The BPO and call center are vital industries that sustain many jobs worldwide. They offer 24/7 live chat support, which is also a big market for job seekers.
So, if you are looking into the possibility of entering the customer support industry, you might need to prepare and learn key essential skills. What do you need to succeed in this line of expertise?
While there are many essential skills for customer service representatives, live chat agents need some specific ones to excel in their role. Here are five of the most important skills for live chat agents:
- Basic computer skills
- Strong writing skills
- Positive attitude
- Quick thinking
- Attention to detail
- skills to learn about various products
Aside from the 24/7 support, other skills live chat agents need to have so they can do their job well and give excellent customer service. Here are the five skills that every live chat agent should have:
Basic computer skills
This is a given since the primary tool you will use when entering this job is computers. You got a keyboard and the screen of your desktop where everything goes.
As a chat support agent, you will be online and typing most of the time. So an agent must know how to use different computer programs and applications to do their job more efficiently.
Among the essential skills is typing. While you can learn to use and type on the keyboard, the agent would need to specialize in typing fast and efficiently. That means typing without looking too much at the keys. This would help in doing call blending since you need to chat and talk at the same tie if you are a customer support agent.
Strong writing skills
Writing skills are important for live chat agents since they need to be able to communicate clearly and concisely with customers.
You’ll be talking with customers via text-based chat as a live chat agent. Additionally, it’s important to be able to type quickly and efficiently so that you can keep up with the pace of the conversations.
With strong writing skills comes excellence in spelling and familiarity with words. Basic writing skills would help you pace quickly when you need to learn the jargon.
Positive attitude
As an agent, you are the face and voice of your company. You are the first to answer a customer when they experience concerns and issues about the service or a product.
As the face of your company, it’s important that you have a positive attitude and are able to project a friendly demeanor.
This means being patient with customers, even when they’re frustrated, and being able to defuse difficult situations. It’s also important to be able to build rapport with customers so that they feel comfortable and valued.
Quick thinking
Live chat conversations happen in real-time, which means you need to be able to think on your feet. You’ll need to be able to assess customer needs in seconds while you come up with the best solutions. Additionally, you’ll need to be able to type fast so that you can keep up with the conversation.
Quick thinking is a must skill for any marketing and related industry. This could also be an unconscious reason why others would not like to be in the BPO or call centers. Not everyone can train themselves to apply quick thinking in their communication with others.
Sometimes, those who use quick thinking are able to keep their head cool and light. Quick thinkers do not panic. Nor do they leave a problem in the middle of a hot mess. They keep it cool and composed while their brains form ideas to resolve other issues.
Attention to detail
Since you’ll be communicating with customers via text, you must have strong attention to detail.
This means being able to catch spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and typos. Additionally, you’ll need to be able to format messages so that they’re easy to read quickly.
Attention to detail is almost always present in any JD. That is because if you work for clients and customers at the same time, you need to pay attention to what cares specifically falls on one another. Being lax and lazy is definitely a NO for this job.
You may feel that chat support is a simple task, just sitting and waiting for a call. Or waiting for a chief to instruct you what to do. It is not. It takes a specialist or a professional never to let a single important detail slip things to accomplish daily.
Knowledgeable about your product
As a live chat agent, you’ll be the first contact point for customers with questions or problems. This means that you need to have a good understanding of your company’s products or services. You’ll need to be able to quickly find answers to customer questions and escalate issues when necessary.
These are just a few of the skills that live chat agents need to excel in their role. If you have these skills, you might be the perfect candidate for a career in customer support.
Final Notes: Key Takeaway
So, your key takeaway from this article is to be willing to learn things that you think are basic. Masters of trade often say that the basics are the most advanced. Do not get too confident. Instead, look back to common basic skills. Who knows, you could be successful in the BPO and call center industry.
Interesting related article: