Working in a call center: everything you need to know

Thecall center operator is the figure within a telephone call center who answers customer calls, provides them with information, technical assistance and sales support (inbound call center). Or, in the case of outbound call centers, they contact users to propose products and services, thus performing telesales activity.

In addition to inbound and outbound call centers, there are also virtual call centers (or cloud-based call centers). Increasingly popular, they allow operators to work from anywhere: in fact, all they need to do is have a fast Internet connection and a device to access the Web.

What is inbound call center

The inbound call center handles inbound calls: it is the customers who contact the operators through the toll-free number, to resolve commercial doubts, technical problems or related to the billing of a contract.

The inbound call center operator answers the phone and takes over the request (in technical jargon, “ticket”): provides the user with all the information they need, or helps them solve their problem, until the ticket is closed. In case he is unable to provide due assistance himself, he will forward the call to another department or a superior.

Typically, an inbound call center operator is therefore responsible for:

• Provide technical assistance;
• transmit information;
• handling complaints;
• Explain to the user how to solve a problem, step by step;
• carry out customer service.

What is an outbound operator

Theoutbound call center operator makes the calls himself, using the phone numbers in the company database (the company provides him with the contacts, with master profiling and all relevant information).

Typically, the outbound operator deals with:

• Perform telemarketing (communicating offers and promotions to the customer) and teleselling (sales over the phone) activities;
• Set appointments for the company’s sales force;
• Doing surveys and market research.

How to get a job in a call center

To work in a call center, you do not need to have any special educational qualifications, although some establishments require knowledge of one or more foreign languages.

However, it is advisable to take a call center operator course, in which verbal communication and listening skills are taught, and aspects such as telephone conversation, voice modulation, and pause management are explored.

Fundamental to working in a call center, however, is possessing some Personal Skills:

• communication skills;
• flexibility (you often have to work on weekends or holidays);
• empathy, which is necessary to understand the client’s state of mind and to best help the client;
• Propensity for multitasking: while talking on the phone with the user you have to take notes, participate in chats, and select what information to share;
• problem-solving skills, even under stressful conditions: one may find oneself interacting with angry customers, and it is essential to remain calm in order to solve their problems;
• organization: a call center operator must be organized and focused, especially if he or she has to make a number of calls during working hours;
• Ability to understand essential information and convey it.

Work in a call center, although demanding, can also bring many satisfactions. In fact, from a simple operator one can move up the ladder, rising to Team Leader, Supervisor, and then Manager.

The Team Leader coordinates and manages small groups of operators, the Supervisor listens to operators’ calls while providing support, and the Manager selects and trains operators and manages relationships with other company departments.

If you want to learn more about the most in-demand jobs, knowing in detail the performance of individual tasks, check out our PHYDpedia!