5 Qualities We Look for in a Customer Service Representative

As a premier call center outsourcing center in the USA, we look for the very best customer service reps in the industry. We dedicate a lot of time and energy to training our service reps to provide immediate help and service, resolve issues during the first call, and to have great product knowledge. That being said, there are a few qualities we look for in customer service reps during the hiring process that cannot be taught.

Here are the five top qualities we look for in a customer service rep:

1)      Empathy. This is the most important quality a VCareTec call center outsourcing rep can have. We expect our employees to be able to put themselves in the customer’s shoes and really understand their questions and frustrations. A lot of the time the best thing you can do for a person facing a problem is to acknowledge their frustration and listen to them. That is not a skill that can be taught, and it a quality we look for during the hiring process.

2)      Problem-Solving Skills. We do not expect our customer support reps to know everything, but we do expect them to be able to find a solution. We have a fantastic network of knowledgeable individuals and industry resources. If our reps are not able to take advantage of that, they will not be successful.

3)      Clear Communication. We expect our representatives to develop industry knowledge for every client we serve, but too much industry knowledge can lead to the over-use of jargon that ultimately confuses the customer more than it helps. We expect our reps to explain complex concepts clearly so that anyone may be able to understand. Clear communication is a very important skill that we expect our team members to demonstrate before we even put them on the phones.

4)      A Friendly Attitude. When companies choose to outsource customer service, they are trusting VCareTec to value their customers and to provide excellent service. The first step in providing excellent service is providing it with a smile. It doesn’t matter that customers cannot see representatives during phone calls or email chat answering, a smile lightens the mood and creates a warm environment for every interaction.

5)      Patience. Sometimes, even with clear communication, problem solving skills, and a friendly attitude, customers simply do not get what our customer support reps are trying to say. We expect our reps to be very patient with our callers, and to repeat their instructions as many times as is necessary. Without a heavy dose of patience, customer service reps will not be able to help people effectively.

We want our customers to feel confident that when their clients reach a VCareTec rep, that they are getting the very best the customer service industry has to offer. If an applicant does not display all five of these skills during the screening and interview process, we simply do not hire them. We hold our team members to a very high standard, which is why our clients love working with us. If you are considering outsourcing your customer support, consider VCareTec.