Knowing how to hire the right staff for your customer service is very important, as customer service is the backbone of any company. The customers expect high-quality customer service from the company they are working with. So, it is vital to have the right people representing your company in front of the clients.

Here are some tips on how to hire the right people for customer service.

(Please note that we won’t be including experience and qualification in this list, as these are pretty obvious prerequisites.)

When hiring staff for customer service you should look for these 6 qualities:

1. Attentive Listening

Proper communication is vital for good customer service. Listening is an integral part of communication. Your customer service staff must listen to your clients attentively before answering them. In this way, they will be able to understand the demands and requirements of the clients and will be in a better position to resolve their issues.

In order to identify a good listener, you can look for the following things during your interview with the candidate:

How well does the applicant listen to you during the interview?

When you are having the conversation with the applicant, do they wait until you have conveyed your complete message before they start speaking?

Do their answers and questions indicate that they are actively listening when you speak?

Do they maintain eye contact during the conversation? If they don’t, they are probably too busy thinking about what to reply.

These are some of the indicators of the candidate’s listening ability.

Learn more about communication and listening here.

2. Quick Thinking

Apart from the routine tasks, the customer service personnel face new and unique situations every single day. In order to cope with these situations, they must be able to think and respond quickly. Clients want fast answers and solutions. They won’t wait for the customer service personnel to find out the answers while the client is engaged with them.

To check this ability, you can prepare tests for the applicants where they have to respond to different questions and situations. You can then evaluate the test results of each candidate to choose the right one for the job.

3. Courteous Attitude

When the clients meet your customer service staff, they won’t see their qualifications or experience; they’ll see their attitude. The staff must have a positive, courteous and problem-solving attitude.

You can test the attitude of a person in a similar way in which you test their quick thinking. Devise situations and ask what the candidate would do in that situation.

It is true that one can learn and acquire certain abilities but some abilities are instinctive. Having a courteous attitude is mostly instinctive too.

Here, it is worth mentioning that courtesy is a major factor in great customer service. So, the candidates that show courtesy towards other people should have an edge over the others.

4. Positive Energy

Customer service staff must have positive energy, not just for one or two clients but for every single one they deal with during the day. Energy is contagious and customer service personnel are directly dealing with the clients. So, it is important that they send forth positive energy.

Simple observation of the candidate’s tone and behaviour can indicate their inner positive energy:

– Watch how applicants enter the room.

– Observe how they greet.

– Look at their sitting posture during the interview.

– See their tempo of answers to your questions and their tone.

These are all indicators regarding the level of energy they will contribute when interacting with customers.

5. Team Play

Customer service personnel might have to deal with the customers on their own but at the backend, they have to coordinate with the other team members. So, these candidates should not only work well with the clients but also with their colleagues.

You can test a candidate’s team play abilities by conducting some group activities in which each person is dependent upon the other to complete their individual tasks. You can then observe and evaluate how the applicant performs in a team.

6. Humble Curiosity

Another ability that the customer service personnel should have is to come up with the right questions to ask. Sometimes, the client is unable to convey their message clearly. So, your staff must have the knack of asking the right questions at the right time.

Look for people who have questions about your company like what the person can expect if they are selected for the position and even questions about the history of your company.

Conclusion

The service staff customer service can make or break your business. To ensure that your customers receive good service, take the time to hire the right person to serve your customers.

With these 6 tips, you will have a basic idea of how to hire staff for customer service.

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