What are the essential soft skills for a remote support agent?

Question

i'm honestly so fed up with my current support setup right now because our ratings are tanking and customers say everyone sounds like a script-reading robot. it's super urgent since i need to hire a replacement remote agent by next monday and i can't afford another bad hire. i'm looking for someone who actually knows how to talk to people without making them more angry.

what are the absolute must-have soft skills i should be testing for in interviews? i'm focusing on:

extreme patience for angry callers

being able to explain tech stuff without being condescending

actually sounding like a human in chat

self-motivation since they'll be working alone from home

i really need to fix this before my whole user base leaves...

Jameslew · Accepted Answer

I've spent months vetting people for my tech shop. Dont know if you're doing chat or voice?

Recorded clips: check tone/misses speed.

Typeform Personal Plan: good logic/bad voice.

Roleplay: realistic/slow.

qwqtdqfdvy · Answer

Late to the party, but honestly im happy using Loom Starter Free Plan. It works well and its free compared to Zoom One Pro Plan, which gets pricey for screening.

Casrld2 · Answer

> i'm looking for someone who actually knows how to talk to people without making them more angry. You might want to consider screening for active listening first. Be careful with candidates who just wait for their turn to talk... it kinda kills the connection. I would suggest a live roleplay to see if they can pivot off-script. Make sure they have a solid kit tho. Honestly, the Jabra Evolve2 65 Wireless Headset is a lifesaver for sounding human.