How to Improve Customer Service Skills
January 8, 2025
Customer service skills are the heart and soul of a contact center. When done well, these skills can transform everyday interactions into joyful experiences that make customers feel valued, heard, and satisfied. The quality of service doesn’t just depend on solving a problem quickly – it’s about how an agent makes a customer feel during and after the interaction. For contact center agents looking to step up their customer service game, honing these skills is essential. For contact center managers looking for ways to coach agents, the following are some areas to focus on.
What Are Customer Service Skills?
Customer service skills go beyond the hard skills of customer service (knowing the ins and outs of a product or service, utilizing technology, and how to answer customer questions). It’s not just what an agent knows, but how they deliver what they know and most importantly, how they make a customer feel.
At their core, skills for customer service revolve around empathy, clear communication, problem-solving, patience, and active listening. A well-rounded agent can quickly assess a customer’s mood, understand their issue, and communicate effectively to resolve it. But they also know how to manage their own emotions, stress, and stay focused on being of service to the customer and the company.
Key customer service skills also include adaptability (every call is different), time management (balancing efficiency with quality), and resilience (staying positive even with tough cases). Together, these skills help agents deliver experiences that meet – and ideally exceed – customer expectations. For companies that are focused on competing based on customer experience, it’s vital that every agent is hired for their hard and soft customer service skills and also provided training and coaching to enhance them.
5 Ways to Improve Skills for Customer Service
Here are five ways to improve these skills to become a more effective, confident, and customer-focused agent:
1. Embrace Empathy
Empathy is about seeing things from the customer’s perspective and acknowledging their feelings, frustrations, or concerns. It’s a skill that transforms an interaction from transactional to personal. Agents can improve empathy by taking a moment to put themselves in the customer’s shoes. Try starting with phrases like, "I can understand why that would be frustrating." Showing empathy can build trust and make the customer feel valued, even if the issue isn’t resolved right away. It can be a way to begin to turn negative customer sentiment back into positive.
2. Sharpen Communication Skills
Clear communication is key to helping customers feel understood and informed. Practicing active listening can help an agent fully understand the customer’s issue before responding. It’s important to avoid jargon or technical terms that may confuse customers – instead, keep explanations clear and simple. Tone is also important. When agents use a friendly, calm tone, it helps to put customers at ease, especially during challenging calls.
3. Develop Problem-Solving Abilities
Problem-solving is about quickly identifying the root of an issue and finding the best solution. Agents can boost this skill by familiarizing themselves with common customer issues and best practices for solving them. Role-playing different scenarios with team members is a great way to build confidence and practice finding solutions under pressure. An effective problem-solver can navigate the conversation to a successful resolution while keeping the customer satisfied.
4. Manage Time Wisely
In a busy contact center, time management is crucial. Agents need to balance efficiency with providing quality service. Try setting small personal goals, like keeping routine calls within a set time frame, or prioritizing tasks by urgency. However, it’s important not to rush the customer; instead, focus on listening first and then responding efficiently. Better time management leads to a smoother workflow and a positive experience for both customers and agents.
5. Stay Positive and Resilient
Customer service can be tough, especially when handling challenging calls. Maintaining a positive attitude and building resilience helps agents stay calm, professional, and solution-oriented. Practicing self-care, taking regular breaks, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance can help agents stay refreshed and ready to provide great service. Remember, a calm and positive attitude can go a long way in reassuring customers and keeping them loyal.
Improving customer service skills is a journey. Each day is an opportunity to build stronger connections with customers, solve problems creatively, and make a positive impact. For contact center agents, mastering these skills isn’t just about helping customers – it’s about developing the confidence and tools needed to handle any situation with ease.
