This person normally works in a contact center with a job description that involves managing a wide range of customer relations activities. This includes customer service and technical support.
What does a call center agent do?
The main task of a call center agent is to manage incoming telephone calls. They are also responsible for dealing with customers who prefer to contact the company by Internet (e-mail), SMS or any other electronic means.
Each time a prospect or customer calls, the contact center agent displays information about the person in question on the computer screen for reference to sales or service records throughout the interaction.
After the conversation with the customer, the contact center agent updates the customer file with the details they have obtained and the answers they have given the customer.
The contact center agent tries as far as possible to deal with the problems that customers complain about when they first call and to ensure that customers get satisfactory answers to any service requests they make.
In a situation where the contact center agent does not have an immediate solution to the problem they are dealing with on the call, they can arrange to call the customer back when information and a suitable solution have been obtained.
In resolving customer complaints, the contact center agent must ensure that problems are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
If the opportunity arises, they may also suggest that the customer completes a satisfaction survey to ensure customer retention and loyalty.
Finally, contact center agents may sometimes make calls during periods when they are less busy. The purpose of these calls is to check with customers whether the previous services they have received have met their needs. The contact center agent may also make calls to customers to inform them of the availability of new products and services that may be of interest to them.
Call center agents: what are their responsibilities and what qualities do they need to have?
Call center agents perform a variety of functions to ensure that customer queries receive a satisfactory response.
The responsibilities and tasks generally carried out by a call center agent are as follows:
- Handling a large number of incoming and outgoing calls within the contact centre
- Keeping a complete record of all calls and/or conversations in the database
- Taking advantage of available opportunities to sell or advertise products and services to customers
- Regularly attend seminars or educational conferences to develop expertise in customer relations and improve performance levels
- Ensure that any response given to the customer(s) is in line with the communication scripts that have been prepared for different topics covering customer service issues
- Identify the needs of different customers, clarify information, undertake the necessary research and provide sustainable solutions to customer problems
- Route calls to the appropriate channel(s)
- Refer complex problems or complaints to supervisors
- Build a lasting customer relationship
On the other hand, if someone is applying to work as a contact center agent, most employers expect the candidate to be able to meet certain requirements and qualifications.
Firstly, a contact center agent must have good communication skills, particularly listening skills. This is necessary to ensure clear retrieval and transmission of information to customers. They also need empathy to create authenticity and a bond of trust with anxious or uncomfortable callers.
Secondly, the contact center agent is by essence a flexible and versatile profile: he or she is capable of performing several tasks and adapting to different situations and individuals while managing his or her time optimally. Contact center agents must have the intelligence to prioritise several assignments. They are just as capable of working as part of a team if necessary as they are of being totally autonomous.
Thirdly, the contact center agent must have good interpersonal skills to enable an easy flow with customers at all times. They also have good interpersonal and customer relations skills.
Finally, from a more technical point of view, the contact center agent must have at least a high school diploma, as well as good data entry and typing skills.
Contact center agents are ambassadors for the companies they represent, interacting directly with their customers. If a contact center representative makes a bad impression, the customer’s view of the company could be negatively impacted. That’s why it’s important to select and recruit contact center agents who have all the skills they need to carry out their day-to-day tasks properly.
If you are looking for a professional company that recruits and trains contact center agents with the best talents to make them available to you, do not hesitate to contact us. Advancia Teleservices will be your ultimate ally in customer relationship management ?