How can I help you?

We have all heard about the three magic words that create all the romance in the world, but I think we need to pay more attention to the 5-magic words that create solutions, interest, and great customer service experience across the globe - "How can I help you?" A simple 5-word sentence when said with a clear intention of providing the best customer service can make a world of difference in businesses thriving or barely surviving.

We are all in the business of customer service in some capacity - I could be a Scientist working on a project by myself, but I am still serving all those individuals that will benefit from my research. I could be the most junior IT Analyst on the team and yet my smallest contributions can serve my teammates by sharing their workload and creating a culture of support. Being service oriented is a sought-after skill set and you can start cultivating and nurturing a service-oriented attitude by continuously asking the question "How can I help you?" and appropriately responding to the request.

Another key factor is to highlight your experience and ability in providing outstanding customer service to your potential employers. Here is what you can share to communicate your customer service skills:

1. Active Listening: All experts agree that the basis of providing service is to begin by listening. Once you have asked the 5-magic words question, "How can I help you?" your next focus should exclusively be listening to your customers' needs. Think about all the times you have engaged in active listening and share it in your resume and interviews to showcase your customer service competence.
2. Personalized Solutions: One of the best customer service experiences can be created by serving a client's need with a tailored solution. This shows that you are putting the client's needs before your existing solutions and thereby making the client the centre of the story. Reflect and record those moments when you created custom solutions for the client.
3. Above-&-Beyond: Always over-deliver -> This simple principle can be the tipping point for converting your client from a one-time shopper to a lifelong relationship. In most cases, over-delivering does not even take a lot of effort or investment. Staying 5 minutes more with the client, doing a proactive follow-up, and informing them about upcoming deals are all fantastic examples of going 'above-&-beyond'. Did you ever surprise your clients in any way? Have they shared that they were really not expecting something like this to happen? These are the moments when you generated above-and-beyond customer service experiences.

Do you have any other pointers for highlighting customer service skills? If you do please share in the comments. I hope you found these inputs helpful. Here's wishing you all an awesome work week!

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