5 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Skills

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We’ve all experienced bad customer service.

Whether it’s that chewing-gum-swinging-teenager scowling as you return an item of clothing, or the multinational brand refusing to answer questions via Twitter, terrible customer service is enough to make us snap our loyalty cards in a fit of rage.

In fact, statistics show that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for ONE unresolved negative experience. Indeed, for any business, losing just one customer can be extremely costly, which is why hiring members of staff with good customer service skills is vital.

Consequently, if you’re looking for ways to advance your own customer service skills in a bid to land a new role, or to climb the career ladder in your current position, read our five sure-fire ways to get ahead …

Gain an Online Degree

You may not know it, but by gaining an online degree, regardless of the subject, you acquire a variety of transferable skills that are invaluable in a customer service environment, including problem solving, working in a team, negotiating and leadership.

In addition, completing a degree can help you understand some of the key factors that contribute to the success of an organisation, such as the importance of providing top notch products and services, as well as ensuring staff are motivated and engaged.

Don’t Be a Robot

Nowadays, with the advent of customer service through Twitter and Facebook, your customers are used to chatting with a faceless representative of the company – but when they call your service hotline, it’s a different story.
Rather than coming across as a robot with a script, it’s important to be genuinely empathetic, which means putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and attempting to offer them a speedy resolution to whatever problem they may have.

Use Affirmative Language

It sounds obvious, but for a customer to enjoy a helpful experience with your company, it’s important the language you use is positive. Put simply, this means avoiding words like “can’t” or “won’t” and replacing them with affirmative alternatives.

Why? Because language is extremely persuasive, which means your customer will either go away with a glowing perception of you and your organisation or they’ll take to the internet to slaughter your laughable customer service skills.

Keep Calm and Carry On

We’ve all had moments where it feels like we’re going to explode with frustration during working hours – but as a customer service representative, it’s crucial you keep a cool and calm exterior when dealing with a consumer.
In situations where you feel like you’re losing your cool, remember that it’s your job to support the customer through these pain points and also keep in mind that it’s the organisation they’re unhappy with, as opposed to your customer service skills.

Be Open to Learning

While you may think you’re good at customer service, it’s vital to keep on learning and not to rest on your laurels, lest you become more complacent than Joe Complacency and Sons (and, boy, were they complacent).
Seek out training opportunities in your workplace, volunteer to go on a course to improve your customer service skills further, and remember to ask your manager for regular feedback about your performance.

Now it’s over to you …

What are your top tips for improving customer service skills? Let us know by leaving a comment below – we’d love to hear from you.

Marcelo Brahimllari
Mediaco
Marcelo Brahimllari works in the digital world and studies everything around marketing - he likes to research & write about business start-ups and their marketing integration.

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