5 Soft Skills Every Agent Needs Before Taking Their First Call

In customer service, where every phone call is a unique challenge, it’s crucial to prepare your team with the right soft skills before they start dealing with calls.

Here, Sirisha Peters, L&D Professional and Leadership Coach, explains the five essential soft skills that every call centre agent should have before going live with their first call.

These skills are not just valuable; they are essential for making your call centre efficient and providing excellent customer service.

1. The Knack for Problem-Solving

Every call is like solving a puzzle.

The ability to think on your feet, find innovative solutions, and navigate customer issues is crucial.

The ability to think on your feet, find innovative solutions, and navigate customer issues is crucial.

Problem-solving is key, transforming each call into an opportunity to showcase critical thinking skills and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

2. The Art of Active Listening

Mastering active listening is like hitting the right note in a choir. It’s not just about hearing customers; it’s about connecting with them on a deep level.

Skilled active listening allows agents to understand customers’ voices, pick up on their concerns, and convey that they care.

This skill turns customer interactions into meaningful conversations. By empowering your agents with active listening, you’re not just addressing concerns, you’re creating memorable experiences.

3. The Multitasking Juggler

In the busy life of a call centre, agents need to multitask efficiently.

Before going live with their first call, they should be confident in being able to juggle various tasks with grace, like a circus performer keeping multiple balls up in the air.

Getting this right can help boost productivity across the contact centre floor.

4. Empathy Is the Customer Compass

In the unpredictable world of customer service, empathy is like a compass, guiding your call centre agent through challenges.

It’s the moral guide that helps them understand customers’ emotions. When agents step into customers’ shoes, they build a strong emotional connection, empowering them to turn dissatisfied customers into loyal advocates.

5. The Zen Virtue of Patience

Patience is a superpower!

It helps agents remain calm in challenging situations, turning each difficult call into an opportunity for patience to shine. Patience builds trust, defuses tension, and makes sure agents provide exceptional customer experiences.

Together These Skills Are the Wind in Your Sails

Together, these skills are crucial for your call centre’s success. They propel your agents towards excellence, enhance customer experiences, and set the course for success.

As contact centre managers, nurturing these skills in your teams is essential for turning your agents into customer service champions who can handle any situation and seize every opportunity.

Written by: Sirisha Peters, L&D Professional and Leadership Coach

If you are looking for information on how to develop essential agent skills in your contact centre, read these articles next:

• How to Utilize Tone of Voice in the Contact Centre
• How to Use Funnel Questions – With Examples
• How to Improve Call Control Skills
• How to Bridge Silence on a Call

Author: Sirisha Peters
Reviewed by: Megan Jones