17 Key Customer Service Skills + Ways to Develop Them

Can you remember the last time you interacted with a company’s customer service department and felt truly cared for?

Maybe it was the way the support staff patiently listened to you. Or maybe it was the speed at which they resolved your issue.

The reasons could be anything, but the biggest takeaway is this: companies deliver great customer service when they have the right people with the right skills in their team. 

What are these customer service skills that make support staff deliver exceptional experiences? 

In this article, we take a look at 17 essential skills that are relevant for those working in customer service. We will also discuss how to improve customer service skills.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways 
• What are Customer Service Skills? 
• 17 Key Customer Service Skills + Tips to Develop Them 
• Importance of Good Service Skills for Customer Support Agents 
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 
• Conclusion

Key Takeaways

A summary of the most essential skills needed to excel in customer service: 

• Active listening: Listen to what customers have to say, without interrupting them.
• Empathy: Put yourself in the shoes of your customers while dealing with any situation.
• Adaptability: Sometimes, you might have to deal with difficult or new situations. So, hone the ability to think on your feet.
• Tech-savviness: Leverage tech to collaborate faster with your team, automate operational work like assigning and tagging customer queries, and more.
• Cultural sensitivity: Respect and acknowledge diverse cultural backgrounds to build stronger relationships.
• Problem-solving ability: Develop the capacity to quickly find solutions to customer issues.
• Clear communication: Avoid jargons. Ensure you communicate in a clear and simple manner.
• Time management: Manage your time effectively. Figure out how you want to divide your working hours between handling customers and doing operational work.
• Conflict resolution: Learn to resolve disputes calmly and professionally to maintain customer trust.
• Proactive engagement: Anticipate customer needs whenever possible. Customers appreciate it when you are two steps ahead.
• Upselling and Cross-selling skills: Know when to upsell or cross-sell. It’s important not to come across as salesy.
• Ability to receive feedback: Be receptive of feedback. It tells you where you can improve as a professional, and how you can support customers better.
• Patience and resilience: Stay patient and resilient in challenging situations. Maintain your zen.
• Data interpretation: Learn how to interpret customer support data. It helps you understand trends and ways in which you can address customer issues efficiently.
• Personalized service: Tailor your approach to meet the specific preferences and expectations of each customer.
• Product/service knowledge: Learn about your products and services in a detailed manner. This makes it easier to provide assistance to customers.
• Optimistic mindset: Have a positive mindset. When you start an interaction with a customer with a warm and friendly tone, it eases the customer into the conversation and makes it easier for them to share the problem at hand.

What are Customer Service Skills?

Customer service qualities and skills refer to a set of abilities, traits, and behavior that individuals use to interact with customers, and handle their concerns or queries. These skills can be divided into hard skills (specific, teachable abilities) and soft skills (interpersonal or people skills). 

“The most important skill for customer service is empathetic problem-solving. This skill involves genuinely comprehending and empathizing with others’ emotions while adeptly pinpointing, assessing, and resolving issues. This approach fosters positive communication and cultivates the image of being a “trusted advisor” for our customers. Isn’t that what we aspire to be? The more we earn a customer’s trust, the more they’ll be open to accepting our responses, whether favorable or challenging.” – Christian Sokolowski, Vice President of Customer Support at Rebuy Engine.

17 Key Customer Service Skills + Tips to Develop Them

Below are 17 key customer service skills list and some effective ways to develop each of them:  

1. Active listening

Active listening means fully concentrating and understanding what the customer is saying. It’s more than just hearing the words spoken; it’s about comprehending and interpreting the meaning behind those words.

Let’s say you interrupt a customer reporting a defect. They might feel unheard, and without having full context of the problem at hand, you could offer an inaccurate solution.

By listening attentively and asking clarifying questions, you make the customer feel respected, and it also puts in a position to offer relevant answers.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Stay present: Focus entirely on the speaker. Avoid getting distracted by external factors or by own thoughts.
• Feedback: Paraphrase or summarize what you’ve heard to confirm understanding. For instance, “So, if I understood correctly, the issue you’re facing is…”
• Ask open-ended questions: Instead of questions that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, ask open-ended questions like, “Can you tell me more about that?”

2. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. In customer service, empathy allows agents to connect with customers on an emotional level, making them feel heard and valued. This skill is essential for resolving conflicts, handling complaints, and creating a positive customer experience.

“The most important customer service skill is empathy. When our customers are experiencing issues they are usually coming to us with some amount of frustration or anxiety. Being able to authentically acknowledge those elevated emotions helps customers feel seen and heard, which not only paves the way forward for a resolution (you can’t help someone who is emotionally elevated),but helps establish a human connection.” – Justin Bonar-Bridges, Customer Support Technician Level II, Verisk Property Estimating Solutions (Xactware).

Steps to practice this skill:

• Perspective-taking: Try to see situations from the customer’s point of view, by considering their feelings.
• Emotional intelligence: Develop self-awareness and self-regulation to better manage your own emotions and understand those of others.
• Customer-centric mindset: Always consider how any information impacts the customer and how best to convey it to them.

3. Adaptability

Customer preferences, industry trends, and technology are constantly changing. The most effective customer service representatives are those who can adapt to new tools, policies, and situations while maintaining a high level of service.

“Anyone can learn policies/processes and be trained on your product, but in customer service, you’re always thrown into unexpected or different situations, so you need to adapt and find solutions even when they’re not black or white all the time.” – Stephanie Ouellet, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at Earth Rated.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Develop problem-solving skills: When faced with a new challenge, break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. Brainstorm multiple solutions and be willing to try different approaches.
• Flexibility in communication: Understand that every customer is different. Be ready to adjust your communication style based on the customer’s needs and preferences.
• Stay curious: Approach unfamiliar situations with curiosity rather than apprehension. Ask questions and seek understanding.

“Curiosity is one of the most important skills for customer service. Constantly asking the question of ‘why?’ allows a team member to dig into customer questions and challenges, while also helping drive improvements in the organization. Leaving no stone unturned in order to deliver the best experience for our customers.” – Jordan Hooker, CX professional | Principal Consultant at Tavolo Consulting

4. Tech-savviness

Being tech-savvy is a must for anyone in customer service. Let’s say your team uses a help desk to manage your incoming queries as well as internal tasks. You need to know how to use this software effectively so that you can respond to customers promptly, escalate queries if needed, collaborate through the tool across the company, and even juggle multiple inquiries at the same time.

Mastering this skill will make your job smoother and improve how efficient you are at work.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Learn the software: Familiarize yourself with the helpdesk software. Take some time to work through various sections, like creating and assigning tickets, adding notes, and resolving issues. Get comfortable using all the important features
• Use cheat sheets: Create quick reference guides or cheat sheets for common tasks. This ensures you always have essential information at hand. For instance, compile a list of shortcuts, key functions, and step-by-step guides for managing tickets, escalating issues, and communicating with customers. Keep this cheat sheet accessible, preferably on your work desk.
• Ask questions: If you hit a roadblock, don’t hesitate to ask your colleagues or look for answers online, in customer service communities. There’s always someone who can help.

5. Cultural sensitivity

Businesses often serve a diverse range of customers from different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Cultural sensitivity, sometimes referred to as cultural competence, is the ability to interact effectively and respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds. It involves understanding and appreciating cultural differences without making assumptions or resorting to stereotypes.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Educate yourself: Take time to learn about different cultures, customs, and communication styles. This could be through formal training, reading, or even travel.
• Avoid assumptions: Never assume someone’s beliefs, preferences, or needs based on their appearance or accent. 
• Acknowledge holidays and observances: Recognizing significant dates of different cultures (e.g., Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid) can go a long way in building rapport with customers.

6. Problem solving ability

Problem-solving ability is the capacity to approach challenges methodically, analyze the situation and implement effective solutions. This typically involves addressing specific issues or challenges that a customer faces with a product or service. What’s also important is to not just provide the solution, but explain why and how it works.

