- CSRs need an ability to recognize and adapt to a customer's "communication style and emotional response" to establish rapport upon which to achieve customer satisfaction, notes the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Active listening skills and cultural sensitivity allow them to focus on what customers say, acknowledge their viewpoint and create trust. Seeing the company "through the customer's eyes," says business communication expert Patricia Fripp, enhances a CSR's ability to generate goodwill.
- The CSR certification program at Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, South Carolina, includes instruction on two core skills that improve customer relations: "patience and persistence" and "service attitude." Dealing with unhappy, emotional customers demands courtesy delivered with a pleasant, calm voice and a "can-do" mindset. Judicious questioning techniques to solicit and verify information can be time-consuming. However, a CSR's determination to satisfy the customer signals the importance of her problem to the company.
- Customer service professionals with a basic understanding of their firm's reporting structure and systems will be equipped to find experts within the organization for prompt problem solving. Some need more detailed familiarity with the company's products and services to address inquiries or troubleshoot over the phone. According to Forrester Research vice president, William Band, now that customers have online product research capability, customer service must "keep pace with customer expectations."
- Computer skills to research information, document customer interaction, process requests or communicate online round out a CSR's qualifications. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management offers a communication skills course online that includes tips on professional email correspondence. Employers also value a CSR's ability to draft grammatically correct letters that present information tactfully to customers without sounding like form letters.
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