Avoiding a Customer Service Train Wreck
I recently stumbled onto an article that discussed 15 customer service traits that can enable companies in any industry to wow their customers. Although the tips are not utility-specific, they are universal. The article is a great read, and you should definitely check it out. Below is an abbreviated list of the article’s recommendations.
Essential Customer Service Skills
- Maintaining patience, especially when dealing with people who are confused or angry
- Being attentive and actually listening to customers instead of just hearing them
- Practicing clear and concise communication skills
- Having expert knowledge of the company’s products and services
- Using language that emphasizes positivity
- Being able to feign a positive attitude even when you’re not “feeling it”
- Having exceptional time management skills – especially knowing when to cut bait when it’s evident you’re just not going to be able to solve the customer’s problem
- Being able to read customers by understanding subtle queues in their voice and personality
- Being able to keep cool under pressure – especially for utility reps dealing with frustrated customers during a service outage
- Being goal-oriented
- Being able to think on your feet, especially when something unexpected happens (i.e., encountering something you’re not trained for, or an unexpected customer reaction to something you say, etc.)
- Being able to persuade customers to accept your point of view
- Maintaining persistence and being willing to do what it takes to solve the customer’s problem
- Having the ability to close – not necessarily from a sales perspective, but more in terms of ending the call in a way that is satisfactory to the customer
- Willingness to learn, which hopefully is self-explanatory
So, there you have it – 15 customer service tips to live by. Even practicing just some of these ideas will surely pay dividends from a customer satisfaction perspective. Good luck!
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