Soft skills are the foundation of great customer service. All the AI and automation in the world doesn’t change that. So, while technology is good (and we offer some great solutions!), real success comes down to the basics. The very skills that matter the most are those human qualities which build trust and loyalty.
Let’s take a look at 5 fundamental customer service soft skills. These are the ones that will help your team connect with customers on a personal level. And they can’t be left out. So, what are they? And how can we help our agents develop them? Let’s take a look.
1. Empathy
If you could pick one quality that makes a contact center agent successful, what would it me? For me, it would be empathy. The ability to put oneself in the other person’s shoes. Nothing comes close when it comes to customer service. Empathy is a real cornerstone of success in contact centers.
Why is it so powerful? Empathy is what makes a customer feel understood. It can take a tense situation and turn it into a real conversation. It makes the customer feel heard and valued. And even when an agent can’t do what the customer wants, a little empathy can smooth over the problem.
Real empathy requires two things.
- An understanding of the circumstances faced by the customer.
- A sharing of the feelings of that person.
In other words, empathy is not a technique. It’s a quality of the heart. And that’s why AI chatbots can’t show real empathy even though they can say all the right words.
How to train your agents to have empathy
Learning empathy isn’t easy. Sure, we can make a list of all the right phrases. “I understand how you feel.” “That sounds really frustrating.” “I’d feel the same way in your situation.” But the real secret comes from observation and attention, not phrases.
- Listen closely, with a goal of understanding the person, rather than just trying to pick the next action.
- Observe the context. What is the problem like? How long has the person been trying to solve it? If on a call, what do the background noises say about what else is going on?
- Imagine ourselves in that situation, trying to get the same problem solved, over that length of time.
If we really learn and see the situation, and use our imaginations, then empathy can grow. And that will naturally lead to saying the right thing.
Tip: Want to be authentic? Cultivate the quality, not the phrase list.
2. Active Listening
“I already told you the problem.” “If you read my email, its right there.” “That wasn’t what I asked for.” Have you ever heard one of these from a customer? I have. And it was a big clue that I didn’t listen well enough. Or, to put it in the context of text communication, I didn’t read with comprehension.
A failure to listen (or to read well) is common. And often, these failures make our customers unhappy or frustrated. But what if we really listen, and truly grasp each detail? Now we can make real progress on solving the problem and often save time for the business and the customer. That’s true customer service. And that’s why listening is a key soft skill for any agent.
What then is Active Listening? It is when we take listening (or reading!) to the next level. Now it includes our response, and how we interact in the conversation.
- Give the person complete attention. Don’t let the mind drift to other things or a reply. (Or in the context of reading, read every word and sentence. Don’t skim or assume.)
- Avoid interrupting.
- Acknowledge the person’s feelings or frustrations.
- Ask questions to confirm key points, show interest, and get more details.
- Listen not just to the words but try also to discern the message behind them. It may not match.
- Show commitment to solve the problem.
This is harder to do over email, chat, or messaging. But it is possible.
How to help your agents to be good listeners
What can we do to help our agents with their active listening skills?
- Give them a distraction free environment to work in. Distraction is the enemy of active listening. If the workplace is noisy, think about investing in a noise cancellation solution.
- Practice. Practice. Practice. Hold practice sessions with the team and help each person to see where to improve. But be kind. Active listening is hard for all of us so it may take time.
- Set a good example. When we as leaders are active listeners as our team members speak, it sets a good example. And it shows them that we value this soft skill. Our team will follow.
3. Clear Communication
Is it possible to use a lot of words and say absolutely nothing? Sadly, it happens all the time. I do it. And likely your agents do too. But in customer service, that only leads to problems. When someone reaches out for help, they want a straightforward answer. They want concrete details, not just vague statements. And they need a simple explanation, not jargon.
A clear and simple response builds trust and confidence. It reduces the time needed for the engagement. And it leaves everyone on the same page. Being able to communicate well is a fundamental soft skill in customer service.
So how can we improve in clear communication in the contact center?
- Use concrete details, not vague statements. For example, give a specific date for a follow up, not just “soon” or the like.
- Use simple language instead of technical terms.
- Break down complex issues into easy-to-follow steps.
- Pause and check for understanding, by asking a question. For example, you could ask “does this make sense” or “what did you understand was the next step?”
- In an email or lengthy message, give a summary or the main point at the start. This will respect the reader by giving important context for the message.
How to train your agents to communicate well
Just as with the other soft skills we’ve talked about, this often comes down to example and practice. But a few other steps can help.
