It is worth remembering that for most customers, talking to a company’s customer service team is one of the few times they’ll speak directly to your organisation. These interactions play a huge role in whether the customer has a positive or negative user experience. They also dictate whether someone will become a loyal, casual, or one-time customer.
Therefore, it is crucial to ensure your organisation has the right people in these roles. It is all about setting up your employees to succeed, and the recruitment process is a critical first step. This guide provides advice on how to hire a customer advisor to represent your brand.
- What to Look for in a Customer Advisor
- Technical Skills Required for a Customer Advisor
- Qualifications Required for a Customer Advisor
- What to Ask When Interviewing a Customer Advisor
- Customer Advisor Salary
- What Could the Company Offer to Make it More Attractive to Jobseekers?
- How to Choose the Right Customer Advisor
What to look for in a Customer Advisor
Once the applications start coming in, you must perform a much deeper assessment. A significant number of candidates will have the requisite experience and claim to meet all your job ad’s requirements.
- However, only a few candidates will genuinely have what it takes to become a success in the role and provide a great fit for your business.
- When going through their CVs, focus first on those who have the level of experience you require. A lot depends on how rigid your hiring process is.
Technical Skills Required for a Customer Advisor
There are a handful of skills that separate a great customer advisor from a good one. Empathy is probably the most important as it ensures that customers believe you understand how they feel. Developing this rapport is one of the most essential aspects of customer service. However, you shouldn’t overlook technical skills such as:
- Written communication
- Problem-solving
- Sales
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Customer service
- Leadership
- Time management
Qualifications you should look for when hiring a Customer Advisor
- Most companies recognise that few candidates will tick every box. For instance, if you ideally want someone with 5+ years of experience, you shouldn’t jettison applicants with 3-4 years of experience.
- Also, take note of the writing standard and language used in the application. You want someone with written communication skills as well as oral.
- Another tip is to pay attention to anyone with experience in a customer-facing job. This includes administrative assistants or sales associates. These are roles with skills that are useful for customer service.
- In general, customer advisors don’t have third-level education, and most organisations are more concerned about experience and skills than academic achievements.
What to Ask When Interviewing a Customer Advisor
After narrowing the field of applicants down to a handful, it is now time for the interview. At this stage, you must prepare questions relevant to the role and your company’s culture. Here are a few such questions:
- What is your definition of good customer service?
- Can you tell me about a time that you received great customer service? Outline why you felt the team member did such a good job.
- How do you remain motivated when faced with rude customers?
- What do you know about our organisation/products/services?
- What do you do when an angry customer approaches you with a problem?
- What is your preferred management style?
Customer Advisor Salary
The salary range for customer advisors in Northern Ireland is between £17,514 and £19,731 per annum. However, the average is closer to £19,000. You’ll also find that many companies provide hourly wages instead, ranging from minimum wage to up to £11 an hour.
What Could the Company Offer to Make it More Attractive to Jobseekers?
Once you hire new staff, ask for feedback about the hiring process. A significant proportion of organisations forget this simple yet crucial step.
It is extremely useful to step into the shoes of someone on the other side to determine what’s working and what you need to change. You must delve into every aspect of recruitment, from the job ad right down to the interview phase.
One of the best ways to achieve talent success is to get constructive feedback from the talent you’ve hired!
How to Choose the Right Customer Advisor
- Eventually, you will have to make a hiring decision. After the interview, you should have a fairly strong impression of each candidate. You must collect your notes and the job description at this stage and begin comparing and contrasting each applicant.
- Focus on the gaps between what you ideally want and what the candidates have. You must also note your preferences. For instance, is it okay for someone to have less than the required experience if they have the soft and technical skills? It is also a good idea to get feedback from your team. Take into account the candidate that impressed them the most.
- Once you have enough data to hand, it is time to pull the trigger and make the hire! Hopefully, the person you bring on board provides you with everything you hoped. Repeat the above process as many times as necessary to complete your customer service dream team!
Or call the team on +44 28 9043 4477