Call Center Training

Good Call Center Training Creates a Positive Atmosphere
By STEFANIA VISCUSI
TMCnet Assistant Editor for Channels

In the call center, agents are the touch point between customers and the company. Ensuring they receive proper call center training to handle stressful situations, answer caller requests accurately and portray the image of the company, is critical.

Achieving successful call center training isn’t as easy as saying, "Ok here's a list of what you need to do, do it." For years, call centers have relied on agents who just answered phones and did as they were asked, but this is the same reason why call center training has failed.

Call center training needs to be in place not only from the minute an agent decides to join the operation, but call center training must be a continuous effort to improve and maintain success throughout the entire operation.

Training call center agents on how to talk to customers, what to say and when to say it, and reinforcing all of their decisions with the right mix of feedback and coaching are all elements of good call center training.

One of the best was to achieve a successful call center operation is by giving agents time to practice. Just simply telling agents what to do and sending them off hoping they will do it right, is not good enough. Showing them and giving them a safe environment to practice what you have told them will yield great results.

Call center jobs can be extremely stressful, especially when callers want answers, or may be upset or emotional. Good call center training provides agents with the skills and tools needed to eliminate the stress of these situations.

If training takes place in an environment that is comfortable and allows mistakes to be made, without sacrificing those mistakes on actual customers, it becomes beneficial to agents and gives them a chance to better develop their skills.

An important thing to remember about call center training is that it is ongoing. It does not end on the first day of the job.

When good, continual call center training is in place, management and supervisors can rest assured that their job and the entire operation will run smoother, customers will be more satisfied with the service they receive, and a positive environment will surface.

-----

Stefania Viscusi is an established writer and avid reader. To see more of her articles, please visit Stefania Viscusi’s columnist page.