Customer Service Tech Support Leaders: The True #PeopleSkills Job

Customer Service Tech Support Leaders: Portray People Skills Needed!

Customer service tech support leaders, when you are looking for new agents what job description do you advertise?  If it doesn’t describe the people skills needed for the job, you are leaving success up to chance.

As I train customer service tech support agents in people skills, many seem surprised at what the job truly involves.  Some rise to the occasion. Others don’t.

Want to get the best hires for customer service tech support? Here’s a very different list to include in the job description you advertise!


Customer Service Tech Support: Image is words Need Help?

Customer Service Tech Support: Attitudes & People Skills Needed.

Image licensed via Istock.com.

Customer Service Tech Support Agents: Attitudes & People Skills Needed

  1. Desire and ability to help others succeed.
  2. Ability to empathize with customers even the upset ones.
  3. Stays cool under pressure while still showing care.
  4. Defuses upset customers and meets their needs.
  5. Follows-through and demonstrates strong accountability.
  6. Is curious to know it all without being a know-it-all.
  7. Works to find the right solution for the customers without the need to be right.
  8. Can live within rules and also adapt to customers as needed.
  9. Strives for excellence yet doesn’t expect perfection from customers.
  10. Sees service work as a profession, not as servitude.
  11. Believes technology is a means to an end — not the end goal. Customers care about their goals, not technology.
  12. Strong cross teamwork and negotiation skills to work with other service teams.
  13. What is your #13?


Customer service tech support is a demanding job needing far more than technical skills and basic courtesy. Too many of the job descriptions do not accurately portray the job and its people skills demands.

Leaders, use the above list as a starting point and add other behaviors, skills, and attitudes that are needed for your particular environment. Don’t leave hiring up to chance. Portray an accurate picture of the agent’s job to attract those who truly want to be in service to customers.

From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach™

Related Posts:
Customer Service: Use People Skills to Deliver Not Defend
Customer Service People Skills Create Profitable Connections

©2013 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.


Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.

8 Responses to “Customer Service Tech Support Leaders: The True #PeopleSkills Job”

  1. Carl says:

    Kate, an excellent list and one that I think reaches out and applies to many areas of leadership. Thank you for sharing your time, thoughts, and expertise.

    Best regards,
    Carl
    @SparktheAction

    • Kate Nasser says:

      Thanks Carl! So pleased you found it valuable. I work a great deal with IT leaders and their teams and they often focus on the technical aspects vs. people skills.

      Regards,
      Kate

  2. Khalid says:

    13. Being proactive instead of reactive
    14. Adjust his/her technical language to tune in the level of user IT knowledge
    15. Live to service and not service to live

    Regards,
    Khalid

  3. Chase says:

    I think this list works for anyone working in a customer related field. Customer service, customer support, etc. For instance, that list contains things I would be looking for with people when I needed to hire a new employee at a deli I managed.

    For a #13, I’d say they need to be able to communicate clearly and concisely. Teaching grammar skills is the schools job, not yours. I’ve seen lots of people apply for customer support jobs on our team and not have a basic grasp of writing well and communicating clearly.

    Thanks for the good article!

    • Kate Nasser says:

      Thanks Chase! I agree that the list works for any employee working with customers. I am so glad you found it worthy of your time, attention, and contribution. Hope you will visit here often and contribute.

      Gratefully yours,
      Kate

  4. Derise Edwards says:

    Great perspective and right on point! My #13, similar to #1 is an innate desire to problem solve. Driven to ensure customer satisfaction means to never tire of helping to resolve issues.

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