9 Must-Have Qualities of a Good Customer Service Representative

Customer service is a fundamental part of companies. Therefore, it is very important to hire the right people to fill this role. The customer service team will ultimately be the face of the organisation and the main point of human contact with users.

In other words, excellent customer service is the key to customer loyalty and retention, as well as business growth and profits. Let’s look at some figures:

• 82% of customers indicate that a positive customer service experience makes them more likely to buy again (according to Salesforce).
• 77% of consumers believe that the customer experience (CX) is as important as the quality of their products and services (according to Forbes).
• 61% of users are willing to pay at least 5% more if they know they will get a good customer experience (according to Emplifi).
• Companies that view customer service as a value center versus a cost center achieve 3.5 times higher revenue growth (according to Accenture).

What Is Good Customer Service?

Good customer service is an essential component of any successful business, but what exactly constitutes good customer service?

First of all, good customer service should be friendly and welcoming. When users interact with the agent team, they should feel comfortable talking about their questions and concerns. They should also feel that they are heard and that their concerns are taken seriously. Making sure customer service representatives are approachable and friendly goes a long way to creating a positive consumer experience.

The customer service team must also be well informed and trained. Users should feel like they are talking to experts who can answer all their questions and address their concerns quickly and accurately. Taking the time to educate the team on the products/services and the business sector will help ensure that customers always get the answers they are looking for.

Availability and responsiveness are two crucial aspects of excellent customer service. Users should be able to easily and quickly communicate with representatives and preferably always be able to receive a quick response. This could be accomplished through various omnichannel communication channels, such as a dedicated phone line, email, SMS, WhatsApp, or WebChat. Finally, it is key to offer personalised solutions.

9 Must-Have Qualities of a Good Customer Service Representative

1) Problem Solving Skills

The number one skill you need to excel at for good customer service is the ability to resolve complex queries. Likewise, the job of a customer service representative is to keep customers happy. That often includes navigating through a complex set of situations to find a suitable solution.

2) Clear Communication

Your team will have a hard time resolving customers query if you can’t clearly communicate the solution. However, clear communication is not as easy as it seems.

Effective feedback means being able to put you in the customer’s shoes and use concise explanations to reach a solution as quickly as possible. Often, that involves the use of understandable language.

In addition to connecting with customers, agents must be able to communicate well with the rest of the team. This means following processes and protocols for entering user information into the CRM.

3) Friendly Attitude

People don’t like to be treated like a number. Most people prefer to interact with a human being when faced with complex queries. However, in today’s fast-paced society, customers are often seen as numbers on a spread sheet.

The ability to stay genuine and show users that they really matter to a company can make a huge difference in CX.

4) Empathy

A customer service representative is able to put himself in the consumer’s shoes and understand where his frustrations come from.

Empathy is necessary to offer the right solution. Often when people file a complaint, they really just want their problem acknowledged and to see that the agent cares. Being empathetic can ease frustrations and uphold a brand’s reputation.

5) Business Acumen

Customer service is also a business role. While your goal is to resolve a customer query, at the same time, you represent the business interests of a company. Therefore, solving a user’s problem means finding a compromise between the two.

6) Knowledge of the Product/Service

The best agents have a deep understanding of how a product (or service) works. Nothing is more frustrating for a customer than having a problem and ending up on the phone with someone who doesn’t understand you.

This does not mean that the customer support team needs to understand the inner workings of the product in the same way as the technical team. However, your knowledge about it should be able to solve a user’s query.

7) Solid Time Management

Agents are likely to handle multiple customer tickets at the same time. Making everyone happy will require great organisational skills and excellent time management skills.

8) Patience

Customers may not always understand how a product or service works, and may feel frustrated or upset when they seek help. Customer service representatives must remain calm and patient in these situations.

Many instances of bad customer interactions can be fuelled by your frustration, making them harder to get close to and annoyed faster. A good customer service representative should be able to handle these situations carefully and defuse potential tension.

9) Willingness To Go Further

Going the extra mile is what sets good customer service apart from the rest. It’s about doing more than what’s expected and giving users the best possible experience.

Businesses and customer service representatives must be willing to ensure user satisfaction even after the resolution of the query. Simple gestures like offering a discount or even a knowledgeable follow-up help show your customers that you care about them and their loyalty.