5 Characteristics Every Great Customer Care Rep Has

Customer care is a huge industry with fantastic career opportunities. Fantastic customer care reps really stand out from the pack, both to the customer and within the organizations they serve. Below are five characteristics that we believe every great customer care rep has. If you are interested in a career in customer care, it is worth working on these soft skills now. They will serve you well!

1. A friendly and personable attitude.

Customer care reps spend the majority of their time interfacing with customers directly. Customer care professionals represent a brand, and often account for the only human-to-human interaction a customer has with a brand. It is vitally important for customer care reps to be friendly, upbeat, and personable. A great attitude can turn an angry or frustrated customer into an understanding or even satisfied customer. 

2.            Problem solving skills. 

Every customer that calls will have a unique issue, and therefore a great customer service rep has to be able to think on their feet, draw connections between the current problem and the problems they have solved in the past, and quickly and efficiently get to a resolution. The ability to think on your feet is important, and will quickly help you to establish yourself as a strong customer care rep.

3.            Emotional intelligence.

The ability to read and respond to someone else’s emotions is an incredibly important skill for a customer service rep. While a friendly attitude is the most important thing, a friendly attitude may be the wrong move if a customer is incredibly angry or upset. In those situations, it is more important to match the customer’s mood. Taking frustrated or distraught customers seriously will help to diffuse tense situations. A constant upbeat attitude will not serve a customer support rep in the long run, and may actually hinder their career advancement. 

4.            Clear communication.

Good communication skills are useful in almost any industry, but they are particularly useful in the customer care industry. Customers calling often have an issue they need resolved or a question they need answered. Beating around the bush or providing vague or difficult to understand answers will likely only frustrate them more. Successful customer service reps cut to the heart of an issue, and communicate the answer or resolution clearly. 

5.            Patience. 

Patience isn’t just a virtue when it comes to the customer support industry...it is a necessity. Oftentimes, customer care reps have to repeat their offerings, answers, and solutions to callers a number of times to ensure understanding. Also, customer care reps need to sit and listen to a customer patiently before any type of response can be given. Cutting off a customer or talking over them will not go over well, and so patience is an absolute must.

The best thing about these soft skills is that they can be developed over time. If you are interested in a career as a customer care rep, or if you are interested in improving your existing skills, start working on them today. With a little practice and dedication, you can become an excellent customer care representative.