What Are Soft Skills in Customer Service?
Customer service is an integral part of every business. It happens in many different formats from in-person to over the telephone to via the internet. Regardless of how the customer service is delivered, soft skills are needed. Customer service soft skills are relationship-building skills.
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Significance
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Customer service does not begin and end with the representative on the phone; it carries throughout the organization to resolving the customer's request. Customer service is not a department but a part of a company's culture.
Identification
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Customer service soft skills are those skills that are not directly measurable such as active listening, taking ownership and treating the customer with dignity and respect, similar to interpersonal skills.
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Considerations
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Soft skills can mean the difference between a favorable and unfavorable customer experience. This can, in turn, translate into more or less revenue for the company. A recent TARP study showed that 90 percent of dissatisfied customers take their business elsewhere.
Face-to-Face
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Some soft skills necessary in face-to-face customer service are: proper eye contact, appropriate body language and attention. These skills demonstrate active listening in face-to-face interactions.
Telephone Skills
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Traditional telephone soft skills include: restating the customer's issue back to the customer, advising the customer of the next steps and following up with the customer. This demonstrates ownership of the customer's issue.
Internet Skills
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Internet customer service interactions can occur via email or through chat/instant messenger methods. Soft skills via email or chat include: ensuring the message's tone is appropriate, using proper grammar and spelling, and using netiquette. This demonstrates respect for the customer and professionalism.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Image courtesy of Microsoft Office online
