Customer service workers have a challenging and mostly thankless job. When they help a client, it’s expected. However, when customers are upset, they can sometimes get nasty, and the agent becomes their punching bag. The issue will escalate to the manager, where the customer complains about the representative to their boss. The job can seem like a no-win situation, which—quite frankly—not everyone is cut out for.
That is why hiring managers will put prospective customer care specialists through rigorous tests to see if they have what it takes. This includes defining what customer service means to them, and having the applicants complete written prompts and assessments or role-play behavioral scenarios to see how they would handle themselves in hypothetical situations.
Different Types Of Customer Service Roles
The phone-based customer service segment is the largest, encompassing roles like help-desk support, account management and support hotlines. However, options are diversifying as companies utilize more digital engagement channels.
Excellent communication skills remain essential across all roles. Hospitality, healthcare, finance, tech and e-commerce have extensive customer service needs.
Other roles
- Social Media Customer Service- Engaging with customers publicly on social networks, like Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook, to handle questions and complaints
- Technical Support- Assisting customers with technological or computer issues, like troubleshooting, via remote access, phone and online
What Is Customer Service?
In a job interview for a customer service or people-facing role, it is customary for the hiring manager or human resources professional to ask the candidate, “What does customer service mean to you?” Your response to this question will signal to the interviewer that you grasp the scope of the job, share the same customer service values as the organization and are equipped to efficiently and effectively help solve customer disputes with a high level of emotional intelligence.
Before interviewing for a customer-facing role, you must do your due diligence on the company’s customer policies. When speaking to HR and the hiring manager, you can reference the organization’s ethos regarding customer care to show you have done your homework and can represent the company intelligibly. A stellar service agent should also be well-versed in the intricacies of the products, goods or services offered.
When interviewing for a customer service role, you should be able to clearly put into your own words and define what “customer service” actually means.
Here are some examples
- “Customer care specialists are responsible for offering white-glove assistance and service to the customers they interact with throughout the day.”
- “A great service rep will provide compassion to a problem, actively listen to the issues raised by the consumer and treat them as if they are the most important person in the world at the present moment. They should respond to inquiries in a reasonable and timely manner.”
- “Excellent customer service means going above and beyond to ensure the customer is happy and shares the experience with everyone they meet.”
- “Customer success professionals must have the patience to calmly interact with irate clients without raising their voices or resorting to calling names. They need to demonstrate empathy and must always remain people-first.”
- “A customer service representative is just that—a representative of the organization. A poor customer experience can ruin a company’s reputation, as the displeased patron will tell everyone they know not to buy your products or services.”
To demonstrate your customer care prowess, draw from real-life experiences and provide the interviewer with some examples of how a customer presented you with a problem. Walk them through your thought process and how you happily and seamlessly resolved the issue.
You can also outline your personal standards for customer service as a consumer yourself, and how you strive to fulfill those expectations as a customer success agent.
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