rayjoderson
Excellent customer experience can only be accomplished with the help of highly skilled call center agents. On the other hand, low-performing agents add to huge rates of agent attrition, costing companies and businesses a significant sum of money each year.
This is why you'll need experts and professionals trained to appease even the most irate customers since it will have a direct influence on your business. With that in mind, we've rounded up some of the most important skills every inbound call center or contact center agents should have:
Being professional at all times
One of the most major challenges at any job is leaving personal matters at home. Everyone is bound to have a bad day, but when you let those issues interfere with your tasks, it can definitely cause you stress. Since inbound contact center agents continually deal with people from all walks of life, a serious lack of professionalism can immediately send a customer call off the tracks.
Constant courteousness
One of the most valuable traits of a great call center agent is how they handle customers. This may seem pretty obvious, but being courteous and polite is necessary since most customers can instantly sense an apathetic or cold attitude. When a customer is having some issues, getting a condescending treatment from an agent can only worsen the situation and it also reflects poorly on the company or business being represented. This is why being courteous throughout the duration of every call is very important.
Respect for all customers
There may be times when an agent gets repeatedly connected with irate customers throwing insulting words out of clear dissatisfaction. How the agent manages these types of situation often defines whether or not they are cut out for their job.
An agent must be empathetic and respectful towards all customers no matter how annoyed they may be. Answering the customer's questions and requests, while staying calm under pressure is one of the most valuable skills an agent should have. This is why you need skilled people that are highly trained to turn a customer complaint into a beneficial transaction.
Having a good memory
The capacity to quickly recall information is one of the most underrated call center skills. Agents are required to learn and memorize various aspects of a particular service or product, along with the procedural way to assist the customer. It greatly benefits an agent if he/she already has the ability to instantly recall relevant information.
Ability to solve problems
While inbound call center agents are often advised to stay on-script, there will come a time wherein a certain issue that hasn't been included in training sessions might arise. During these times, it is critical for an agent to think independently. However, this does not necessarily mean that they should try to solve the issue on their own. Sometimes, it's as easy as knowing when to ask for the assistance of their team leader or manager.
Being self-motivated
Even if call centers provide countless training sessions for the new hires, they still can't determine the level of skill and motivation the individual has for the job. That sense of self-determination comes from the character and attitude of the agent.
Self-motivated agents are always open to new learning, feedback, and they constantly try to push themselves to be better at their job. Having a great team of inbound call center agents is certainly beneficial to the success of your business.
Having a good sense of confidence
This characteristic may not come easily to all contact center agents, especially when they're still new to the job. However, a highly skilled agent should be able to present a 'can-do' mindset in order to effectively assist their customers no matter how complex the situation may be.
Reliability is key
Availability and reliability often translate to customer retention. This is where having a team of highly skilled inbound contact center agents comes to play. Ensuring your customers that you're available at all times of the day will make them feel at ease, particularly when they have concerns regarding the services or products they purchased.
Ultimately, exceptional customer experience can significantly aid the success of your company. So when you have a group of people that have mastered the art of customer care, you're then assured that you won't lose your expanding consumer population just because of an unresolved complaint.
