Tips for working in a Contact Center
The first tip is to decide if a career in customer service is right for you. If you're looking for a career with plenty of growth opportunities, it may be worth applying for a customer service position in a contact center.
More than 651% of customers across all age groups typically use the phone to resolve their issues with a business. That's why many companies continue to employ a customer service team that provides exceptional service via this channel.
Below, we've highlighted the daily roles and responsibilities of a call center agent, along with what you should consider if you think a customer service position might be a good fit for you.
What is a call center?
A call center is a functional team within the service department that handles incoming and outgoing customer calls. They are staffed by representatives who manage each call and follow up on open cases and transactions.
To keep their teams organized, team leaders use call center software to distribute inquiries and interact with customers around the world.
In customer service, call centers can be proactive (outbound) or reactive (inbound). This means they can approach customers with service offers or offer traditional assistance and answer incoming calls. Many companies now offer proactive customer service to build stronger customer relationships and leverage opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.
Additionally, call centers can be owned by the parent company or contracted as an external provider. Depending on the organization's needs, both options have pros and cons that influence the success of the customer service department. For example, third-party call centers are more efficient, but they may not be as familiar with the product, service, or brand reputation. If you're looking for a call center job, be sure to clarify whether it's an external provider or one owned by the parent company.
Now that we've covered the basics, let's break down the types of customer service call centers.
Types of call centers
1. Virtual
2. Entrance
3. Exit
4. Automated
5. Omnichannel
1. Virtual call centers.
Virtual call centers have been adopted by companies around the world.
These call centers use software that distributes calls to agents working in remote locations. Instead of having all agents located in a central office, virtual call centers employ representatives from all over the world, creating a more diverse customer service team.
The advantage of working remotely in a telephone service is that you can do it from the comfort of your home. The company will provide you with all the tools you need to do your job effectively, including a headset, microphone, and even a computer. You can then take the company's online courses and training to prepare for future customer interactions.
Companies benefit from this setup as it makes it easier to provide customer service across multiple time zones. Since customer service teams work from different locations, companies with remote call centers can provide after-hours coverage without having to assign employees to different shifts. This makes employee scheduling much easier for companies that offer 24/7 customer service.
2. Inbound call centers
When customers call a company for help, there's a customer service representative on the other end of the line waiting to assist them. In this type of position, a representative is skilled in technical assistance, communication, and problem-solving. Having experience in each of these areas improves the customer experience.
In this type of call center, representatives must be prepared for anything. Incoming calls may not be screened, meaning angry, emotional, or very confused customers may come in. The best inbound call representatives are patient and assume all customers have good intentions.
3. Outbound call centers
Outbound call centers are responsible for resolving customer issues after they have made a purchase from your company.
You might be wondering: What's the benefit of calling a customer to see if they're having problems with your products or services? The truth is, it builds a stronger relationship with the customer.
After a customer makes a purchase, all sorts of things can happen. They may experience buyer's remorse that leads them to return the product. They may have a simple question about a feature they haven't yet checked out. Or, they may have simply called your customer service line, waited too long, and never called back.
Outbound call centers are often friendlier than inbound call centers, and it's easy to imagine why. If a friend called to check on you, say hello, and offer help, how would you feel? I'm sure you'd feel pretty good inside.
The same thing happens with customers when service representatives offer proactive assistance. The simple gesture of offering help can build positive relationships with customers and turn them into loyal brand advocates.
4. Automated call centers
Some call centers are automated, meaning the company uses computer systems to manage some or all of the call center's responsibilities.
Automated call center responsibilities may include scheduling appointments with clients or sending shipment updates via email or text message. Many automated systems also incorporate interactive voice technology for common inquiries, such as finding a business's location or confirming business hours.
Companies with this type of call center typically require fewer customer service representatives (and tend to save time and resources) since a process already exists to address some of their customers' routine needs.
In terms of automation, artificial intelligence (AI) is also revolutionizing the operation of call centers.
5. Omnichannel Call Centers
Omnichannel call centers are gaining popularity as companies look to offer additional customer service options to complement telephone communications.
In most cases, the tried-and-tested process of answering customer inquiries by phone remains the primary source of contact. And it's the best way for customers to reach the support team if all else fails.
But additional channels such as text, email, social media, and live chat on a website or in an app work together to support an omnichannel call center strategy.
What do call centers do?
Call centers offer customers an alternative communication channel for their service inquiries. Instead of writing an email or traveling to a store, customers can simply pick up the phone, tell an agent their problem, and receive a solution. Many people prefer this type of support to other means, as it provides immediate service and personalized solutions.
Telephone support is a key function of many customer service teams because customers still love the personalized touch of interacting with a real person. As a call center representative, you'll have the pleasure of providing customers with timely solutions and pleasant experiences.
You may think that phone support is an outdated customer service channel. Phone calls still top the list of consumer preferences when it comes to customer service channels, like email and social media.
Working in a call center
Call centers are a critical component of customer service teams and are often the primary means of communication between a company and its customers.
