Many of us look at customer support as if it’s all about answering the telephone and making phone calls, but in all honesty, customer support involves so much more than that. It involves live online chat, responding to tickets through email and social media – it affects all of the virtual communication channels that customers would use to reach out to a company. As you’re looking to hire a customer support team to outsource your tasks, you must look at these skills that they possess.
There are essential customer support skills that are associated with telephone support, such as the ability to be able to “read” a customer’s emotional state, friendliness, and of course, clear communication. These are hard to read in writing, so the group must have additional skills through consistent hands-on experience.
Here are some examples of some customer support skills you should develop.
Smiles
Smiles go a long way. Believe it or not, a person on the other end of the line can usually tell when the other person is smiling. Just make sure that you smile at the perfect time because you don’t want your customer service coming off as if it’s not authentic. Smile just as you would if you were face-to-face with the person and having a conversation.
The Ability to Mirror a Customer’s Language and Tone
When it comes to customer service, part of the job is mirroring a customer’s language and tone of voice. You can create significant connections if you reflect the customer’s manner of speaking and choice of words. If the customer is angry, don’t copy their frustration. But instead, you can slightly increase your volume and quickly work on toning the customer down. Customers tend to respond well when they’re receiving help from a level-headed person.
The Ability to Listen, then Validate the Problem
There are going to be times when a customer is upset. Regardless of how good a company is or how good the customer support team, you can’t make everyone happy. When customers are frustrated or upset, they may not accept what your customer service agent says, even if the customer service agent gives them the correct answer. You must listen first, give them time to calm down, and help solve their problems. In customer service, empathy is a crucial ability to have.
Acknowledge the Customer
Everyone likes to feel heard, so when you’re talking to a customer, tell them that you understand why they have called. They will appreciate that touch of empathy, and it will go a long way towards transforming an angry customer into a happy customer.
Conclusion
There you have it, and those are the skills to look for in agents when outsourcing customer support. Agents that can smile, acknowledge the customer, and show empathy are the best choice for any business.
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