The average turnover rate for customer service employees is between 30-45%, more than double the average for all jobs in the U.S. Former employees cite repetitive work, lack of recognition, no career development, inflexible hours, disengagement, high-volume stress, abusive calls, and low job satisfaction as factors.
Having to constantly replace employees does a lot of damage to your company. Your other employees are more than likely experiencing pressure to make up for the missing employee, which is only leading to bad customer service experiences. That results in even more reps quitting.
One way to combat this domino effect is by hiring customer service candidates that are made for the job. Here’s what to look for.
Empathy
One of the most important traits to look for in a potential customer service representative is empathy. Customers need to feel like the provider of their product or service sincerely cares about their problem. It’s been proven that companies that demonstrate empathy towards their customers are more successful. You increase your chances of a customer returning after having an issue if the representatives you hire sympathize with the customer’s needs.
Communication
Your customer service rep needs to have both verbal and written communication skills. Verbal skills are important during the conversation with the customer. Your representative needs to be able to clearly articulate the solution for the customer, while not showing hints of judgment, frustration, or indifference. Their tone needs to be calming, reassuring, and trustworthy.
Writing skills are valuable after the exchange. Your customer service rep needs to be able to compose an email that’s professional and authentic to your company brand.
Referrals
Implementing a referral program into work is a fantastic way to find qualified employees who won’t quit on you. Refered is a recruitment software for hourly employees that incentivizes your staff to refer individuals to your workplace. Request a demo today!
