Overall Results (score 56)

John has the potential do well in customer service, but he has a few obstacles to overcome before fitting comfortably into the role of call center representative. He would need to start taking the steps necessary to further improve on the skills and traits outlined in this test. If he is willing to put in the effort to do so, his chances of success will improve as well. He has at least some basic skills.

People Skills (score 61)

Dealing with customers on a daily basis likely won't be too much of a challenge for John - he seems to have fairly good people skills. However, he still has a little room for improvement. Review the results below for more details on any areas that need further development.

Listening Skills (score 54)

John's listening skills are adequate, but there is some room for improvement. One of the most important aspects of customer service is to uncover what the customer's needs are. The problem is, on those occasions when he is doing more of the talking than listening, (or engaging in any other behavior that prevents him from actively attending to someone), John could miss out on important information that his customer is trying to get across. Customers are more likely to trust people who have the time and patience to listen to them. John needs to make it a point to practice active and attentive listening more consistently.

Friendliness/Pleasantness (score 61)

John is usually pleasant with others. Perhaps when he is having a bad day or is dealing with a particularly difficult customer, it is a bit more of a struggle for him to be polite and friendly, but he does try, and succeeds most of the time. His demeanor could have a significant impact on his success in customer service, so John should strive to continue to be tactful and genuinely warm, and he may find that clients are easier to deal with.

Social Insight (score 66)

John seemed to be generally capable of picking up social cues from others, but may be able to improve even more, as his score isn't in the top range. Reading others, especially when on the phone, is a difficult but important process. His social insight will help him identify the best way to approach a client and adjust his social behavior accordingly. When on the phone, John needs to make sure to always listen attentively, place himself in the other person's shoes and view things from his or her perspective.

Helpfulness (score 81)

John tries to help others as often as possible and will put in whatever effort is necessary to answer their needs - in fact he will often do more than the minimum to make customers happy. Being helpful is the foundation of customer service. Helping a customer with a problem and fulfilling his or her needs not only facilitates the building of a relationship with them, but it also keeps loyal customers coming back.

Social Skills (score 78)

John's social skills are fairly good. People likely feel comfortable interacting with him because he usually knows what it takes to put them at ease. This will make building rapport, which is an important part of customer service, easier for him. Professionally, people with good social skills are more likely to deal well with clients.

Communication Skills (score 54)

According to John's score, his communication skills are adequate, leaving ample room for improvement. Some time and concentrated effort are needed to develop these abilities even further. Communication plays a significant role in customer service. John needs to be able to communicate effectively with others - customers will often ask questions about his product/service, and he will need to be able to answer these queries clearly and effectively. As with most skills, this one can be improved with knowledge and practice, and he already has some basic abilities to build upon.

Assertiveness (score 37)

John doesn't seem to have the level of assertiveness needed to effectively deal with others. It is fundamental for customer service representatives to be comfortable asserting themselves. Angry and intimidating customers are not uncommon, and John needs to be able to speak up even when under pressure. He should consider obtaining some assertiveness training.

Conflict Resolution Skills (score 43)

When working with customers, John may unfortunately have to face irate customers on a daily basis, which makes the ability to resolve conflict essential. He seems to have some conflict resolution ability, but his skills still need improvement. He may sometimes let his emotions get the best of him, or opt for the easiest solution (defending himself or his company, hanging up) rather than the most mutually-beneficial solution. Although each customer will be different, John needs to do his homework. Dealing with angry customers isn't the most comfortable experience, but if he learns more about common arguments and responses from customers, he will at least be more aware of and at ease dealing with them.

Patience (score 71)

John's patience is reasonably good. When faced with difficult or stressful situations, he can usually maintain his composure. It would be a good idea to brush up on his stress management and emotional regulation techniques, as losing control of his emotions, even just one time, could be seen as unprofessional. Being patient consistently is often easier said than done, but it can improve with practice.

Mental/Emotional Toughness (score 31)

Customer service, particularly over the phone, is a challenge, and one that requires exceptional mental toughness. It is not uncommon for individuals in this field to be treated poorly by customers, to have to handle many calls a day, and to be required to achieve difficult goals every day. Based on John's score on this scale, dealing with these types of stressors will often be a difficult challenge for him. With time and experience, he may be able to cope more effectively, but he may also need to consider whether this is the right career path for him.

Performance under Pressure (score 40)

John can cope with pressure to some degree, but it is not an ideal situation for him. Consistent and persistent stress will eventually take its toll. Pressure from management to finish a call within a certain time limit, little task variety, and having his calls monitored (among other pressures) are the realities of this type of job - realities that he will need to face and accept. If his level of comfort with these types of stressors and others mentioned on the test really do not sound like things he can get used to, this may not be the right job for him.

Thick-skinned (score 23)

Disapproval or rudeness from customers will not be easy for John to swallow. While not all customers will be discourteous, he will encounter his fair share and it won't necessarily be his fault. Some people simply do not view customer service representatives or the company they represent in a very positive light. John needs to try as much as possible to be objective and poised during calls, and remember that for every client that is rude, there are likely to be a few who will be friendly, easy to work with, and grateful for his help.

