How to Be a Great Customer Service Representative

| Updated on March 27, 2024

Whether you’re aspiring to work in the world of customer service or are just wishing to become better, it is always positive to touch upon your skills and try to view yourself objectively.

If you are confident in your attributes and yourself, then there is no need to look at customer service representative interview questions and answers, though it may be useful no matter what. 

Let’s start with what being a customer service representative entail. Working as one means you work for a company and help the customers with their questions and complaints, give them items and order information on products and services, take customers’ orders, and process returns. 

Since people working in customer service interactions with customers to provide a positive experience with any question or issue, they may be having, it can be implied that it is a part of sales, and the skills you acquire from this career can be translated into customer satisfaction for any business.

Problem Solving 

The whole job of customer service revolves around resolving issues. Your ultimate job is to keep customers happy with any problems they may be facing, meaning this includes navigating complex issues to solve them efficiently. 

This leads us to the next point. 

Understand Your Client’s Expectations 

Remember to place yourself into the shoes of the customer and not from your personal perspective, since the first place customers turn to with their problems is poor customer service

Customers can have problems with anything, from receiving the wrong item to billing issues or defective products, which is why you need to have empathy and be understanding towards them and figure out what they would like to hear. 

For example, with a wrong delivery, you need to ensure the customer will receive the correct product and they might even want some sympathy for the inconvenience. 

Clear Communication 

Sometimes the customer is unable to articulate their problem clearly, making solving their problem harder for you. This entails you to have effective correspondence and use it to give the customer concise explanations to finally solve any trouble they may be having. 

Recognize the Importance of Your Role 

Remember whenever you are speaking with a customer you are also representing your company and your company’s policies. 

When a company has bad customer service, they lose customers and get bad reviews, so make sure to always be polite and understanding with the customers you talk to if you want the whole company to succeed more.

Having good customer service also adds to the brand of a company depending on who works there and how. For example, Netflix has many young people working as customer service reps, and the brand itself is marketed towards young adults, families, and middle-aged adults.

Making Sales 

You might doubt the role customer service has in sales, but it is a big part of it since it happens during or usually after the sale of a product or service and impacts future sales as well. 

As a customer service representative, you represent your company’s interest, so you will try to find the balance between the interests of the company and the satisfaction of the customer.

Patience 

This trait is crucial for anyone working in customer service, especially since customers turning to customer service tend to be confused and frustrated over the complications with their product or service. In moments like these, customers need to be listened to and handled with patience. 

Make sure to take as much time as the customer needs to understand something, do not be dismissive because that will create a bad experience for your customers.

Writing Skills 

This one skill is often overlooked in many fields, including that of customer service, but not every interaction will be done using your voice over the phone or in person. 

Just like the articulation of spoken sentences, the phrasing of a sentence written to a customer is just as, if not more important. Some words can sound more condescending than others, and using improper grammar and unfinished sentences is a no-go.  

Having this skill truly adds to the customer’s positive experiences, so make sure to touch upon your writing and grammar if you haven’t already. 

Inventory Knowledge 

The best customer service reps know the entirety of the inventory at their company, meaning they also have knowledge of not only policies, but also how products or services work, what complaints they usually receive, and why some customers may be confused or unsatisfied. 

Personalization and Proactivity 

When customers call the customer service of a company, they are expecting some form of empathy, in other words, what could be called a human touch. This means personalized interactions are a great way to customer satisfaction if you’re showing you and the company cares. 

The key is to think of customer service as a way to guarantee the return of the customer rather than a cost. 

Proactivity is also something customers like to have from companies. They expect companies to reach out when their website is down or a product is sold out. In general, keeping customers informed, though the inconvenience is still occurring, keeps them happier. Overall, good customer service is the backbone of companies, since no brand works at full efficiency, there will always be defects and issues in the processes that occur. You can find your dream customer representative job through Lensa a platform that focus on skill development.





John M. Flood

John is a crypto enthusiast, Fintech writer, and stock trader. His writings provide guides to perform your best in the crypto world and stock planet. He is a B-Tech graduate from Stanford University and also holds a certification in creative writing. John also has 5 years of experience in exploring and understanding better about the FinTech industry. Over time, he gained experience and expertise by implementing his customized strategies to play in the crypto market.

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