Overview

Give your front-line call center staff the training they need!

With How to Be a Great Call Center Representative, call-center staff will learn what technology-based customer service is all about, including the history, terminology, legislation, and technology options. This course is designed to supplement and enhance the industry-specific policies and procedures plus local, state, and federal guidelines to which a call center staff must adhere.

Filled with exercises and self-assessments, the course presents specific, practical strategies for improving listening skills, building trust with customers, problem solving, and decision-making–all within the context of a busy call center.

How to Be a Great Call Center Representative provides all the tools needed to be confident in handling customers and building a foundation for future growth and advancement.

Course Objective: To train front-line employees in call-center customer service or sales to recognize the scope of the job and develop the skills necessary to create customer satisfaction.

Selected Learning Objectives

• Identify the roles and responsibilities of a call center staff

• Prepare yourself to deliver quality service

• Learn to communicate successfully

• Identify current legislation, terminology, and technology affecting call center staff

• Develop skills for building trust

• Enhance telephone verbal skills and vocal quality

• Build problem solving and decision-making skills

• Learn to handle difficult customer situations

• Improve your time-management and multitasking skills

• Identify ways to control your stress level

• Learn to recover from mistakes—yours and your customer’s

Testing Format

This course contains one multiple choice test valued at two Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Table of Contents

About This Course

How to Take This Course

Pre-Test

Introduction

1. The Roles and Responsibilities of a Call Center Staff 1

What Is a Call Center?

Trends Affecting Call Centers

Call Center Staffing

Call Center Representative Competencies

Typical Call Center Services

Typical Call Center Technology

Recap

Review Questions

2. Preparing Yourself to Deliver Quality Service 13

Recognizing Your Customers

Internal Customers

External Customers

Projecting a Positive Service Image

Positive Image Strategies

Self-Empowerment

Communicating Positively with Yourself (and Others)

Recap

Review Questions

3. Communicating with Others 27

The Importance of Effective Interpersonal Communication

The Two-Way Communication Model

Interpersonal Communication Skills

Verbal Skills

Verbal Content

Effective Customer Service Communication Strategies

Recap

Review Questions

4. Enhancing Your Listening Skills 41

Why Is Listening Important?

The Listening Process

Characteristics of Effective Listening

Empathy

Caring

Sincerity

Patience

Responsiveness

Open-Mindedness

Common Listening Pitfalls

Pseudo-Listening

Interruptions

Preconceived Ideas

Information Overload

Noisy Environments

Semantics

Emotions

Strategies for Effective Listening

Paraphrase What the Customer Said

Avoid Arguing with Customers

Ask Appropriate Questions

Take Accurate Notes

Use Acknowledgement Words or Statements

Recap

Review Questions

5. Using Technology Effectively 57

Call Center Technology

Measuring Productivity and Performance

Communicating Effectively Through Technology

Telephone

Facsimile (Fax)

Internet/E-mail

Recap

Review Questions

6. Building Trust with Others 75

What Is Trust?

The Importance of Trust

The Impact of Values and Beliefs on Trust

What Are Values?

What Are Beliefs?

Trustbuilding Strategies

Listen to the Customer

Be Sincere

Remain Unbiased

Be Truthful

Use Facts and Figures

The Role of Ethical Behavior

Recap

Review Questions

7. Problem Solving and Decision Making 89

Your Role in Problem Solving

The Problem Solving Model

Step 1: Identify the Problem or Issue

Step 2: Analyze the Problem or Issue

Step 3: Identify Alternatives

Step 4: Evaluate Alternatives

Step 5: Make a Decision

The Importance of Sound Decision Making

Identifying Resources

Recap

Review Questions

8. Handling Difficult Customer Situations 101

Opportunities for Service Excellence

Handing Difficult Customer Situations

Customers with Disabilities

People with Hearing Impairments

People with Speaking Impairments

Language Differences

Talkative Customers

Indecisive Customers

Complaining Customers

Angry/Emotional Customers

Recap

Review Questions

9. Managing Your Time Rather Than Letting It Manage You 115

The Need to Multitask

Time Robbers

Internal Time Robbers

External Time Robbers

Managing Your Workload

Recap

Review Questions

10. Controlling Your Stress Level 127

The Impact of Stress

What Does Stress Look Like?

Distress

Eustress

Fight or Flight

Causes of Call Center Stress

Recognizing Negative Stress Symptoms

Immediate Reactions

Long-Term Indicators

Strategies for Stress Reduction

Environmental Strategies?

Personal Strategies

Recap

Review Questions

11. Recovering from Mistakes—Yours and Your Customer’s 141

The Need for Service Recovery

Common Causes of Service Breakdown

CSR Factors That Can Lead to Dissatisfaction

Organizational Factors That Can Lead to Dissatisfaction

Customer Factors That Can Lead to Dissatisfaction

Recovering from Service Breakdowns

Recap

Review Questions

12. Complying with the Law 153

The Need for Regulations

Regulating Entities

Regulatory Guidelines

Federal Communication Commission’s 900–Number Rule

Federal Trade Commission’s Mail or Telephone Trade Regulation Rule

Federal Trade Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA)

Recap

Review Questions

Additional Resources

Post-Test

Index