This is how confidence can help your customer service

Well-trained customer service representatives also elevate a company’s brand and reputation, resulting in positive word of mouth and more repeat business. You can even increase employee retention with great service, as people like working for organisations that treat their customers well. 

The elements needed for superior service

To assemble an all-star customer service team, you must hire the right people based on a specific set of characteristics. Problem-solving is a critical skill for customer service representatives, for instance. Empathy and patience—which help reps create closer bonds with customers—are also essential traits. 

Good communication is another key element for a high-performing customer service team, according to Forbes. A Harvard Business Review study suggests that better social connections can facilitate a team’s performance, too.

Is confidence important in customer service?

While all those attributes will help your team excel, we want to focus on one particular trait: confidence. More often than not, confidence is linked to competence, and a lack of it can damage perceptions of your company. 

Think about it this way: even if you have the most knowledgeable representatives, it won’t matter if they stumble on their words during a call or take too long to answer a question. The person on the other end doesn’t know how skilled they are—all they hear is a representative who is unsure of themselves and can’t fix the problem right away.

If you want to improve your customer experience while increasing the value of customers in the process, you need to start boosting your team’s confidence.

How to grow your team’s workplace confidence

Not all people are confident by nature. The good thing is that when given the right tools and resources, employees can increase their confidence. 

Teach them the ins and outs of your product

The more a person knows about a topic, the easier it is for them to talk about it. This is especially true for customer service reps, as they must be able to think on their feet and tackle problems as they arise. If they have all the information they need, they’ll be able to respond quickly and efficiently.

To keep your team up-to-date on the latest product developments, commit to regular training sessions. Send emails with updates, and organise Q&A meetings with the product developers. Most importantly, ensure your team uses your product (or at least tries it out) so they can speak about it with more confidence and provide better customer care.

Provide the proper training

While it’s crucial for reps to understand your product, you also need to train them on how to deal with customers. You can prepare your team for whatever comes their way by role-playing difficult scenarios, reading back real interactions and reviewing the mistakes, and creating scripts for common situations. When reps feel prepared, they can talk to customers more comfortably and solve issues faster.

Use the best technology

If you’re wondering how to increase customer engagement and satisfaction, sometimes it comes down to using the correct tools. Not every customer likes to be contacted by phone, for instance. Some prefer to talk via live chat, social media, or a dedicated app. 

Make sure your team is trained on how to use these tools so they can deliver efficient customer service with self-assurance. You must also equip your reps with the best tools—such as a CRM, proper ticketing software, and a shared team inbox—to help them handle various types of interactions confidently.

Trust your team and offer praise

After you’ve given your team all the tools and training they need, it’s time for you to take a step back and trust that they know what they’re doing. Nothing makes a person feel less confident than being micromanaged. Giving your reps the freedom to make their own decisions will enable them to get creative and think outside the box.

Additionally, if you make a habit out of praising good work, you’ll motivate everyone on your team and further boost their confidence.

Putting your customer first is critical to providing excellent customer care. Ensuring your team is confident and skilled enough to deliver high-quality customer service will inevitably do just that. If you’re looking for even more customer service best practices, check out these 16 expert tips.