Customer service skills may come naturally to some work from home moms. Others will need time to increase and fine tune skills desirable in the workplace. Regardless of your situation, possessing good customer service skills will be a plus. Employers always like workers who can provide appropriate skill sets. Even if your job is not customer service related it is important to have these skills to work with others.
Basic Customer Service Skills
Basic customer service skills include understanding communications. If you have a hard time understanding basic instructions, then this will be a roadblock to overcome. Customer service skills also include having a good attitude that is detected in your tone and written communications.
Another customer service skill that is desirable to employers is the ability to listen, especially if working on the phone. Listening to the customers’ concern is needed, as well as providing positive solutions to their needs.
Problem solving is also basic to providing the best customer service to those in your profession. Having the ability to come up with creative solutions is a great benefit.
Basic skills also involve bringing high quality professionalism to your work environment. This includes communications with employers, team members, and customers. Exhibiting professionalism should always be a top priority.
Advanced Customer Service Skills
There are a variety of advanced customer service skills that will assist you in creating a successful work foundation. The ability to be flexible is important, as well as being understanding. There may be days that your employer needs more flexibility. Do your best to accommodate their needs, within reason.
Another advanced skill in the arena of customer service is the ability to multitask. This is easier for some, than for others. The ability to handle multiple projects is a great skill to have and to further develop. The key in handling several tasks at once is to mentally prioritize and develop a plan of action accordingly.
One of the most important things is the desire to learn and improve existing skills. If a worker has no desire to learn and does not wish to improve skills, then something is wrong. The individual may be working in the wrong position, stress may be overwhelming, or working from home may not be for the person.
How Can I Develop my Customer Service Skills?
Take a personal inventory of your existing skills. Decide, honestly, which areas need more development. Make a plan of action to learn and improve skills. Be willing to accept constructive criticism from others, to bring needed change.
Here are some questions to think about when reviewing your customer service skills:
- Am I flexible in most situations?
- Do I communicate well with others?
- Do I receive compliments on a regular basis?
- Do I have the ability to multi-task?
- Do I need a lot of direction when working?
- Do I like to resolve issues and find creative solutions?
- Do I meet goals and deadlines on time?
- Do I possess confidence in providing good customer service?
- Do I know proper telephone etiquette?
- Do I know proper phone etiquette guidelines?
- Am I a good listener, or do I tend to interrupt others when they are speaking?
- Can I write communications that are free of spelling and grammar errors?
- What areas do I struggle with on a regular basis?
Presented are just a small amount of ideas that can give you clues to areas of needed change. Ultimately, you control your destination and have the ability to bring about change in your life.
If you need further assistance, enlist the help of those around you. Take time to research information to improve your skills. If you are not getting feedback from your employer, don’t hesitate to ask.
