10 Essential Characteristics to Look for When Hiring a Customer Support Representative

Hiring the right customer support representatives is one of the most critical decisions you can make for your business. Your support team is often the face of your company, directly impacting customer satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, your bottom line. But what exactly should you look for when hiring? Let’s explore the 10 essential characteristics that distinguish exceptional customer support representatives from average ones.

1. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

The foundation of excellent customer service is empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. A representative with high emotional intelligence can recognize when a customer is frustrated, angry, or confused and respond appropriately.

Empathetic representatives:

• Listen actively to understand the customer’s perspective
• Acknowledge customer emotions and validate their concerns
• Respond with genuine care and understanding
• Build stronger relationships with customers

During interviews, look for candidates who demonstrate understanding of different perspectives and show genuine interest in helping others. Ask them to describe situations where they’ve helped someone who was upset or frustrated.

2. Excellent Communication Skills

Clear, concise, and professional communication is non-negotiable in customer support. Representatives must communicate effectively through multiple channels—phone, email, chat, and social media.

Strong communicators:

• Express ideas clearly and concisely
• Adapt their communication style to different customers
• Write professionally and without errors
• Listen more than they speak
• Ask clarifying questions to fully understand issues

Test communication skills during interviews by asking open-ended questions and observing how candidates articulate their thoughts. Review writing samples if the role involves email or chat support.

3. Patience and Composure

Customer support can be challenging. Representatives encounter frustrated, angry, or demanding customers regularly. Patience is essential for maintaining professionalism and finding solutions without becoming defensive or frustrated.

Patient representatives:

• Remain calm under pressure
• Don’t take customer frustration personally
• Take time to fully understand problems before responding
• Handle difficult situations with grace
• Maintain a positive attitude even during challenging interactions

Look for candidates who can describe difficult situations they’ve handled calmly and professionally. Ask how they manage stress and what techniques they use to stay composed.

4. Problem-Solving Ability

Every customer issue is unique. Representatives need strong problem-solving skills to think creatively, analyze situations, and find effective solutions. They should be able to work through complex issues systematically.

Effective problem-solvers:

• Break down complex issues into manageable parts
• Think creatively to find solutions
• Research and gather information when needed
• Follow logical processes to reach conclusions
• Learn from past experiences to solve similar issues faster

During interviews, present hypothetical scenarios and ask how candidates would approach them. Look for logical thinking and creative solutions.

5. Product and Service Knowledge

While you can train product knowledge, representatives should demonstrate a genuine desire to learn and understand your offerings thoroughly. They need to know your products inside and out to provide accurate information and effective solutions.

Knowledge-focused representatives:

• Ask detailed questions about products and services
• Take initiative to learn beyond basic training
• Stay updated on product changes and updates
• Can explain complex features in simple terms
• Know when to escalate issues beyond their expertise

During interviews, assess their willingness to learn and their curiosity about your business. Ask about their experience learning new systems or products quickly.

6. Positive Attitude and Enthusiasm

A positive attitude is contagious. Representatives who genuinely enjoy helping customers create better experiences and inspire confidence. Enthusiasm for the role translates into better customer interactions and higher job satisfaction.

Positive representatives:

• Approach challenges as opportunities
• Maintain optimism even during difficult interactions
• Inspire confidence in customers
• Create a pleasant atmosphere
• Motivate team members around them

Look for candidates who smile, maintain good eye contact, and speak positively about their previous experiences. Avoid those who seem cynical or negative about customer service.

7. Adaptability and Flexibility

The customer support landscape is constantly evolving. New tools, processes, and customer expectations emerge regularly. Representatives must be flexible and willing to adapt to changes.

Adaptable representatives:

• Welcome new tools and processes
• Adjust their approach based on customer needs
• Learn new systems quickly
• Handle unexpected situations calmly
• Thrive in dynamic environments

Ask candidates about times they’ve had to adapt to significant changes. Look for examples of how they’ve successfully learned new systems or adjusted their approach.

8. Attention to Detail

Small mistakes can have big consequences in customer support. Whether it’s misspelling a customer’s name, providing incorrect information, or missing important details, attention to detail matters. Representatives must be meticulous in their work.

Detail-oriented representatives:

• Catch and correct errors before they reach customers
• Follow processes and procedures carefully
• Document interactions accurately
• Remember important customer information
• Maintain organized records

Review their application materials for typos or errors. Ask about their experience with detailed work and how they ensure accuracy.

9. Reliability and Accountability

Customers need to know they can count on your support team. Reliable representatives show up on time, follow through on commitments, and take responsibility for their work. They don’t make excuses; they find solutions.

Reliable representatives:

• Meet deadlines consistently
• Follow through on promises
• Take ownership of problems
• Admit mistakes and work to fix them
• Are dependable team members

Check references carefully and ask about their track record of reliability. During interviews, ask about situations where they took responsibility for mistakes.

10. Genuine Desire to Help

Perhaps the most important characteristic is a genuine desire to help others. This intrinsic motivation drives representatives to go above and beyond, creating exceptional customer experiences. You can’t teach someone to care; they either do or they don’t.

Representatives who genuinely want to help:

• Take pride in solving customer problems
• Go the extra mile for customers
• Feel satisfied when customers are happy
• Show genuine interest in customer success
• Demonstrate passion for their work

Listen carefully during interviews for signs of genuine care. Ask why they’re interested in customer support and what motivates them. Look for passion and purpose in their answers.

How to Assess These Characteristics

During the Interview Process

1. Use behavioral questions: Ask candidates to describe specific situations where they demonstrated these characteristics
2. Listen for examples: Look for concrete examples rather than general statements
3. Ask follow-up questions: Dig deeper to understand their thinking and approach
4. Observe their behavior: How do they treat you during the interview? Are they polite, engaged, and respectful?
5. Role-play scenarios: Present realistic customer situations and see how they respond

Reference Checks

Don’t skip reference checks. Ask previous employers or managers specifically about:

• How the candidate handled difficult customers
• Their communication skills
• Their reliability and attendance
• Their problem-solving approach
• Their attitude and teamwork

Trial Periods

Consider implementing a trial period or probationary phase. This allows you to see how candidates perform in real situations before making a permanent hiring decision.

Building Your Ideal Support Team

Finding representatives with all 10 characteristics is ideal, but recognize that people have different strengths. Look for candidates who demonstrate most of these characteristics strongly, with particular emphasis on empathy, communication, and genuine desire to help.

Once you’ve hired great representatives, invest in their development:

• Provide comprehensive training
• Offer ongoing learning opportunities
• Create a positive work environment
• Recognize and reward excellent performance
• Use tools like LiveAgent to make their jobs easier and more efficient

Conclusion

Hiring the right customer support representatives is an investment in your company’s future. By looking for these 10 essential characteristics—empathy, communication skills, patience, problem-solving ability, product knowledge, positive attitude, adaptability, attention to detail, reliability, and genuine desire to help—you’ll build a team capable of delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Remember that hiring is just the beginning. Equip your team with the right tools and support to succeed. LiveAgent provides comprehensive customer service software that empowers your representatives to deliver outstanding support across multiple channels. With features like ticketing, live chat, knowledge base integration, and performance analytics, LiveAgent helps your team work more efficiently and effectively.

Start building your dream support team today. Look for these characteristics during hiring, invest in training and development, and provide your team with the tools they need to succeed. Your customers—and your business—will thank you.