Congrats! You’ve scored an interview at a call centre, passed, got the necessary training, and know how to answer calls. Now what? How can you be better? Working at a call centre is no easy feat. It’s a fast-paced environment, with challenging customers but will give you a newfound respect for all customer reps at the other end of the line.
After going around speaking to other employees at our own contact centre, here are some top tips of what NOT to do when you’re starting new on this career path.
1. Do NOT slouch, chew, or play a game while you’re on a call.
The customer cannot see you, but they can surely hear you, and usually, the customer will react to how you make them feel. Proper posture and smiling whilst speaking is one of the factors that will help you sound enthusiastic and willing to help the caller.
Imagine you’re on a call and you hear someone gobbling down on something tasty or slurping while you’re trying to make them understand your issue. Frustrating, isn’t it? Now imagine you could see them playing a game, and gulping quickly while you’re still trying to explain your problem. Not only is it frustrating, but time-wasting, as you would need to explain all over again as they weren’t listening to the first time around.
TIP: Sit properly, answer the call with a smile, and vary your voice pitch to avoid sounding unenthusiastic and monotone.
2. Do NOT take things personally.
It’s been a long day or you may even just be starting your day and this customer is definitely rinding you up. Worry not. Take a deep breath, remain your professional self, do not retaliate, and help the customer as best as you could. Callers are sometimes angry as they feel that they’ve been through the mill, and now are feeling discouraged that their matter could ever be resolved. Show them you’re actively listening to them, and ask them questions that will help you resolve the issue at hand. This will help to de-escalate the call and might even earn you a compliment from the caller for the great service. Once you’re done, give yourself a pat on the back, and take the next call with a fresh attitude and the shift will be over before you even know it.
3. Do NOT be afraid to ask for help.
Sometimes you may need to rope in someone else or ask for assistance from your superior. In each cop movie I have watched, every cop asks for backup when they’re in a tough situation and really… you’re no different. You’ve scoured through the guidelines and notes but you cannot seem to get to the solution. Ask the caller if they’re O.K. with you putting them on hold for a brief moment while you get assistance, and then go ahead and ask for support. They would definitely rather you ask questions than provide incorrect information.
Knowledge is key and will give you a confidence boost the next time you are able to resolve that same issue by yourself. 😉
4. Do NOT breach GDPR.
This may be the most important one, but whenever you are handling a call, always ask questions to get a better understanding. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is fundamental to human rights law and privacy law.
But, how does this relate to working in a call centre?
People trust companies with sensitive information, and you may be the person seeing this information. Simply put, do not assume you are talking to the correct person, but ensure that you ask all necessary questions to verify their identity. Non-compliance with GDPR puts everyone in boiling water (and very heavy fines) and who wants that? When in doubt, feel free to turn to your superiors. You will thank yourself for this later.
If you’ve got this far, applause to you for reading about self-improvement at the workplace: 👏👏👏.
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Employee Retention
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