Going Into Call Center Based Service? - Part 3

For my past two postings, we have looked at some of the interview questions and job related scenarios you might consider if you are seeking a position as a customer service representative in a call center. Unlike face-to-face customer service, call center positions have some different nuances to them that you may not be aware of if you have no experience in that field.

My past experiences with being a call center representative were related to the field of collections, so I had to be prepared to be the "bad guy" and was almost always immediately hated by the person I was calling. But even in a field like that, there are different ways to approach the job, and each gives different results. Your persuasiveness tends to be directly related to your attitude when approaching the customer. I have seen co-workers who would try to "strong-arm" the people with threats on a regular basis, and I have seen it fail more consistently than other approaches. Now, of course some cases, after a long time of trying to work with them, may require a stronger approach, but some sought to approach all calls like that.

Even if you are not in a field like collections, you might be in a sales type position, and both require you to be persuasive to reach the goal for your company. In the interview, you might be asked to explain of a situation where your initial attempts were not successful, and how you might have had to change your approach or angle to accomplish the goal. Along with that, you might be asked to explain your general approach and philosophy when you are working with a new customer. Do you approach every customer by presenting them with the same scripted answers, or do you take the time to seek more of a customer approach by listening to the needs of the customer, and them working to satisfy their goal? It would be a great idea to have a story or two on hand in case you are asked to give details of prior experiences dealing with a customer's objection or complaint. Have you had experiences in the past that you have dealt with to satisfy the customer, or times where you did not, but you learned something from it that you have applied to other situations to help you succeed and be better in your position?

Your job is to determine the needs of the client, and then to be able to persuade them that your company has what is needed to satisfy them, and seek to follow through on satisfying their needs. You should seek to take a personal interest in the customer, and seeing it through to the end is one of the best ways to provide great customer service, and will most likely gain a regular customer out of it.

Think about how you would answer if asked exactly what it is that causes you to desire a position in a call center, and what it is that you enjoy about such a position. You cannot just come across as if this position is just a job to get you by, or is the last option at the time. Be ready to sell the fact that you are motivated and excited about such a position, and what it is that instills that excitement and enjoyment for you.

Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Customer Service Jobs blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.