How Personality Types Affect Your Customer Service Style
No two agents handle a call the same way—and frankly, that’s a good thing. Why? Great customer service isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s a mix of personality, communication, and care (and sometimes even a little pzazz!).
If you’ve ever wondered why some agents thrive on high-energy calls while others are quietly calming every storm in the queue… chances are, personality plays a big role.
Whether you look at it through the lens of Enneagram, Myers-Briggs (MBTI), DISC assessments, or the Big Five personality traits, personality is what forms how we think, respond, connect, and overall what makes us tick.
So, naturally, learning about your own personality can help you better understand your customer service strengths—and how to work smarter, not harder.
Why Your Personality Type Matters at Work
Understanding your personality doesn’t put you in a box—it helps you own your strengths, spot growth areas, and develop authentic strategies.
That’s especially important in customer service, where the emotional demands of the job can be draining if you work against your natural flow or empowering if you work with them.
Personality tools like MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) or the Enneagram aren’t just interesting—when used thoughtfully, they offer clues about:
- Your communication style
- How do you handle stress
- Your approach to problem-solving
- What kind of interactions energize or exhaust you
Let’s break it down.
Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI sorts people into 16 personality types across four spectrums, which can influence your customer service style in a broad scope of ways:
- Introvert (I) vs. Extrovert (E)
- Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
Introverts (I)
You may prefer one-on-one calls and quieter pacing. You’re likely to be a great listener and process-driven.
Strengths: Deep focus, calm tone, empathy
Watch for: Energy drain after too many high-emotion calls in a row
Extroverts (E)
You love the interaction! Talking to people energizes you, and you may thrive in busy, bustling, dynamic call environments.
Strengths: Engaging tone, quick rapport-building
Watch for: Interrupting or speaking too soon—practice active listening
Thinkers (T)
You solve problems fast and you value logic. You shine in troubleshooting, real-time problem-solving, and addressing things head-on.
Strengths: Clear communication, confidence
Watch for: Overlooking emotional cues—try to validate the caller’s frustration
Feelers (F)
You care deeply about the human side of the call. You’re emotionally attuned and often build strong connections. But you also feel everything deeply (the good and the grumpy).
Strengths: Empathy, patience, personal touch
Watch for: Taking negative calls personally—protect your energy (and avoid emotional burnout on the job!)
The Enneagram Personality Types
The Enneagram is a personality framework that identifies nine core types, each based on a central motivation, fear, and way of seeing the world. It’s less about behavior and more about why we do what we do.
Here’s a quick look at how a few types may show up on a service team:
Type 1: The Perfectionist
You follow protocol and want to do the job right. You bring order to chaos and rarely miss details.
On a call: You’ll be thorough, structured, and solution-oriented. You may need to practice letting go of “perfect” resolutions.
Type 2: The Helper
You want callers to feel cared for. You go the extra mile, sometimes even above and beyond.
On a call: Compassion comes naturally—but remember to balance their needs with your boundaries.
Type 9: The Peacemaker
You’re calm, diplomatic, and steady under pressure. You help defuse tough calls (and angry callers) with ease.
On a call: You’re excellent at keeping things balanced—but be mindful not to avoid conflict if an issue needs escalation or to put boundaries in place if the call is taking a left turn.
How to Use This in Your Customer Service Approach
Whether you’re an introverted feeler or an extroverted thinker, your style adds value. Great teams are built on a diversity of strengths—lots of different types of strengths at that—not carbon copies.
You don’t need to change who you are to be great at this job. You just need to understand how to bring your best self to the headset. Try this:
- Take the MBTI or Enneagram test (even a free version!)
- Reflect on how your type shows up during calls.
- Share with your team—learning each other’s types builds mutual understanding.
- Use the insights to develop personalized call strategies that support your personality.
At ACD, Every Personality Brings Something Unique
We don’t believe there’s one “right” way to handle a call. Some agents bring calm. Others bring charisma. Some ask every right question. Others know when to just listen.
The magic happens when you know your strengths and use them with confidence.
If you’ve ever felt like your personality doesn’t match a “traditional” customer service mold, you’re not alone. And you’re probably more valuable than you realize.
Final Thoughts
Your voice, your style, your presence on the call—it’s all connected to who you are. And when you understand your personality, you unlock new ways to grow, adapt, and serve with confidence.
Whether you’re the steady voice of calm or the high-energy motivator, you’ll need to know how to use all of the personality you’ve got!