What does a call center customer service representative do?

1 Main duties and responsibilities

A call center customer service representative is responsible for answering or making calls to customers, listening to their needs or complaints, and providing accurate and timely solutions or information. Depending on the type of call center, the representative may also need to perform tasks such as booking appointments, taking orders, processing payments, updating records, or transferring calls to other departments. A call center customer service representative must follow the policies and procedures of the company, as well as the quality and performance standards of the call center.

4 Tips and best practices

If you want to succeed as a call center customer service representative, you need to follow some tips and best practices that can help you improve your performance and customer satisfaction. These include being polite, friendly, and respectful to every customer, regardless of their mood or behavior. Active listening skills can be used to understand the customer's issue or request, and repeating or summarizing it to confirm it. Clear and simple language should be used to explain solutions or information, avoiding jargon or technical terms that the customer may not understand. Showing empathy and compassion to the customer's feelings and emotions is also important, as well as apologizing if necessary. Asking for feedback or confirmation from the customer is a great way to ensure they are satisfied and have no further questions. Finally, thank the customer for their time and cooperation, and end the call on a positive note.

6 Frequently asked questions

Finally, here are some frequently asked questions about working as a call center customer service representative. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for customer service representatives, including call center ones, was $34,710 in 2019. However, this may vary depending on the industry, location, experience, and qualifications of the representative. The working hours of a call center customer service representative depend on the type and size of the call center, as well as the demand and availability of the customers. Generally, a call center customer service representative can expect to work full-time or part-time, and sometimes on weekends, holidays, or evenings. Furthermore, a call center customer service representative can have various career prospects depending on their performance, skills, and goals. These can include becoming a senior or lead representative who can supervise and mentor other representatives; a quality assurance or quality control specialist who can monitor and improve the quality and efficiency of calls; a call center manager or supervisor who can oversee operations; or a customer service specialist or manager in another field who can apply their skills to different products or services.