Im going to work in a call center any advice?
@ifinallyfoundmybaby (1742)
Philippines
11 responses
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Aug 07
That would depend on what kind of call center it is! Would you be assisting customers after a sale, or selling to new customers who are calling because they are interested in a product, or cold calling to sell something, or will you be doing something something else altogether?
1 person likes this
@ifinallyfoundmybaby (1742)
• Philippines
1 Aug 07
thank you for that advice
but why is everybody trying to let me find another job?! whats behind that
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I did that for 2 years in college and the people I trained won a national award. The company we worked for was so happy they gave me a really nice 3-day vacation trip for that. It was a stingy company, so the trip was on a weekend, but I did get one paid day off, airline tickets, a nice hotel room, and a rental car. Some of the other myLotters already advised you to build skills there but start looking for a better job right away. I second that!
One other thing to remember is that the callers cannot see your facial expression so it is good to be creative with your voice, slightly exaggerating the feeling in what you say as though you were auditioning for a part on TV. Otherwise the callers hear a monotone and they think you are bored and don't like them. If you need to put a smile in your voice, you can try actually smiling while you talk. Sometimes you have to tell yourself, "I like this person!" in the back of your mind over and over, because in CS the callers are often already mad about something and ready to tear into you. If they sense any indifference or think you are not listening or don't like them, they can turn nasty really fast.
You can never be nasty back, either, because supervisors are always listening in from some back room and you are probably being recorded even though they may pretend you are not.
1 person likes this
@gr8life (6251)
• Malaysia
1 Aug 07
Hello ifinallyfoundmybaby,
I worked for a credit card call center when I just finished my degree. It was an amazing job at first as I could see different kind of people every day. But one thing for sure, whether you like it or not, the motto "Customers are always right" should always be on your mind. You need to be extra polite when dealing with customers and you have to address them carefully. Different people having different attitudes. Sometimes, you think that you are right and there is nothing wrong with your way but some people just don't like it.
You need to be extra patient too and be a good listener. Do not ever interrupt your customer when he/she is explaining something to you. You just need to listen, be it good or bad conversation and reply smartly as soon as he/she finished telling you the whole story *smiles*
The job seems to look very simple and easy but when you are in it, you will realize that it is not an easy attempt to satisfy different kind of people that you meet daily.
Good luck to you and have fun while working there!
1 person likes this
@ifinallyfoundmybaby (1742)
• Philippines
1 Aug 07
thank you for being so friendly . . whats your job right now?!
1 person likes this
@gr8life (6251)
• Malaysia
1 Aug 07
Hello ifinallyfoundmybaby,
I worked at Sales & Marketing Dept., Customer Service Dept. and mostly in Administration Dept. before. Right now, I am working for a Japanese company. I have been in two different departments since I started working here eight years ago. My present position is as a secretary to the Head of Economics Dept.
@ifinallyfoundmybaby (1742)
• Philippines
1 Aug 07
i do agree with you :)
thank you personality is always a must :)
@xenpen (90)
• United States
1 Aug 07
My sister has done call center work for years now. What kind of calls will you be making? Telemarketing? Bill collection? Tech support? Your experiences can depend on the environment you'll be working in, but no matter what, prepare to grow a thicker skin (if you don't have one already). It may be more relaxing to work from home, but if you're not telecommuting, you should expect to work with some pretty interesting people.
You should also expect to talk to interesting people over the phone. Be very patient with people you talk to, as some are having the worst of days and may take it all out on you. Patience is key, and be enthusiastic when speaking. Generally people are nice but some can get really nasty. Don't let the mean ones spoil your work experience, and you'll do fine. If there is any call you feel you can't handle, contact your manager/supervisor immediately. But like I said, it all depends. It may not be bad at all, but expect the unexpected when talking to strangers.
1 person likes this
@ifinallyfoundmybaby (1742)
• Philippines
1 Aug 07
thank you so much
thats a great advice im trying to practice staying calm and try to handle any situation proffesionally.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Aug 07
Sorry xenpen, we were typing our comments in at the same time with very similar suggestions, so I had no way of knowing that I was repeating many of your points. You are sure right about the nasty part, but the training the company I worked for gave us in how to "handle" irate customers has been very useful all of my life because the same skills learned in CS work well in other hostile situations, lol.
@dsantacruz (556)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I used to have a phone job, it was so boring! Maybe you like talking on the phone to strangers though? A good tip i have is to write a script if you figure that you are going to saying something similar to a lot of people. Also do not take it personally if someone hangs up on you, just brush it off and take the next call. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@mahaneesh (297)
• India
1 Aug 07
ha ha.... call centres are almost i can call as GRAVEYARD SHIFTS...!! well you will soon understand :) In early days just make nice relationship with your collegues... Don't mingle up very much. Be very obedient and sincere for 2-3 mnths.
@ranjeetkolarkar (1595)
• India
2 Aug 07
there is nothing wrong in working in a call centre, provided you are ok with the odd working hours that you might have to put in.
It really disturbs your sleep and food routine.
I have seen many of my friends quitting the call centre jobs within the first six months as they were not able to cope up with the odd working hours.
@AmbiePam (92724)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I don't have any techniques to recommend, but I thought I'd just tell you not to take things personally if people insult you or yell at you. You may not be the sensitive type, but then again, not many tough people can take that either. : )
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Aug 07
Smile! You will soon find out! But do not be discouraged, as any job is better than no job when you need work, and there are certainly worse kinds of employment. You will learn very valuable skills doing this. As someone else suggested, at first you might like it very much. I did.
Many of the customers are very nice and it can be fun, if you don't mind being yelled at a lot. Just have a good attitude and do the very best you can, but remember our advice and keep your resume up to date.
One problem with this sort of work is that there is usually rapid turnover in management. Having new bosses and new rules that keep changing gets old fast, especially when you have to explain it to the customers (and then you have to apologize to them all day long for something that wasn't your fault.) Also, the bosses hardly ever give you enough information or even authority to do your job properly. Makes you feels sort of like a ping pong ball. But you will do OK.
@PinayPrincess (554)
• Philippines
1 Aug 07
There are lots of things to consider in this kind of Job...
How good is your english? Limited stock of words is one of the main reasons why so many people remain in the lower ranks.. Do you have total command of this vast potential? There are ways that will lead you into the possesion of a wider and richer vocabulary...Talk to all sorts of people, Read magazines and books, Use the dictionary, track down new words., listen tO good speakers...
having a good english is just one factor to consider...
In an interview there are also some things to put in mind...
Good sentences are short, consists of simple words, colorful verbs,it must have few empty words and must have human interest!
You can also try tounge twister...
Other job qualifications are Good listening skills
Good customer care orientation.... ahmmnn....
I hope it helped you.. because the more you know, the better equipped will you be when applying for a job, be it in a call center or any other field!!
Good Luck!
