Five qualities of a successful call centre agent

Providing the highest standard of customer service is crucial to every business’s success. After all, without great customer care, those you target just won’t convert to long-term, loyal customers.

Call centre agents are often the first port of call for customers looking to liaise with a brand. Whether the caller is looking for further information about a product or service, wants to pass on some feedback, or requires support to remedy an issue, a call centre agent has to be there and be prepared to help.

Here we break down the five qualities that can turn your staff into customer service superstars.

Attribute 1: Good attention to detail

Standout customer service relies on many factors. However, speedy responses, customer knowledge and best practice processes aside, attention to detail is where it’s really at.

For call centre agents, work can often be monotonous, with the same types of queries received day in, day out. This makes it all too easy to let attention to detail slip. To deliver the best resolution for customer and company, the best call centre agents gain greater understanding through listening to every little and last detail.

Attribute 2: A great memory

Not everyone is blessed with excellent memory skills and knowledge recall, but the best customer care agents should know their company inside out.

Being able to memorise information about the company, its products or services and its policies is essential to answering queries and resolving issues.

Attribute 3: Excellent organisation skills

Call centres are fast-paced team environments and keeping up with the pack is the key to thriving in an agent role. To work in a busy call centre, you have to be highly organised.

An agent’s role is so much more than answering the phone. Agents have to be great multi-taskers, being able to check their knowledge base, take notes, converse with their caller and update the CRM almost simultaneously. By exercising those organisation skills, call centre agents can fulfil their roles more efficiently and deliver an even better experience for calling customers.

Better organisation will also help agents perform more efficiently under pressure, particularly when faced with disgruntled callers.

Attribute 4: A flexible and friendly persona

Call centre agents are faced with a variety of callers, ranging from the chatty, friendly and positive customer to the angry, dissatisfied and sometimes even threatening consumer.

Having the flexibility to deal with all types of calls and callers effectively and efficiently is vital. As well as being flexible during interactions, the shift patterns required in a call centre to provide the 24/7 call answering service consumers now expect from companies also requires a greater level of flexibility. As part of the role, call centre workers may have to work bank holidays, late nights, early mornings or weekends.

Friendliness is another must-have attribute for call centre agents. Being that warm and friendly voice at the end of the phone can have a direct impact on the success of an interaction. Customers who receive a friendly and professional customer care experience are also likely to have a greater level of satisfaction and loyalty.

Attribute 5: Outstanding communication skills

While having outstanding communication skills is an obvious one, it’s well worth mentioning. Providing a clear, cohesive, competent and consistent voice on behalf of the company is integral to the role and will make all the difference to your customers’ experience.

Our virtual receptionist service offers exceptional call centre agents, specially trained to deliver fantastic customer service.

Discover more about our professional customer care and customer service outsourcing here or contact our team direct for further information.

Posted by Gemma Harding

As Head of Client Services, Gemma is an expert in the customer service industry. With over 20 years of experience in the call handling process she will guide your organisation to an improved customer service strategy. Hobbies include all thing equestrian.

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