Jobs in the customer service industry: A guide to the profession

These days, any customer can leave their opinion on social media, your website or forums if they are not satisfied with your product or service, or contact your team when they need help. Here, it is very important to have a customer care team that takes customer complaints and proactively satisfies them so as not to damage the brand image. If you're interested in such a position, here's what it is and how to find a job in customer service.

Customer Service

Customer service employees are responsible for gathering feedback from customers, as well as addressing and resolving any issues they may have with your product/service. This position requires constant communication with people via phone or email and a friendly, calm attitude towards their comments or complaints. Unfortunately, negative comments and complaints are more common, so if you want to work in customer service, you need to enjoy dealing with people and have a lot of patience to always do so with a smile on your face. Not everyone is suited to work in customer service and apart from having excellent communication skills, the most important thing in this job is to have a lot of patience, empathy and a vocation for dealing with customers. Unfortunately, negative comments and complaints are more common than anything else and you must be mentally prepared to deal with them, otherwise this position can wear you down.

What are the main functions of a customer service specialist?

• Maintain customer satisfaction and maintain a close relationship with customers to anticipate their needs;
• Effectively handle customer enquiries and complaints by phone or email, look for the cause and proactively propose a solution: orders, information requests, complaints;
• Act as an after-sales service to improve customers' experience of using the product/service;
• Create buying opportunities by co-operating with the sales team, promote certain products and manage discounts where appropriate;
• Create product/service reports based on customer feedback. Remember that customer feedback or complaints are very important for other teams such as product team to implement improvements or for sales team to identify promotions according to their needs;
• Identify competitor actions and market opportunities based, as in the previous point, on customer comments.

Skills in demand by recruiters

Effective customer service and conveying messages clearly and correctly requires certain communication skills. It is particularly important to apply these skills when dealing with clients on the phone and via email, avoiding spelling mistakes, using a friendly and accommodating tone, and demonstrating calmness and interest in solving problems. The ability to work under pressure is also essential as you will be required to respond to a large number of enquiries on a daily basis, which may be expressed in a demanding or accusatory tone. It is important to realise that this is not personal and to continue to deal with problems with speed, kindness and composure.

Social skills are important as the job involves constant interaction with people. You need to enjoy the process and have the ability to connect naturally with each client. Empathy is also key, allowing you to put yourself in the customer's shoes, understand their problem and how it may affect them so that you can politely assist in resolving it. Problem-solving ability is critical, as most calls are related to the customer's difficulties in using the product or service. You must be quick and creative in finding solutions to meet the customer's needs. Organisation, both in prioritising and ensuring that all necessary information is available, is also critical so as not to waste the customer's time.

Multiple language skills are useful for this position, including the language of the market you are responsible for and additional languages such as English to communicate with clients from other parts of the world and refer them to colleagues who can properly fulfil their needs. Ability to work in a team is important to co-ordinate with other departments and share customer information to make improvements. Basic computer skills, including office software and specialised customer-facing software such as Navision or Freshdesk, are also essential. Although the position does not require extensive training, taking specialised courses, such as telemarketing, can be beneficial. Such courses can help develop communication, stress management, and other skills, complementing existing training and ensuring that you can perform the duties of the position more effectively.

Conclusion

Customer service is not just a job, it is a vital role in building and maintaining a positive brand image. By effectively responding to customer enquiries and complaints, service professionals play a vital role in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.

While this position can be challenging due to frequent customer interactions, it also provides an opportunity to help people and deliver value. If you have strong communication skills, empathy and a knack for problem solving, a career in customer service could be perfect for you.

Remember, with the right skills and attitude, you can excel in this field and become an invaluable asset to any company.