- Hold training sessions, using real transcripts as examples. Pick some good examples, and some bad examples. Have your team comment on what they appreciated, and what could be done differently.
- Give your team members references to help them succeed. Clear communication skills don’t come naturally. For example, books such as The Elements of Style by Strunk and White can help with writing skills.
- Use modern technology tools, such as AI, to help your team. Teach them to use prompts such as “how could this be clearer” to analyze and improve their communication.
4. Patience
Have you ever had a customer service agent who was patient with you in a tricky situation? I have, and it can make all the difference in an interaction. Patience is in short supply. Yet it can make all the difference in customer service.
Why is patience so vital for a contact center agent? The fact is that customers reach out when they are already confused, upset, or have a complicated issue to solve. They may not communicate well. They might be frustrated. And they may lash out at the agent. In these situations, patience has power. It can calm the customer, build trust, and defuse tense situations.
What does it mean to show patience in customer service?
- Wait calmly for the person to finish what they have to say. Resist the temptation to interject, even if the person says something wrong.
- Give the customer time to explain the issue. If they struggle, give them time to find the right words, or help them think systematically. Perhaps saying “Take your time—let’s work through this together” to reassure them.
- Avoid rushing through the conversation and be sure the issue is resolved before finishing. This will reduce the need for a repeat of the request later.
Resist complaining about the customer or their attitude and avoid emotionally charged language.
How to help your agents to develop more patience
Patience may be a soft skill, but it is less a technique and more a quality to develop. How can we help agents to keep building it?
- It starts with management. Don’t put pressure on agents to complete conversations too quickly. And provide tools, such as the right technology platform, automation, or AI, so they can have a balanced workload. In other words, it falls on us leaders to set up agents for success.
- Help agents to think about the value of patience. Talk about it in team meetings. Share not just how it can help improve interactions, but also how it can improve our mental health. Encourage your agents to share examples and positive experiences with each other, that show how patience helped. And look for ways to commend or give a shout out to agents as they show patience. In other words, make patience your culture.
- Train agents in techniques that lead to patience. For example, taking a deep breath before responding in a high-stress situation. Or using positive reinforcement (such as “You’re doing great at explaining this”) to reassure customers.
5. Time Management
Contact and call center agents are busy. Requests may flow in like water, unending. Then there is the internal work to do, making notes, updating CRMs, team meetings, making reports, and more. With so much to do, time management skills are a superpower in getting work done and reducing stress.
Have you noticed that time management doesn’t come naturally? I didn’t learn it right away when I started working. It took an interested coworker sharing tips before I found what works for me. Have your agents received training in this yet?
What are some examples of good time management in customer service?
- Using tools like CRM systems to quickly access relevant customer information.
- Setting clear priorities during conversations, focusing on resolving the core issue first.
- Politely guiding conversations to stay on topic, using phrases like, “Let’s focus on solving this issue for you first.”
- Trying to handle each piece of communication (email, messages, and so forth) only once. This will save a lot of time over reading a message, going to do something else, and then coming back to read it again.
Of course there are many others as well. No doubt the proper management of time varies in each business and customer service team. The key is to make our time count by avoiding repetition, wasted time, and perfectionism.
Some principles to share on time management
What are some key principles you can share with your agents, to help them with this fundamental soft skill?
- How to plan their day. Of course, customer service agents are mostly reactive as conversations and requests flow in. But still, taking a few minutes every so often in the day to plan out their next tasks and steps can help. A little organization goes a long way.
- How to set priorities. Agents often need to balance different requests. Help them learn what is priority according to management and what is best for business. Not all requests are equal.
- How to tell the difference between “urgent” and “important” requests. Have you seen that urgent requests are not often important? Similarly, the most important tasks may not be urgent. Teach your agents to tell the difference and analyze how important something really is.
- How to apply the 80/20 rule to customer service work. Some agents may tend towards being a perfectionist. Maybe we’ve even encouraged this as leaders. But often, if an agent can do the 20% of the effort that solves 80% of an issue, that is enough to satisfy the customer.
Conclusion
To be effective in customer service, our agents need to have the right soft skills. We can give them every innovative and advanced technology tool in the world. But that doesn’t change the fact that qualities such as empathy, active listening, and patience can make a real difference. And while the latest tools can help with clear communication and time management, training is still important too.
As we’ve discussed, investing in these skills isn’t just about being a better team. It really makes all the difference in customer satisfaction. So don’t neglect these fundamental customer service soft skills. Train your agents well. And remember the power of your example as a leader. You’ll see the difference, both in how your customers feel about your brand, and in your bottom line.
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