Customer Service
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A customer service representative should be able to interact with a customer and immediately get the context of their problem. Support agents should have sound knowledge of the product/service which will help them suggest a solution to the customer right away. If the issue the customer is facing is beyond the immediate scope of the support rep, they should learn to escalate the problem to the right internal team(s) and follow up with them regularly for updates on the progress.
responsibilities
Here’s a look at all the key responsibilities of a service rep.
Take ownership of customer issues
Customer service reps must take ownership of the customer’s problem and be the single point of contact for all enquiries related to the troubleshooting procedure, the expected resolution time, and updates on the progress made.
Troubleshoot problems and see them through to resolution
It’s important for a service rep to follow a customer-first attitude and leave no stone unturned in giving customers the best possible experience. Once a support ticket is assigned to them, they need to research all possible ways to troubleshoot the problem and quickly come up with a solution.
Escalate unresolved issues to the appropriate internal teams
A lot of times in customer support, there are issues which are highly technical or beyond the scope of what a service rep can handle on the spot. For such cases, the support agent needs to make sure that the problem is being communicated to the right internal teams and that they take appropriate action to resolve it.
Collect prompt and accurate feedback from customers
The work of a support rep does not end at just resolving a customer issue. They also need to follow up with the customer, find out if the solution actually worked, and take note of the customer’s suggestions on what can potentially improve their experience.
Document knowledge in the form of solution articles
The solution to every customer problem provides a valuable learning experience to service reps. They should be able to document this knowledge in the form of help content or solution articles so that the same problems don’t occur in the future.
The roles and responsibilities of a customer service representative
Now that you have a fair understanding of what a customer service rep does, let’s dive deeper into their responsibilities and objectives.
What makes a good customer service representative?
Communication skills
Service reps should be pleasant and empathetic while they’re interacting with customers. They must have great listening skills to understand what the customer really wants and should also have patience to handle conversations effectively irrespective of the customer’s skill level.
Competent technical knowledge
It’s always good to have a support agent who’s well versed with your product and is familiar with the latest technologies in customer support. They can use their technical know-how to solve complex customer issues and also help new team members adapt to your company’s support routines quickly.
Ability to multitask
As customer support is one of the most chaotic departments within a company, a support rep must be able to multitask seamlessly between tasks like handling high priority tickets, documenting solution articles, and preparing notes for meetings/events in a way such that their time and energy is divided optimally.
Attention to detail
Customer service issues are unpredictable and therefore, need to be tackled in an organized and detail-oriented way. Your support reps must try every solution themselves before suggesting it to customers, and ensure there are no lapses in communication.
Ability to honor deadlines
Being the face of your company, your support reps should be able to honor your company’s SLAs and ensure all assigned tickets are resolved well within the deadline. If a particular ticket is out of their scope, they must follow standard procedures to escalate it to the right team.
A proactive approach to support
It’s important that service reps don’t stop talking to customers after a problem is resolved. They can also take the liberty to proactively communicate with customers and find out if it’s been a smooth sail for them with regards to the product and if they have any feedback they’d like to share.
Service reps have to be quick on their feet, excel in having good conversations with customers, exhibit mastery in the product/service, and have a positive outlook that isn’t put down by a bad customer interaction. Here are some of the skills that every support agent in your team should possess.