20 Key Customer Service Skills Every Representative Should Have

Are your representatives armed with the essential customer service skills they need to tackle any challenge with unwavering confidence and competence? According to Delloite’s Customer Service Excellence Survey 2022, teams with multi-skilled members who can draw from a wide range of knowledge and abilities consistently provide a superior level of service.¹

Deloitte's survey highlights the exceptional performance of Nordic countries, where 51% of multi-skilled teams have achieved higher levels of customer service when compared with other team structures.

In this article, we’ll unveil a list of key customer service skills that can help your representatives deliver exceptional service, along with a few tips on how they can  develop these abilities.

What are customer service skills?

Customer service skills are a range of abilities and types of knowledge support and service teams need to ensure high-level customer satisfaction and facilitate excellent experiences every time they interact with customers. These skills include both interpersonal abilities (soft skills) as well as technical know-how (hard skills).

What are customer service soft skills?

Soft skills are the interpersonal abilities that service representatives possess to build meaningful connections with customers. They encompass several nontechnical skills, including empathy, clear communication, and active listening. These skills play a vital role in shaping the customer experience, moving it beyond merely a collection of transactions, toward something closer to a real relationship. 

What are customer service hard skills?

Hard skills are technical abilities that customer service representatives acquire through education, training, and experience. Professionals rely on hard skills such as technological proficiency and in-depth product knowledge to handle customer inquiries, offer technical assistance, and provide accurate and detailed information.

Why are customer service skills important?

Today's consumers have zero tolerance for poor experiences. If they experience too many of these – or in some cases, just a single one – they’ll swiftly take their business elsewhere. According to Hiver's 2020 report, Customer Support Through The Eyes of Consumers, 60% of consumers would switch to a competing brand after just two or three negative experiences, and approximately 30% would defect after a single instance of subpar customer service.²

Qualtrics XM Institute’s 2021 report, Global Study: What Happens After a Bad Experience, meanwhile, indicates a similar tangible impact on companies’ bottom lines.³ The study reveals that businesses face the risk of losing 9.5% of their revenue due to very poor customer experiences.

When representatives have strong customer service skills, it leads to positive, productive experiences that reassure individuals that they’ve chosen the right brand. Over time, some of those satisfied customers will become brand advocates and organically expand your customer base.

While automated support systems may contribute to the overall customer experience, it is the interaction with representatives that can make or break a customer's perception of a particular company. A single unfavorable conversation, where a representative fails to fulfill a customer's request or falls short of expectations in some other crucial way, can leave a lasting negative impression.

By equipping representatives with the necessary skills for customer service and support, companies can ensure that interactions are handled professionally, efficiently, and with empathy. In a highly competitive market in which consumers’ expectations are constantly evolving, exceptional customer service skills act as a powerful differentiator.

20 key customer service skills

On the following list, you’ll discover a wide range of indispensable customer service skills that will help improve interactions between service representatives and customers and go a long way toward enhancing the overall customer experience. 

While we’ve primarily focused on soft skills, we’ve also included a few hard skills toward the end. They're presented in no particular order.

1. Empathy 

Empathy is among the single most critical customer service skills. It’s important to remember that empathy is not just a fixed character trait that you either have or you don’t; it can be learned and improved upon over time. 

Even when you can't provide customers with the exact answer they’re looking for, demonstrating care, concern, and understanding can go a long way in helping to soothe their frustrations and keep the conversation from shifting into a more unfriendly mode.

The ability of a support representative to empathize with customers and deliver messages that steer things toward a more favorable outcome often makes all the difference. Remember that customers want to feel heard. Empathetic representatives can listen to them, validate their emotions, and still focus on working toward issue resolution.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for showing empathy: Empathize with customers’ emotions on a human level, rather than just addressing the issue clinically. Keep responses person-centered by referring to "you" and "your experience" rather than only utilizing detached language.

2. Clear communication 

Misunderstandings with customers inevitably cause frustration on both sides. That's why representatives must master clear communication as a core customer service skill. Struggling to speak with directness and clarity, or relying too heavily on waffling, ambiguous language simply breeds confusion, leading to poorer experiences and increasing the chances of churn.

