One of the most important part of a contact center would be the hiring process. Because call center agents are the ones that represent the company as the initial contact point. They talk with the customers live, they are who listens to every customer’s concerns, persuade them to buy a product or service, assist on solving problems and questions they might have, and it goes on.
If you care about customer service and providing a great customer experience you would know the importance of having highly skillful agents that can offer an extraordinary service to your customers. Hence why when hiring a call center agent, companies should look for individuals with specific traits and skillsets. Here are some of the most vital attributes and qualities to look for in a call center agent.
SYMPATHY & EMPATHY
Sympathy and empathy is nothing more than caring for customers, sensing and understanding the feelings of the other. This is a very important quality that a call center agent must possess to offer exceptional customer service, this is because emotions play a vital role in the client’s decisions and perceptions. When the call center agent can get into client’s shoes and understand them, they will offer more customized and effective service. We believe this is something we develop in our agents but the honest truth is that it is much more difficult to train soft skills, like sympathy and empathy than technical knowledge, hence why it is really important to hire people with this trait.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Over here, we are referring to everything involves communication, oral and written, the things you communicate and the way you communicate, and even more important how great you are at listening to customers, because before communicating, listening and understanding the customer’s concern is a key task. We all know that the main task of call center agents is to communicate with customers, hence why it is so important to hire people with great communication skills. Excelled in grammar, positive language, active listening, persuasive skills are traits that call center agents need to offer great customer service.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
As important as understanding customers emotions it is to understand our own emotions and know how to manage them. Call center agents to speak with people that show negative attitudes, they can feel stressed with difficult customer situations or can feel down with sad customers stories, also they can let their personal emotions interfere with the service level they offer. If they had a bad call, they should start the other with new positivism. That is why it is important for them to have emotional intelligence to remain calm, positive, and know how to manage their feelings.
FORWARD THINKING
As important as understanding customers emotions it is to understand our own emotions and know how to manage them. Call center agents to speak with people that show negative attitudes, they can feel stressed with difficult customer situations or can feel down with sad customers stories, also they can let their personal emotions interfere with the service level they offer. If they had a bad call, they should start the other with new positivism. That is why it is important for them to have emotional intelligence to remain calm, positive, and know how to manage their feelings.