“An important customer service skill is – answering questions with the why. If you don’t, it feels like an order, and I have no frame of reference to decide if the customer service representative is providing a good suggestion or not, and how it will actually resolve my issue. I don’t feel empowered using your product or service again without the why. Not everyone will want the why, but those who do can now see the customer service representative as trustworthy if they provide it. And a relationship begins! And that representative is classified as upper level in their quality of service.” – Adam Haesler, Customer Success Executive at Fusion Solutions

Steps to practice this skill:

• Define the problem: Clearly understand what the exact issue is. Ask questions to get a full picture from the customer’s perspective.
• Analyze the situation: Gather all necessary information. This might involve checking internal systems, talking to other departments, or reviewing previous communication.
• Brainstorm solutions: Think of multiple ways the problem can be addressed. It’s beneficial to have a few options at hand, especially if plan A isn’t feasible.

“Critical thinking is an important customer service skill. It’s not enough to answer a customer’s question – you have to solve their problem. If the customer asks, “Does this road go to San Jose?” you can’t just answer, ‘No.’ You have to determine whether they want to know where the road goes, or how to get to San Jose, and answer that problem.” – Miles Goldstein, Director, Mission Critical Support. 

7. Clear communication

Clear communication is the ability to convey information effectively, ensuring that the message is understood as intended.

Instead of saying, “You can return the product within 30 days,” explain the process: “Return within 30 days with the receipt and original condition. Use our prepaid label. Refunds are processed within 5 business days after inspection.”

“Communication, in particular customer conversation, is at the core of successful customer service. How you manage that communication will get in the way, or speed up, getting to a resolution.” – Luis Lopez-Echeto, Engineering Support, Manager, Salsify. 

Steps to practice this skill:

• Be concise: Avoid jargon and overly complex language. Stick to the point, ensuring your message is succinct yet comprehensive.
• Use positive language: Focus on what can be done rather than what can’t. For instance, instead of saying, “We don’t have that feature,” try “That feature is currently not available, but we offer…”
• Adjust to your audience: Different customers may have varying levels of understanding, especially with technical products or services. Gauge their familiarity and adjust your communication accordingly.

“Constructing replies is the main skill I focus on during onboarding because you need to know how to extract as much information as possible from them, set them up for success and prepare them with answers proactively but do so in a way that makes them feel proud and confident to complete the task and safe to ask follow up questions. I think that’s why so many people who are skilled editors find themselves creating successful careers in support.” – Sarah Caminiti, Head of US Customer Service at abcam.

8. Time management

Time management is the ability to effectively allocate your time and resources to prioritize and complete tasks efficiently. For customer service representatives, smartly managing time ensures that customers aren’t kept waiting unnecessarily and that multiple tasks or inquiries can be handled seamlessly without compromising service quality.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Set clear priorities: Determine which tasks are urgent and important. Address these tasks first.
• Break tasks into chunks: If you have a long or complex task, break it down into smaller, more manageable portions. This makes it less daunting and easier to tackle.
• Set boundaries: If you’re multitasking, such as handling phone calls and chat simultaneously, set boundaries. For instance, avoid answering a call when deeply involved in a chat resolution.

Pro tip: For agents who are looking to make productive use of time, divide your tasks into four quadrants as shown below and accordingly prioritize.

9. Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution is the ability to handle disagreements or disputes, either with customers or within your team, in a calm, constructive, and harmonious manner. The issue might not be about the product or service itself but about how the customer feels they were treated, billing disputes, or unmet expectations.

Given the nature of a frontline role in customer service, encountering upset or dissatisfied customers is inevitable. A good support agent can de-escalate situations and find solutions that are acceptable to all parties involved.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Stay calm: It’s essential not to take things personally. Breathe deeply, and maintain a composed demeanor, regardless of the intensity of the conflict.
• Acknowledge and empathize: Show the customer that you understand and empathize with their situation. Simple statements like, “I understand why you’d feel that way,” can go a long way.
• Know when to escalate: Recognize when an issue is beyond your control or expertise. It’s okay to escalate to a supervisor or manager when necessary.

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10. Proactive engagement

Proactive engagement involves anticipating customer needs and reaching out to offer assistance or information before they even ask. For example, you notice a pattern where many customers ask about installation procedures after purchasing a specific product. Instead of waiting for more customers to inquire about the same, you can take the initiative to send out a step-by-step guide to every new purchaser.

