10 Traits You Will Want to Have When It Comes to Customer Service

Think about your last interaction with a customer service representative. What are some traits you would have liked them to display during your interaction? Chances are if it was a negative experience the person on the other end of the phone could have benefited from displaying more of these ten traits for customer service.

• Respect
• Patience
• Concern
• Attentiveness
• Empathy
• Communication Skills
• Effective Listening
• Responsibility
• Not Easily Offended
• Positive Attitude

From the customer’s perspective, they want to know that someone “gets” them. They want to feel like their concerns are being heard. Or either a white label company or individual they are interacting with really sympathizes with what they are going through. Unfortunately, sometimes this isn’t the case.   That being said, it is so important for us all to practice the skills of empathy, patience, and sympathy in our everyday lives. It takes very little effort and goes a long way for you and those around you!

Trait #1: Respect

Respect is very important no matter what relationship you have with someone else. The golden rule is to treat others how you wish to be treated. If you had an issue with a service or product you wouldn’t want to be ignored or dismissed. So, the same goes when you are on the other side of the phone or tablet. These Traits for customer service are important for you to understand. A few ways you can show respect are.

• Don’t interrupt your customer when they are talking.
• If at all possible, use their name.
• Use active listening skills whether you are in person or over the phone.
• Offer a response only after they are done speaking.

Trait #2: Patience

Patience is the ability to calmly tolerate others and their moodiness, anger, or irritability. It also means that you will not take things personally and are accepting of others’ situations. This is one of the important traits of customer service. Sometimes clients will want to tell you every bit of the problem even if it has nothing to do with you directly, and sometimes they can be upset. A good Customer service skill would be to let the customer talk until they have said all they want and then offer your reply. It will show that you were listening and are there to help.

Trait #3: Concern

When dealing with customers and other people, they want to know that you care about them. It’s human nature to be concerned for another person who is telling their story or woes. When they feel like you are genuinely concerned, they will be much more willing to share their concerns with you in a polite manner.

These traits for Customer Service are huge, but it can be difficult to accomplish if your business is dealing with a lot of customers. Therefore, it is important to assign employees to certain customers or departments, only if they have the training and expertise in that field. By sticking to that strategy, you can build the trust and confidence in both parties needed for a good relationship.

Trait #4: Attentiveness

Attentiveness is the need to not only listen to the concerns of others but also show your concern and care. You will want to pick up on subtleties and nuances that others may miss or not even mention. To be “listening” on this particular point means that you are paying attention (not talking) so someone can share their thoughts with you. These traits for customer service can be demonstrated by nodding your head, making positive comments, and other non-verbal cues that will show them you understand what they are saying and that you are listening and building a good customers relationship.

Trait #5: Empathy

Being empathetic means that you can understand the feelings of another person. Empathy is a very important trait for customer service to have as you want to be able to feel how a customer is feeling or how someone else is feeling. This helps when trying to understand the reasoning behind their actions or why they are upset about a particular situation. This trait for customer service is simply just putting yourself in the customers’ shoes. If you had the same concerns or issues as the client, how would you like to resolve the problem, whether it be a free product or just an ear to complain to. Either way, try turning the tables so you can feel how the customer actually feels.

Trait #6: Communication Skills

Communication skills are extremely important in any customer service role. Whether you are helping out current or future customers, you will want to be able to communicate effectively and clearly to avoid confusion! When talking with customers, make sure that your words are clear so that they fully understand what you mean. Communication skills are more than just your verbal skills but your body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and so much more. These traits for customer service are super important when dealing with an unhappy customer.  You never want the customer to think you are unconcerned with what they are bringing up because you are their arms crossed with a dry tone in your voice.  Being calm and neutral and using positive language can diffuse an angry customer.

Trait #7: Effective Listening

When it comes to effective listening, you want to be able to hear what the person is saying and not just pay attention to what you are saying. This will help build an open line of communication between you and your customer. The only outcomes of a conversation are that you correctly heard and understood what your customer was saying, or you didn’t. Effective listening helps you have more of the first outcome. Understanding what is being said, and the things that are being left unsaid, are an important part of having a good resolution.

 Trait #8: Responsibility

The most important among the traits for customer service is when the customer wants you to take responsibility for the shortcomings. Even if it has nothing to do with you directly, the customer wants to feel like as a whole the company accepts the responsibility for the problem. Reassuring the customer that you will stay on this until it is handled shifts the responsibility from them to you and makes them feel like a resolution is coming, which is ultimately what they are looking for.

A white label marketing partnership is an effective example of this. They can take responsibility for all the work we cannot do ourselves. The customer wants to feel secure in knowing that the company they are dealing with has a white label partner who is backing them up and is responsible for all of their shortcomings. This strategy is an excellent way to distinguish yourself from other companies who usually just pass the buck.

Trait #9: Not Easily Offended

Working in customer service more often than not the customer is coming to you with a problem.  They will likely be angry, possibly yell or scream however, the ability to let things like this roll of your back per se will go a long way in these situations. You never want to meet angry with anger, so remembering to stay calm even if the situation is heated is important, because chances are they aren’t even mad at you specifically, and anger on your part will only make matters worse.

Trait #10: Positive Attitude

This one kind of plays into the last one. Having a positive attitude can really help in solving a customer’s problem.  Staying positive under the pressures of having a difficult customer, can influence the customer to ease up, and see a different view than the one they originally had.  Staying positive also helps you not be affected by the negative situation.

Most businesses will run into the need to solve a customer’s issues and complaints and having a good standard for customer service is almost necessary. Keeping the customers happy will result in more return customers, as well as a better relationship, and overall better reviews of your business.  I believe these ten traits for customer service really help make top-of-the-line experiences and better problem-solving situations. There will always be that angry customer, so knowing what you can do to better the situation for customers as well as yourself is a huge plus.