Introduction
Due to the effects of globalization and the need to minimize operational costs, many major businesses have opted to outsource part of their work to other organizations. This has led to the creation of call centers, which are designated with the task of handling customer care related issues for other companies. Call centers handle both inbound and outbound calls for companies, in regards to general product inquiries, customer complaints and technical support. Call centre employees are often referred to as representatives, and will be grouped together in teams. Each team is assigned a manager whose main task is to ensure quality customer service. Call centers jobs also employ operation analysts, who are tasked with the responsibility of monitoring call volumes and the employee-to-call ratio.
Step 1
Representatives are expected to stick to a strict work ethic, such as adhering to proper phone etiquette, how to log into the system, among others. Some call centers jobs may require representatives to wear a standard dress code, to help employees to maintain a professional state of mind over the telephone. The atmosphere in a call centre can be competitive, noisy and sometimes stressful. However, representatives will be provided training on the products they will be dealing with, in order to solve customer problems and ensure customer satisfaction.
Step 2
Outbound call centre jobs require representatives to places calls to clients, informing them of the products and services the company has to offer. They can either perform a direct sales call or relay information to their clients with aim of referring them to outside sales representatives who will follow up on the sale.
Step 3
Inbound call centre jobs require representatives to answer incoming calls from customers. This role is somewhat more unpredictable than those performed by outbound call centre jobs, since customers will make random requests and complaints. Therefore, in order for representatives to handle this job, they are required to possess a thorough knowledge of the products and services offered by the company, and the policies used by the company to serve its clientele.
Step 4
Even though it may sound easy to sit down and talk to people all day, call centre jobs have different elements to it and will often require people with a certain skill set or personal acumen. Potential employees should be ready to speak to clients while reading the same script everyday, and to quell a barrage of complaints and problems from clients. On a positive note, a job as a call centre representative can be highly rewarding for those people who enjoy interacting with people. Entry level call centre jobs will also not require any previous experience. All that is required is good communications skills and a patient attitude.
Also
The average salary earned by call centre jobs is around $29,000. However, it is possible for representatives to double or triple their earnings, once they have been promoted to team leader, supervisor or manager.
Conclusion
If you are thinking of pursuing a career in call centre jobs, then you should work on developing a patient attitude, your ability to work in a team, your communication and computer skills.
