4 Traits to Look Out for in Customer Service Representatives

There is no doubt about the fact that the working environment, training, incentives, management etc. have a huge impact on the quality of customer service being delivered by the frontline staff. However, hiring the right kind of employees for customer service positions who have certain personality traits is the first step towards ensuring better service delivery. Every occupation requires a unique set of personality characteristics, the absence of which can have a negative impact on the services being delivered by a business.

Next time you are analyzing your customer service representatives, check to see whether they possess the following much needed traits or not.

Optimism

Optimism – A CSR’s guiding light through the valley of service failures and angry customers. Every cloud has a silver lining! A CSR who has a positive take on everything will always find his way through tough times without getting frustrated and demotivated.

There are 2 employees: Jack and Jill. Jack and Jill both encounter a service failure one day; Jill, being an optimist, does not let this incident get to her head, and instead, sees this as an opportunity to surprise the customer with an amazing, speedy service recovery. Jack, on the other hand, sees this incident as a serious blow to his ‘reputation’ in the company, and instead of making an effort to find the silver lining, gives in to the incident.

Bottom Line: An optimistic employee can save your business vital clients and bucks.

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is contagious! An enthusiastic worker is a motivated worker, and a motivated worker is an efficient worker. A CSR who takes interest in his work, and finds it enjoyable, will strive to deliver exceptional customer service all day every day.

An enthusiastic worker lights up the work place, bringing energy to the working environment. He can be a great motivator for someone who lacks energy and motivation. Customers love hearing an enthusiastic voice. It assures them that their concerns are being heard by a person who is interested in what they have to say.

Bottom Line: Hunt for enthusiastic team workers, who spread positive energy within the whole team, and motivate them to excel in their service delivery.

Listening Skills

How many times have you appreciated someone for their impressive communication skills? I will assume you do it every day, on the other hand, have you ever said ‘He is an amazing listener, I like him’? Perhaps rarely. Good listeners are the un-crowned champions of customer service.

Look out for a representative who calmly and attentively listens to everything, good or bad, polite or harsh, that the customers have to say, without trying to smart talk his way out. How do you expect a CSR to solve an issue when he does not even understand what it is in the first place?

Bottom line: Good listeners will have the ability to empathize with the customers and even come up with better solutions. Start valuing them.

Ability to Understand

CSR’s who have mastered the art of  understanding human behavior are able to provide a satisfying customer experience because they are able to comprehend the client’s gestures, tone, body language, etc.  Carefully focusing on the client’s behavior is an easy way to help maneuver better, thus allowing CSR’s to easily provide support and resolve issues.

A shy, reserved, or a disheartened customer, who is on the brink of ending all business terms with you, might not verbally express his reservations. In such cases, it is up to the CSR and his understanding of human behavior, to see if something is wrong, and make an effort to fix it.

Bottom Line: Organize training sessions to equip your CSR’s with the vital tool of understanding what the customer wants.