To be a good Customer Service Assistant you need to be a people person and have excellent communication skills.
In this role you will be the first point of contact for the company and you will deal with customer enquiries including complaints. These enquiries or complaints could be face to face depending on the place that you work or they could be over the telephone or via letter or email. Dealing with these enquiries or complaints need to be approached with great care and this is where good people skills come into it.
To become a Customer Service Assistant, an employer will look for a good standard of education and excellent communication skills including your personality and how friendly you are. Previous experience of face to face contact with customers or giving advice over the telephone would be an advantage.
Customer Service work includes:
- Dealing with customer enquiries
- Providing advice and information regarding an enquiry or complaint
- Taking orders and or selling products
- Arranging services for customers
- Handling complaints
- Keeping accurate customer information
- Taking payments
- Dealing with refunds, credit notes etc.
Depending on what sector you are in you may be able to do a Customer Service type course relevant to your industry such as:
- Level 1 Award for Introduction to Customer Service
- Level 1 Award/Certificate in Principles of Customer Service
- Level 2 Award/Certificate in Customer Service
- Level 2 Certificate in Contact Centre Operations
Largely Customer Service roles are gained through experience, learning on the job, there is no better qualifications just be prepared to listen to your customers but be firm and honest. Follow procedures for dealing with customers set by your company but ensure that there is room for movement and that the customer is always treated fairly without compromising company values.
Questions
- How would you react when faced with an angry, irate customer complaint ?
- What are your values of trust?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What motivates you?
- Why do you want this job?
- Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
- What’s your ideal company?
- What attracted you to this company?
- Why should we hire you? What makes you a better candidate than others?
- What did you like least about your last job?
- When were you most satisfied in your job?
- What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?
- What were the responsibilities of your last position?
- Why are you leaving your present job?
- What do you know about this industry?
- What do you know about our company?
- Do you have any questions for me?
Good luck with your interview.