Intro to Soft Skills 😊💼🔧📚
Customer service is a critical skill in IT support. 💪💻 I can't emphasize that enough. The techniques we'll discuss in these videos won't only help you with your users, they help you work better with your peers, your managers, and maybe even your own personal relationships.
Keep in mind, these techniques don't work in all situations. ⚠️😕 The reality is that no matter how great your customer service, some situations don't have a good resolution, plus everyone is different. You need to tweak your style when working with users. But the techniques we'll cover are intended to make your IT interactions more successful.
🤝🌟 Building Trust and Empathy
In IT support, you work with users to fix technology and improve how people use it. To accomplish this, you need to develop trust between you and the user. Lots of employers believe that good customer service also builds brand loyalty, which is a key to success.
These lessons are meant to give you the foundational skills and techniques of how to deliver great customer service. Customer service practices can differ from company to company. We'll cover the key concepts of customer service in any IT support role. It's important to talk with your employer to understand the company's customer service approach. This will also give you an idea of how much freedom or restrictions you might have in the role.
Spoiler alert! Great customer service requires exhibiting empathy, being conscious of your tone, acknowledging the person you're talking to, and developing trust with the user. If you remember nothing else from this lesson, remember those four things. The most important of all of these is empathy.
😔❤️ Sympathy vs. Empathy
What's the difference between sympathy and empathy? People will say things like sympathy is saying you're sorry, empathy is feeling sorry. That doesn't really explain it. So let's use an example to drive this home.
If someone fell into a dark, damp, dirty hole and you leaned over with a sad expression and said, "That must be a really tough situation," then you are expressing sympathy. You're sharing their feelings, but you aren't experiencing those feelings.
If you crawl down into that dark, damp, dirty hole with the person who fell and said, "This is a really tough situation," then you're expressing empathy. You're able to see something from someone else's perspective and understand their feelings.
The word choice between the two situations is very similar. But the action you take by looking at it from their perspective is what empathy is all about. Some days it's hard to empathize. I know from experience. Maybe you've had an argument with a loved one before work. Then by the end of the day, you find yourself getting annoyed or upset with users. That's the moment when empathy becomes the most important. Because anyone can showcase empathy when it's easy. But someone who persistently displays empathy will stand out as a kinder human and a more professional and effective employee.
🗣️ Watch Your Tone
Once you have empathy down, you should think about your tone. Tone is historically thought of as how you speak out loud. In this technological age, when many of our interactions are over text and IT support is increasingly done remotely, tone isn't just about how you come off during an in-person conversation. It's expanded into how you write, punctuate, and even spell.
If your tone is short or blunt, then the user will feel brushed off and devalued. 😕 But if your tone is friendly and curious, the user is much more likely to have a positive experience working with you. 😊 Be careful not to go overboard with friendliness, though. It could be disingenuous. Communicating a good tone is a delicate balance. How you ask a question and how you respond to a user's question matters.
🙋♂️ Acknowledge the User
In this day and age of text and email, it's easy to ignore what someone says. If a comment seems like a dig or there's just too much information provided, we tend to shy away from responding. It's also really common to forget to tell the user what you're doing while you're troubleshooting. That might leave the user waiting in an awkward silence.
Whenever possible, acknowledge the user. This reduces the tension that might build and helps you understand how you're working toward a solution. Let's say you're chatting back and forth with the user. You're asking a lot of questions to better troubleshoot the issue. The user is answering them but also makes comments like, "Geez, I already answered this in my last email," or "I just want to know what's causing my problem."
You choose to ignore this and continue on with your troubleshooting. You think you're close to solving the problem and these side comments are just a distraction. But then the user stops fully engaging with you and only gives you half answers to your questions. Now you're not able to solve the issue at all. The user's unhappy, you're unhappy, and the company's unhappy. It's a bad situation. 😣
Instead of ignoring those comments, acknowledge them. Respond with something like, "I apologize if it seems like I'm asking redundant questions. I just want to make sure I have a clear understanding of the issue so I can provide the best solution. I appreciate your patience." By acknowledging the user's concerns and frustrations, you validate their feelings and show that you're listening and taking them seriously. This helps to build trust and maintain a positive interaction. 🤝🌟
🤝💼 Developing Trust
Trust is a crucial element in any customer service role. Users need to trust that you have the knowledge and skills to help them with their technical issues. They also need to trust that you have their best interests at heart and that you'll work diligently to find a solution.
To develop trust with users, you can:
Be reliable: Follow through on your commitments and promises. If you say you'll call them back in an hour, make sure you do. If you promise to find a solution, make sure you do your best to deliver.
Be knowledgeable: Demonstrate your technical expertise and provide accurate information. If you're unsure about something, be honest and let the user know that you'll find the answer.
Be responsive: Respond to user inquiries and issues in a timely manner. Even if you don't have an immediate solution, acknowledge their concern and let them know that you're working on it.
Be respectful: Treat users with respect and professionalism, even if they're frustrated or upset. Avoid being condescending or dismissive.
Be transparent: Communicate openly and honestly with users. If there are limitations or constraints that prevent you from providing a certain solution, explain the situation clearly and offer alternatives if possible.
By consistently demonstrating these qualities, you can establish a foundation of trust with users. Trust allows for better collaboration and smoother problem-solving processes, ultimately leading to more positive customer experiences. 🌟🔧
📚 Conclusion
Building trust and empathy, watching your tone, and acknowledging the user are essential soft skills for providing excellent customer service in IT support. These skills help create positive interactions, foster trust, and improve user satisfaction. Remember, empathy is the cornerstone of effective customer service, and developing trust is crucial for long-term success. By consistently applying these techniques, you can enhance your customer service skills and become a more valuable IT support professional. 😊💪
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