The #1 quality of a customer service superstar isn’t technical skill or product knowledge — it’s their ability to care deeply about the concerns of others. The best customer service employees consistently think from the customer’s point of view, not their own inconvenience. They are humble problem-solvers who listen actively, respond thoughtfully, and remove friction from the customer experience.
In today’s highly competitive market, customers do their research before making a purchase. They compare prices, features, and brand promises. But just before committing, they conduct a final test — a subconscious assessment: How easy will it be to do business with you?
What Customers Expect Before Buying
When evaluating a purchase, customers want three key things:
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Safety: They want a no-hassle return policy. They need to feel confident they can get their money back if dissatisfied.
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Reliability: They expect the product or service to meet the promises made by your brand — no glitches, defects, or difficult implementation.
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Simplicity: They dread the return or cancellation process. Nobody wants to go through an interrogation about “why” they’re unsubscribing or returning an item. Customers want easy resolutions — not conflict.
You can see how this all builds toward the ultimate question: How easy will it be to buy from you? To make this point clearer, take a look at these Harvard Business Review insights on Customer Service Excellence.
Why Customer Trust Starts With Who You Hire
Can you hire people who naturally possess empathy, humility, and curiosity? The answer is Yes… and No.
During the hiring process, here are signs you’ve found someone who may become a customer service superstar:
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They ask thoughtful questions during the interview.
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They seek clarification rather than pretending to know everything.
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They remain calm under pressure.
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They grew up valuing helpfulness — whether rewarded or not.
How to Identify Trainable Talent
However, not every great candidate is naturally curious or empathetic. Should you pass them up? Not necessarily.
Some outstanding future employees may not yet know how to demonstrate curiosity or emotional intelligence — but those skills can be taught.
Cultivating Curiosity in your Employees
The non-curious can be coached to develop the habit of curiosity. The key is to bring their lack of curiosity to light. Once they’re aware, guide them to practice asking Open-Ended Questions. Mind Tools outlines how to use WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY to get people talking and demonstrating genuine interest. Open-ended questions show interest, spark real conversations, and make customers feel heard — which is the cornerstone of exceptional service.
Through feedback and practice, non-curious individuals can form new habits. This behavior shift can lead them to genuinely listen to customers and help solve problems. LinkedIn Learning offers courses on empathy and communication that can be very beneficial for this training process.
The Curiosity Exercise:
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Have new hires practice daily open-ended questioning.
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Reinforce the behavior with positive feedback: “Thanks for taking the time to understand the customer’s concern,” or “They really felt heard.”
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Assign them to teach others. Teaching solidifies learning and turns new skills into habits.
Culture of Caring: Lessons from Nordstrom
For my book ARE YOU RELEVANT?, I interviewed Bruce Nordstrom, CEO of Nordstrom Department Stores. Under his leadership, Nordstrom grew from $20 million to $2 billion in sales. I asked him, “How do you train employees to be so customer-focused?”
He gave a surprisingly simple answer:
“Oh, we don’t train people for that. We leave that kind of training up to their parents.”
In other words, empathy and other-centeredness need to be part of the person — but with the right coaching, culture, and incentives, even average hires can evolve into customer service superstars.
Final Thoughts: Building a Customer-First Culture
Customer service excellence starts with hiring the right mindset — and nurturing it through training, feedback, and leadership by example. When your team learns to see the customer’s concerns as their own, your business will stand out in the most crowded industries.
Want to build a team of customer experience champions? Start by fostering curiosity, empathy, and humility — from day one.
Ready to Inspire Your Team With a Powerful Customer Service Keynote?
Ross Shafer has helped Fortune 500 companies build high-performance customer-centric cultures. His keynotes blend business humor, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways that teams remember — and use.
👉 Book Ross for your next event and give your audience a customer service mindset shift they’ll never forget.