Remaining calm and composed is an essential skill that customer support agents need to possess in order to best serve the customer. In essence, it is the ability to remain clear-headed, patient, and professional during any given customer service exchange, no matter the complexity or difficulty of the situation. This skill can be comprised of many smaller abilities such as active listening, empathy, and adaptability.
Customer service agents use the ability to remain calm and composed in situations where the customer is angry, frustrated, or confused. By staying composed and positive, agents are able to diffuse emotions and provide a steady, reassuring customer experience. This includes calmly responding to customer inquiries, questions, suggestions, and complaints.
Remaining calm and composed is valuable for customer service agents in today’s ever-evolving customer service landscape. Today’s customer service agents need to be able to react and adapt to changes quickly and be able to handle customer inquiries in multiple channels, no matter the customer’s state of mind. Agents need to be able to work through customer inquiries professionally and with a clear head, even if the customer is emotional or demanding.
Agents can improve their ability to remain calm and composed by preparing for difficult customer service scenarios, actively listening to their customer, and empathizing with their customer’s situation and feelings. Agents should also ensure they are well-rested and have a positive state of mind before interacting with customers.
For example, a customer service agent receives a complaint from a customer. The complaint is very detailed in why the customer is unhappy, and the customer is understandably emotional. The customer service agent calmly responds by validating the customer’s feelings and reassuring them they are taking the complaint seriously. They then thank the customer for the feedback, promise to look into the issue, and let them know they will be in touch soon with an update. The customer service agent’s calmness and ability to remain composed are key factors in being able to swiftly and efficiently address the customer’s complaint.
Overall, customer service agents need to maintain a sense of calmness and composure in order to provide levels of quality customer service. Being able to remain composed in the face of any customer service exchange is becoming increasingly important in todays customer service world, where customer expectations are constantly evolving. With the right preparation and practices, agents have the tools needed to stay composed and connect with customers appropriately.