Providing top-notch customer service requires more than just helpdesk software and scripts.
While a dedicated customer service team is ideal, many founders are the only customer-facing employees in the early days of their company.
That’s why it’s important to understand what it takes to provide great customer service as an e-commerce brand . The customer service skills listed below will help you do that and you can pass them on to (future) employees.
Table of contents
- 13 Customer Service Skills for Unforgettable Support
- The right skills for customer service
- FAQ on customer service skills
13 Customer Service Skills for Unforgettable Support
Excellent customer service requires the following skills:
- First-class communication
- Empathy and emotional intelligence
- Active listening and attention
- teamwork
- patience
- Responsibility
- improvisation and adaptability
- product knowledge
- growth mindset and willingness to learn
- time management and organization
- sales skills
- self-consciousness
- resilience
1. First-class communication
Effective communication is critical because customer service agents must communicate clearly, empathetically, taiwan email list and in a timely manner. They are responsible for more than just words—they must convey solutions, instructions, and emotions.
Good communicators proactively share information about products that is easy for customers to understand. And you need to be able to do this in real time.
Effective communication also means communicating clearly rather than cleverly, uncertain weather forecast for next sunday especially when customers are frustrated. Too many businesses lose customers because they don’t use the right customer service phrases that provide clarity. Use direct language and easy-to-understand words.
Practical example
The following customer service email from Everlane shows an excellent approach to communication. The email describes the return policy, provides links to more information, and ends with an incentive in the form of a $20 credit that never expires.
While the return policy may not provide the answers customers are looking for, the free credit is a nice gesture to help defuse the situation and maintain a positive customer experience .
2. Empathy and emotional intelligence
Empathy – the ability to put yourself in the shoes of individual customers and understand the situation from their perspective – is a necessary skill for all customer service representatives. Those who handle customer service should also be able to incorporate emotional intelligence into interactions.
When customer service agents combine empathy and emotional intelligence, another key competency becomes possible: customer advocate . As a customer advocate, you can proactively try to solve problems by finding the best solution, colombia business directory not just the simplest one.
Customers are ultimately looking for a solution to their problem, and the level of support you provide has a huge impact on their experience , so changing your mindset can make a big difference.
One example is Chewy , which has built a strong reputation as an empathetic brand. Countless cases of food deliveries after the death of a pet have been shared on social media. Chewy’s typical response is a full refund, a recommendation to donate the food to a shelter, and a follow-up with condolences in some form. It’s highly personalized and empathetic.
Practical example
The next time customers come to you with a problem, go the extra mile. Don’t just offer an apology and move on to the next issue, offer a solution. Give customers clear next steps to get them closer to a solution.
“This approach acknowledges the complexity of their situation and the emotions they may be feeling,” says Mitchell Rossit-Lavigne, head of support for Shopify’s Guru team. “It shifts the focus and tone of the conversation back to solving the current problem. It creates common ground, rather than focusing on how frustrating it can be to deal with that problem.”
3. Active listening and attention
Listening and paying attention to customers’ feelings and problems is one of the most important customer service skills. Before you can apologize and offer help, you must listen to your customers – to understand.
This attention also applies to emails, chats, texts, or social media correspondence. Understanding context by asking the right questions and repeating what your customers are saying is also crucial to active listening.
It’s important to ask relevant questions to gain a full understanding of the core problem. You can also summarize it in your own words and share this feedback in your correspondence with clients to ensure you’re listening effectively.
Practical example
It’s easy to read a few lines of a support request and immediately jump to the most obvious solution. Read the entire message and any relevant attachments before replying. Perhaps your suggestion has already been tried or doesn’t fit the situation. If you tend to miss details, read the message once or twice before replying.
