[Infographic] 10 Essential Customer Service Representative Skills

Life as a customer service representative isn’t for everyone. It takes a certain type of person to truly excel in this line of work.

Some companies overlook the customer service rep hiring process, but this is a costly mistake. Collectively, your customer service reps play a critical role in your business. They interact with customers every day, impacting your brand’s reputation significantly.

That’s why it’s so important to thoroughly vet your customer service representative candidates and hire only the best. Don’t settle for unqualified candidates – it’s just not worth it in the long run.

But what should you look for in a customer service rep? Well, the ideal hire possesses specific customer service representative skills that will allow them to excel in customer-facing interactions.

We put together this infographic to visualize the 10 essential customer service representative skills that make up the anatomy of the ideal hire.

Check it out below!

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Here’s the full list of the customer service representative skills, from head to toe:

Mastermind

Great reps exhaust all their resources to solve a problem, but they’re mindful of others’ time.

Foresight

Follow-up questions from customers are anticipated in advance. Great reps think about ways to avoid similar issues in the future.

Open Ears

Customers will tell you what’s wrong. Account managers know about prior issues. Listen for cues.

Thoughtful Tone

Emails and help articles are a perfect balance of concise and thorough.Every customer interaction is friendly and cooperative.

Kind Heart

Empathy is critical. Contacting support is the last thing a customer will try before giving up.

Funny Bone

Humor puts customers at ease. People remember the names of reps that let their personality come through.

Iron Stomach

Confidence is key when offering recommendations and instructions to customers. It instills trust.

Helping Hand

Customer service is a team sport. Great reps improve the knowledge base and train newcomers.

Thick Skin

Customers may say things in the heat of frustration. Great reps take it in stride.

Fast Feet

Be proactive and ambitious. Move towards the problem. Great reps are quick to answer a ringing phone, eager to pick up slack, and excited to solve problems.