Efficiency (score 68)

John seems to possess the skills that can help him work efficiently, but may still need improvement in perhaps one or two areas. Overall, he will be reasonably capable of completing calls in an efficient manner. The amount of time he can spend on a call will likely be limited, so continuing to improve his level of efficiency would be useful. Refer to the results below for information on any areas that require further development.

Time Management (score 71)

John's responses indicate that he is fairly skilled at managing his time effectively. He likely uses some strategies to help him save time and work more productively. There is still, however, a little room for improvement. Time management skills play an important role during customer service calls; when John manages his time effectively, he won't have to rush through (and potentially forget or omit details). In addition, the more time he has available, the more of it he can spend on other calls, which can really boost his productivity.

Organizational Skills (score 63)

During calls, John will need to handle several tasks at the same time, such as having a conversation while entering data in a software program. He has the ability to get organized, and can usually keep it up. When it comes to staying organized, it's important to find a method that works for him. The software he will work with is meant to make the customer service process more systematic, so he should learn as much as he can about it.

Meticulousness (score 82)

John has a knack for being meticulous. When it comes to helping clients effectively, he needs to know his stuff, inside out. When a client asks a question, very few people will allow him to get away with a brief answer or a "refer to the manual/FAQs" response. Even entering information about his client into a software program requires careful work, as even a slight mistake can have serious repercussions. This is where being detail orientated is an asset. That being said, there is such a thing as being too detail oriented. John should make sure not to get too caught up in little details, to the point where he loses his focus.

Independence (score 57)

John is relatively comfortable with the idea of working on his own, but when it comes to more complex tasks, he may desire more help and guidance. While particularly difficult customers can be transferred to a manager, understandably, he will not be able to ask his manager for advice on every client - for the most part, he will be expected to deal with customers completely on your own. It could be a bit of a struggle and intimidating at the beginning to deal with people on his own, but as John learns the ropes, the process is likely to become easier for him.

Cognitive Skills (score 61)

The cognitive aspect of this assessment evaluates verbal/reading comprehension and the ability to think quickly. John performed quite well in this area. The importance of each of these abilities and the extent to which he will use them could vary. Review his results below to evaluate whether there are areas where seeking out courses or training would be beneficial.

Verbal/Reading Comprehension Skills (score 90)

John's performance on the verbal exercises on the test was excellent. As a customer service representative, he needs to be able to read and understand product documentation and customer data, as well as be able to express himself effectively. This will likely be a cinch for him.

Quick Thinking (score 31)

Being well prepared and knowing a product/service inside-out are important steps in customer service. However, there are some occasions when even the best laid-out approaches do not work for all customers. This is where the ability to think quickly is an asset. No two customers will be the same, and each may ask questions or raise objections that John never encountered before. John needs to be able to think on his feet and come up with a counter solution or offer - and based on his self-report responses, this is an area where he often seems to struggle. He is likely the type of person who usually prefers to think things through before taking action, which, regrettably, may not always be an option available to him. Fortunately, this is another one of those skills that can be improved with time and experience.

Resourcefulness (score 58)

John's results indicate that he shows some resourcefulness, but this area is not yet one of his top strengths. This may mean that when confronted with difficulties or challenges, he will occasionally have trouble figuring out how to proceed. If he struggles in even one of the three areas that constitute resourcefulness on this assessment, mainly problem-solving, technology-savvy, and trainability, he will likely encounter some obstacles in this job. Refer to the results below for more details on the areas where he needs to consider improvement.

Problem-solving (score 71)

Problem solving seems to be one of John's strengths, although he might still have some room for improvement. He sometimes uses creative ways to solve problems, and seems to have experience with some of the problems frequently encountered in customer service. Customer service workers need to learn through experience how to deal with certain customers, but part of the problem-solving process also involves researching in order to come up with novel ways to approach issues. John may want to consider learning more about different problem-solving strategies.

Computer Savvy (score 44)

While it likely takes John a little time to orient himself with new computer software, he seems to have at least some basic computer knowledge. He will likely receive training on how to use a company's software, but having more computer and software knowledge when he arrives on the job would be an asset. He may want to consider obtaining some refresher training and courses with typical computer programs, particularly in the area of customer relationship management software (CRM), if possible.

Trainability (score 60)

Some customer service representatives are expected to upgrade their training regularly. This may be particularly true in fields where regulations, services, and products are continually changing. John is someone who is generally interested in learning new things, although he may hesitate on occasion. Even if he begins working for a company that has been using the same software for a while, he needs to keep in mind that he will still need training on how to use this software, what their products/services entail, and what benefits they offer - not to mention the fact that different companies adopt different customer policies...all of which he seems generally willing to learn.

Impression Management (score 0)

This scale assesses the degree to which results on this test are distorted or manipulated. Many people will try to present themselves in a better light, especially if the stakes are high.

Test-taker answers are compared to responses obtained from a large sample of the general population. When someone systematically selects socially desirable responses that are rarely endorsed by others, there is good reason to believe that a positive self-presentation bias is at play. A score that is suspiciously high may indicate that a person is lying, which may invalidate that whole test.

There was little or no indication in John's results to suggest that he was lying or trying to present himself in a favorable light.