What To Know When You Take A Job In A Call Center
Working in a call center is an attractive job for many people. The opportunities seem endless and the pay is decent. If you are considering applying to work for a call center, check out these three important facts, so you can determine if it's right for you.
You're on the Frontlines
When you work in a call center, you have to have a thick skin and patience. Many of the people calling you are already upset, or they become upset when you don't give them the answer they want. Even though it's not your fault, they take their anger and frustration out on you, and if you take it personally, you won't last long. When dealing with a difficult customer, make sure to always keep your cool.
The best way to deal with an angry customer is with excellent customer service. Start by listening to their entire story, and take notes. Even if you think you know where the story is headed, let them finish. Sometimes, what they really want is to vent. Once they have explained the issue, give them a sincere apology, so they understand you want to help. Lastly, try to solve their problem quickly and efficiently. If you don't know how to help, ask someone. If you have to transfer them, use a warm transfer. A warm transfer allows you to explain the problem to your manager, so the customer doesn't have to repeat themselves.
You'll Become Obsessed With Statistics
In a call center, you perform customer service, and customer service is always about the statistics because it's the best way to measure performance and success. Management is obsessed with the customer service numbers. They'll constantly review them, and push for better results. As a result, you need to become obsessed with your own statistics to ensure you do a stellar job.
How fast calls get solved is one of the most important statistics, but it isn't the only one. Other important and common statistics include the quality of the caller's experience, if the call was answered on the first call, the customer's satisfaction, the level of service and transferring to the right person. You can see that while speed is important, you also have to offer accurate answers and make the entire experience pleasant.
It's Both Strict and Flexible
Because call centers take in so many calls and are focused on offering fast, quality answers, it can be a strict environment. You can't usually take your lunch/breaks whenever you want, you may not be allowed to leave early whenever you need to, and it may even be against the rules to use the bathroom when you aren't on a break. This is to ensure there are always enough representatives answering calls at any given moment. If there was no schedule, and half the representatives decided to take lunch at the same time, the stats would drastically fall.
On the other hand, there is some flexibility when working in a call center. You can usually wear casual attire, such as jeans, and many centers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can choose your own schedule, such as day, swing or night. Unfortunately, when you apply, the company may only need someone to work the swing shift, so even if you want to work day, you don't have a choice until someone leaves. Turnover, however, is high, so you'll eventually get the shift you want.
A call center customer service representative is not the right job for everyone. However, for the right candidate, it can be the perfect place to excel, help customers and choose your own schedule. If you think working in a call center is the right job for you, start looking around today to find one that is hiring in your area. You can also go to websites of local call centers to learn more or see if they're hiring.
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