10 Tips To A Become Customer Service Expert In 7 Days

Without any doubt, customer support agent performance is one of the most important factors in a company’s growth.

About 86% of customers say they will stop buying due to poor customer experience, which costs companies more than $62 billion annually.

This is why being a knowledgeable and emotionally intelligent customer service professional is so important. So, if you’re ready to become an expert, this article is for you.

First Things, First – Analyze Yourself 

The first step is to analyze your abilities and skills. It’s important to understand that not everything is for everyone.

A good customer support agent must be patient, an excellent communicator, a multitasker, cool minded, and one who can put the customer before themselves. 

Does this sound like you?

If you have these qualities, you could be a top customer support agent. Here’s 10 tips to become a customer service expert in 10 days.

1. Prepare Mentally & Have Passion

It’s essential to be mentally prepared for any profession you choose to pursue. Think about the circumstances that you may face and understand that in any career you will encounter challenges, especially in customer service.  

There’s no doubt that there will be times when you interact with upset or angry customers. That’s why having a passion for helping people is mandatory. You should also be passionate about your responsibilities and genuinely enjoy what you are doing. 

2. Gain Extensive Product Knowledge

In order to be a valuable resource to your customers, you have to have extensive knowledge of your brand’s products and services.

According to a study conducted by Assignment Assistance UK, “To be on the top, it is essential that you have all the information about your products. Even minute details matter and can make a difference. Having complete knowledge of the product enables you to satisfy your client when they come up with any query.”

So, learn about your company’s products in-depth, have a full understanding of return policies and warranty information, and be prepared to troubleshoot.

3. Know Your Customers

To provide the best service, you have to get to know your customers. 76% of customers expect companies to understand their needs (Salesforce).

Take the time to investigate the types of customers that seek out your products and services. Ask them questions to identify how you can best meet their needs. And, then use your product knowledge to guide them in the right direction. 

Not only will this make your job easier, but it will improve your customers’ experience with your brand. 

4. Listen First

Being a good customer support agent means being a good listener. Don’t just scramble to offer a quick solution. 

Focus on what they’re saying, and instead of using generic replies like ‘I see,’ or ‘I understand,’ repeat the details of the customer’s problem to show you understand. 

It’s also important to never interrupt. However, if anything is unclear, wait till the customer is finished speaking. Then, ask them politely to explain their needs in further detail.

5. Choose Your Words Wisely

Every word you speak or write has an impact. What you say can also be interpreted differently depending on your audience, so it’s important to choose your words carefully.  

Make a conscious effort not to use negative statements. For example, “You are wrong,’’ can be replaced with “Let me double check with a supervisor to verify our policy.”

It’s essential that your words always reflect respect and make the customer feel comfortable and important.

6. Develop Empathy and Practice Patience

Sometimes, customers become angry and use inappropriate terms to communicate. In the event of a verbal outburst, it’s necessary to be patient and keep in mind that this is not a personal matter. 

Remember that the customer is upset at the circumstance. Apologize for the difficulty they’ve experienced. Empathize with their situation and work to provide the best resolution possible.

7. Think Like A Customer

If you want to be a good customer support agent, you have to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Imagine you’re on their end of the line, facing the same problems or with similar questions. How would you want to be treated?

For practice, visit competitor websites and act as a potential customer. What questions and/or reservations would you have if you were about to make a purchase? How could the competitor’s team have made your experience better?

8. Start Taking Notes

Taking notes is often thought of as a beginner’s drill. However, experts recommend it and use it to outline conversations and remember key talking points.

This can help you give each customer a more personalized experience. You’ll be able to easily reference topics that were covered earlier in the conversation without you or the customer having to repeat yourselves. 

Moreover, you can reference back to your notes during future interactions. When your customers realize you remember the last time they spoke with you, they will feel like you really know them.

9. Be Consistent With Follow-Up

It’s important to follow-up with customers after each interaction. This can be in the form of a satisfaction survey, an email, or even a brief, personalized phone call. This can increase customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, and even result in leads and higher sales. 

Don’t forget about customers who inquired about your products, but didn’t purchase. Make sure to follow up with them as well. There may lie an opportunity that was missed the first time around.

10. Build Multitasking Abilities

It is no secret that customer support agents have to be able to multitask. Often, you’ll have to deal with multiple customers at once via live chat  service or email. 

According to Dissertation Assistance UK, multitasking is all about prioritizing. Handle the most urgent requests first. Group associated tasks together. For example, while speaking with a particular customer, update their customer profile throughout the conversation. Believe in your abilities, and you’ll do just fine. 

Assess Yourself Daily – The Final Step

There is always room for improvement. Keep testing yourself in different customer support skills to identify your strengths and weaknesses.  There are multiple platforms on the internet that can help you assess yourself as a customer support agent. Check for grammatical solutions, analyze your spellings, and improve your typing speed with the ThankYouForCalling platform. Welcome feedback from your customers and your managers. You’ll be a customer service expert in no time.