There’s more to call centers than just having a great telephone voice. Here’s how to do a good job, have fun, and gain transferable skills from your call center job.
HOW TO DO A BLOODY GOOD JOB
1. Learn your phonetic alphabet
I know I’m risking sounding like your line manager right now but your life will be so much easier if you can roll off “Is that F for foxtrot or S for sierra?” rather than trying to second guess what your caller is saying, or throwing in any random word, “Is that S for socks or F for fox?”. Do you know how similar those two sound when on the phone? Don’t do it. Learn your phonetic alphabet and you’ll feel a little bit like a spy as you take down customer details. “So that’s Smith – Sierra Mike India Tango Hotel?”
2. Know your scripts
There’s nothing worse than calling a company and being greeted with someone who is clearly reading off a screen. Know how to answer your calls. If you can, make those big long chunks of terms and conditions you have to say on every call sound like they’re not being read out too – your caller is MUCH more likely to listen to them and remember them if you do. Oh, and make sure you know whether it’s morning or afternoon – there’s nothing worse than a customer pointing out to you at 3pm that it’s definitely no longer morning.
3. Be polite and helpful – even when customers are rude to you
Being polite is an absolute must for anyone working in any form of customer service. But it’s especially important if you’re working in a call center. For some reason, customers often have an instinctive dislike and distrust of call center workers so you have to work extra hard to get them on side – especially if they’re grumpy and a bit rude to you. But resist the urge to snap at them. It will only get you in trouble with your line manager when they go in to listen to your calls. And you never know, if you’re polite and go out of your way to help a grumpy customer, you might just cheer them up a bit.
4. Don’t put your call on mute to finish your conversation with your colleagues
In case you weren’t aware, when your call is on mute (or even on hold), the call is still being recorded. Your manager will still hear you chatting about what you got up to this weekend while you’re supposed to be dealing with a customer. And they won’t be happy. You’d be surprised by the number of people I know who got caught doing this. Pause your conversation while you have a customer on the phone and then restart it again once you’ve finished your call. Funnily enough you’re not being paid to chat to your friends.
HOW TO HAVE FUN – REALLY ............Okay, I’m probably never going to convince you that working in a call center is a laugh a minute but these tips can save you from death by boredom.
1. Make a note of your favorite call every day
I still have a notebook from when I was working in a call center that has a list of calls that made me smile. My absolute favorite is the woman who had a slightly different take on the phonetic alphabet and was adamant that her name started with “F for mother”. It took a good five minutes to sort out that mess but it made my day. Customers can be amusing sometimes so make a note of those calls that helped you through the day and when you’re having a really rubbish shift you can look back at your list and realize that working in a call center isn’t always that bad.
2. Have a hang up race with your co-workers
I’m definitely not encouraging you to try and get customers to hang up on you. But you can keep a tally to track how many customers hang up on you in comparison to how many hang up on your colleagues. It’s a great way to make you feel a lot better about angry and rude customers.
3. Focus on your incentives
Incentives are obviously there to make you work harder. But they’re rewards for doing your job. What’s going to make your job more fun than the possibility of winning vouchers, or cash, or even just a bottle of wine at the end of the week? Do your job really well, win the prize and have loads more fun.
4. Change your perception
“Everyone’s perception of a call center is completely wrong,” says Anna Pirrie, Retention's Adviser. “There is much more to the role than just upgrading customers’ mobile contracts. The skills you develop are so vast and it’s a great environment to work in. You will meet new people from all walks of life, gain skills you don’t learn at school or college and genuinely enjoy your Job.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS ...Believe it or not, working in a call center can teach you so much more than the phonetic alphabet and how to deal with the world’s slowest computer system without letting on to the customer that it’s completely crashed and you have to start again for the third time.
1. Working well under pressure
If you’ve ever had to jump on the phones to do a spot of queue busting you’ll know exactly what I mean by this. You have 30 customers who have been waiting to speak to someone for at least three minutes; your company has a target of answering all calls within four minutes. The only person who can solve this problem is you (and the rest of your team). Managers will be breathing down your neck, pointing furiously at the call waiting numbers and times. You’ll be trying to deal with every customer quickly but politely. If that doesn’t count for being able to work under pressure we’re not sure what does.
2. Patience
You know those calls where the customer is taking FOREVER to find their debit card and read out the number to you? That’s exactly what we’re talking about when we say you learn to be patient in a call center. If you can manage one of these calls with a few deep breaths and without screaming down the phone “JUST HURRY UP” then you definitely have the patience of a saint and you can probably deal with any situation ever.