“One of the most important customer service skills is the desire to help others. An attitude of service. If someone feels a reward from helping others, their tenure in a service team or role will be much longer.” – Matt Beran, Host of Ticket Volume

Steps to practice this skill:

• Offer resources: Make resources (like FAQs, guides, or tutorials) readily available, and direct customers to them even before they express a need.
• Stay updated on products/services: By understanding what’s new or what updates are coming up, you can anticipate questions and address them upfront.
• Seek feedback proactively: Instead of waiting for customers to provide feedback, actively request for it. This can uncover potential issues or areas of improvement.

11. Upselling and cross-selling skills

Upselling and cross-selling are techniques used to promote higher-value products or complementary products, respectively. While traditionally associated with sales, these skills have become vital for customer service reps.

Example: A customer contacts support regarding a software package they’ve purchased. The support staff, noticing the customer’s advanced requirements, suggest an upgrade to a premium package that would better cater to their needs.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Know your products/services: Thoroughly understand the complete range of products or services your company offers, including their features, benefits, and pricing.
• Highlight value: Instead of just promoting a product, explain how it adds value or solves a particular problem for the customer.
• Be genuine: Only suggest upgrades or additional products if they genuinely benefit the customer. Avoid pushing for a sale that doesn’t serve the customer’s best interests.

12. Ability to receive feedback

The ability to receive, process, and act upon feedback is crucial for personal and organizational growth. Constructive criticism is often provided by customers, peers, or supervisors, and a good support agent knows how to handle it without getting defensive.

“Admitting what you don’t know is a skill that has to be practiced and encouraged. Like in many industries, we need to feel confident in being able to say we don’t know something and ask for time to find the right answer. While it might frustrate the customer at first, in the end, they are going to be grateful to have received the right information the first time.” – Chloe Shill, Director of Staff at Flight CX. 

Steps to practice this skill:

• Avoid getting defensive: It’s natural to feel protective or even upset about criticism. However, separate personal feelings from professional feedback and see it as an opportunity for growth.
• Ask questions: If a piece of feedback is unclear, seek clarification. Understand the specific areas that need improvement.
• Reflect on the feedback: Take a moment to assess the validity of the feedback. Is it a one-off instance, or is it a recurring theme?

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13. Patience and resilience

Patience enables a support agent to give each customer the time and understanding they deserve, regardless of the situation. Meanwhile, resilience is the inner strength that allows the agent to bounce back from tough interactions.

Together, these skills are fundamental for any customer service staff. They help service staff provide context to customers, and explain problems and solutions in an detailed way.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Set boundaries: If an interaction becomes overly heated, it’s okay to politely set boundaries or ask for assistance from a supervisor.
• Positive reinforcement: After a challenging encounter, remind yourself of your achievements and the times you’ve effectively handled tough situations.
• Visualization techniques: When faced with a tough situation, visualize a calm scenario or remember a past success. This can provide a momentary escape and allow you to regroup.

14. Data interpretation

This is a crucial skill for customer service reps as it enables them to understand, analyze, and use data from customer interactions to improve the quality of customer service.

It doesn’t mean you need to be a data scientist, but you should be able to grasp basic data points, trends, and patterns that can help you better serve your customers.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Learn the basics: Start by learning basic data terms and concepts. Understand what metrics like average response time, customer satisfaction scores, and ticket volume mean and how they impact your work. You can also take an online course on data interpretation.
• Analyze customer feedback: Create a habit of reading customer comments and reviews. Look for patterns in the feedback, such as frequently mentioned problems or suggestions, and use this information to improve your service.
• Set data-driven goals: Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your role, such as reducing response times or increasing customer satisfaction scores. Monitor these KPIs regularly and adjust your approach based on the data.

15. Personalized service

The increasing deployment of automation and AI in customer service has undeniably made processes more efficient. However, the human touch remains irreplaceable. Personalized service means understanding and catering to the unique needs and preferences of each customer, ensuring they feel valued and understood.

“You have to want to help customers and provide great service. More often than not, customer service roles are treated as simple roles within an organization that don’t require high skill. But to truly be great at it, you need people who thrive on making others’ lives better. When fielding a complaint, you need to feel the customer’s pain and understand how it is affecting the customer.” – Barry Pepper, VP of Customer Experience at PushPress. 

