Key Customer Service Skills That Make Your CV Strong | HGS UK

As an industry, customer service is vast, covering various types of business. Investing your time and effort in developing the required skills for customer service-related roles is essential. According to a McKinsey study, by 2030, an estimated 2.6 million workers will need more basic skills to deliver good customer service.

When applying for customer service jobs, ensure that the correct customer service skills CV, showcasing your best abilities, reaches your prospective employer. This article will highlight the relevant skills that can translate into excellent customer service experiences.

Must-have Customer Service Skills on CV

Whether you are looking for entry-level customer service jobs or want to upskill for career growth in the industry, here's a list of the must-have customer service skills to make your CV stand out.

Soft Skills

Soft skills or interpersonal skills that depend on emotions and human interactions impact how you go about your work duties and how you deal with people. Soft skills are non-technical skills developed with adequate training and experience.

Develop Your Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence entails assessing and managing your and the customer's emotions. For customer service jobs, it is essential to have empathy and high levels of emotional intelligence. By developing strong emotional intelligence skills, you can learn to balance your emotions with your customer's emotions.

Proper Communication

Communicating cohesively and effectively is vital to creating an engaging customer service experience. Product knowledge is helpful, especially when explaining complex technical details. Communication skills are also integral to fostering positive relationships within your team and being efficient in your workplace.

Attention to Detail

Good customer service starts with paying close attention to your customer's issues and working towards resolving them. Attention to detail is how you retain your organisation's most valuable customers. Attention to detail speaks a lot about your efforts, and it is how your customers remember your service.

Improve Problem-Solving Abilities

Customer service agents are often involved in resolving customer problems. By improving your problem-solving skills, you can come up with practical solutions. You must analyse and approach the problem creatively while trying not to escalate the issue.

Practice Active Listening

Practising active listening skills helps you to offer the best-rated customer service. This skill makes your customers feel genuinely heard and understood. Active listening is when you focus entirely on the conversation by paying attention to non-verbal cues and asking follow-up questions to gain more insights about the customers..

Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is a soft skill that you need to master to calmly and effectively manage conflicts or complaints. A good customer service agent is also a good negotiator adept at de-escalation techniques.

Time Management

When preparing your customer service skills CV, time management is another essential soft skill that you should include. Time management is prioritising customer service tasks and managing your time effectively. Lack of responsiveness and slow resolution of issues can be detrimental to your company.

Read More: Things You Must Consider For A Successful Career In the BPO Industry in UK

Hard Skills

Hard skills are the technical skills developed through formal education and training programs. In a customer service skills CV, it is essential to include both hard skills and soft skills. Developing hard skills is necessary to complete specific work-related tasks efficiently.

Bilingual/Multilingual

Effective verbal communication is the cornerstone of every customer service interaction. Remember to add this complex skill to your CV if you are proficient in multiple languages.

Typing Speed

An assessment of typing speed happens during customer service agent interviews. The ability to type quickly and accurately directly affects how quickly you respond to customer queries. 40-60 WPM (words per minute) is considered a fast-typing speed.

Knowledge of CRM Software

Most companies use CRM software to ensure seamless customer interactions. Knowledge or experience in CRM software solutions can enhance your industry knowledge and hiring chances.

Microsoft Office Tools

Apart from communicating with customers, making documents, reports, or presentations is also a part of customer service roles. Familiarising yourself with Microsoft Office tools can help you gain a competitive edge.

Chatbots, Email Software

AI-powered chatbots have changed the face of customer service interactions. An awareness of chatbots and email management software can significantly reduce case volumes for customer service agents.

Conclusion

The customer service industry is a competitive field with myriad employment opportunities. Perfecting the required soft and hard skills can significantly improve your chances of being hired as a customer service agent. A comprehensive customer service skills CV demonstrating your ability to serve others is the first step to reaching your goals.