3. Communication
Sounds obvious, I know, but funnily enough communication is a skill that you’ll definitely have mastered after a few months in a call center. You’ll be able to deal with angry people, rude people, people who want to get off the phone as quickly as possible. But you’ll also be able to write notes on accounts in a way that other people can understand them and pass on messages to other departments. Communication is really important in a lot of work places and a great way to show you have brilliant communications skills is taking a call center job.
HOW TO DO A BLOODY GOOD JOB
1. Learn your phonetic alphabet
I know I’m risking sounding like your line manager right now but your life will be so much easier if you can roll off “Is that F for foxtrot or S for sierra?” rather than trying to second guess what your caller is saying, or throwing in any random word, “Is that S for socks or F for fox?”. Do you know how similar those two sound when on the phone? Don’t do it. Learn your phonetic alphabet and you’ll feel a little bit like a spy as you take down customer details. “So that’s Smith – Sierra Mike India Tango Hotel?”
2. Know your scripts
There’s nothing worse than calling a company and being greeted with someone who is clearly reading off a screen. Know how to answer your calls. If you can, make those big long chunks of terms and conditions you have to say on every call sound like they’re not being read out too – your caller is MUCH more likely to listen to them and remember them if you do. Oh, and make sure you know whether it’s morning or afternoon – there’s nothing worse than a customer pointing out to you at 3pm that it’s definitely no longer morning.
3. Be polite and helpful – even when customers are rude to you
Being polite is an absolute must for anyone working in any form of customer service. But it’s especially important if you’re working in a call center. For some reason, customers often have an instinctive dislike and distrust of call center workers so you have to work extra hard to get them on side – especially if they’re grumpy and a bit rude to you. But resist the urge to snap at them. It will only get you in trouble with your line manager when they go in to listen to your calls. And you never know, if you’re polite and go out of your way to help a grumpy customer, you might just cheer them up a bit.
4. Don’t put your call on mute to finish your conversation with your colleagues
In case you weren’t aware, when your call is on mute (or even on hold), the call is still being recorded. Your manager will still hear you chatting about what you got up to this weekend while you’re supposed to be dealing with a customer. And they won’t be happy. You’d be surprised by the number of people I know who got caught doing this. Pause your conversation while you have a customer on the phone and then restart it again once you’ve finished your call. Funnily enough you’re not being paid to chat to your friends.
HOW TO HAVE FUN – REALLY ............Okay, I’m probably never going to convince you that working in a call center is a laugh a minute but these tips can save you from death by boredom.
1. Make a note of your favorite call every day
I still have a notebook from when I was working in a call center that has a list of calls that made me smile. My absolute favorite is the woman who had a slightly different take on the phonetic alphabet and was adamant that her name started with “F for mother”. It took a good five minutes to sort out that mess but it made my day. Customers can be amusing sometimes so make a note of those calls that helped you through the day and when you’re having a really rubbish shift you can look back at your list and realize that working in a call center isn’t always that bad.
2. Have a hang up race with your co-workers
I’m definitely not encouraging you to try and get customers to hang up on you. But you can keep a tally to track how many customers hang up on you in comparison to how many hang up on your colleagues. It’s a great way to make you feel a lot better about angry and rude customers.
3. Focus on your incentives
Incentives are obviously there to make you work harder. But they’re rewards for doing your job. What’s going to make your job more fun than the possibility of winning vouchers, or cash, or even just a bottle of wine at the end of the week? Do your job really well, win the prize and have loads more fun.
4. Change your perception
“Everyone’s perception of a call center is completely wrong,” says Anna Pirrie, Retention's Adviser. “There is much more to the role than just upgrading customers’ mobile contracts. The skills you develop are so vast and it’s a great environment to work in. You will meet new people from all walks of life, gain skills you don’t learn at school or college and genuinely enjoy your Job.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS ...Believe it or not, working in a call center can teach you so much more than the phonetic alphabet and how to deal with the world’s slowest computer system without letting on to the customer that it’s completely crashed and you have to start again for the third time.
1. Working well under pressure
If you’ve ever had to jump on the phones to do a spot of queue busting you’ll know exactly what I mean by this. You have 30 customers who have been waiting to speak to someone for at least three minutes; your company has a target of answering all calls within four minutes. The only person who can solve this problem is you (and the rest of your team). Managers will be breathing down your neck, pointing furiously at the call waiting numbers and times. You’ll be trying to deal with every customer quickly but politely. If that doesn’t count for being able to work under pressure we’re not sure what does.
2. Patience
You know those calls where the customer is taking FOREVER to find their debit card and read out the number to you? That’s exactly what we’re talking about when we say you learn to be patient in a call center. If you can manage one of these calls with a few deep breaths and without screaming down the phone “JUST HURRY UP” then you definitely have the patience of a saint and you can probably deal with any situation ever.
