Customer Service Skills: From Alchemy to Attainable Competencies

This article outlines 15 customer service skills that separate average support from truly exceptional.

It emphasizes the importance of cultivating core competencies, rather than relying on mysterious or elusive qualities. The article also includes step-by-step instructions for improving each skill.

Empathy: The Cornerstone of Exceptional Support

Empathy is the foundation of all relationships, and it’s essential for providing excellent customer service.

• Empathy allows us to understand a customer’s emotional reaction to a particular situation, even if we haven’t experienced it ourselves.
• It’s not something you’re born with or without. It can be learned and improved upon.

Positivity: Aligning Words with Optimism

Positivity is about using positive language, both verbally and mentally.

• Replace negative words and phrases with positive alternatives.
• Focus on what’s right, rather than what’s wrong.

Patience: Recognizing and Managing Triggers

Patience is crucial for dealing with difficult or frustrated customers.

• Understand the addictive nature of anger and irritation.
• Upgrade your attitude towards discomfort and pain.
• Pay attention to your triggers and practice self-talk to manage your emotions.

Clarity: Eliminating Ambiguity for Effective Communication

Clarity is about making sure your communication is easy to understand and free from ambiguity.

• Define technical terms and provide plain-language explanations.
• Never assume that a customer has read or understood information previously provided.
• Put the most important information first and structure your communication logically.

Simplicity: Less Is More in Customer Service

Simplicity is about keeping things uncomplicated and straightforward.

• Use clear, concise language and avoid jargon.
• Focus on one goal at a time and provide instructions in a step-by-step manner.
• Remember Einstein's quote: "If you can’t explain it to a child, you don’t understand it yourself."

Curiosity: Asking Better Questions for Deeper Insights

Curiosity is about asking questions, investigating, and learning.

• Ask more questions to draw out better insights and uncover the root cause of problems.
• Inquire, but don’t interrogate.
• Approach the unknown with a reporter, explorer, or scientist’s mindset.

Attentive Listening: Being Present and Receptive

Attentive listening involves paying close attention to what a customer is saying or doing.

• Practice active listening by holding eye contact, eliminating distractions, and asking clarifying questions.
• Immerse yourself in silence and enjoy the mundane sounds around you to hone your listening skills.
• Focus on the customer, the whole customer, and nothing but the customer.

Prioritizing and Automating: Managing Time and Expectations Effectively

Prioritizing and automating tasks helps manage time and customer expectations effectively.

• Create a triage system for handling urgent inquiries.
• Consider the impact and consequences of each situation.
• Learn when it’s time to move on and connect the customer with the right person.
• Utilize automation tools, email templates, and a knowledge base to handle repetitive inquiries.

Composure: Staying Calm in the Face of Adversity

Maintaining composure is essential for providing excellent customer service, even in stressful situations.

• Practice breathing techniques to calm your body and mind.
• Be aware of your triggers and avoid situations where you are likely to lose your cool.
• Don’t fall for the fundamental attribution error (FAE).
• Delay the conversation or your response if necessary.

Thick Skin: Handling Criticism and Negative Feedback

Thick skin is about being resilient and not taking criticism or negative feedback personally.

• Recognize that a customer’s behavior is often a reflection of their own situation, not a personal attack.
• Don’t run away from confrontation; instead, address it with a calm tone of voice and a focus on objectivity.

Humility: Acknowledging Limitations and Serving Others

Humility is about putting your ego aside and being willing to admit when you’re wrong or don’t have the answer.

• Use the first-personal plural (“we”) when describing solutions and the first-personal singular (“I”) when describing mistakes.
• Embrace the phrase “I could be wrong.”
• Separate facts from stories and actively seek to disprove your assumptions.

Adaptability: Embracing Change and Modifying Your Approach

Adaptability is about being open to change and quickly modifying your thoughts and actions to respond positively.

• Recognize your biological predisposition to rigidity and the power of neuroplasticity.
• Cultivate adaptability as a habit by thinking and acting differently.
• Practice it every day and celebrate your wins.

Ownership and Responsibility: Taking Control and Seeing Things Through

Ownership is about taking responsibility for a situation, problem, or challenge and seeing it through to resolution.

• Steer the conversation and provide customers with a sense of security and control.
• Keep your communication actionable and provide customers with tangible steps they can take.
• Follow up proactively and ensure that all promises are kept.
• Explain, but don’t excuse.

Confidence: Communicating Expertise and Providing Closure

Confidence provides customers with a sense of certainty and closure.

• Manage expectations from the start and provide customers with clear communication regarding response times and timelines.
• Address every question thoroughly, even if the answer requires further research.
• Follow through with your promises and keep customers updated on the progress of their issue.
• Use body language to project confidence.

Teachability: Becoming a Lifelong Learner and Teacher

Teachability is about being willing and capable to learn from others.

• Surround yourself with mentors and seek out opportunities to learn from others.
• Embrace failure as an opportunity to learn.
• Celebrate your wins and record your experiences to help you teach others.