What Are Examples of Technical Skills for a Customer Service Rep?

Technical skills are important for many jobs, and customer service is no different. There are certain types of technical skills that are beneficial for those working in customer service.

Are technical skills hard skills or soft skills?

There are a number of skills needed to complete various jobs, and they are broken down into two types – hard skills versus soft skills. Hard skills are the skills that are necessary to complete a specific job and are gained through experience, training, or education. These are the skills that employees learn so that they can be competent at their job. Soft skills are personality traits and qualities and include interpersonal or human skills. Soft skills tend to be more intrinsic and are transferable across all different kinds of occupations. Technical skills refer to the specialized knowledge and expertise required to perform tasks related to science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math and fall under the area of hard skills. The types and degree of technical skills will vary drastically depending on the job but are required in some form for the majority of jobs.

Are soft skills equally as important as technical skills?

When debating the importance of technical skills versus soft skills, it truly depends on the job. For professions such as doctor, accountant, hair stylist, data scientist, marine biologist, and truck driver, technical skills are imperative for them to successfully do their job. While the importance of technical skills in the area of customer service cannot be denied, one could argue that soft skills are even more important. Certainly there are technical skills that are important for customer service representatives to have to ensure that they are doing their job to the best of their ability, but customer service revolves around interactions with other people. For customer service reps, having high level soft skills in communication, empathy, problem-solving, and patience are absolutely necessary for them to excel.

What are 5 examples of technical skills in management?

High level soft skills are just as important for customer service executives and managers to have, but there is also a need for technical skills in management. Some of the top technical skills include:

• Leadership skills: Those in management must be good leaders and exemplary models for their teams. They need to inspire and motivate their teams to recognize their full potential and provide excellent customer service.
• Customer-relationship management (CRM) systems: CRM systems are widely used to manage, track, and store information related to a company’s current and potential customers, so customer service managers have to know the ins-and-outs of this software in order to better manage their team and their clients.
• Data analysis: Management needs to know how to analyze data and feedback to ensure the effectiveness of their team and their interactions with customers. This helps them to know when more training or guidance is needed and improves customer satisfaction.
• Conflict resolution: Whether between team members or with customers, conflict is certain to arise. Management must be able to remain professional, patient, and keep their cool in order to resolve conflicts effectively.
• Computer/technological knowledge: Management is required to use a variety of programs and tools to assist their team and customers. They must have a good understanding of these to make certain that everything is operating smoothly and be able to offer clear explanations when issues arise.

How to Improve Technical Skills in Management

Just because someone is in management, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Managers should continue to seek training and development opportunities to make sure that they have up-to-date knowledge of strategies, techniques, and the latest trends for customer service. They can also do this by reading current publications and other information related to their field. Management should also strive to further their computer and technological knowledge to ensure that they are utilizing technology to the fullest.