3. Communication
Sounds obvious, I know, but funnily enough communication is a skill that you’ll definitely have mastered after a few months in a call center. You’ll be able to deal with angry people, rude people, people who want to get off the phone as quickly as possible. But you’ll also be able to write notes on accounts in a way that other people can understand them and pass on messages to other departments. Communication is really important in a lot of work places and a great way to show you have brilliant communications skills is taking a call center job.
Call Center Life Hacks
Call centers get a bad rap for being stress inducing, soul sucking, and just plain dreadful places to work. That may be true for some, but if you’re a savvy call center leader, making the most of your work, and walking away from each day unscathed, is completely possible. Not all of us know the secret to keeping a positive and productive outlook at work, but thankfully we have the Internet for that. Reddit, the popular site best known for viral memes and gifs, has a number of threads dedicated to the contact center. In these ingenious forums, veteran call center employees share tricks of the trade, words of wisdom, and general hacks that have helped them to enjoy working in this environment.
We’ve compiled 25 of the best contact center hacks from these Reddit threads, to help you become more successful in this field of work (and avoid sitting in a straitjacket):
1. The mute button is a great feature for venting (very cathartic on stressful calls). Just keep in mind it can be your best friend when it works, and your worst enemy when it’s not working.
2. NEVER say or give off any kind of hints to the customer that you’re a newbie. Why? It makes the customer less confident in you and they could use it against you in the call.
3. Make your notes as you go. Most employee computers have access to a note pad. Open it up and (briefly) write down the steps you take while you are helping the customer. Then when it’s time to close the call, you will have your notes already done, and just copy/paste into your Call Log.
4. Don't let the customer guide the troubleshooting process. Remember, they called you, not the other way around. Be polite, but control the call.
5. You’ll learn best through experience, so don’t be hard on yourself! Analyze the complicated calls and take notes in case the issue comes up again. Also…don’t be afraid to seek the help from your colleagues. Listen to their calls when you’re not on one yourself, and pick up on what you like or what you think are good techniques.
6. Show empathy to the clients, not sympathy. Don’t cry with them, but let them know that you’re there to help and listen. You’ll take care of their situation the best you can. If the customer knows that you genuinely want to help it will calm them down.
7. If you have a question, research it then ask your supervisor. If the supervisor tells you something that conflicts with your research then press the issue and ask more questions, don’t just go with what they tell you.
8. Use your natural speaking voice and cadence whenever possible. If you sound relaxed, it can help relax the customer in turn, leading to better calls.
9. Don’t be afraid to put a customer on hold so you can ask for advice from a colleague or supervisor.
10. Buy a big packet of cheap pencils. Keep them with you. Every time you want to get mad at a customer, break a pencil. You will feel calmer after this.
11. Buy silly putty, a Rubik’s cube, or other fiddle toy. Do you macrame'? Bring your cord. You’ll be sitting a lot, with varying periods between phone calls. The goal here is to keep yourself engaged one way or another.
12. Have fun with your callers. Talk with a smile on your face; the caller can literally hear it. Make a fake grimace until it becomes natural; no one can tell the difference, except for the guy in the cubicle across from you, and I guarantee you, he’s seen worse.
13. Be nice to all your coworkers. You don’t want them to hate you. If they do hate you, it’s not the end of the world. Eight months ago, I had a call center nemesis. Nowadays, we’re buying each other birthday presents and making inappropriate jokes.
14. If you get a weird caller, share the story. At least some of your coworkers thrive on gossip, and can probably give you tips for handling situations in the future.
15. Come in wearing a Batman mask. Come in wearing one of those "riding a pony" costumers. Come in wearing your pajamas. This breaks the monotony and lifts your spirits, as well as the spirits of everyone around you. (Just be sure to clear it with your TMs first!!!)
16. If you mess up, tell your supervisor IMMEDIATELY. Firstly, because they’re probably going to find out anyway, and secondly because you want to establish a reputation as a trustworthy, honorable person for when you really mess up.
17. Learn your agent information database. Learn how to get around it quickly. If it has a search engine, which most do, focus on putting in the correct keywords to get the script or article that you need to solve the customer’s problem. For example, sometimes “credits” will be found under “adjustments”.
18. Troubleshoot the issue that is actually happening, not what the customer believes is happening. For example, the customer says, “My router isn’t working”. Instead of just taking that at face value, ask probing questions to find out the true problem, like “Are you seeing any error messages on your computer screen? Are the status lights on your router off, on or flashing?”
19. Understand that many elderly people do not see the computer and the internet service as separate entities. When they say “My internet is broken”, they may very well mean that they don’t see a particular desktop icon they are used to seeing, or that their homepage has changed. Many detailed probing questions are necessary to deal with these type of folks correctly.
