Soft skills not only for women: How Kenyan customer service could change with training

Essential traits that underpin successful human interaction: empathy, communication, and collaboration, have been relegated to a category labeled "soft skills”.

Worse, they have often been stereotyped as inherently feminine, creating a costly cultural blind spot in many workplaces.

This misconception is particularly detrimental in dynamic economies like Kenya, where the race to attract and retain both talent and customers is fiercer than ever. 

The time has come to rename these skills for what they truly are, power skills. The core competencies that will define success in the future of Kenyan business. 

A universal commitment to training these skills could be the single most effective way to change Kenya’s customer service landscape.

Challenging the Gendered Misnomer

The idea that emotional intelligence and collaborative communication are primarily the domain of women is an outdated stereotype that limits both genders. 

In a high-pressure customer service environment, the ability to listen actively, de-escalate conflict, and solve problems creatively is a professional requirement, not a gendered attribute.

As automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly take over technical, or "hard" skills, the unique human capacity for personable interaction becomes the ultimate competitive differentiator. 

Every Kenyan employee who interacts with a client, regardless of their gender, technical role, or title, must be equipped with these relational tools to bridge the gap that technology cannot fill.

The Link to the Customer Bottom Line

In Kenya’s competitive market, customer experience is no longer a secondary concern; it is the defining factor in purchasing decisions. 

Research indicates that poor service is one of the top reasons customers switch brands, and once loyalty is lost, it is hard to win back.

Comprehensive soft skills training addresses this deficit head-on:

1. Empathy and Active Listening

These skills allow employees to move beyond transactional interactions. 

Instead of merely processing a complaint, a trained agent can acknowledge the customer’s frustration, build rapport, and foster the kind of relationship that fuels long-term client loyalty.

2. Conflict Resolution

Untrained staff often feel overwhelmed when dealing with irate clients, leading to burnout and frustrated customers.

Training provides practical conflict resolution frameworks, boosting employee confidence and enabling them to handle difficult situations calmly and professionally, often resolving issues on the first call.

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3. Proactive Communication

Employees trained in powerful communication techniques are better positioned to not only solve problems but also to identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling, driving direct revenue growth.

Soft Skills as the Bedrock of Corporate Culture

Investing in soft skills is not just a customer-facing strategy; it is a critical strategy for attracting and retaining Kenya’s top talent. 

As highlighted by analyses of the Kenyan workplace, low employee engagement and high turnover are persistent challenges, with a significant 82% of workers open to new job opportunities, according to Gallup.

The key to reversing this trend lies in positive company culture and employee wellness. Soft skills are the infrastructure of a positive culture. The conversation around soft skills must evolve beyond gender stereotypes and superficial labels.

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