Article by CareerBuilder.
WORKING IN RETAIL, HOSPITALITY, A CALL CENTER, OR ANOTHER JOB FOCUSED ON CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN GIVE YOU VITAL WORKPLACE SKILLS. NO MATTER WHICH INDUSTRY YOU WANT TO WORK IN, THE FOLLOWING 6 STRONG CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE TO ANY JOB.
1. Strong Communication Skills
Good communication is the key to good customer service. It’s also the cornerstone of working in any industries where you need to work with other people, from customers to colleagues, and clients to business contacts.
Through your customer service role, you’ll learn how to explain concepts to others in easy-to-understand terms and how to placate people who may not share your point of view. You’ll find that you use these same skills in most roles. Your oral and written communication skills will also help you get your points across in meetings and during collaborative tasks.
2. Solid Active Listening Skills
Good communication and active listening skills tend to go hand in hand. Good communication is a two-way street. While effective public speaking skills are important, so is effective listening. Customer service professionals hone their active listening skills when they listen to what a customer says, then ask questions to clarify what they’ve heard before delivering a response.
A study by Korn Ferry International, an executive search recruitment firm, found that active listening is the most important competence for any workplace. The firm gave active listening this rating because it believes active listening can cover gaps left in other workplace areas. For example, if you don’t yet have skills in negotiation, you could rely on your active listening skills to get through a negotiation process.
3. Excellent Problem Solving Skills
Customer service representatives are pros at problem solving. So much of their job involves handling complaints and queries customers have. They must use ingenuity to find solutions that work within a business’s preferred practices yet satisfy customers. Problem solving skills cultivated in a customer service role are transferable to almost any profession, but they are especially important for creative and technology roles such as advertising executives, engineers, and software designers.
4. Ability to Work As Part of a Team
No customer service worker is an island. Instead, customer service employees work as part of a team to support their employer’s positive image and customer service standards. Many customer service workers find themselves jumping in to help colleagues address customer queries or assisting their co-workers when they’re especially busy.
The kind of collaborative teamwork skills demonstrated by customer service workers is essential for success in many professional environments. It’s important for people in a range of industries to work within their designated roles, but come together when required, such as for group projects and meetings.
5. Good Multitasking Skills
Many customer service professions require you to multitask well. Every customer wants to feel important, even though your attention may be pulled in several directions. It’s not uncommon for customer service professionals to run computers or cash registers while speaking with customers.
You might also deal with a number of customers at once if people with more urgent concerns need help while you’re dealing with more routine matters. And of course, you must do it all efficiently and with a smile on your face! That aptitude for multitasking is useful for working in any busy profession.
6. The Ability to Show Resilience
Customer service workers must be resilient. While most members of the public are pleasant, some can be short-tempered and belligerent. In these circumstances, customer service workers must rely on their skills of resiliency to power through. Otherwise, they can’t deliver their best service to the next customer they interact with.
Similarly, you won’t find all the people you deal with any profession in good humor all the time. Sometimes, events in life simply don’t go your way. Despite the challenges, it’s important to rely on your skills of resiliency to move on to the next task. Demonstrating your resilience to a potential new employer will hold you in good stead on any job interview that you face.
Don’t underestimate how important having a background in customer service can be. A role focused on helping members of the public can position you well for landing any job.
Follow our Recruiter Blog and Social Media: