An outstanding customer service representative can mean the difference between gaining a customer’s loyalty to your brand and losing him to your competitor. Thus, it pays for companies to seriously consider how they go about selecting workers for such interactive positions.
Especially in today’s current climate of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever that companies retain customers than pay more money to acquire new ones. A matter of fact, it’s been estimated that increasing customer retention rates by 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. Additionally, according to research by American Express, 33% of customers will consider switching to a competing company if they had a poor customer service experience. And, it can cost five times as much to acquire a new customer than keep an existing one.
The numbers can’t overstate how important it is that companies get this role right. Here’s what to look for when you hire customer service service professionals.
How to Hire for Customer Service Jobs
Abilities and Experience
Looking for resumes that document past experience dealing with customers is a good place to start when deciding how to hire a customer service rep. History proves a great teacher of how to handle the types of situations that commonly arise.
Candidates who include metrics earn added notice. Such information demonstrates that the person understands the need to maintain a solid pace of work and to seek resolutions that leave customers satisfied.
Since customer service reps typically interact with people through phone calls, email, or online chats, it pays to look at a candidate’s capabilities in these areas. Administering skills tests provides information on typing speed, ability to follow directions or a script, and competency at writing messages with correct spelling, tone, and grammar.
Soft Skills
A variety of soft skills prove incredibly valuable in customer service careers. Customer emotions often run high, and representatives who demonstrate empathy, calmness under pressure, and problem-solving prowess diffuse tense situations.
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Posing various questions and scenarios during the interview stage helps gauge strength in these areas. Christine Cummings, director of sales at ONYX, considers the following some of the best questions to ask candidates:
When you have called into a contact center (such as the phone company or a credit card company), can you describe the worst experience you have had? If you were on the other end of the phone that day, what would you have done differently?
“This is a great question to ask in order to understand what they consider a poor experience and for you to gather information on how the candidate resolves conflict.”
Describe a situation you recently faced when it was difficult to maintain a cooperative and friendly attitude towards a client.
“Asking this question will allow you to see how the candidate reacts under pressure and when a client interaction is not always positive. You want to learn about their conflict resolution skills, how they tolerate stress, and their ability to follow company policies.”
Describe what customer service means to you.
“Asking this crucial question will allow you to gauge a candidate’s commitment to the role and gain insights about their philosophy on customer service. You want to hear they are approachable, understanding of the role, and have a true passion for helping customers.”
A few others to consider posing—courtesy of Kim Rasmussen, national account director for Avenica—are below.
Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to deliver great service to a customer or client.
“You want to know that they are willing to put in extra effort to leave a lasting impression on your customers.”
Tell me about a time when you had to tell a customer “no” or that there would be nothing that could be done at this moment.
“This may show you how comfortable they are in standing their ground, and it highlights their ability to come up with creative solutions for the customer—something that many customers appreciate.”
Ability to Work Remotely
An increasing number of customer service reps work from home permanently. If your company needs to fill remote jobs, spend some time figuring out if an applicant seems suited for telecommuting.
A resume demonstrating previous success in such an environment helps ensure the person has a realistic view of the challenges of remote work. During the interview, ask the candidate to describe their home office. The purpose here isn’t to judge fanciness but rather to see if the person realizes that they’ll need a quiet, dedicated space to perform tasks efficiently.
Education and Willingness to Learn
Customer service reps generally possess a high school diploma or the equivalent, though some employers prefer applicants whose background includes post-secondary coursework or a degree. As an employer, determine if specific knowledge is necessary for the role at hand. Classes in information systems or previous experience with certain computer programs, for instance, demonstrate aptitude and interest when hiring tech support reps.
Many employers keep their ears open to identify what Cummings dubs “a forever student.”
“In the contact center space, you see people from all sorts of educational backgrounds,” Cummings says. “What we find important is identifying someone who is constantly looking for opportunities to advance their skill set. You don’t have to have a Ph.D. or even a degree; what will set you apart in the interview process is demonstrating your continual learning process.”
Because customer service reps must be well-versed about the company and its products/services, looking for someone who has done homework can be useful.
“My favorite question to ask is, ‘What do you know about Evopure?’ because it helps cover a couple of key points” says Evopure co-founder Elliot Blackler. “First, I believe the most important attribute in customer experience is to be proactive. As someone who is at the forefront of the business, they need to go above and beyond what the customer expects, and a key part of that is being naturally proactive. Second, it helps separate the candidates that have just applied to jobs in bulk from those who are genuinely interested in working for Evopure specifically.”
A final clue signaling a candidate who can adapt to your company and grow with it is superior listening skills. As noted by Jon Hill, CEO and chairman of The Energists, “In order to figure out what someone needs, you need to listen carefully. The best customer service reps I know also happen to be the best listeners. They’re not the types of candidates who walk into a job interview and act like they know everything. Instead, they come in and ask questions about our company to learn as much as possible about our needs.”
FlexJobs Can Help Your Company With Hiring
Knowing how to hire customer service jobs can help your business retain current customers and delight clients so that they stay on board for the long haul. If your company is looking to hire customer service jobs, FlexJobs can help!
FlexJobs helps companies of all sizes recruit top talent in the flexible work space, which ranges from full-time remote jobs, freelance, contract, part-time, and more.
Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help you fill flexible jobs! Or, if you’re ready to start hiring now, become a member and begin screening qualified applicants.
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