In customer service, What do you think is more important in an agent, attitude or intellect?

In order to have a positive attitude, you will also need a superior intellect. So, I would say an agent (in customer service) will need both !

Hi All
I agree with johnny458. to some extent. My experience in dealing with various customer service teams has shown me that its the attitude that is more important as intellect is a factor that can be trainable.
But attitude is something that cant be.

We can train them on the product or services but it takes hell of a time to change the attitude.

Cheers

i totally i agree to the both of you..thank you so much for answering

Hmmm....I don't think that this is an either/or attribute. By that I mean if I am hiring, I'm not saying to myself "Am I looking for intellect or attitude?" I'm looking for the full package. Someone who is a little boat compared to a cruise ship. Little boats can zig and zag through problems, policies, procedures and politics. They can turn on a dime and keep everything moving with forward motion. Cruise ships are lumbering behemoths, they can only follow the preconceived course, no zigging, no zagging, and it'll take a mile or more to turn the thing around if the course is not correct.

But specifically, and for what it's worth, I think it depends on the role of the service provider.

If I have a brain tumor, I don't care if the surgeon has attitude or not. I'm looking for intellect.

If I'm looking for a seating host in a busy restaurant, give me the attitude - - someone who can keep hungry, waiting people happy.

Best wishes,
Karen

killua_hxh99, I have taken a look at a few of your questions, and I see that you are adapting to a few experiences that come with being in place to respond to customer needs.

Your question: In customer service, What do you think is more important in an agent, attitude or intellect?

This is interesting because it reminds me of my own ponderings about motivation and job satisfaction (how to manage these for self and for a team). And there is the experience of employee and the customer to look at.

Customer View: I need information and I need to be treated properly, and my definition of information and treated properly will vary quite a bit over time.

Employee View: I need to be able to provide what this customer needs and I need to enjoy an opportunity to be both helpful as well as knowledgeable, and I will need to enjoy this over some period of time.

I have personally experienced feeling like what I was providing was without a great deal of interest to me, and I know that my team members will encounter such feelings. At the same time, something "small" can be like gold to the customer. While I may not be exhibiting for myself a great deal of intellect, I am providing knowledge that is powerful in the context that counts. I just need the patience and enthusiasm to deliver it properly.

I have also personally experienced feeling like what was sought in me exceeded what I was prepared for, and when my team members encounter this, they seek what they need to find out from each other and me. If I was having trouble finding room for my own power of thought in other instances, I have the opportunity to exercise it now and to interact with that power in others I will make an investment in; it's my turn to own something new to solve, as I have seen others do, and someone will get the turn after I do. If I don't need to get a lot, or any, help from others during this situation that I am not prepared for, then I am able to add my special contribution of intellect, and I would want it to fit within the guidelines of my team, my company.

In one case, it looks like attitude counts more, and in the other, it looks like it was a good thing someone knew how to think.

I think the only answer I can find to your question is that you have to balance the two. I think that customer service is how you handle information, and it takes attitude and intellect here and there. There will be times that one seems more important than the other, depending on the context.

I hope that showed you a personal as well as a business perspective.

there's a common sologan ''attitude is everything!'' In as much as both intellect and attitude are 2 major fundamentals of customer service, if put on a scale, attitude will weigh more.

Most often than not we get just one chance( sorry make that just a few minutes) to make an impression, change their opinion, and ultimately satisfy them.

I have come to learn that in this line of busniess, intellect is like an underwear, we all wear one( atleast most of us) but we dont go about showing it off.

Attitude endears your customers to you.

Hello Adesola,

Good thinking !

Johnny

Hi All - I'm returning to this forum after a gap of many months. But it's good to be back. I can still see a lot of familiar names and also a number of new ones.

Greetings to all!