When interacting with customers, aim to leave no room for doubt. Keep explanations simple and clear, avoiding technical jargon. Focus fully on the conversation and avoid filler words that muddle meaning. If potential miscommunications arise, don't be afraid to confirm comprehension before moving forward.

The reality is that miscommunications are a surefire way to upset people. Further, with customer workloads high, reps must find a way to convey all the necessary information in a timely manner so as to avoid bottlenecks.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for communicating clearly: Use clarifying questions and summarize key points or action steps to confirm mutual understanding.

3. Problem-solving mindset

Having a problem-solving mindset involves thoroughly grasping the issue at hand, finding the root cause, and determining the best path forward. Put more concisely, it’s about thinking beyond surface-level fixes. This aptly describes what customers need from their interactions.

For example, customers don't always accurately diagnose their issues – it's up to the support representative to take the initiative and make sure the diagnosis is the correct one. They can try to reproduce the problem, understand what went wrong, and intuitively determine the best possible outcome the customer is seeking out.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for having a problem-solving mindset: Consider multiple contingencies when recommending solutions to customers. This gives support representatives more flexibility if troubleshooting hits a roadblock.

4. Active listening

Active listening is a powerful customer service skill that involves dedicating the necessary time to genuinely understand a customer's issue and demonstrating attentiveness. 

One tried and true way to show active listening is by paraphrasing the problem in your own words and confirming your interpretation with the customer. By employing paraphrasing, you make customers feel heard and understood.

Reading between the lines is also key – active listening allows you to pick up on cues about a customer, including their mood and patience level. Adapting your approach accordingly prevents unnecessary tensions and helps you tailor your approach to maintain positive customer interactions.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for listening actively to the customer: Focus solely on what the customer is saying, rather than thinking about your own response prematurely. When you start formulating what you want to say in your head, you’re no longer giving full attention to listening.

5. Patience and composure

Patience and composure are indispensable customer service skills that can greatly impact the customer experience.

In the world of customer service, you might encounter irrelevant questions or be subjected to shouting and insults. Interacting with different types of customers, over and over throughout the course of a workday, can feel like a constant game of chance. However, losing one's temper solves nothing – great service demands keeping a cool head.

Those providing customer service are performing trying, taxing jobs that emotionally challenge even the most resilient people. But with patience, care, and a genuine desire to understand others, even the most demanding customers can leave feeling validated, helped, and at ease.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for being patient and maintaining composure: Keep a detached, objective perspective to help you avoid reacting emotionally – especially when engaging in difficult exchanges with customers. Stay focused on listening and resolving the issue rather than giving in to feeling defensive or upset.

6. Collaboration and teamwork

Collaboration and teamwork are essential customer service skills that should not be overlooked. While each interaction matters, it's important to recognize that exceptional service often depends on cooperation across an organization. 

Professionals must be adept at partnering with colleagues from different departments to collectively solve customer problems. A willingness to reach out for assistance, share knowledge, and combine strengths is needed to give customers the seamless experience they deserve. 

💡 Here’s a pro tip for improving collaboration and teamwork: Leverage a help desk platform with a shared inbox feature to enhance collaboration and teamwork among customer service representatives. A shared inbox allows team members to access and manage customer inquiries collectively, ensuring that no concern goes unnoticed or unresolved.

7. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence encompasses several of the  customer service skills we’ve already discussed, including empathy, patience, and composure. However, understanding and honing this particular skill is crucial for a professional's overall well-being.

Emotional intelligence strengthens reps' ability to handle stress and remain solutions-focused. It helps them see beyond the moment to what really matters – serving the customer well. This is not only immensely beneficial to customers, but reps as well – it can increase day-to-day job satisfaction, and give their careers greater longevity.

💡 Here’s a pro tip on emotional intelligence: While building emotional intelligence involves various actions, you can share some of the best practices across your teams, empowering  them to consistently be at their best every day.

8. Attention to detail

Paying close attention to the fine print will help your reps create more positive, satisfying experiences for customers.

