Good customer service skills will set you apart from other candidates

Whatever kind of work you'd like to do, a strong background in customer service will help you stand out as the perfect candidate. Let's take a look at six key customer service skills that you can apply throughout your career, wherever it takes you:

1. Strong communication skills

Communication skills are often called “soft skills,” but we prefer to call them core skills, because they play an incredibly important part in almost every industry. Good communication skills are fundamental. And they are especially useful in customer service jobs.

Whether you’re helping a customer find the perfect gift for their special someone or addressing a complaint, you’ll need a silver tongue, a positive attitude and the emotional intelligence to practice empathy and anticipate customer needs.

Interpersonal skills in general give you a solid foundation for building a successful career; they empower you nail customer service interviews to get hired, build strong professional relationships with your colleagues and impress clients and business contacts.

Remember that good communication is a two-way street. You may have the public-speaking skills of a grand orator, but how about active listening skills? Your customers want to feel heard, so make sure to communicate that you are listening. Nod your head to show that you understand. Ask follow-up questions to get more details and demonstrate that you care about your customer’s problems.

As a customer service representative, you'll learn how to explain concepts to others in easy-to-understand terms — and how to placate people who don’t share your point of view. Your oral and written communication skills will also help you get your points across in meetings and during collaborative tasks.

You'll find that you use these skills in a variety of settings; they’re transferable skills that you can apply in different jobs and industries in the future.

2. Solid time-management skills

You need to finish up that inventory, but a customer needs help. You should really study up on the new product your business offers, but you also need to write a report on a customer complaint. Tasks are piling up. What do you do?

Strong time-management skills are a vital part of