If you’re looking for a rewarding career with great upward mobility, starting as a call center agent is a great path to set your sights on. The call center industry has a great outlook, and more and more businesses are promoting customer service roles from within, since knowledge of a brand’s strengths and philosophies are imperative in the service field. Here are some of the qualities you’ll need in order to be successful as an agent.
Friendliness
Being friendly is one of the biggest ways to find success as a support agent, especially if you are dealing with customers over-the-phone. A customer can sense your demeanor, and having a positive and respectful attitude when discussing their issue is key to providing great customer service. Be sure that you thank each customer for their business, apologize or the issues they’re facing, and remain patient when walking them through the various steps necessary to complete their request. If you’re able to consistently practice empathy during your communications with customers, you will increase customer satisfaction immensely, since customers have sadly become accustomed to negative customer service experiences.
Adaptability
As a call center agent, you must be able to think on your feet. Sometimes a customer’s mood will change at a moment’s notice, and being able to adapt and react appropriately is vital if you want to offer good service. Similarly, as a support agent, you’ll need to maintain consistent service across all calls, though no two calls are the same. Some support requests are simple while others are complex and require multiple steps. Some customers will call you angry while others will be polite and respectful. Being able to adapt to each caller, as well as each request, as you field multiple calls in an hour is just as important as remaining friendly as an agent.
Technical knowledge
Beyond a technical understanding of the product or services you are representing as an agent, it’s a good idea to have some technical proficiency when you enter a call center, too. While the software for call center agents is easy to use once you get the hang of it, it may take some training in order to get up to speed. Having proficiency using computers and telephones will thus help you greatly as you begin the onboarding office, and can also result in greater efficiency down the line. It’s important to remember that call center software is made to improve your workflow, so getting the most out of your training by taking it seriously will set you up for success once you start answering live calls. BPOs in the Philippines use tools to record and monitor all calls so that they’ll be able to know when agents are doing their job properly. This will also help them know what to improve which can build a good reputation for the businesses they are working with.
Ability to juggle multiple responsibilities at once
Just like you need to remain adaptable across all customer communications, juggling multiple responsibilities at once is equally important during your calls. While taking down information from a customer, you are also likely cross referencing your CRM database to learn more about the individual you’re speaking to as well as combing through a knowledge base of likely solutions for their request. If you’re providing support via web chat, some call centers may even have you field more than one customer request at the same time, so juggling these different tasks becomes increasingly difficult. If you’re used to a fast-paced work environment and fielding multiple requests at once, though, you’ll be a great fit for working in a call center.
Customer support agents are more than just personable communicators. A successful agent is a true problem solver and combines skills in technology, communications, and adaptability to provide consistently positive customer experiences. If you’re up to the challenge of becoming a support agent, consider reaching out to a virtual call center to learn more about their application process. While trying at times, many agents find customer service work an incredibly rewarding and varied career.
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