Customer service competency is the ability to regularly deliver service that meets or exceeds customer expectations. It includes strong communication, 100% product knowledge, problem-solving skills, and a customer-focused mindset. This competency directly impacts customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business reputation.
People may forget what you said. But they’ll never forget how you made them feel, particularly when they’re holding their wallet!
In today’s crowded market, good products are no longer enough. What sets a business apart is how it treats its customers. Studies show that about 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience (CX). And 75% say they’ll spend more with companies that give them consistently good service.
Now, what does this mean? Customer service isn’t just support! Instead, it is a serious growth tool in 2025. For business owners, this is a clear message:
- Upgrade how you serve customers
- Risk losing them to someone who does
Finding it intimidating? Don’t be! This article talks about 11 surefire customer service tips for staff that can build trust, loyalty, and long-term value. Read till the end!
The Spectrum of Customer Service Competency
As a business owner, you must not limit your support team to only resolving customer issues. Instead, you should try to:
- Learn from each issue
- Help the customer make better choices
- Improve your service to avoid future problems.
Doing this builds trust and improves loyalty. Studies show that about 94% of American customers will recommend a company whose service they rate as “very good”.
Such rating parameters divide customer service competency into three major levels: good, great, and excellent customer service. Let’s study an example to understand them better:
Example of Customer Service Competency
Say a customer buys your product online, but it does not work as per their expectations. Let’s see how customer service can respond at three different levels:
Level I: Good Customer Service
- Your company gives a refund without delay.
- This resolves the customer’s problem.
- However, your team does not try to learn why the issue happened.
- They only met the basic expectation of fixing the reported problem.
Level II: Great Customer Service
-
- Your company gives a refund.
- Your support team also asks why the item was faulty.
- They even offer other options that may work better.
- They try to understand the cause of the issue and let your customers find a better solution.
- This adds value beyond the refund.
Level III: Excellent Customer Service
- Your company gives you a refund.
- Your support team reviews the customer’s past purchases to see why this product was not a good fit for them.
- They suggest a new item that matches their needs better.
- They also make changes to their process so future customers do not face the same issue.
- They don’t just solve your problem! Instead, they try to prevent problems before they happen.
- Such an effort makes sure your customers are satisfied with future experiences as well.
How Can You Improve Customer Service? 11 Surefire Ways!
Did you know? About 80% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. Thus, to compete in this modern world with erudite customers and cut-throat competition, you must achieve the highest level of customer service competency.
But how? Below are eleven customer service improvement suggestions your team must follow in 2025:
1. Follow a “Customer First” Approach
Make every decision with the customer in mind. Try to learn what they need and not just what they ask for. Ideally, your team should always try to improve your customers’ experience.
Let’s see how customer service competency varies:
- Bad: No help available and unclear product details.
- Good: Your staff answers questions when asked.
- Great: Your staff gives advice based on what the customer likes.
- Excellent: Your business offers helpful suggestions and gives personalised deals. Also, it asks for feedback to improve.
2. Use Positive Language
The words your team uses influence the customer’s experience. Ideally, they should speak clearly without any ambiguity. Also, the tone must be respectful and helpful. They should avoid language that sounds negative or dismissive.
This is how customer service competency fluctuates:
- Bad: “Your delivery will be delayed.”
- Good: “Your delivery will arrive by the end of the week.”
- Great: “We’ve prioritised your delivery to make sure it arrives by the end of the week.”
- Excellent: “We’ve fast-tracked your delivery. You’ll receive updates and can contact us anytime.”
3. Enhance Your Product Knowledge
Your team should have a 100% understanding of your products and services. They must be able to:
- Answer questions
- Solve problems
- Explain details without guessing.
Below is the variation in customer service competency:
- Bad: Giving wrong product information.
- Good: Giving correct product details and answering questions.
- Great: Teaching customers how to use the product properly.
- Excellent: Predicting questions based on customer use and offering helpful tips without being asked.
4. Be Accessible
Make it simple for customers to reach you. Ideally, you should opt for omnichannel messaging solutions and offer your customers several ways to contact you, such as:
Let’s map out the spectrum of customer service competency:
- Bad: You offer only one way to contact support, and it’s often unavailable.
- Good: You provide multiple ways to contact support and they are checked regularly.
- Great: Support is available 24/7 with quick replies.
- Excellent: Customers can switch between channels (e.g., email to chat) without repeating themselves. Quick help is available anytime.
5. Implement a Customer-Centric Policy
Design your business policies around customer needs and not just your own convenience. Ideally, you should make returns, exchanges, and service simple and clear.
Let’s check out how customer service competency fluctuates:
- Bad: Complicated return rules.
- Good: Simple return process.
- Great: Easy returns with no questions asked.
- Excellent:
- Easy returns
- Feedback collection
- Changes based on feedback
- Offering small rewards for future purchases
6. Personalise Your Interactions
Try to treat each customer as an individual. Studies show that about 76% of customers become frustrated when companies fail to offer personalised interactions. Thus, to personalise, you can:
- Use their name while communicating
- Refer to their past purchases and give product suggestions that match their interests.