20. Bring we wipes. Clean your computer and your headset. Seriously; trust me on this one.
21. Bring a book, crochet needle and yarn, cards to play solitaire, school books or something that can help you study between calls. Also bring snacks (healthy preferably) and sit next to someone you enjoy speaking with.
22. If you’re able to grow from being an agent to being a manager or director, do it. We need more people who have been in the agent’s shoes leading the team.
We’ve compiled 25 of the best contact center hacks from these Reddit threads, to help you become more successful in this field of work (and avoid sitting in a straitjacket):
1. The mute button is a great feature for venting (very cathartic on stressful calls). Just keep in mind it can be your best friend when it works, and your worst enemy when it’s not working.
2. NEVER say or give off any kind of hints to the customer that you’re a newbie. Why? It makes the customer less confident in you and they could use it against you in the call.
3. Make your notes as you go. Most employee computers have access to a note pad. Open it up and (briefly) write down the steps you take while you are helping the customer. Then when it’s time to close the call, you will have your notes already done, and just copy/paste into your Call Log.
4. Don't let the customer guide the troubleshooting process. Remember, they called you, not the other way around. Be polite, but control the call.
5. You’ll learn best through experience, so don’t be hard on yourself! Analyze the complicated calls and take notes in case the issue comes up again. Also…don’t be afraid to seek the help from your colleagues. Listen to their calls when you’re not on one yourself, and pick up on what you like or what you think are good techniques.
6. Show empathy to the clients, not sympathy. Don’t cry with them, but let them know that you’re there to help and listen. You’ll take care of their situation the best you can. If the customer knows that you genuinely want to help it will calm them down.
7. If you have a question, research it then ask your supervisor. If the supervisor tells you something that conflicts with your research then press the issue and ask more questions, don’t just go with what they tell you.
8. Use your natural speaking voice and cadence whenever possible. If you sound relaxed, it can help relax the customer in turn, leading to better calls.
9. Don’t be afraid to put a customer on hold so you can ask for advice from a colleague or supervisor.
10. Buy a big packet of cheap pencils. Keep them with you. Every time you want to get mad at a customer, break a pencil. You will feel calmer after this.
11. Buy silly putty, a Rubik’s cube, or other fiddle toy. Do you macrame'? Bring your cord. You’ll be sitting a lot, with varying periods between phone calls. The goal here is to keep yourself engaged one way or another.
12. Have fun with your callers. Talk with a smile on your face; the caller can literally hear it. Make a fake grimace until it becomes natural; no one can tell the difference, except for the guy in the cubicle across from you, and I guarantee you, he’s seen worse.
13. Be nice to all your coworkers. You don’t want them to hate you. If they do hate you, it’s not the end of the world. Eight months ago, I had a call center nemesis. Nowadays, we’re buying each other birthday presents and making inappropriate jokes.
14. If you get a weird caller, share the story. At least some of your coworkers thrive on gossip, and can probably give you tips for handling situations in the future.
15. Come in wearing a Batman mask. Come in wearing one of those "riding a pony" costumers. Come in wearing your pajamas. This breaks the monotony and lifts your spirits, as well as the spirits of everyone around you. (Just be sure to clear it with your TMs first!!!)
16. If you mess up, tell your supervisor IMMEDIATELY. Firstly, because they’re probably going to find out anyway, and secondly because you want to establish a reputation as a trustworthy, honorable person for when you really mess up.
17. Learn your agent information database. Learn how to get around it quickly. If it has a search engine, which most do, focus on putting in the correct keywords to get the script or article that you need to solve the customer’s problem. For example, sometimes “credits” will be found under “adjustments”.
18. Troubleshoot the issue that is actually happening, not what the customer believes is happening. For example, the customer says, “My router isn’t working”. Instead of just taking that at face value, ask probing questions to find out the true problem, like “Are you seeing any error messages on your computer screen? Are the status lights on your router off, on or flashing?”
19. Understand that many elderly people do not see the computer and the internet service as separate entities. When they say “My internet is broken”, they may very well mean that they don’t see a particular desktop icon they are used to seeing, or that their homepage has changed. Many detailed probing questions are necessary to deal with these type of folks correctly.
20. Bring we wipes. Clean your computer and your headset. Seriously; trust me on this one.
21. Bring a book, crochet needle and yarn, cards to play solitaire, school books or something that can help you study between calls. Also bring snacks (healthy preferably) and sit next to someone you enjoy speaking with.
22. If you’re able to grow from being an agent to being a manager or director, do it. We need more people who have been in the agent’s shoes leading the team.