7 customer service skills every human and AI agent needs (with examples)

This guide outlines seven customer service skills—communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, empathy, adaptability, personalization, and product knowledge—and explains how both human and AI agents apply each, citing a Zendesk study that more than 50% of customers switched to competitors after a single bad experience. It describes implementation steps including defining CX goals, choosing an agentic AI platform, architecting the agent workflow, and testing before deployment, and notes Gartner's projection that at least 70% of customers will start their customer journey using an AI interface by 2028. It also covers training and feedback through metrics such as CSAT, first contact resolution, and average handle time, and distinguishes hard from soft skills.