Below is the variation in customer service competency:
- Bad: Same email sent to everyone.
- Good: Email uses the customer’s name and order history.
- Great: Messages are based on what they looked at online.
- Excellent: Offers and messages are based on their shopping habits and preferences.
7. Resolve Complaints Quickly
Your team must try to resolve all the complaints with a minimum resolution time. Studies show that about 90% of consumers require an “immediate” response when they have a customer service question. About 60% define “immediate” as 10 minutes or less! Thus, take all complaints seriously! Do not ignore complaints or delay responses.
Let’s see how customer service competency differs:
- Bad: No response to a complaint.
- Good: Complaint is handled within a set timeframe.
- Great: Asking for feedback and solving problems before they get worse.
- Excellent:
- Predicting issues before customers complain
- Resolving them quickly
- Making changes to stop the same problems from happening again
8. Show Empathy
Your customer support agents must understand how your customers feel when they face a problem. They should listen to them carefully and let them know they understand their frustration or concern. This builds trust and shows that your business cares!
Now, let’s understand how customer service competency behaves differently:
- Bad: Treating the issue like a basic transaction and ignoring customer emotion.
- Good: Saying you understand the issue and want to help.
- Great: Using kind words and giving a solution that fits how the customer feels.
- Excellent:
- Always speaking with care
- Giving personalised support
- Building a reputation for truly caring about people.
9. Be Proactive
Don’t wait for problems to happen! Instead, your team must try to solve issues before the customer reports them. If your team observes something is going wrong, they must take early action!
This is how customer service competency varies:
- Bad: Only responding after the customer complains.
- Good: Checking in with customers to see if everything is fine.
- Great: Noticing patterns and resolving small issues before they grow.
- Excellent: Using customer data to predict future problems and solve them before the customer notices.
10. Reward Loyal Customers
Give special treatment to repeat customers. Show that you appreciate their support. To do so, you can:
- Send thank-you messages
- Offer discounts
- Give early access to products
Let’s understand the full spectrum of customer service competency in this parameter:
- Bad: Treating new and long-term customers the same.
- Good: Sending a thank-you message after multiple purchases.
- Great: Giving discounts or special deals to loyal customers.
- Excellent: Running a loyalty program that gives regular rewards and strengthens the relationship.
11. Train Your Team Properly
Make sure everyone on your team knows your products and has soft skills to speak with customers. Ideally, you should teach them how to handle complaints and solve problems with minimum resolution time. Research shows that about 67% of customers say that faster response times significantly improve their satisfaction.
Below is the variation in customer service competency:
- Bad: No training at all; team members give poor service.
- Good: Basic training during onboarding.
- Great: Regular training on products and service skills.
- Excellent: Full training programs and workshops are organised so staff are always prepared to give the best service.
Finding Customer Service Tough? Pass Your CX Headache to Atidiv in 2025!
Great customer service builds trust and brings repeat business. It also sets your brand apart from your competitors. Research found that about 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.
To achieve the highest level of customer service competency in 2025, you must:
- Train your team
- Adopt omnichannel messaging solutions
- Personalise your approach
- Always put the customer first
- Show empathy
Finding it tough? Are you stuck in constant queries and long response times? But why struggle when Atidiv can do it for you?
We at Atidiv are customer experience specialists. Our team offers 24/7 customer support across multiple platforms. Also, we can easily handle high query volumes and even after-hours responses. Recently, we at Atidiv saved $1.3M for a U.S. tire retailer and $500K annually for a UK firm by managing over 230,000 support tickets.
With 15+ years of experience, 70+ clients, and cost savings of up to 60%, Atidiv delivers top-notch service with a 98% QA score and a 4.8 CSAT rating. Hire us today!
FAQs On Customer Service Competency
1. How do I improve customer service competency without increasing my costs?
Start with training your existing team. Particularly, focus on:
- Soft skills
- Product knowledge
- Clear communication
Also, use customer feedback to make simple changes that matter! Remember, you don’t need costly tools. Instead, just be consistent and try to offer thoughtful service that meets expectations.
2. My team is small. Can we still provide excellent customer service?
Yes! Even with a small team, you can deliver great service by:
- Being responsive
- Listening carefully
- Personalising communication
Also, set clear service standards and prefer automation. Alternatively, you can outsource to CX specialists like Atidiv. Our team can handle large volumes without overloading your team.
3. How can I handle customer complaints in the minimum time?
Set up a clear system to log, track, and respond to complaints. Adopt omnichannel messaging solutions which let you offer support on multiple platforms, like:
- Chat
- Phone
This reduces delays and enhances customer service competency.
4. I keep getting the same customer complaints. What should I do?
You must track and analyse the recurring issues. Try to find the root cause, whether it’s a product flaw or unclear instructions. Post-analysis, you should:
- Resolve the core problem
- Update your process
- Inform customers
This stops repeat complaints and improves satisfaction.
