This article is part of the “Interview tips” series.
Whenever we encounter a problem, the first thing we do is communicating with customer service. The call centers play a crucial role in the business, as 88% of businesses accept it as a significant growth factor.
With the rapid digitalization and trend of online shopping, most people are using call center services. The larger usage has also increased the value of call center agents across the nation.
There are many new opportunities available in this sector. Therefore, I am providing you with the most required skillset and some tips to clear the call center interview and earn $28,499/year.
Skillset to Clear Call Center Interview
Almost 80% of organizations claim that they deliver satisfactory customer services. However, only 8% of the customers accept the fact.
Your skillset in a call center is the most valuable thing that will distinguish you from others. Therefore, it is more focused and curiously observed during an interview.
Following are some skills that are essential to clear call center interview.
1. Management
Time management is the most crucial element for call center agents. Your interviewer will be noticing your management skills in the interview.
You have to be there 10 minutes before the reporting time, which is the standard. Do not rush or reach there in a hurry.
Dress properly before reaching for the interview; do not wear shoes or a tie after reaching the place. If they provide you with a test task, try to complete it within time.
One pro tip is to avoid distractions. For instance, if someone knocks at the door or come inside, do not look at them or turn your back to look. They might be testing your attention span; as workers receive 7-8 distractions in a day, they must check your attention skills also.
2. Empathy
It may sound dramatic to many people in the present era, but it is a fact.
Customers calling at the service center are frustrated and irritated form the problem they encounter. Therefore, they are in search of attention that a call center agent can give.
Even 8 out of 10 employees in the office believe they need empathy. During an interview, you have to reflect on your empathic side.
The interviewer always searches for an emphatic and humble person for their organization. Therefore, it is obligatory to reflect your emphatic side in an interview.
They can ask you a question or provide you with a situation to answer. Remember that you have to reflect the element of empathy as the highest rank in all your answers.
3. Flexibility
As being a call center agent, you have to attend dozens of calls per day. Every caller has a unique personality, and you have to cater to all of them.
Therefore, the element of flexibility is necessary for the call center agent. Call centers search for the employee who can grow with the flow. Along with this, unpredictable and long working hour shifts can also be a problem.
This is why; you have to reflect your flexibility in the interview. Do not say ‘No’ to rotational working shifts and long shift hours.
4. Effective Communication
The main skill that is required in a call center is effective communication. Around 73.4% of employer search for this quality and ignore the other in an interviewee.
You have to depict yourself as a balance between an approachable and credible source of information. Let me explain; do not use hard vocabulary or difficult statistics that may cause difficulty in understanding for a common person.
5. Creativity of Words
It would help if you showed your creativity of words and problem-solving.
As an agent, you may encounter several problems in a day, some of which are not directly related to your organization. But you must have a creative mindset to solve their problems, as 70% of customer return is based on problem-solving.
The easiest way to show your creativity in a job interview is by using a different set of words and repeats one sentence differently. This will reflect your creativity with words and your ability to twist the meaning of a sentence just by replacing words.
6. Patience
The call center agents can receive a lot of abuse from the customers. Patiently listening to them and answering their queries, politely is a sign of a true call center agent.
An abusive situation may be created during an interview to test your patience. All you have to do is to maintain your pace and focus on problem-solving.
Asking the same questions repeatedly can also be a way of testing your patience, as the Human Resource Manager of Do My Assignment UK does very often with their employees.
7. Decision Making
Adequate decision making while working under pressure is the most hunted skill for an interviewee.
Remain calm, maintaining a positive attitude and solving queries of the caller is all that is required.
They may ask a series of questions faster, and you have to give a one-word answer. In this situation, be an active listener and not respond with the first word that came to mind.
8. Active Listening
As being a call center agent with effective communication, active listening is also necessary. You can only listen to 20,000-30,000 words in a day, so listen wisely.
During the interview, please focus on the interviewer’s words even if they are speaking about essay writing service UK; they may ask a question from the story.
Bonus Tips
After the skillset, here are some bonus tips for creating a striking impression on the interviewers.
- Write an introductory paragraph and practice it at home. It is important because it may create a negative impression if you start stuttering even in your own introduction.
- You must identify why you are joining the call center, other than monetary benefits. It is the most asked question.
- They make a test call to deal with, be prepared with that, and practice it with friends at home.
- Do not use hard vocabularies or synonym or daily usage words during the interview.
- Maintain a gentle pace of your voice, as it is the most attractive feature for a client.
Wrapping it up
The call center can be a golden place for you to kick starts your career. They provide lots of growth opportunities for newly hired employees. All you have to do is to clear the interview. The skills sets required to clear the interview are not difficult to develop. I believe all the skills that I have mentioned will be enough to facilitate you in clearing the interview.
Author’s Bio
Melissa Calvert is currently working as an Academic Writer at Assignment Assistance, the organization famous for its cheap dissertation writing services. She is a dedicated and passionate writer. Her passion is visible in her blogs.
