When you provide an exceptional service experience for your clients, they are likely to become loyal to your brand. A Zendesk report shows that customers are 81% more likely to make subsequent purchases from your company if they had a good experience during their first interaction.
A good part of your success depends on your ability to earn repeat business because almost 65% of a typical company’s business comes from repeat customers. And even a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by 25% to 95%.
Organizations have increased their investment in customer service, but service levels still do not meet customers’ expectations. Over 50% of consumers have not noticed any improvement in customer service, and 23% have said it has worsened.
Experts say the problem is mostly attributable to the difficulty of finding qualified applicants. Customer service representatives wear many hats. They must have good verbal and written communication skills and be good multitaskers. They must demonstrate good time management and understand the products and services the company sells. They are required to be friendly and understanding and manage angry or rude customers without getting rattled.
Organizations know that improving customer retention starts with building a top-notch customer service team, which is why many use an industry-leading testing solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM and use customer service assessments to identify and hire top talent.
Customer service assessment tests give hiring teams measurable data about candidates’ skills, abilities, and aptitudes. This enables them to recruit candidates who can help them improve the quality of the service customers receive, which ultimately leads to better retention and less churn.
What Are Customer Service Assessments?
A customer service assessment measures job applicants’ or employees’ abilities and aptitude for jobs in the customer service field. They measure hard skills, which are specific skills required to do the job, such as email and telephone etiquette and computer proficiency. They also help you assess soft skills, or behavioral traits and tendencies, that enable them to perform the job successfully, such as empathy, problem-solving, and time management.
When to Use Customer Service Assessment Tests
It is best to use customer service assessments during initial candidate screening to maximize your hiring efficiency. If your company is like most, you receive hundreds or even thousands of applications in response to a single job posting, and many of the applicants are not qualified. Reviewing customer service assessment test results lets you see which candidates have the required skills and experience.
This enables you to concentrate your efforts on top candidates, eliminate unqualified applicants, and avoid wasting hours of valuable time reviewing resumes. Your team can fill critical job roles faster and address staffing shortfalls more effectively. You can also extend offers to candidates with in-demand skills before your competitors snap them up.
Which Customer Service Assessments Maximize Client Retention?
Many skills tests can provide insight into an applicant’s ability to provide great customer service. The Customer Service Skills Test is one of the most popular because HR teams can use it to screen candidates for all types of customer-facing roles and assess the customer service capabilities of other professionals.
The Customer Service Skills Test includes 40 questions in various formats such as multiple-choice, select all that apply, true/false, and simple select, which cover essential topics such as interpersonal communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration.
The Emotional Intelligence Skills Test is another customer service assessment many companies choose. It also contains 40 questions of varying types and covers topics like managing emotions productively, social intelligence, and empathy. Applicants with high emotional intelligence are more likely to understand customers’ pain points, collaborate well with co-workers, and be team players.
Many customer service jobs require employees to enter and process orders accurately and manage several customer inquiries simultaneously. So, other skills tests that are popular with HR teams include Data Entry Operator, Form-Fill Data Entry Typing, and Attention to Detail.
When applicants submit completed customer service assessment tests, you and your hiring team can review the results and instantly determine which candidates are your top contenders. This expedites your screening process, allows you to hire faster, and reduces hiring mistakes. Since you have the right people on your customer service team, your customers will be happier because they receive the best possible service.
Get Started with Customer Service Assessment Tests
Building a strong customer service team is the first step to improving customer retention and increasing revenue. Clients who receive exceptional service will likely become repeat customers and evangelists for your brand. This is important because acquiring new customers costs six to seven times more than retaining the ones you already have.
Are you ready to learn how customer service assessment tests can help you build a service dream team that customers will rave about? Contact us to request a demo.