- When a customer service worker receives a phone call or an email, the first thing she must do is determine the root cause of why the customer has contacted her. Once she understands the problem that the customer is experiencing, then she can go about solving it. Examples of solving the customer's problem could include giving a credit or refund, shipping a replacement part, answering a question about an invoice, or tracking an order.
- A good customer service worker knows how to empathize. He might actually use the words "I'm sorry," but empathy can also be expressed simply by using a sympathetic tone of voice. The object is for the customer to feel that the agent on the phone honestly cares about helping her.
- Customer service workers must be computer savvy. They need to be able to navigate several different computer programs, sometimes using all of them simultaneously. She could be looking something up in a database, entering an order into a website, typing notes into another system and emailing the customer a tracking number, all while speaking to the customer on the phone.
- Whether a customer service worker is assisting her customer in English, Spanish or some other language, he must always communicate clearly. He should enunciate his words and speak slowly. He should avoid using acronyms and industry lingo and use words that the customer will understand. He should use proper grammar and avoid the use of slang or profanity. All communication with the customer, whether spoken or written, should be highly professional.
- If the customer's expectations are low, then it is easy to meet them. However, if the customer service worker goes out of her way to give the customer a wonderful experience with the company, then she has created a Raving Fan. Ken Blanchard, author of "The One Minute Manager", describes a Raving Fan as a customer who is so thrilled with a particular company that he will praise that company to whoever will listen. By taking ownership of the customer's problems and going above and beyond, the customer service worker can actually help the company grow by increasing the customer base through giving customers amazing service.
