into as few apps as possible. In other words: streamline.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, your first step could be moving your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/how-it-works.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">phone system to the cloud<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The benefit of doing this is you can consolidate your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/business-phone-numbers.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business phone number<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> along with other features like video conferencing software and team messaging,all into one system. Here\u2019s how it looks in RingCentral\u2019s desktop and mobile app, for instance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation\" title=\"RingEX | The modern business phone system, reimagined with AI\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RqVKtZzc4Lk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udf1f Pro-tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/stratejm.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stratejm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an industry leader in cybersecurity, saved at least $75,000 annually by using RingCentral.\u00a0 John Menezes, the President and CEO, said as he didn\u2019t have to buy, install, and maintain hardware and software or hire staff to manage and maintain it,RingCentral completely eliminated those setup and maintenance costs for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 id=\"collaboration\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Collaboration <\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working together as a team with a customer empowers you to do more with less\u2014and more quickly. Seriously, we think every company should be doing this more, especially when dealing with tough customer problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treat the customer as your partner. Interact with your customers on the platforms they use. Let\u2019s say a heavy Twitter\/X user has already explained their issue at length to you on Twitter\/X. Would you ask them to explain themselves in detail again in an email, just because you prefer to email customers about problems?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By responding on your customer\u2019s platform of choice, not only are you being considerate of their preferences, you\u2019re almost certainly increasing the chances that your customer is fully engaged. They will be far more likely to give you all the details you need on that channel quickly. Remember, in the end, your goal is to resolve problems during the customer\u2019s first contact with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what if your customers all like using different platforms? What if you regularly get messages on Facebook and Twitter\/X and email and live chat and LinkedIn and so on? Does that mean you and your team need to have all of those platforms open in different windows and tabs constantly?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are tons of digital tools that are designed to help you deal with customers across all these platforms in one place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, let\u2019s take <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/digital-customer-engagement.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCX<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2122, which consolidates all these different channels of communication into one easy dashboard for you:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44860\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/engage-digital-channels.png\" alt=\"engage digital channels\" width=\"1000\" height=\"506\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This lets you stay in your usual workflow and get the full picture of a customer\u2019s relationship with your company without having to toggle between a bunch of different windows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being able to manage your conversations efficiently like this is especially important for social media. People expect responses faster on social, and you don\u2019t want issues being up publicly on Twitter\/X and Facebook for too long without a response from your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\ud83d\udd79\ufe0f<\/span> Get a hands-on look at how small customer service teams are punching above their weight with RingCentral booking a product tour:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><button data-href=\"#leadform-popup\" class=\"js-open-popup-activator btn primary\" >Choose a time<\/button><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 id=\"patience\" class=\"p1 heading h3 h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Patience<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patience improves customer service in two main ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping calm and allowing a customer to explain their situation puts them at ease. If you interrupt a customer mid-sentence, you could cause unnecessary friction and set the customer experience off to a bad start.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability to step back from a situation to assess all angles and possibilities will help your own decision-making.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you find that you need to work on your patience, try to find the source of that impatience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe you may rush calls because you\u2019re evaluated on your call times or the number of calls answered, which is very common. That measurement is often the source of impatience in a customer service environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To change that behavior, sometimes it\u2019s helpful to just look at your metrics. See if extra time with customers improves <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/customer-satisfaction-everything-you-need-to-know\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer satisfaction<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (CSAT). Often, the problem isn\u2019t you, it\u2019s time management!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"decision\" class=\"h3 heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Decision-making<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s say a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/contact-center.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> team is under pressure to end calls within a certain amount of time or to \u201chit targets\u201d at the expense of providing a good customer service experience. What happens? The quality of their decision-making suffers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it can cost you, often, in ways you don\u2019t even expect. Bad decisions can include anything from sending replacement equipment to the wrong address, to hurriedly telling a customer their problem isn\u2019t solvable (or that it can be easily solved, when it can\u2019t).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These types of wrong decisions aren\u2019t just harmful in and of themselves. They also have several escalating consequences:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wasting time on repeat callers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low customer satisfaction<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/customer-retention-rate\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer retention rate<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor brand reputation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fewer case studies and testimonials<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lower sales<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a customer\u2019s question isn\u2019t urgent, ask if you can place the call on hold while you quickly problem solve with a colleague or manager. That gives you a chance to analyze the best solution to the problem and come up with options to offer the customer. Yes, customers don\u2019t like waiting, but which do you think they\u2019d like less: waiting a little longer, or not getting the right answer for their problem?