Of all the skills that are must-haves in customer service, teamwork tops the list. The straightforward logic is that one individual alone cannot handle over-all and end-to-end customer service. So, if a team were to manage customers, each member needs to be thinking similarly. Only team-players are flexible enough to understand the larger goal and ensure they are contributing in their capacity to achieving it. Teamwork is the best method to accomplish another crucial necessity for top-notch customer service: consistency. Today, irrespective of the industry, employers actively look for skills in candidates that enable teamwork because it promotes the brand’s consistency. So, here is how you can be a better team player.

1. Commit and let it show. Longevity is essential to a team because it impacts consistency directly. Your commitment to the team, goals and the role itself translates to how open you are to grow, not just individually but with the team.

2. Absorb and learn. The best part about working in a group is that learning has many sources. Since teammates are your peers, they’re a lot easier to ask for help. Over time, you accumulate shared experiences both inside and outside of work. This results in several intangible benefits for you at work that in turn help you perform and grow.

3. Be dependable. The biggest thing your team will ask of you is reliability. Are you sincere when you take responsibility for a task? Can your team count on you? Since the first sign of you not keeping your word sticks, it’s essential that you convey through actions that you are a dependable team member.

4. Listen, listen, listen. Listening, of course, is the key to building a career in customer service. It also helps you work in a way that takes the team forward. Only if you actively listen can you communicate effectively, and thereby, contribute. One of the prime factors that can bring a team down is miscommunication. So, you should be able to listen, not just to reply but also to understand.

5. Support and respect others. From what we have seen, good teams are ones that become as thick as families. Each member understands how they can contribute and function in a way that takes the entire team forward. For the team to work like a well-oiled machine, there needs to be mutual respect among the team members. It doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to accommodate your teammates. You have to show up whenever the situation calls on you for any support.

6. Recognise your mistake and take responsibility. Teamwork is futile when egos are involved. What helps is when each person focuses on and prioritises the team’s goals. Now, this is not to say your goals are not important. But they are only meaningful when they add to the team’s goals. So, accountability for your mistakes counts a lot towards earning the team’s respect and working constructively. Accountability also reflects on your reliability, so make sure to practice owning up for your mistakes.

7. Celebrate successes. Families come together no matter what. In a team, that translates to celebrating the team’s and other member’s successes just as much as your own. Giving credit where it is due goes a long way in strengthening bonds between team members. Individually, it also shows you up as a humble person and humility is a great skill to have to be an ideal team player.