You have often heard of the phrase the customer is always right. When running your business, the customer is your most valuable asset, and you must make sure they are happy. Not only should they be happy with the service or product you provide but also the after-sale services.
Great after-sale services not only ensure your customer is satisfied, but also it ensures they spread positive word of mouth. It also makes them repeat customers. With all the above said, there are several soft skills any after-sale agent should have to improve the experience of the customer. Answering services play a huge part in after-sales for any business. Below are some soft skills you should need as an answering services provider.
Active listening
In most cases, when you are having a conversation with someone, they are already planning on how they will respond and not paying much attention to what the other person is saying. Active listening might come naturally to some, but it takes practice for others. When running a professional answering services center, you need to train your agents to listen actively and not just listen to the words of the customer.
There are several ways to demonstrate active listening, including repeating what the customer says. It is a great way of ensuring you understand what the customer is saying. Verbal cues such as tell me more shows you are attentive. Verbal cues come in handy, especially over the phone since they cannot see your body language.
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize as well as understand the other person’s emotions as well as empathize with them and help respond appropriately. In today’s market, most customers base their purchasing decisions on their emotional experiences.
Because of this, emotional intelligence plays a huge role in providing exceptional customer service. Your agents should spend more time on the phone with customers and not dismiss their feelings. The agents should focus more on how the customer feels. They should focus on the tone of the customer to help understand their feelings.
Adaptability and flexibility
A call center can sometimes be a highly stressful environment. An agent has to deal with a number of customers; some of them can be rude while others can be clueless about the product. Getting customer complaints can be frustrating; the agent should always be composed and never let the customer sense their frustration. Remember, one dissatisfied customer can lead to five more dissatisfied customers if they spread negative talk. All agents should learn to practice patience when dealing with difficult customers. They should also perfect the art of shifting negative conversations to a positive experience for the customer. They should also be able to engage the customer in the problem-solving process.
To get the best results working in professional calling services, you will need a few qualities, including empathy, active listening, adaptability, and flexibility. Other qualities include depersonalization, and a little humor could go a long way in giving the customer a positive experience.
