As many as 80% of businesses<\/a> report that they provide excellent customer service, but only 8% of customers seem to agree. How is such a huge gap in perception possible? Well, many service teams simply don\u2019t have the customer support skills to understand what customers actually want.<\/p>\n An even more startling figure is that U.S. businesses are losing up to $62 billion a year<\/a> because of poor service. This figure is on the rise as businesses fail to train customer service staff well enough to deal with the increasing demands of their job.<\/p>\n But worry not\u2013developing customer service skills in the workplace can help your customer support teams brighten this picture.<\/p>\n Looking for an eLearning platform to enhance customer service skills? Dissatisfaction with customer service is a core reason behind customers jumping ship and switching to a different product or brand. The good news is that superstar customer service staff<\/a><\/strong> can retain clients and boost business growth.<\/p>\n From being master communicators to persuasive product experts, the best customer support reps apply the following customer service skills to keep customers and business owners happy:<\/p>\n A flair for communication is often one of the first customer service skills that come to mind. Probably because we\u2019ve all experienced the opposite: a customer support rep who speaks unclearly, struggles to explain product benefits, and expresses no enthusiasm for their job.<\/p>\n As your customer service teams are on the front lines of problem-solving, they need to have the ability to communicate clearly when working with customers. They are the voice of your organization to your customers, and at the same time, they represent the needs of the customers to your organization.<\/p>\n When communication is clear and simple, misunderstandings hardly ever happen, and there is no disappointment or frustration. Your people should learn through customer service skills training<\/a><\/strong> not only to use language that\u2019s easy to understand, or be cheerful and tactful, but also to be polite, reasonable, and straightforward with dates, prices, billing, and turnaround times.<\/p>\n Having good listening skills doesn\u2019t mean just having a high-quality headset or turning off notifications during a customer call. It\u2019s all about understanding what your customers\u2019 issues are<\/strong> and paying attention to what they have to say. If you want loyal customers, start by actively listening to them. They\u2019ll tell you exactly what they want and how you can impress them.<\/p>\n Enhance your teams\u2019 skills for customer service by adding training courses on active listening. Your customer service teams will learn how to:<\/p>\n One of the most important customer service skills is good writing. Customer service doesn\u2019t only happen through face-to-face or voice-to-voice interactions. Sometimes your people will have to provide answers through a messaging app or an email.<\/p>\n How your teams phrase a sentence can make a big difference between sounding arrogant (\u201cYou have to log in first\u201d<\/em>) and a person that truly cares (\u201cLogging in should help you solve this issue quickly!\u201d<\/em>).<\/p>\n Also, good grammar and syntax and using complete sentences are qualities that elevate the trustworthiness of your company. You can start by providing proofreading tools, encouraging your employees to write more, or implementing coaching sessions<\/a><\/strong> in their customer service skills training<\/a><\/strong> where they will be able to practice their writing skills with the help of an expert.<\/p>\n Every customer wants their issue resolved. But even more than that, customers want to feel heard and understood. The ability to understand a customer\u2019s pain point is a prized skill in customer service. Even with particularly tricky customers, an excellent customer service rep will be able to put themselves in the shoes of their customer and view the situation from their perspective. In fact, 96% of consumers<\/a> view empathy as important in customer support interactions.<\/p>\n This skill can be developed through training activities like scenarios and gamification. For example, a scenario could involve a customer with a complicated, layered problem that the learner must fully understand to choose their next action correctly.<\/p>\n Another way to incorporate empathy into your team\u2019s customer service skills is to value personalized service<\/strong>\u2014even when the product you sell isn\u2019t personal. For example, customer service for products and services like insurance or medical plans can often come across as sterile. The last thing you want is for your customers to feel like \u201cjust another number.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Time is everything.<\/strong> In fact, if we could all use more of it, we would do it in a heartbeat. And your customers feel the same way, too. If you put your customers on the back burner, even if it\u2019s about a couple of minutes, they are more likely to stop doing business with you. Thus, quick response times are essential.<\/p>\n Make sure your customer service teams have the knowledge to effectively manage their time by offering time management courses in their L&D program. Proper time management skills will allow them to plan and complete their other job-related tasks so they won\u2019t have to choose between assisting a customer and fulfilling other responsibilities. And at the same time, learn how to find quick and correct solutions for your customers.<\/p>\n
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\nThe must-teach customer service skills<\/h2>\n
1. Clear communication skills<\/h3>\n
2. Effective listening skills<\/h3>\n
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3. Writing skills<\/h3>\n
4. Empathy skills<\/h3>\n
5. Time management skills<\/h3>\n