Most Important Qualities Of A successful Call Center Agent
The call center experience is one that can be a determining factor when a customer is deciding whether or not to continue doing business with an organization. With 70% of buying experiences determined by how a customer feels treated, an easy, helpful, and smooth call center experience can help ensure continued and new business.
Quality agents are the key to that experience. Finding the right agents to create this customer experience means identifying key qualities and characteristics early on, and making sure they’re put to good use. These six qualities are some of the most important ones to uncover, and will help ensure customer service exceeds expectations in the call center.
6 qualities in a contact center agent that will ensure customer service exceeds expectations in the call center
1. Handles Pressure Well
Irate customers calling in to yell, vent their frustrations, and blame anything and anyone for their problems is nothing new to a call center experience. Identifying employees who won’t let an angry customer get to them personally, while allowing the customer to vent their frustrations, is the first step to diffusing whatever problem the customer is calling in with, and will help ensure a positive customer experience.
2. Creative Problem-Solving
Customers will call in with a variety of problems, but even with an extensive list of different issues, there may not be a one-size-fits-all solution. Call center agents who can find the best possible solution for the customer at hand will help the company see an increase in positive customer experiences. However, in order to do this, the agent must be able to recognize the problem at hand and create a solution – often on the fly.
3. has Empathy
Agents who are able to empathize with customers that call in will find their lives to be much smoother, while also improving the call center experience for the customer. On one end, empathizing with angry and upset callers will oftentimes calm them down by making them feel validated and respected, which can lead to a resolution quicker and easier. On the other end, any customer who calls in will have a personalized, enjoyable experience that will leave them happy and more like to repeat or continue their business.
4. Patience & Positivity
Customers are not easy at times. If they’re not venting frustrations without getting to the main issue, they’re having difficulty actually conveying the issue clearly. Call center agents who can remain patient and positive during these periods can help facilitate the customer experience to a much more positive one, making the customer feel validated and heard rather than hurried and dismissed.
5. Positive & Optimistic
Nobody likes having problems with something they paid for, and when they ask for help they want to feel that there’s going to be a positive outcome from their issue. Having call center agents who are able to stay positive and speak with optimism in their voice will convey a much better and more helpful attitude to customers calling in – and will likely result in the customers feeling the solution to their problem was easy and painless to deal with.
6. effective Communication
Effective communication is so important in any call center experience because it encompasses so much. From a clear, proficient use of language, to proper etiquette, and finally making sure that any directions, advice or support is being conveyed in a way that the customer is able to understand it the first time is imperative to the success of a call center agent. This cannot be stressed enough: good communication skills touch every single aspect of the job.
Keep these six characteristics in mind when assessing potential call center agents for employment. A good way to keep these in mind is to test these skills through a variety of personality tests and job simulations that provide in-depth insights on who the candidate is and how they’ll perform in the call center. To learn more about these tests, download the free case study below.
Topics: Contact Center Hiring, Better Interviewing