Communication skills, personality, and attitude, rather than specific skills, are typically the most important customer service qualifications. This is because the best customer service representatives are pleasant, polite, and sincere in their desire to help the customer, even if they are knowledgeable about the company for which they work. Most companies do not require customer service employees to have more than a high school diploma and some customer service experience, but some larger companies prefer customer service employees to have associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. Customer service qualifications, on the other hand, are fairly standard across all types of businesses.
Communication skills are unquestionably among the most important customer service qualifications one can possess. This includes being able to communicate clearly over the phone so that the customer can understand the representative. Furthermore, if the representative will be communicating with customers via email, it is critical that he or she has strong written communication skills and can communicate effectively using proper spelling and grammar. A customer service representative must also be able to listen intently, comprehend the customer’s concerns, and respond to questions that require specific knowledge of the company for which he or she works.
Another important customer service qualification is the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Many people who work in customer service will have to deal with irritated or angry customers, so they must be able to resolve issues while remaining calm and polite. Of course, this does not imply tolerating customer abuse, but it does imply preventing an argument from escalating, which is considered unprofessional in a business setting. Supervisors or managers will be available to take difficult calls in most customer service departments.
Other customer service qualifications include having a few years of experience working in the industry. Working in customer service in a retail setting, for example, usually qualifies. Companies typically do not want to hire employees without prior experience for a larger call center or customer service area in a corporate setting. This ensures that the representative understands how to communicate with customers in a polite and professional manner, how to maintain a positive attitude toward the company, how to ensure that the customer is satisfied before ending the call, and other critical aspects of providing excellent customer service on a daily basis.