Customer service representatives who take the time to thoroughly understand issues stand out. Rather than rushing to solutions, they use their comprehensive knowledge – and patience – to examine closely and discover root causes. As a result, their remedies resolve customers’ problems in a more lasting, significant way. 

Possessing attention to detail means paying close attention to the little things – the language customers use, subtle changes in their emotions, specifics of their circumstances. 

When taken collectively, gathering these smaller details can help yield deeper, more valuable insights. They can highlight opportunities to remove pain points, anticipate requests, and strengthen relationships through highly personalized support.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for paying attention to detail: Collect important customer information in advance before they contact your team. An AI chatbot, for instance, can gather pertinent customer information, empowering support representatives to provide enhanced assistance to customers.

9. Speed and efficiency

With customers increasingly valuing timely responses, speed and efficiency have become important skills for customer service representatives. While quality of support always comes first, there's no reason teams can't provide a rapid, high-quality experience.

Speed can also manifest in another way within your service teams – how quickly a new employee can learn to use systems and solve common problems independently. The faster they’re able to acclimate, the sooner they can start delivering prime support that keeps customers happy.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for speed and efficiency: Get your reps up to speed with automated AI summaries provided by an artificial intelligence help desk. This feature proves valuable when conversations resume, creating an overview of the dialogues.

10. Time management

Reps often juggle multiple tasks and responsibilities throughout each workday. While helping customers is clearly the top priority, there are also administrative duties, training requirements, documentation tasks, and other routine work that demand attention. Balancing it all takes a coherent, consistent, and organized approach.

Poor time management in this environment can lead to delays, errors, and frustrated customers. Conversely, mastering time management allows reps to keep customers at the forefront while still crossing other items off their to-do lists.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for time management: Assist your customer service representatives by implementing automated workflows. By automating routine tasks, your team gains the freedom to concentrate on handling intricate customer interactions and resolving complex issues.

11. Positive language and attitude

Positive language and attitude are essential customer service skills that can greatly impact customers’ impressions of your company. While problems understandably disappoint customers, focusing on solutions in an optimistic yet professional manner can change perceptions of your company.

Employing positive, helpful language taps into human psychology, reassuring customers that you’re on their side and want to resolve the issue at hand just as eagerly as they do. 

Interactions are more than just independent transactions taking place in a vacuum; they shape how people feel about doing future business with you.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for positive language and attitude: Focus conversations on solutions by reframing language in a positive light. When a customer vents frustrations, reflect on the core issue while restating it constructively: "I understand how priority shipping was important. Let's look at how we can still get your order delivered quickly."

12. Proactive mindset

Customer representatives with proactive mindsets pay close attention to emerging trends and recurring setbacks. 

When proactive reps observe queries or issues that keep coming up, week after week, they quickly recommend practical solutions their teams can implement. This collaborative approach creates a win-win by keeping customers happy and lightening future ticket volumes.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for a proactive mindset: Any time reps address recurring problems, have them clearly document the issue and steps to resolution. Over time, you can use this documentation to create new articles and build a more complete, all-encompassing knowledge base.

13. Adaptability

When it comes to customer service, no two days – or interactions – are ever the same. With such dynamic circumstances, the most adept representatives consistently apply their skills in customer service to approach each situation with a fresh perspective.

Adaptable reps avoid rigid, monolithic approaches, instead opting to meet people where they are and tailor their communication styles to individual preferences and specific scenarios.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for adaptability: In dynamic situations, memorized scripts are no match for complex customer contexts. Reps should have a sharp contextual intelligence – the adaptive ability to comprehend nuanced emotional and environmental factors influencing each interaction.

14. Creativity and resourcefulness

Outside-the-box thinking makes all the difference in developing exceptional customer service. Customer service skills like creativity and resourcefulness empower representatives to seek inventive solutions and thrive in the challenge of creating meaningful experiences.

These reps go beyond their basic toolkits and fundamental skill-sets – they infuse interactions with imagination, intellect, and spirit, consistently exceeding their customers’ expectations in the process. By unleashing creativity and resourcefulness, these reps transcend the banal, forgettable nature of so many more typical interactions.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for creativity and resourcefulness: Celebrate both progress and failure. Highlight innovations that stuck and lessons from missteps to motivate ongoing critical thinking and solutions-oriented mindsets.