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By taking the time to make a well-informed decision, you can minimize the risk of repeat calls and unhappy customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an urgent issue does come up, make sure you have a documented strategy for dealing with that kind of question. Try developing a flowchart of possible customer scenarios that you can walk through to a resolution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The flow chart example below is a great starting point or build your own with tools like LucidChart or Visme:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3687 size-large\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image3-57-1024x794.png\" alt=\"A flow chart template that can help your improve decision-making in customer service\" width=\"840\" height=\"651\" \/><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"active\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. \u00a0 Active listening<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Believe it or not, customers don\u2019t like to be talked <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If they\u2019re calling about an issue, they want to express their opinions uninterrupted. Part of successful customer service is knowing when <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to speak. It\u2019s about taking the time to fully understand a customer\u2019s issue and how you can address it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why active listening is one of the top customer service skills to have. This is a technique that answers not only \u201cwhat is a customer saying?\u201d, but \u201cwhat do they mean?\u201d. You\u2019ll try to understand a customer\u2019s emotions and determine whether there are any issues they haven\u2019t expressed. At the end of the process, you\u2019ll have a much stronger sense of how you can help them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To utilize effective active listening try to ask open-ended questions. Be attentive and present, and recap customer talking points to demonstrate you\u2019re listening. <\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"empathy\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Empathy<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another important customer service skill, empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of your customer. This skill is useful to have because it allows you to tap into your customers\u2019 needs and desires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019re on the phone or responding to a customer\u2019s email, it\u2019s important to empathize with them to establish trust. When a customer feels like you\u2019re taking the time to understand their problem and find the best solution for them, it acts as a buffer that smooths over the rough parts of their complaint (and they might be forgiving later on too if you make a small mistake).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathy is about more than just listening to someone talk, it hinges on active listening and positive language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if a not-so-great customer service agent has a repeat caller, they may just follow the usual process for fixing the issue in question. Without active listening and attentiveness, they could miss important details. For example, the problem may have gotten worse or be slightly different this time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With good listening skills, you\u2019re keeping an ear out for signals of stress or anxiety. At the same time, you\u2019re giving your customer verbal feedback to reassure them that you really are listening. A simple \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cCould you explain more about that?\u201d reassures the customer and could help you solve the problem more quickly, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a customer is having trouble describing their issue, offer help instead of letting them struggle. You spend the majority of your day answering questions about specific goods and services. So, you\u2019ll likely have better product knowledge and technical skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udf1f Pro-tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try these <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/empathy-exercises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">empathy exercises<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to build your team\u2019s empathy skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 id=\"solving\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Problem-solving<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being able to get to the bottom of customer issues quickly and intuitively is essential. Problem-solving isn\u2019t just about researching and understanding a customer query. It\u2019s about applying your previous experiences to help overcome current issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of every customer interaction as a learning experience. What went well? What could have been handled differently? Take these lessons with you to ensure every interaction is more successful than the last.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But remember, consumers shouldn\u2019t feel you\u2019re following a script to solve their problems. Every customer is different and requires unique treatment. Always try to show enthusiasm. You\u2019re not just helping customers because you have to but also because you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">want to.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a hard day, this can be tricky. It\u2019s tough showing enthusiasm when you&#8217;re dealing with lots of stress. Techniques such as mindfulness can help you stay calm under pressure, and continue utilizing great customer service skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"dependability\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8. Dependability\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you&#8217;re interacting with customers or working with teammates, try to be \u201ca rock\u201d. In other words, co-workers should know that if they need information quickly, they can come to you as a reliable source. Similarly, customers should feel at ease when talking to you, and feel confident that you can handle their issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve mentioned the importance of keeping calm within the call center in our list of skills for customer service agents. Part of being dependable is also influencing others to feel the same way. This means helping angry customers calm down, while staying cool and collected yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, dependability will help you introduce a sense of stability into the workplace. You\u2019ll set an example for co-workers, who will follow your lead in stressful situations. Teammates will know they can go to you for support when they\u2019re struggling.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"inquisitiveness\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9. Inquisitiveness<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service is an ever-changing landscape. New technologies arrive and introduce new customer service skills. Your existing skill-set may look great on your resume now but could have gaps in five years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people are naturally \u201cset in their ways\u201d; they like doing things in a certain way and following specific procedures. It\u2019s important to overcome this mindset to be successful in customer service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right now, artificial intelligence is the talk of the town for customer service departments. It\u2019s a technology that enhances agents so they can work more effectively. RingCentral\u2019s AI-powered features, for instance, include real-time insights during calls to help agents address customer needs more easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An inquisitive nature will help you learn about changes before they take effect. You\u2019ll embrace change and even suggest potential improvements within your department.