Some people might regard interfacing with customer service as a generally negative experience. However, excelling in customer service skills can create a positive relationship and make someone a customer for life. From active listening to being solution-oriented, there are plenty of skills that you can deploy to succeed in a customer service role.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, customer service positions will remain steady for the next decade—with 361,700 openings for customer service representatives projected each year. There are many opportunities for employment in the field of customer service, and AMA has customer service training programs to bolster your skills. If you’re an entry-level customer service representative or an experienced customer service manager, we have a training course for you.
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Excellent customer service goes beyond fulfilling the customer’s needs. When a customer requires assistance with a product or service, they expect a customer service representative to understand the product and respond with prompt action. You can exceed the customer’s expectations by helping them with their issues in a timely, solution-oriented, and friendly manner. You will create value for your organization by deploying these skills that you have developed through our customer service training courses.
Additionally, as a manager, knowing the difference between standard and excellent customer service can help set expectations for your team. You can impart these skills onto your employees, so that they may help your customers—lessening the need for your intervention in customer interactions.
- On-site customer service is what customers experience when they go into a physical location, such as a business storefront. On-site, in-person customer service support requires timely and friendly service skills.
- Social media customer service happens when customers reach out to a business via its social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Many customers often turn to social media for pressing inquiries or when there is a crisis with a product or service.
- Telephone customer service is a common type of support for many businesses. It allows customers to call and talk to a person to get their issue resolved without leaving their home. Customer service representatives can also detect tone and emotion better through the phone as opposed to less personal means, like social media or email.
- Email customer service helps customers contact a business through email to get their issues resolved. Oftentimes, email support does not denote a crisis, but it is still important for customer service representatives to answer emails in a timely, helpful manner.
- Live chat customer service happens in the form of a chat box within a business website. It is an immediate connection to a customer service representative to find out more about the product or service. Additionally, the live chat representative can answer pressing inquiries to resolve issues.
Whether you develop your customer service skills through on-the-job experience or expert training courses like ours, there are several skills necessary to succeed in a customer service role. You will find that any customer service position requires many skills, including:
Active listening
When conversing with a customer about their issue, it helps to practice active listening. That means internalizing the message that the customer conveys, noticing body language and other cues, and then providing the right feedback given the information presented.
Expedient service
Customers want to feel like their issues are being taken care of promptly. Effective customer service representatives will attend to a customer’s needs efficiently. That way, the customer can go about the rest of their day knowing that you helped resolve their issue.
Extensive product knowledge
Customer service representatives ought to have a thorough, up-to-date knowledge of products, services, policies, and processes. Product knowledge as a skill relates to being curious and proactive about learning the ins and outs of your company’s offerings.
Solution-oriented mindset
Customers want to feel that their needs are taken care of, which means that you should offer them a solution to their issue. Or, if you do not have the answer, you can offer alternative routes that the customer can take to get their problem resolved.
Clear communication
It’s one thing to know what to do to help a customer—it is a different skill entirely to communicate that solution to the customer. As an effective customer service representative, you must have excellent communication skills to interface with customers.
Patience
Customer service requires patience. If a customer comes to you with an issue, chances are they are frustrated with the product or service your company offers. While the issue is not directly your fault, you have the power to turn the interaction into a positive relationship with patience and a helpful attitude.
How AMA Will Help You Advance Your Career or Organization with Customer Service Skills
You can find plenty of surface-level online classes that teach the basics of customer service. But if you are looking to expand your customer service skillset, AMA has a training program for you.
Hear from professionals who have completed our experiential, immersive programs.
Testimonials
“We practiced real-world scenarios from each of our fields which allowed us to directly apply what we're learning. Everyone was very pleasant, and it was an enjoyable class that provided meaningful content.”
- Melissa G., Deputy Superintendent, Education Department
Customer Service Excellence: How to Win and Keep Customers, Sep 2019
We offer a range of customer service training courses for any professional level. Are you looking to build up your skillset to qualify for a customer service position? We have entry-level or mid-level courses available. Or, if you are in a senior-level customer service position looking to polish your skills or learn new techniques, there are options for you.
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Entry Level and Mid-Level
New Manager or Supervisor
Senior Executives
Virtual Customer Service Training
Classroom
For the most immersive, hands-on learning experience, we offer in-person classes to help you sharpen your skills for that new job or promotion. Find a time that works with your schedule and experience our leading training programs.
OnDemand
Best for self-starters with a packed daytime schedule, our OnDemand courses let you learn whenever it works best for you, offering pre-recorded seminars formulated by real customer service professionals.
Webinar
Enjoy a live experience, even if you’re pressed for time, with our webinars. They pack a lecture full of real-world expertise and examples into a single afternoon session. Better yet, get the option to revisit your learning at any time: Paid registrants get a single-user license to access a recorded archive of the program for up to a full year.