15. Data centricity

The most capable reps convert insights into decisive action. They analyze threads for recurring friction points across interactions. Armed with these patterns, reps resolve issues swiftly and consequently maximize efficiency in every interaction. 

Performance metrics are especially useful when paired with a growth mindset. Reps reflecting on metrics to strengthen skills for customer service ensure continuous enhancement. Customers steadily encounter top-tier problem-solvers.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for data centricity: Make it easy for support teams to collaborate with customer success teams to produce actionable intelligence.

16. Resiliency

While criticism stings, top reps roll with these challenges and emerge more focused on solutions.

It’s certainly true that frustrations can run high for unhappy customers. Nevertheless, skilled representatives stay centered, refocusing conversations productively instead of perpetuating anger and other negative emotions. They listen with understanding, seeing beyond surface emotions to the real human needs informing them.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for resiliency: Building resilience often requires a foundation of other critical customer service skills, such as emotional intelligence, a positive attitude, problem-solving abilities, and clear communication. Prioritizing a comprehensive customer service skills training in these areas can fortify your team's resilience.

17. Relationship-building skills

Customer service is built on trust and mutual understanding between representatives and customers. 

Skilled reps connect through genuine people skills that foster trust over time. Their personable nature facilitates smooth, frictionless interactions, establishing a rapport that’s beneficial to all stakeholders. Customers feel heard while reps better address underlying needs.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for relationship building skills: Suggest reps use follow-ups to gather additional feedback for continuous improvement. Turn criticisms into an opportunity to strengthen relationships and the overall performance of your team members.

18. Tech proficiency

There’s no doubt that technology has the power to greatly improve how businesses interact with and serve their customers. When utilized properly, the latest innovations can help representatives deliver even more valuable assistance.

At the forefront of this movement are representatives who recognize both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with technological change. Rather than fearing new tools, they embrace learning so they can optimize support.

While the best AI chatbots can now field many routine questions faster than ever, the best reps see this as an opportunity rather than a threat. Freed from basic inquiries, they have more bandwidth for cultivating personal connections that require empathy, quick thinking, and a human touch.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for tech proficiency: Keep in mind that the integration of AI in customer service may transform the traditional role of "customer support rep" into a more tech-oriented position. These technological strides will potentially lead to the emergence of new support roles like "chatbot developer" and "chatbot analyst."

https://www.tiktok.com/@intercomhq/video/7230780216451288362 

19. Digital literacy

In today's customer service world, digital literacy is crucial. As remote and hybrid work becomes the norm, reps who can't navigate digital workspaces and communication tools will struggle. 

Customer service reps with strong digital literacy adhere to best practices that allow them to collaborate effectively. Proficiency with virtual communications, file sharing, project management, and other digital tasks will help them seamlessly assist colleagues and satisfy customers from any location.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for digital literacy: Watch our recorded webinar – Running remote customer support in high-pressure times – for insights into how you can navigate the challenges of increased conversation volumes, stressed customers, and pressure on support teams, all while working fully remotely.

20. Product knowledge

Having a rock-solid understanding of your company's products and services is the foundation upon which truly standout customer experiences are built. Representatives with intimate product knowledge possess a powerful toolkit to deftly handle even the most unique and complicated issues.

While the basics are a must, the best reps go far beyond fundamental comprehension – they immerse themselves in the relevant resources and materials to gain hidden insights and pro tips that transform them into product experts.

💡 Here’s a pro tip for product knowledge: When bringing on new reps, fully immerse them in the product experience during onboarding. Have them test all features from a customer perspective to gain hands-on familiarity. Leverage diverse learning resources like written guides, video tutorials, and mentoring.

How to improve customer service skills

Keeping these essential customer service skills in mind, consider the following best practices to enhance your team's capabilities in delivering exceptional service to your customers.

1. Foster a culture of excellence across the company

Creating a culture where outstanding service is the standard raises the bar for all representatives. In such an environment, reps are motivated to deliver interactions that not only meet but exceed customer expectations on a consistent basis.

