Thrive in Your Customer Service Job 

Thriving in Your Customer Service Role

Jobs in customer service are critical to a company’s success — but more importantly, they’re crucial to ensuring repeat customers. 

Representatives are at once the first line of defense and the first opportunity to make a great impression or provide a lifeline. Customers who call in and need help will rely on you, solely, to hear them out and try to solve their problem. That’s a lot of pressure! 

But customer service jobs also allow the opportunity to be a welcoming, reassuring and calming influence on someone in a time of need or frustration. It can mend a relationship and build a bridge that can result in many happy returns. 

Here are a few tips for excelling at customer service: 

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes 

Simple and obvious but worth stating. We’ve all been on the calling end of a customer service line. All we want is a voice on the other line to understand our problem and be willing to move heaven and earth to make things right. Remember that an angry caller is just eager to be heard and believed, and that anger is not directed personally at you. 

Be an ambassador

You’re the spokesperson for your company when you answer a customer’s call or email. The way they interact with you, the tone of your voice, how long they’re on hold, the length of time it takes to fix their problem, all of that makes a difference, but your tone and treatment of that customer at that moment will make all the difference. You’re representing your company to the customer and if you want them to have a good impression, you’ll need to represent your company well. 

Show some respect

Be polite, be considerate of their time and their frustration, be courteous even if they’re frustrating. Think back to a positive customer service interaction you’ve had and try to emulate that. Be the customer service change you want to see in the world, treat the caller with kindness, and you’ll secure a return customer. 

Ask questions and really learn your products before you start helping customers

The more you know about your company, what it provides and how it operates, the better you’ll be able to handle questions on the fly. Good research and good lay of the land will make for a more confident customer service experience. 

Be an empathetic, active listener

A kind voice that reassures the customer that everything possible will be done to solve their issue can go a long way. Take notes as the customer talks and ask, gently, if you understand their problem correctly before starting to troubleshoot. Be affirming and positive and your customers will give you their trust. 

Every situation is different, of course, but the bottom line is the same: A customer who was treated well, and whose problem was solved in a timely and friendly manner, will tell his or her friends about the transaction with 1 and appreciation. 

Get career advice from Debbie’s Staffing today

If you’re looking for more advice on how to be an all-star customer service representative, or if you’re looking for a new opportunity to shine in a customer service job, contact Debbie’s Staffing today! We’re ready to help you find a place to put your stellar skills to work.