What Working in a Call Center Is Really Like

There are a lot of misconceptions about what working in a call center is like. But, the rumors don’t come near the truth. If you’re thinking of becoming a call center agent, you should know what it’s really like.

Here’s a true report on what a call center agent does, how easy or hard it is, and what you should keep in mind before you start working at a call center.

What Is a Call Center?

A call center is an integral department in an office that handles receiving and giving out information to potential and existing customers. Working in a call center involves taking customer complaints or distress calls or putting calls through to them to discuss new and exciting deals or offers.

A call center is essential to strengthening customer relationships. It helps companies understand their customers’ concerns and problems and create reasonable solutions to help them. Working in a call center can get exhausting, but you can have fun while at it with the right approach.

Types of Call Centers

There are four main types of call centers, and each type comes with different duties.

• Inbound call center: taking calls from existing or prospective customers to answer their questions, offer advice or solve the problems they encounter while using your company’s products.
• Outbound call center: you reach out to customers for advertisement purposes. Usually, calls like these aim to create product awareness, generate sales, and raise funds for the company.
• Work-from-home call center: also known as a remote call center, instead of working on a traditional floor, you use a virtual call center software. As the name implies, you get to work remotely from anywhere, making your job a ton more flexible.
• Omnichannel contact center: while most call centers are already multichannel, omnichannel contact centers are the future of customer engagement. You’d talk to customers through multiple channels at the same time. For example, while you’re chatting with them, you’d send them a text for verification and an email with video instructions.

Call Center Customer Service Duties

Not sure what you’ll be doing at a call center? Here are some duties you might have to juggle.

1. Use Different Platforms

You need to be proficient with the different communication channels your call center uses. Don’t worry, they’ll teach you how to use these, and most are easy to use.

Most likely, you’ll talk to customers through phone calls, emails, chat, and social media. And if you’re working in an omnichannel contact center, you’ll use these simultaneously.

2. Solve Customer Issues

One of the important services a call center agent offers is problem-solving. And sometimes, you’ll need to get creative.

As a trained call center agent, you should provide a working solution for the customer either by making quick references to a manual or from knowledge gained during training.

3. Create a Pleasant Customer Experience

As a call center agent, you should be friendly and patient with customers, especially when they’re distressed and panicked. Maintaining a calm tone will make your job easy while providing them with the best customer experience.

Offering a good customer experience helps to build a long-lasting customer relationship. This also leads to increased sales and customer referrals for your company. We bet you want that.

4. Tailor Solutions to the Customer

While trying to provide solutions, you should ensure that they’re specific to the problems the customer is reporting. Every customer has a unique way of expressing their needs or complaint, and you can quickly figure out the problem and provide the correct solution by listening effectively.

5. Document and Respond to Tickets Efficiently

Many people contact customer service because they want an immediate response to their queries. This means that working as a call center agent will require you to provide solutions accurately and precisely every time. 

The longer the wait time is, the more annoyed a customer will be. Which reflects badly on the company and makes your job harder too. Working at a call center is often fast and efficient. 

6. Report Recurring Roadblocks

When you notice a recurring complaint or problem, document and report it. This will help the call center figure out methods of preventing the same issue in the future.

Skills a Call Center Agents Needs

If you want to be a call center agent, you need to have the skill set to communicate with customers easily. 

The most notable call center agent skills are: 

• Patience and Empathy
• Adaptability 
• Knowledge Base
• Flexibility
• Attention to Detail
• Creativity
• Effective communication and listening skills 
• Self-control 
• Conflict resolution skills
• Positive attitude

Benefits of Working in a Call Center

Working as a call center agent comes with many perks. It is one of the easiest part-time or full-time jobs you can consider.

If you’re still on the fence, these benefits may inspire you to apply to become a rep.

It’s Fun

When you think of working in a call center, you may think of overworked agents getting screamed at by aggravated customers. While annoyed customers are common, it’s not so stereotypical. Especially if you work at a call center that values agent satisfaction.

At Expivia, we do everything to make working in a call center as engaging and fun as possible. That includes playing games, offering 1-on-1 coaching, and keeping the floor as lighthearted as possible.

Learn Awesome Skills 

You gain invaluable experience when you’re working in a call center. And these skills translate well into other jobs and your everyday life. Treating others with patience and kindness, creative problem solving, and attention to detail are all crucial in a contact center, as well as in life.

Plus, the training you get as a call center agent can advance your skills and add to your resume.

Little Or No Experience is Required 

You don’t need prior experience to become a call center agent. In fact, you’ll get to attend training and workshops to equip yourself with the required skills.

Most call centers organize a series of training to help you adapt to their system and learn the ropes of their business to make it easy for you to help their customers.

Incentives and a High Income 

While working as a call center agent, the income you stand to earn is higher than what other entry-level jobs offer. 

You also get to enjoy incentives and additional benefits from time to time after completing set milestones. Working overtime will also increase your chances of getting commissions.

Flexible Job Schedule 

The job schedule at a call center is not as tight as it is in other departments in a company. You get to choose the time frame that works best for you and you can also decide to work overtime or take on weekend jobs.

Plus, you can have a great work-life balance as a call center agent.

Become a Call Center Agent

At Expivia, our agents are the heart of our company. And we make sure that our reps are engaged and happy working here. That’s why we have a low turnover rate, and the highest agent satisfaction. And we’re always looking for new agents to join our growing team. Start your career at a call center that cares. 

Reach out to us today to find out more about the work we do and how you can join us.