Working in a Call centre
Call centres act as a fundamental component of customer service teams and often are the primary means of communication between a business and it's customers.
To work in a call centre, you'll need to be motivated by customer success. Call centre agents are tenacious problem-solvers who are committed to enhancing customers' experience with a company or brand.
A call centre agent's workday is typically fast-paced and requires them to manage a handful of different responsibilities. Often times, agents need to be flexible with their workflow and capable of handling unexpected roadblocks. While this causes their workday to look different each day, agents will still perform the same core call centre duties regardless of the task they're completing.
Call centre Customer Service Duties
1. Help customers across different customer service mediums.
If you're working in an in-house call centre, chances are you'll handle more than just phones. You may be asked to interact with customers via email, live chat, social media, or even in-person. Being able to adapt to the channel you're working on is crucial to providing an omni-channel experience.
2. Communicate thoughtful, personalized solutions.
No matter how experienced you are, never assume that you know more about the customer's needs than they do. Assumptions like these can lead to miscommunication and negative experiences. Instead, the best call centre reps are patient and come up with well-thought-out, detailed solutions.
3. Create a delightful customer experience.
To stand out from competitors, you need to do more than just provide the right answer. Delightful experiences retain customers, providing more value to your business. If you're seeking a job in customer service, be sure to highlight your ability to turn a common customer into a loyal advocate.
4. Tailor the experience to the customer.
Like snowflakes, no two customers are alike. Every customer has their own unique needs and goals that are specific to their situation. Recognizing these differences and adapting your communication to align with each customer is a great way to build rapport.
5. Document and respond to tickets efficiently.
When customers have questions, they want answers quickly. That means you need to be organized and capable of thinking on your feet. It also means that you need to be proficient with call centre technology. While you'll likely receive training, it may help to familiarize yourself with tools like help desks, knowledge bases, and ticketing systems.
6. Report recurring customer roadblocks and significant problems.
Other than solving for the customer, you're also solving for the business. If you notice a pattern of related customer inquiries, you'll need to report those issues to product management. This will help your company identify product flaws and correct them before they create churn.
7. Solve for the customer, not your convenience.
This may be your most important duty as a call centre rep. It may be tempting to provide a customer with an easy, short-term solution; however, it's important to solve for the customer's long-term needs and not for your own convenience. Customers will recognize the difference and will remain loyal to your business if you truly go above and beyond for them.
If you're considering a position in a call centre, it helps to understand these fundamental duties and why they're important to a business. No matter which industry the call centre belongs to, all of the duties listed above are essential to a customer service team's short and long-term success. By consistently completing these core responsibilities, customer service departments can deliver a positive customer experience on nearly every interaction.
To fulfill these duties, call centre agents need to work together as a team and create a system that'll manage customer service demands. Customer service managers lead this initiative by strategizing the fielding and distribution of incoming or outgoing calls. Before pursuing a job in a call centre, it's important that you understand the details of how a call centre works and why this process is effective.
Call Centre Skills
Whether you call it a call centre or a contact centre, an agent is on the front lines of the business, helping define the customer experience. To master this field, call centre agents need to possess a handful of different service and support skills. Here are five of those skills that are critical to the success of a call centre agent.
1. Knowledge Retention
Customers don't want to repeat their problems. They're looking for timely solutions and having to re-describe their issue wastes time and doesn't make progress towards a resolution. Good customer service reps are able to interpret customer problems and understand them the first time they hear it.
2. Flexibility
One of the most interesting characteristics of customer service roles is that they're day-to-day responsibilities are often unpredictable. Customers roadblocks don't come with any warning and sometimes reps need to be flexible and adapt to unexpected situations. When something important suddenly breaks, the call centre agent is one of the first people to provide a response. They need to be constantly ready to spring into action, especially on a moment's notice.
3. Attention to Detail
In customer service, providing a customer with nearly the right answer just doesn't cut it. Customers have specific needs and won't overlook small details if they aren't fulfilled. Successful customer service reps pay close attention to customer needs and do everything they can satisfy each one — no matter how small. Doing so demonstrates an above-and-beyond dedication to customer support and will improve customer satisfaction.
4. Creativity
Sometimes the solution to a customer's problem isn't clear or achievable. While that may not be the agent's fault, it's still up to them to come up with another solution. This is where call centre agents need to be creative and suggest alternative ideas that benefit both the customer and the company. Creative reps are able to use the resources they have at hand to fulfill the customer's needs in an unanticipated way.
5. Organisation
As mentioned earlier, call centre agents can take up to 50 calls a day, and not every one is resolved during the first call. Some calls will require a follow-up that may last days or weeks after the first interaction. This challenges reps to manage their open cases efficiently and provide updates in a timely manner. Being well-organized can help you manage ongoing follow-up especially if you don't have access the appropriate customer service tools.
Now that you're familiar with the ins and outs of how a call centre operates, you may be eager to start applying for a customer service job. Call centre jobs are offered throughout the world, but if you're having trouble finding an opening that's close to you, it may help to consider a remote option.
Source: Hubspot
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