Testing Customer Service Skills and Personality

Overview of the position

Customer service representatives assist your customers by answering their questions about your products and services, taking and canceling orders, processing forms, handling their complaints, and resolving problems.

As part of this work, customer service representatives keep records of the transactions and interactions they have with customers. They also manage basic communications, such as responding to inquiries, sending thank you notes, and notifying customers of resolutions. Good communication skills and a knack for turning upset customers into satisfied customers are valuable qualities.

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Key skills and abilities

Customer service reps have a challenging job that requires a unique set of capabilities, including:

Interpersonal skills with the emotional intelligence to resolve conflicts
Patience and empathy
Communication skills, particularly when it comes to listening
Ability to quickly learn about products, policies and procedures
Problem-solving attitude
Ability to multitask and prioritize
Adept at using CRM software, email technology, and database interface and query software
Good record keeping skills

What makes a great customer service agent?

A great customer service representative has a knack for dealing with people, processes, and data. In dealing with people, emotional intelligence, patience and empathy play a major role. In considering processes and data, great customer service reps are very comfortable with a variety of technologies and tools. They are meticulous in record keeping and have a high degree of integrity so that they can solve customer problems, yet protect the company's reputation and finances.

Which tests can you use to assess customer service skills?

Because the role of customer service rep requires proficiency in a wide range of skills, it makes sense to administer a series of tests tailored to what matters most in your company.

Personality test

This test will uncover candidates with the empathy and emotional intelligence this role requires. Use it to find competent, team-oriented, and reliable people.

English grammar test

Effective written communication is a reflection on your company. It's also vital when clarity matters. Use this test to find candidates who can communicate in an intelligent, thoughtful, and organized manner.

Reading comprehension test

People in customer service need to be able to understand, remember, process, and use information they read. They will also have to scan information on the fly as they listen to a customer, which requires a higher level of literacy.

Basic academic combination assessment

A high school diploma doesn't guarantee a level of competence, as educational standards vary. A better gauge for educational attainment is to test across math, spelling, vocabulary and grammar skills.

Custom hiring test

You may need candidates to have industry-specific skills or you might want to uncover personality aspects that suggest a good fit with your culture. Creating a customized customer service test is an efficient way to find just the right people for your open positions.

How to conduct a customer service assessment

Conduct assessment tests for customer service early in the process to quickly identify the best candidates. Use tests that have been vetted to comply with hiring laws and be sure to administer the tests the same way to all candidates to prevent the risk of bias. Let candidates know that testing is a part of the process for everyone and make taking them convenient.

Why assess customer service skills before hiring

The customer service role is vital to profitability and growth. With good customer service, you can create a loyal and growing customer base. Your business will run more smoothly and profitably. Your brand value will grow.

Assessing customer service skills and personality traits before hiring reduces risk from employment decisions. It streamlines the hiring process and makes evaluating candidates more straightforward, fair, and objective. This helps to reduce problems such as:

Misunderstandings in communication
Recurring customer complaints
Losses due to excessive returns
Losing customers to competitors
Customers bad mouthing your business
High turnover
A missed opportunity to capture insights into customers, trends, and the market

Why to assess customer service skills before hiring.