Steps to practice this skill:

• Understand customer profiles: Familiarize yourself with tools or databases that provide insights into a customer’s history or preferences.
• Leverage technology thoughtfully: Use automation for efficiency but know when to intervene with a human touch. Recognize the moments where personal interaction is needed and step in to help out customers.
• Ask questions: Show genuine interest by asking customers about their preferences or needs. Also, address customers by their first name. 

16. Product/service knowledge

How many times have you contacted customer support only for the support staff on the other end to not provide a clear answer, or put you on hold, or transfer you between several agents?

This boils down to a lack of understanding of a company’s products or services.

Having thorough knowledge of a company’s offerings is one of the most essential skills if you’re working in customer service. It empowers frontline staff to address customer concerns quickly and effectively, something that is a major driver of loyalty and trust.

Steps to practice this skill:

• Hands-on experience: If possible, use the product or engage with the service personally. Firsthand experience often leads to a deeper understanding.
• Engage with product teams: Establish a line of communication with your organization’s product teams. They can provide insights that may not be readily available in standard training materials.
• Feedback loop: After interacting with customers, make a note of questions or issues that were challenging. Review and research these areas for better preparedness next time.

17. Optimistic mindset

An optimistic mindset involves approaching challenges with a positive outlook and seeing opportunities even in difficult situations.

Customers often reach out when they’re frustrated or facing issues. At this point, interacting with a support representative who is warm and friendly can make their experience quite pleasant and uplift their mood.

Steps to cultivate this skill:

• Reframe challenges: Instead of viewing problems as obstacles, see them as opportunities to learn, grow, or make a positive impact.
• Limit negative inputs: Reduce exposure to overly negative news or pessimistic conversations. Surround yourself with positive influences, both in media consumption and interpersonal interactions.
• Celebrate small wins: Whenever you have a positive outcome or even a learning experience, take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate it. This reinforces optimistic behavior.

Importance of Good Service Skills for Customer Support Agents

Good customer service skills are critical for customer service representatives for a variety of reasons:

• First Impressions Matter: Often, a customer service representative is the first point of contact for a customer. The way they communicate would set the tone for the entire customer relationship journey. If the agent is friendly and helpful, the customer is more likely to have a favorable impression of the entire company.

• Customer Retention: Good customer service skills can ensure that customers feel valued and understood, which can lead to increased loyalty and repeat business.

• Brand Reputation: Word of mouth is a powerful tool, especially in the age of social media. Customers who have positive interactions with customer service representatives are more likely to recommend the company to others. Conversely, bad experiences can quickly become viral, potentially damaging a company’s reputation.

• Reduction of Conflict: Strong customer service skills include conflict resolution abilities. This means that representatives can handle complaints or issues in a way that de-escalates potential conflicts, leading to smoother interactions and more satisfied customers.

Did You Know: 72% of Customers Switch Brands after a Negative Support Experience

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How can I improve my active listening skills for customer service?

Stay focused on what the customer is saying and avoid distractions. Confirm what you’ve understood by paraphrasing what the customer says. Engage in active learning courses. 

2. Why is empathy important in customer service?

Empathy allows you to truly understand what your customer is feeling. It helps create a personalized support experience because you become aware and cognizant of their needs.

3. What are some ways to develop problem-solving skills?

To develop problem-solving skills, analyze past customer issues, role play different customer situations, and learn from experienced colleagues. Regular training and workshops can also be beneficial.

4. Can customer service skills impact the overall success of a business?

Agents who possess strong customer service skills can provide delightful support experiences. This, in turn, is a driver of customer retention rates and revenue.

5. What is the best way to receive feedback on my customer service skills?

There are two main ways you can get feedback on your customer service skills: from your manager and from customers through feedback surveys.

Conclusion

Customer service is not just about resolving issues.

As rightly said by Sandip Gupta, Senior Manager – Customer Experience, HCLTech, it’s about combining empathy, clarity, passion, active listening, and customer understanding to deliver a memorable experience.

While all the above mentioned skills are crucial, it’s equally important to ensure that your teams are equipped with the right tools to put these skills into practice. 

This is where Hiver comes into play. 

Hiver offers an intuitive customer service platform that works inside your inbox. Support teams would find it extremely easy to set up and use. They don’t have to spend time figuring out what does what. Instead, they can use Hiver to simply focus on delivering great customer service, right from their inbox.

Try Hiver free for 7 days!