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"flexibility\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10. Flexibility<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a customer service agent, you\u2019ll never focus on a single task throughout the day. Part of providing effective service is the ability to switch between tasks and channels, sometimes with little warning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, a sudden spike in call volumes could cause you to drop what you\u2019re doing, however important, and speak to customers on the phone. If you\u2019re flexible enough, you\u2019ll move seamlessly from one task to the other;\u00a0 customers won\u2019t notice any difference in the quality of service you provide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, a flexible mindset doesn\u2019t just apply to your day-to-day activities. With more and more organizations opting for hybrid or fully remote customer support teams, being able to work in a flexible environment is equally important.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, flexibility in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> areas will help you thrive, even when facing the toughest customer service challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 Essential hard skills for customer service<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now let\u2019s look at the hard skills that help teams provide great customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hard skills are teachable and measurable abilities like writing, reading, or the ability to use computer programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, they\u2019re tailored to a specific job role or industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The top skills for customer service apply to many jobs that need customer interaction. Here are 10 important hard skills for your customer service reps to master:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"awareness\" class=\"heading h4\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11. Digital awareness<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A modern customer service strategy has to include online channels. You can\u2019t get around it because that\u2019s where most people are communicating with the companies they\u2019re buying from.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a saying in customer service: \u201cGo where your customers are.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To effectively communicate and work with your customers, get familiar with the tools they use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your customers like texting you, you should offer <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/business-sms\/overview.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SMS and MMS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as channels for them to contact you. The same goes for email, web chat, or social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Above all, give your customer service team an easy way to see all the customer conversations that everyone\u2019s having. This way, anyone can pick up a thread without making a customer repeat themselves. And they won\u2019t have to ask different people on the team about that customer\u2019s past relationship with your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, RingCX is designed to help you do precisely this. Here\u2019s a look at the platform in action:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56640\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/02_Ring_CX_Contact_Center_Seamlessly_connect_RingEX.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" \/><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Customer_management\" class=\"heading h4\" style=\"color: #434343; padding-top: 20px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12. Customer management<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communicating with your customers is one thing; managing them is another story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer management generally comes in two forms:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing customers to keep them calm and set expectations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing customers that are waiting in a queue for an answer to their call<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping customers calm and setting expectations is important, and that has more to do with empathy. But you also have the opportunity to make the waiting experience better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a few automation tools that can help. For example, a customer service platform like RingCentral should offer features call queuing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/contact-center\/skills-based-routing.html\">skills-based routing<\/a>, and workforce management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call queuing allows you to route calls to the right agent every time, according to your own business rules, so customers spend less time queuing for the wrong customer service professional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skills-based routing means every customer gets the best available resource on every interaction, freeing up other resources to get on with their job rather than dealing with queries better placed elsewhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Workforce management optimizes schedules to ensure customers are not left in the cold during peak times.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udf1f Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See how <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/crm-company-finds-simple-way-to-earn-customer-loyalty\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PipelineDeals set up a call queuing system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that rings simultaneously across their customer support team. They also monitor\u2014via detailed reporting\u2014how long it takes customer service representatives to answer calls. The result? A serious upgrade to their customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 id=\"expertise\" class=\"heading h3 h4\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13. Product expertise<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as customer service reps need to be skilled in customer service, they need to be equally knowledgeable about the product being sold. It\u2019s no good saying you have the \u201cbest customer service\u201d if you can\u2019t reliably solve your customers\u2019 problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For simple queries, use the customer flow chart we mentioned earlier. If you keep getting the same questions, that\u2019s a sign you should document these, so new hires can start resolving customer questions from day one (and more importantly, fix the problem with your product or process that\u2019s causing the issue). Plus, if everything is written down, it becomes easier to teach and memorize.