Three Skills Every Customer Service Agent Needs

To use an unorthodox analogy, a great customer service agent serves the same purpose as the janitor in the classic 80s movie The Breakfast Club - they are the “eyes and ears of your institution”. Silly analogy aside, customer service agents serve as the front line for engaging both current and prospective customers for your brand or business. Not only do they hear first-hand feedback from customers on what is working and what isn’t, but often customer service agents will provide the lasting impression a customer has of your business.

Since this is true, it’s critical for business owners and managers to recognize that hiring great customer service agents is key for keeping your customers satisfied and loyal. However, to find great customer service staff, you need to look for some essential skills in your applicants to truly hire top talent. But what are the most essential skills for a great customer service agent? Here are three big ones to look for:

Customer service is, by definition, a social position. Customer service agents at major companies can expect to field dozens or even hundreds of customer requests and calls on a given day. So, it goes without saying that the best customer service agents have well-developed interpersonal skills, such as:

Energy - The customer doesn’t know how many calls an agent has fielded and a negative experience with a tired agent can leave a bad impression.

Empathy - While some customers may just need a quick support fix, others may require significant time and energy to solve their problem and deliver the services they need. Customer service agents who can truly empathize with clients, listen to them honestly, and treat them with courtesy and respect even if they are impatient or unhappy are great agents.

Unlike the cliche image of a customer service agent reading from a decision tree or script, the best customer service agents will truly grow to know a business from the inside out. These agents won’t need as much direction or evaluation - because they’ll be functioning as an extension of your business. This might include knowing every service or product offered by your company, keeping track of ongoing marketing drives or promotions, or new services that a customer may want to know more about even if they called for a different reason.

One more quality of great customer service agents that is often overlooked is their ability to provide updates on shifting customer desires and requests in real-time. While business owners always have a plan or vision for what goods and services they provide, even experienced operators can’t anticipate every new request of their customers.

This is where a great customer service agent can be invaluable. If multiple customers repeat the same request for a new package of services, or a shift in the way your company delivers goods or services, great customer service agents will pick up on this and report the info back to managers and, in turn, to business owners and operators. This allows you to shift your operations or invest time and money in response to your customer’s needs. This not only lets you better meet your customer needs and demonstrate that you are hearing and valuing their opinion, but also allows you to broaden your offerings to help generate new customer leads at the same time.