Developing Customer Service Skills

Hi All,

Today's job market is the best as far as job opportunities are concerned.But are we all prepared to take up the opportunity and the challenges that come along with the opportunity.This is the question that we need to answer ourselves.

Today,youngsters and fresh graduates are spoilt with innumerable job openings and so they should make the most of these opportunities.Few booming sectors in today's job market are the BPO,Retail and Hospitality sectors.The most common and the most important skill required for these jobs is "Customer Service Skills".In this article we shall brush up on the few ways of developing and improving our Customer Service Skills.These skills are nothing but good communication.

The following are the few steps to improve our customer service skills:

1)Language Skills: Good communication is an essential criteria in the service industry and so it is important that the language should be free from any grammatical errors.The most important factors of spoken english are sentence construction (to form a meaningful sentence) and word order (to use the right word as per the context).Talk to people in English as far as possible and watch English News.The main idea is to develop good conversational skills.

2)Vocabulary: A good vocabulary is essential to cope up with challenging communication and while dealing with customers.Use appropriate words and be confident.When you come across a new word,make a note of it in your diary,understand what it means in the dictionary and utter it several times till you are comfortable pronouncing it.Learning never ends so keep looking for opportunities to learn the unknown.

3)Pronounciation: It is essential to pronounce the words correctly so that it does not hamper your communication.This includes,stress on the right words,intonation,modulation,rhythm of speech etc.Stressing on the wrong word can change the whole meaning of a sentence.

4)Tone: Speak in a positive tone so that it creates a long lasting and a positive relationship with others.Make sure that you dont display your emotions of anger,frustration,fear etc. in your tone.

5)Listening Skills :This helps you to understand the key ideas of the person you are talking to.Good listening skills helps to answer the concerns correctly and helps in understanding the emotions behind the communication.

6)Problem Solving Skills: You need to be committed and sincere towards solving the concerns of others.

7)Flexibility also plays an important role.One needs to be flexible in order to adapt to unique situations and changing circumstances and to identify new business opportunities.

8)Professionalism: You need to be professional,courteous and friendly.It is essential to develop a positive relationship with colleagues and customers depending upon your job but,at the same time you should not forget that your job responsibilities are of utmost priority.So,learn to stike a balance between them.

The above are the few ways by which you can improve your customer service skills and your communication skills.Though your educational qualification is also important to get a good job,good communication and customer service skills are also extremely essential in today's job market.If you think that you dont have these skills,then start working on it from today itself.The better your communication skills,the better will be your chances of getting a good job.

Regards,

Kavita