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more complex questions, customer service reps could be trained to specialize in one product or area. That way, you can use skills-based routing, so customers get directed to the person best suited to handle their questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, customers who need help with maintenance can press 1 to get routed to a rep with maintenance experience. Someone who wants to renew their contract can press 2 to route to sales reps rather than the support team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"practices\" class=\"heading h4\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14. Standardized practices<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service qualifications\u2014formal training, certificates, and courses\u2014are helpful because they provide a recognized standard of expertise. And by participating in formal training, you can learn what other businesses do while improving your own practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courses range from full-time to part-time, with apprenticeship schemes. They\u2019re available online or in-person; the choice is yours depending on what your strengths and weaknesses are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, continuous training is always helpful for career progression and keeping up with best practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"understanding\" class=\"heading h3 h4\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15. Analytical understanding<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best customer services teams are often those driven by analytics. Historically, this was powered by spreadsheets and took hours to process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But today, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/customer-experience-analytics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer experience analytics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are a core component of contact center software. Every call that enters your business is logged in the cloud.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once logged, your contact center software analyzes those calls. The bottom line? You receive comprehensive reports that tell you where your customer service reps are doing well. The data also shows you where they need to improve their skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56641\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Sentiment.png\" alt=\"A visual example of what an analytics dashboard may look like\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1080\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This type of reporting gives you a way to keep up with how you\u2019re doing (or if you\u2019re a manager, how your customer service agents are performing). These analytics are especially valuable during critical times for different businesses, like holidays, or back-to-school times, or large sporting events.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"skills\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16. Multilingual skills<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all customers will speak the same language. If you\u2019re based in a bilingual area especially, the ability to speak multiple languages can be a powerful asset. You won\u2019t need to transfer customers to different agents. So, you\u2019ll provide a better, more efficient overall experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multilingualism isn\u2019t usually a requirement from day one, it\u2019s a skill you can develop over time. As an operator of a contact center, you should offer training to help agents upskill in this way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning a language takes time and effort, but can propel your future career development. You\u2019ll be a prime candidate for promotion if your organization decides to expand into international markets. It&#8217;s also a useful addition to your CV as you seek future customer service roles. And don\u2019t forget, if your career takes a different path, there are many other roles where multilingualism is useful!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"entry\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17. Data entry<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data entry is an essential skill for day-to-day customer service operations. On the face of it, it might sound basic. However poorly handled data entry can cause a lot of problems for an organization. A business needs accurate data to conduct sales, marketing, support, and overall planning. A mistake as simple as entering an incorrect number can have lots of damaging knock-on effects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data entry must also be efficient. You\u2019ll need to ensure speed while maintaining accuracy. This can be a tall order when juggling multiple tasks at once.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s also important to note that data entry isn\u2019t just about entering data. We\u2019ve talked about the significance of having an analytical understanding. Examining data, and sharing your findings with others, is an equally important part of data entry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a skill that you\u2019ll master over time, but If you want a head start, consider taking a typing class. Remember to utilize any tools that can help handle aspects of data entry. For instance, RingCentral offers automation tools that make agents\u2019 lives easier.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"pos\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">18. Point of sales (POS) systems<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The use of point-of-sales systems sounds like it should apply to a sales team. As a customer service representative, though, there are many instances where you\u2019ll find POS a valuable tool.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, let\u2019s imagine a buyer contacts customer services to return an item. Normally, the customer would need to produce a sales slip as proof of their purchase. This causes some inconvenience for the shopper. They\u2019d need to photograph the original slip, email this to support, and wait to hear a response. Using a POS system, an agent can get the information they need in seconds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But to deliver this level of service, you need strong proficiency with POS. If you\u2019re looking to refine this skill, head online and try an online course. There\u2019s also no harm in asking for assistance from more experienced co-workers!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"support\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">19. Technical support<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a strong knowledge of customer-facing systems is one of the key skills for customer service. It\u2019s equally important, though, that you can clearly convey this knowledge to customers. This way, when customers run into technical issues using your products or website, you can assist them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the expression goes; \u201cpatience is a virtue\u201d. It\u2019s also an essential part of providing technical support. Unfortunately, however, it can be one of the most challenging aspects of the job. Just because a solution to a customer\u2019s issue seems simple to you doesn\u2019t mean it will be simple to them. You\u2019ll need to deliver instructions calmly. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">become frustrated with customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To provide top-standard technical support, practice troubleshooting techniques. Consider ways you can alter your approach to support customers more effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"compliance\" class=\"heading h4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20. Regulatory compliance<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are lots of rules that govern how customer service agents interact with customers. They\u2019re wide-ranging, covering everything from handling data to ensuring customers are afforded the correct rights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll need a strong knowledge of relevant regulations to succeed in customer service. Even simple mistakes can have damaging consequences for businesses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring compliance is also important for putting customers at ease. When it comes to data privacy, for instance, consumers will feel more relaxed knowing that a business is taking the necessary steps to protect their information.