Last week, we conducted group interviews for a few positions at Alexander’s. Jeff Alexander, our founder and CEO, asked all the applicants to describe a time when they were given exceptional customer service. Only a couple of people in the group could pinpoint a great customer service experience. After the interview, Jeff expressed surprise that customer service isn’t at the forefront of every successful business.

Today we’ve got an infographic from Customer Service Heroes, outlining 25 skills for excellent customer service. Skills like this apply to any business or industry, and at Alexander’s we feel that our business thrives because we place so much emphasis on customer service. We think every employee in your business or company should  employ skills like these, but these skills are especially important if you have customer service representatives at the forefront of your business.

Customer service roles come with certain stresses, like dealing with upset customers or managing multiple projects with hard-to-meet deadlines. We love that this infographic places listening right at the top of the list. Without taking time to listen, process, and understand what the customer wants or needs (often best done by re-stating what the customer has told you), your customer service may not succeed.

Take a look at this list, and think about what you can do to deliver exceptional customer service to your clients and customers.

Have a wonderful weekend.