Leaders must clearly define what exemplary service means for their organization. Whether it's addressing customer pain points with empathy, taking ownership of issues until resolution, or developing strategies for fostering long-term relationships, establish  an example of excellence for others to follow.

2. Enhance team engagement

Customer service reps with a high level of work engagement are constantly looking to expand their skills. Feeling connected to teammates and supported by leadership fuels this drive to develop.

3. Facilitate customer feedback

Customer service reps should remember that customers can be their greatest teachers. By actively seeking feedback, reps gain insightful knowledge to support continuous improvement. Equipped with that knowledge, they can then strengthen their skills and take support to the next level.

4. Empower customer service representatives

When reps have the power to make decisions and take actions to remedy problems quickly, they gain confidence and proficiency. With practice, reps sharpen both soft skills like active listening and empathy, as well as technical skills to tackle more complex concerns independently.

Read more: How support leaders can empower their teams to satisfy, delight, and retain customers.

5. Create customer service skills training programs

Developing structured customer service skills training programs is a step that all organizations should take to improve representative expertise. A consistent training curriculum ensures that all representatives master the same essential skills through formal instruction and practice.

Without a coherent plan for onboarding and ongoing development, representatives are left to learn skills haphazardly – some may pick up key abilities, while others may have longstanding gaps in expertise that never get addressed.

6. Create learning materials for employees

Providing engaging learning materials enables reps to improve their skills both during and after training. Customized materials correspond to the specific skill sets reps need to deliver stellar service. They reinforce lessons with takeaway guides, job aids, role-playing scenarios, and examples of best practices.

7. Nurture customer service talent

Nurturing customer service talent takes a long-term approach to each representative’s development. Rather than focusing narrowly on short-term goals, a perspective that takes a longer view helps individuals cultivate their inherent talents. Over time, this approach helps you develop highly experienced individuals that are long-term assets to your company. 

For newcomers, establishing a firm basis in product expertise and communication excellence gives them a foundation which can later be built on. As skills strengthen with experience, gradually expanding scopes of responsibility for reps provides them with opportunities to explore new dimensions of service, leadership, and strategic thinking.

Learn more about how we nurture talent here at Intercom: How to keep and nurture customer service talent.

8. Use automation and AI

Throughout some of the various approaches covered – like speed and efficiency, time management, and tech proficiency – a common thread emerges. 

Leveraging automation and AI for customer service to handle basic, repetitive queries allows valuable time otherwise spent on routine matters to be redirected toward developing complex, higher-order proficiencies. Representatives are freed up to fully dedicate their focus to tasks requiring creativity, empathy, and attentiveness, among other high-level skills.

Equip your customer service reps with Intercom, and bring  out their very best

As this article has demonstrated, technology can play an important role in aligning a wide range of skills with customer service improvements. By leveraging automation and AI strategically, organizations can empower representatives to focus on capabilities uniquely suited to humans.

AI and automation are not intended to replace human skills, but rather to complement, augment, and empower them. By seamlessly aligning technology with representatives' strengths, service quality and customer satisfaction are elevated through a synergistic, optimally designed structure.

Elevate your customer service with Intercom, a comprehensive solution that integrates AI and automation tools, ensuring the best experience for both your employees and customers.

Check out all of Intercom’s tools and features, and unleash the power of superior service. Sign up for a free trial or ask for a free demo to get started.

Sources

1. Deloitte, 2022 Customer Service Excellence Survey. The survey data was gathered from 3 regions: the Nordics, Central Europe, and Western Europe where the Customer Service leaders from Nordics represent 29% of the answers. Each question was intersected with customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction to explore the dynamics of how different factors affect their experiences.

2. Hiver, 2020 Customer Support Through The Eyes of Consumers. Hiver surveyed 1000 respondents in the US. We asked them about their preferences, expectations, likes, and dislikes when interacting with customer support teams.

3. Qualtrics XM Institute, 2021 Global Study: What Happens After a Bad Experience. The study surveyed 17,509 consumers from 18 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Thailand, the UK, and the U.S. This study asked consumers whether they’d recently had a poor experience with an organization across 17 industries.