Good customer service is something that employees of your company can learn how to deliver. However, these people can pick up the habits of effective customer service more easily when they have traits that can be readily lent to such service. Here are some qualities that you should be especially diligent to look for when seeking to recruit new people for your customer service team.

Willingness to take responsibility

The attitude of “that’s not my job” is not endemic with companies like Apple and Starbucks which are particularly eager and effective in providing customer service. Basically, your team members should help out wherever necessary and whatever their job descriptions may be.

This can manifest itself in little ways, such as how Disney Park “cast members” will occasionally pick up stray rubbish, as noted on the Forbes website. On a larger scale, your executive team could, during hectic times, help the dedicated contact centre team – as has happened with clothes retailer Zappos.

Empathy

You shouldn’t overlook the need for your customer service personnel to show warmth. However, empathy can go further by enabling your staff to sense customers’ requirements or desires. Some customers might not even yet realise that they have particular wants that your team could sense.

That’s how far empathy can go – and you could build upon it further by adding sales skills to your firm’s customer service repertoire. This is possible with our expert training in customer service.

Conscientiousness

This trait can give your team a springboard from what is provided by warmth and empathy. This is because, while smiling to and emphasising with a customer can certainly take someone far, they aren’t always enough to seal the deal.

Once a member of your customer service team has made a promise to a customer, they need to act on it. Otherwise, this employee will blight your firm’s image. Conscientiousness might not routinely be found in a “people person” Forbes explains. This is a pity, as such a person could otherwise make a desirable addition to your customer service ranks.

Self-restraint

There may be occasions when a customer is clearly upset, perhaps even angry. In that situation, the customer service staff member handling them needs to endeavour to stay calm and cool. Otherwise, they could themselves become upset and blurt out something inappropriate.

They should particularly remember not to deem a customer’s disgruntlement as a slight on them personally. This employee should work to tone down their exchanges with the customer.

Assertiveness

Despite what we have just advised about self-control, there still needs to be a degree of assertiveness on the staff member’s part when handling a customer. Meekness and passivity could send the message to that customer that the employee is unable to deal with the situation.

Nonetheless, that member of customer service must resist talking in a demanding or aggressive manner. They can show confidence without offending the customer by instead simply speaking strongly and steadily and putting forward direct questions. They should also maintain track of what they must do, advises The Balance