Customer services experience: what skills do you acquire?

Question

I am going for a customer services position. I havent done customer services work since I was a student!! The role requires experience (which I have but cant remember), so what kind of skills does a role in customer services demand?

Thanks to all those who answered sensibly, particularly Neil S. I guess that customer service is something that comes so naturally to me (e.g. politeness and helpfulness) that it doesnt seem like a "skill" that needs listing. But I guess you have to demonstrate all your skills in minute detail. Thanks

Answer 1

Verbal Presenting Skills
Problem recognition and resolution skills - Recommend solution and gain commitment - Implement the recommendation
Be his freind - Maintain and grow relationships
Analyze customer needs
For this you should have ur knowledge updated i.e. your company information, own products, promotions, competition

Answer 2

Good listening and deduction skills, being able to come with answers on the fly, and if you can't help a customer being able to show them to someone who can is important. Be upbeat but not annoyingly so is important, you want people to remember that you were friendly and courteous. Knowing all the ins and outs of the company you work for will come in handy, so you'll know right away when a problem comes up what kind of solutions you are allowed to offer to customers. And remember THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE WRONG. ;)

Answer 3

If this is for a job interview, you probably want to cover a wide range of skills, some specific to customer services, some that just generally sound good to employers:

communication
organisation
ability to handle and prioritise own workload
friendly, and confident telephone manner
punctuality
works well independently, and as part of a team
friendly and approachable

just think about things like that. The question I fear is "what would you say your weaknesses are?"

Answer 4

hey gal i can help am a customer service manager

listen this job requires a person with self confidence, communication skills remember this involves listening too, you also have to be able to manage people from all cultures, thus multi-cultural,problem solving skills, teamwork, outgoing, effective and efficient, you got to be able to keep your word eg when you promise you must keep the promise, you have to be friendly and remember its not about you but the company you are representing so youmust be able to contain your anger no mater what, coz you willl meet provocative customers, you may be tested in the interview on anger management so careful when they throw an annoying question to you,


Developing Positive Customer Relations

Anticipating Customer Needs

Discovering Customer Needs

Working Together to Meet Customer Needs

Responding to Customer Wants

Ensuring Customer Loyalty

best of luck

Answer 5

Primarily people skills. Making the customer's experience a pleasant one is sometimes tough, but with a good sense of humor (which you sometimes have to wear like a suit of armor) will help.

In short you already have the skills you need for customer service. Just think how you would like to be treated and treat you customers that way.

Answer 6

Listen to the customer. Find out what they not only want, but what they need. You may be the one that can introduce them to something they didn't know existed. So number one - listen. Ask them specific questions on what-when-where- and how they plan to benefit from a product. Know what you're talking about. Get as much training as possible before you start searching for a job to find out where your talents are and where your strong points are. And, of course what your weaknesses are. We all have them.

Answer 7

Read Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." A lot of customer service principles come from there

Answer 8

Dealing with the general public AND members of staff (at all levels - from the cleaner through to the Company Director) - in person, over the telephone and in writing, in a calm, clear way - regardless of what is going on around you.

If the person is asking for information that you do not have or you aren't sure how to deal with that person - refer them onto a colleague quickly, if the colleague who will know is busy, keep the person enquiring informed of what is happening, offer them a seat and a drink of water while their waiting, or if they are upset find a box of tissues they can use.

Answer 9

You have to accept that customers are always right, if you can learn to be polite and answer their questions quickly, sensibly, and in a satisfactory way than you can be a good customer care person. Good luck in your future job search.

Answer 10

You need the ability to be rude and unhelpful, an NVQ in leaving people hanging on the end of the phone while you go out for lunch, inefficiency, lack of product and company knowledge, but seriously, if you reverse all these things....there isn't much more you need to know. Good luck.