First, are there remote customer support specialist jobs? Yes, there are! 

Have you ever stopped using the services of a brand or company because you spoke with someone from their customer support and they were incredibly rude to you, or they simply handled your complaint poorly?

A customer support specialist is critical to any business as they are the link between a company and its clients. Still, if you want to be skilled enough to get a remote customer support specialist job, there are specific skills you have to develop.

1. Problem-solving skills

This is arguably one of the most important skills a customer support specialist needs to possess. Clients will have different complaints, and they won’t always express those complaints correctly. It is up to the customer support specialist to intuit what they are trying to say and offer appropriate solutions or ask a series of questions that will make their problem even more straightforward- then offer them a solution.

2. Creativity and Resourcefulness

There are two types of customer support specialist- the one that’s okay and the amazing one.

It takes a certain level of creativity and resourcefulness to solve a client’s problem in a way that makes the experience memorable for them. Only someone with the proper zeal will be able to infuse creativity into problem-solving. That will change the face of any company’s customer support- and that’s why they are looking for someone that possesses this skill.

3. Emotional Intelligence

A customer support specialist will deal with different types of people that are feeling different kinds of emotions. Some of them will be frustrated, some of them angry, and some just downright rude.

A good customer support specialist will know how to deal with the different types of emotions clients present with, without taking it personally, while still being able to calm them down and offer a solution.

4. Excellent Communication Skills

A customer support specialist has to know how to break down technical facts into easily digestible facts that clients can understand. A frustrated client doesn’t want to hear technical jargon. They want a simple solution, and it is the job of a skilled customer support specialist to communicate that solution in a way that they can understand.

5. Patience

This cannot be overemphasised, but a customer support specialist has to be a very patient person. When clients call, they could be frustrated, angry, anxious, irrational, etc. A customer support specialist needs to be patient enough to navigate through all their emotions to get to the root of their needs.

6. Product Skills

You can’t offer solutions if you don’t have an in-depth knowledge of the company’s product. A good customer support specialist should have enough research skills to know everything about the company and what they are selling to attend to clients from a place of knowledge.

7. Persuasion Skills

As a customer support specialist, you will not only deal with calls about complaints but about enquiries too.

A good customer support specialist needs to know how to persuade potential clients into becoming clients. They also need to be able to make existing clients want to return.

8. Time management skills

As a customer support specialist, if you are not careful, you’ll spend more time than you should with a client. It is important that you know how to manage your time properly, whilst maintaining the utmost professionalism and proffering solutions to the clients’ problems.

9. Active Listening

If you are the type that multitasks while you are on a phone call, for example, to work as a customer support specialist, you will have to train yourself out of this behaviour. 

Clients can tell when your mind isn’t entirely with them, which will give them a wrong impression of the company.

Your bosses will not be pleased to know that!

10. Positivity

The ability to use positive words when addressing a client, even when you don’t know how to help them immediately, will go a long way in your success as a customer support specialist.

Clients will respond to a positive attitude and positive words first. If they are not met with positivity, they won’t feel at ease enough to share their problems. Also, this will not create a good image for the company.

A customer support specialist’s job is very delicate and important for a company’s image, and as such, they’ll be on the lookout for someone who possesses these soft skills. If you are looking for a remote customer support specialist job, these are the skills you need to work on, and if you already have them, what are you waiting for? Start sending out those applications!

 

Here is an excellent place to start looking for remote customer support specialist jobs.