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"increase\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to increase customer service skills levels across your team<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The service you deliver is only as good as your team\u2019s skill set. Short of enrolling everyone in an intensive training course, what can you do to support them? Let\u2019s look at how to enhance customer service skills and the service your company provides as a result:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>Ask for feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to know how your reps\u2019 skills stack up? Ask customers, ask line managers, ask reps themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For customer feedback, post-interaction surveys are an ideal solution, whether in-app, over the phone, or via email. The interaction will be fresh in a customers\u2019 mind, and they might just be more willing to share their thoughts right off the bat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just make sure questions are tailored to the answers you seek. Asking for feedback on product quality is great, but it won\u2019t tell you much about your team\u2019s strengths and weaknesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, include sections for the customer to share the name of the rep who helped them, the time it took to resolve the issue (or whether the issue was resolved at all), and rate specific skills such as communication or product knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Line managers and even colleagues can also pick up on skills gaps you haven\u2019t noticed, and you\u2019d be surprised how many reps are aware of their own weaknesses. Give them an opportunity to share these, so you can support them in making improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>Listen in<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a reason many call centers are equipped with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/call-recording\/overview.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">call recording<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> capabilities. It\u2019s like gathering feedback but you\u2019re hearing it directly from the horse\u2019s mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make use of these insights to analyze agents\u2019 communication with customers:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do they listen actively and with empathy?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do they handle angry customers?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How well do they understand the products and services you offer?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they\u2019re unable to handle an issue, do they route customers to the right rep?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are they correctly using your phone software to close tickets or re-route tasks?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These nuggets of information are a great starting point for deciding which area agents need the most support with. They also tie in well with KPIs, so you can monitor their growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Practice, practice, practice<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning on the job is a sure-fire way to grow, but there\u2019s a lot to be said for the power of role-play off the job too. Colleagues can play out scenarios to practice skills like patience or demonstrate their technical know-how.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can go beyond customer service basics here\u2014dive into situations specific to your company and customers. If you\u2019ve recorded calls, use them as a case study (whether they were successful or went sideways). Play them back and ask the team how they would\u2019ve handled the call in that situation or what the rep did particularly well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Empower your team<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes great customer service great is having a team that feels confident, valued, and supported. Even if they tick every skill above, chances are they won\u2019t provide a professional service if they\u2019re not motivated to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It helps to build a team that\u2019s passionate about customer service. But you also need to regularly support and encourage them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure they have access to all the tools and documents they need to care for customers. Regularly offer customer handling tips and best practices to help them successfully manage customers. And consider implementing recognition or reward programs for those that go above and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More importantly, practice what you preach. Communicate with them, be patient with any reps that may be falling short, and make sure you have a comprehensive understanding of your company\u2019s offering.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"uplevel\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uplevel customer service representative skills throughout your business<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a team that has strong customer service rep skills, your customers will love your brand even more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication will always be one of the most important skills for customer service teams. The teams that communicate the best will outperform those that communicate poorly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, other soft skills are important, too, such as empathy, patience, decision-making, and collaboration, as well as hard customer service job skills like product expertise and standardized practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just remember that great customer service skills aren\u2019t always enough on their own. To manage customers well, you need to be powered by quality communications technology. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/engage\/proactive-customer-service.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See how RingCentral enables proactive customer service here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faqs\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service skills FAQs<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the most important customer service skills?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best customer service agents combine a mixture of hard and soft skills. In other words, they\u2019re technically proficient and knowledgeable about their work, while at the same time being masters of more intangible people-focused skills such as empathy, patience, and active listening.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What kind of training works best for improving customer service performance?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A personalized approach to boost both hard and soft skills is the most effective one. Monitor your agents\u2019 performance and leverage data analytics to establish each agent\u2019s strengths and weaknesses. Then, tailor the support and training they receive to strengthen any areas where there\u2019s room for improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s arguably never been so important to deliver exceptional customer experiences as it is today. Consumers are discerning, have more brands competing for their business, and can often switch allegiances more easily. Nurturing customer service skills within your support teams, therefore, is utterly crucial. Providing a seamless experience throughout the customer journey is the difference &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":46491,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901,4],"tags":[743,402,18045,15541,43347,2088],"class_list":["post-41414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","category-customer-experience","tag-customer-experience","tag-customer-service","tag-customer-service-skills","tag-cx","tag-cx-customer-experience","tag-support"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>20 Key Customer Service Skills You Should Nurture in Your Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out the 20 customer service skills, both hard and soft, 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