Customer Service Specialist: tips and advice

For a customer service professional, delivering an excellent service to all clients and end users is the main objective. The Customer Service Expectations Survey 2018 developed by Gladly states that ‘expectations are defined as the strong belief that something will happen, or be the case in the future. So why is it important to understand what consumers expect? Because it’s those expectations that influence a consumer’s decisions; which in turn, influence their loyalty; which then influence a company’s long-term revenue.’  And these types of expectations tend to evolve, transform and change, therefore monitoring how they vary over time helps improving the way a personalized service is being delivered.

According to this specific study, the elements that are valued by the majority of customers are the high quality of the service, an integrated approach to communication (multichannel) and a fast but personalized service. Keep in mind that a staggering 68% of Millennials ‘place an even higher premium on good service that Generation X and baby boomers. They’re almost four times more likely that boomers to pay 20% more for good service.’

Why Consistency across different channels is so important for a customer service specialist

One of the ongoing challenges for a customer service division is the ability of being consistent and coherent in terms of policy and approach. Most customers tend to use at least three dedicated customer service channels. At present time, the most used ones are phone, email, and live chat.

But customers expect an exceptional service across all the contemplated channels and, most importantly, they demand the same ‘speed of resolution’ and personalized touch. Therefore, it is advisable having an up-to-date internal documentation that can be transferred and used for all channels.

Customers always share their good, bad and ugly experiences

One of the most viral outputs that spreads at a high speed on every online platform is the quality of the experience that customers have dealt with. And the boomerang effect is just around the corner, because a customer will always express how they’ve been treated. Never underestimate the way you reply or how you manage critical issues. A slightly negative or unpolite approach will definitely lead to an unhappy customer.

 A patient customer service specialist able to deliver a brilliant support

A good customer service professional should possess at least a high-school degree, even though for specific positions a bachelor’s degree might be needed. In terms of soft skills, one should have ‘solid communication skills, patience, a friendly disposition, and a clear speaking voice. You’ll also need to have strong problem-solving skills and a basic level of proficiency with computers.’

Here are some tips for delivering an unforgettable service to all customers:

• Keep a positive and nice behavior with all your customers
• Be organized and take note of specific crisis situations or difficult clients
• Be an active listener in order to have a deep understanding of the issues that you have to solve, provide support
• Always be formal and professional but keep in mind that people are not numbers and need an individual approach

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