Date: November 27, 2018
Category: Blog
Whether you work in customer contact or not, every employee needs customer service skills. For those in a more traditional customer service role, interactions with your customers may be face-to-face. For employees in other roles, ‘customers’ may be colleagues; or perhaps the Board and the overall business/success of the organisation.
Either way, you’ll find yourself needing to utilise a multitude of customer service skills day-to-day…
Empathy
There’s a difference between being sympathetic and being empathetic. Instead of just being sorry to hear that someone has been experiencing issues, let them know that you understand, and endeavour to resolve the issue with their situation in mind- just as you would with a customer.
This will put colleagues in a better frame of mind straight away; they want to know that someone is taking them seriously, listening, understanding them and taking steps to help where they can.
Knowledge
As a customer, you expect the Customer Service Advisor/Assistant to know their stuff about the brand they represent, and it’s the same for any employee. You should be a real champion of both the business and your area of expertise. If your knowledge is good, you’ll do your job well, as well as being able to help others do their job better.
A willingness to learn helps in this regard. If you demonstrate this, you’ll give off the right impression and open doors for yourself. Being pro-active is key.
Positivity
Employees working in the customer service industry are trained to remain positive, but this attitude is important for all employees.
A positive employee will make for a more motivational environment, the type of environment in which employees can thrive. Just as a positive experience with a Customer Service Representative can have a good influence on customers, employees will motivate one another by remaining upbeat, and as a result, employees who are positive will find it easier to progress within their role. After all, a Manager who doesn’t motivate their team isn’t really much help…
Communication Skills
It’s arguably the number one skill for a customer service professional, but it’s also super important in any job role.
Employees with good communication skills improve communication as a whole, allowing organisations to operate smoothly and efficiently.
Good communication in the workplace builds trust amongst employees, leading to increases in productivity and morale in general. Poor communication, on the other hand, leads to unmotivated staff who may begin to question their confidence in their abilities and, inevitably, in the organisation.
Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness is a trait often overlooked. A great employee will understand the contribution they make to the reputation of the brand and the organisation as a whole, instead of just within their job role.
They’ll show natural flare towards Sales and Marketing, understanding which decisions and actions will benefit the business commercially, as well as how they fit in with the brand values, culture and company ethics.
