Some skills are extremely specific to a particular job. Others have a broader implication. These represent the so-called “golden hiring traits,” the competencies so universal they can get you hired for any position. Customer service falls into that category.
That might not seem obvious. After all, many jobs don’t have any contact with customers at all. What do customer service skills have to do with them?
Remember: All business decisions eventually come down to the customer. No matter how deeply immersed you are in the corporate cocoon, no matter how far removed you are from actual customer contact, every job fundamentally relies on the ability of a company to reach its public.
Besides, customer service skills don’t just apply when you’re talking to a customer. They have a broad application at all levels of the company, whether dealing with outside firms or communicating within your own company.
With that in mind, here are the aspects of customer service that make it a golden hiring trait:
Communication
The ability to share ideas with different types of audiences forms a key driver of any successful career. It also happens to be a talent you can hone in the customer service arena.
Dealing with distraught clients requires finesse. You need patience, understanding, and a calm demeanor. You have to act simultaneously as technical help and as a psychologist. It’s a complicated balancing act – one you can recreate successfully anywhere in your professional life.
Active Listening
The ability to talk to people is only one side of the customer service interaction. The most important aspect comes from mastering the other side: becoming a good listener.
However, simply hearing what the person is saying does not go far enough. A good customer service rep can understand what the client is trying to say. That is, they can go beyond the actual words to the heart of the issue.
Once acquired, these active listening skills become a key component elsewhere in an organization. Whether it’s understanding instructions from superiors or thriving in a team environment, being a good listener provides a massive career boost.
Empathic Understanding
Listening to client complaints and describing meaningful solutions only scratch the surface of customer interactions. There’s a deeper emotional component as well. Tapping into this next level makes sales easier and provides a better experience for the customer.
This process is all about empathy; putting yourself in your customers’ shoes and understanding how they feel. This empathetic understanding can apply elsewhere in your career as well. It forms a key building block for teamwork.
Flexibility
Customers need a lot of help. Dealing with them when they have problems often requires service reps to take on many roles.
One minute, a rep might be solving a financial or payment issue. The next, they might have to deep dive into a technical matter. People with strong customer service skills have an inherent flexibility; the ability to deal different types of problems, often all at once.
The applications of this elsewhere in the corporate world should be fairly obvious. It shows your ability to multitask and change with the times.
Positivity
Any work environment becomes more pleasant and productive when a positive attitude infuses the proceedings. If you can help create that kind of workplace mood, you’ll be a highly sought-after asset.
Customer service requires you to remain upbeat and chipper, even when dealing with hostile customers or enduring a long, grueling shift. It builds the kind of mindset that will make you successful in other stages of your career.
Qualified Staffing Can Further Your Career Growth
Getting the right experience is key to driving your career forward. By working with a strong recruiting partner, like Qualified Staffing, you secure the types of placements that set you up for further growth down the road.
Contact Qualified Staffing today to learn more.