To work in a call center, you'll need to be motivated by customer success. Call center agents are tenacious problem-solvers who are committed to improving customer experiences with the brand.
A call center agent's workday is often hectic and requires them to manage a handful of different responsibilities. Agents often need to be flexible with their workflow and able to deal with unexpected obstacles.
Customer service functions in call centers
1. Help customers through different customer service platforms.
If you work in an in-house call center, chances are you'll be dealing with more than just the phone. 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 work in is crucial to delivering a great omnichannel experience.
2. Communicate thoughtful and personalized solutions.
No matter how experienced you are, never assume you know more about the customer's needs than the customer. This type of assumption can lead to miscommunication and frustration for both parties. On the contrary, the best call center representatives are patient and offer detailed, well-thought-out solutions.
3. Create a pleasant customer experience.
To stand out from the competition, you have to do more than just give the right answer. Pleasant experiences retain customers, which translates into more revenue for the company. If you're looking for a job in customer service, be sure to highlight your ability to turn a regular customer into a loyal advocate.
4. Tailor the experience to the customer.
Like snowflakes, no two clients are alike. Each has their own specific needs and goals. Recognizing these differences and tailoring your communication to each client is a good 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 able to think quickly. It also means you need to be proficient in call center technology. While you'll likely receive training, it can be helpful to become familiar with tools such as help desks, knowledge bases, and ticketing systems.
6. Report recurring customer crashes and significant problems.
In addition to resolving customer issues, you should also address those of the company. If you notice a pattern of related customer inquiries, you'll need to report these issues to product management. This will help your company identify product defects and correct them before they lead to customer churn.
7. Solve the problem for the customer, not for your convenience.
This may be your most important duty as a call center or contact center representative. It's tempting to offer the customer a short-term, easy solution. However, it's important to address customer needs over the long term, not for your own convenience. Customers will recognize the difference and remain loyal to your company if you truly go above and beyond for their benefit.
If you're considering working in a call center, it's helpful to understand these fundamental functions and why they're important to a business. Regardless of the call center's industry, all of these functions are essential to the short- and long-term success of a customer service team. By consistently fulfilling these basic responsibilities, customer service departments can deliver a positive customer experience in almost every interaction.
To fulfill these functions, call center agents must work as a team and create a system that manages customer service requests. Customer service managers lead this initiative by designing strategies for receiving and distributing incoming and outgoing calls.
How call centers work
A call center serves as a communication channel for customers to communicate requests or complaints to a company. Customer service representatives working in call centers answer calls from customers who need assistance resolving a specific issue. The representatives work to resolve the customer's problem, either during the first interaction or in a follow-up call or email.
Although all call centers differ in some ways, most operate with a similar response system. Simply put, customers alert the customer service department about a problem, and the call center responds to the report and resolves the issue.
1. The client makes the call
The calling process begins when a customer calls or requests a call from a customer service team. Calls can be made directly to the call center or through a connected product or app. Some call centers even offer callbacks, where the customer tells the company they need help, and the company schedules a time for the agent to call them back.
Once the call connects to the phone line, it can be filtered and transferred to a proactive help desk. The filter can be software or even a live representative who assesses the customer's issue and then transfers the call to a designated agent. This is useful for call centers that use specialists to handle complex or specific issues.
Getting calls to the right agent is a smart way for customer service teams to increase case resolution times and improve the customer experience.
2. The representative works on the customer's problem
Once the call is transferred to the appropriate representative, the customer service agent will work to resolve the customer's issue. Successful representatives possess a blend of experience, product knowledge, and communication skills that help them meet the customer's needs. Good agents not only know what questions to ask, but also when to ask them and how to phrase them.
Customer service isn't always as simple as coming up with the right answer, and sometimes you have to reword solutions several times to make sure the customer understands or believes it.
The goal of the phone call is to resolve the issue in the first interaction. Customer churn can often be avoided if the issue is resolved on the first call. This is because first-call resolutions demonstrate that you can offer customers timely solutions when they need it most.
3. The representative follows up
Although the agent aims to resolve the issue during the first call, that goal isn't always achievable. Sometimes, customer service agents have no choice but to end the call and follow up once they have more information. You might think this risks the potential customer churn we mentioned earlier, but this step is for the benefit of both the customer and the representative.
Call center skills
- Communication.
- Retention of knowledge.
- Flexibility.
- Attention to detail.
- Creativity.
- Organization.
Whether it's a call center or a contact center, an agent is on the front lines of the business, helping define the customer experience. To master this field, call center agents must possess a handful of different service and support skills.
Advantages of working in a Call Center
- You will acquire transferable skills.
- You will learn excellent communication skills.
- You will get great compensation and benefits.
We give you 8 useful tips for working in a Call Center.
- Be tolerant with your customers.
- Personalize your customer's experience.
- Listen actively to the conversation (and take notes).
- Take mental and physical breaks.
- Review your frequently asked questions.
- Get organized (and stay) organized.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- May the day be light and fun.
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