Customer service skills - sm Posted: Jul 16th, 2016 - 6:49 am In Reply to: I wish I never became an MT - sm
I finally left MT (whew) after 28 years. When asked by the interviewer about my customer service skills, I responded that I considered customer service to be more an attitude than a specific skill. Being approachable, upbeat, polite, friendly, and willing to solve problems is what constitutes good customer service. Listening to concerns with undivided attention makes customers feel respected and believe they've been heard and understood.
As MTs, we may have been isolated, but there's no reason we can't have a good attitude; in fact, your attitude during the interview will demonstrate this. A warm handshake, a smile, good eye contact, speaking pleasantly and clearly, and even a sense of humor...these are all things that an employer looks for in a potential hire. As an MT, you know that clear and articulate communication fosters better relationships and better business (we love those great dictators, ya know). If your interview is on the phone, rather than in person, you can still convey a great attitude; they say that you can "hear" a smile as well as you can see one, and your voice quality says volumes about you.
There's a technique that I believe is called "mirroring." This means (I think) that you should observe your interviewer for various things and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your interviewer speaks very quickly or has low-volume speech, for instance, you have a better chance of "bonding" with him/her by adopting a similar demeanor. This might seem superficial and perhaps manipulative, but you can see that a quiet, calm interviewer might be put off my an intense, fast-talking, loud applicant or vice versa. Good communicators probably do this sort of thing instinctively...it just makes sense.
As far as experience with teamwork, you could say that you believe that's just a matter of practicing good customer service skills with your co-workers.
I'm not a "people" person at all, but I've learned to deal with the public effectively and have come to enjoy it.
You're well educated and deserve to reap the rewards. Go sell yourself! You can do it!
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