Duties Of Call Center Agents

Call center agents are professionals handling the majority of customer interactions, helping companies boost and maintain brand reputation and customer satisfaction, among other things.

In contrast to call center agents of the past, people working in this role often do more than just answer phones. They’re front and center (excuse the pun), reaching out to customers to resolve their issues and create fresh sales opportunities. 

Today, we’ll take a closer look at why these individuals are so important to organizations and clarify some of the duties of call center agent. 

Who are call center agents?

A call center agent or representative is a professional who handles customer calls and communications in an organization. Agents managing inbound calls are as the name suggests referred to as inbound agents, while those handling outbound calls are called outbound agents. 

In the modern era, it’s common for one agent to handle both types of communication. In that case, they’re referred to as blended call center agents.

While you may imagine a call center agent as someone who is sweating in a large room with a headset on, surrounded by other agents, it’s becoming more common for call center agents to work remotely. 

How important is the role of a call center agent?

As we hinted at previously, agents operate the very frontline of a company. They’re generally the first point of contact for prospects and customers alike inquiring about your business or voicing their concerns. As such, how an agent responds to these requests can directly influence customer satisfaction, retention, and equally important, their loyalty to your brand. 

Similarly, outbound call center agents are also an important company asset due to their ability to generate leads and increase sales by making use of cross-selling and up-selling techniques.

Key duties of call center agent

Nowadays, the role of a call center agent has been expanded to include a variety of critical tasks.

A modern call center representative can do any of the following:

1. Answering customer calls

One of the key duties of call center agent in an entry-level position is to answer customer calls. This requires providing accurate information about the company and its offerings and answering questions from customers or prospects. Plus, call center agents often need to resolve basic issues, as well as manage any account inquiries.

Depending on the industry and the size of the organization, an agent may also process orders and payments, manage cancellations, and coordinate returns, refunds, and warranties, among other tasks. 

To fulfill this role efficiently, call center reps need to know how to start and end calls, improvise around call scripts, and find the right moment to transfer the call further when the issue requires escalation. 

2. Addressing complaints

One of the most emotionally tasking duties of call center agent is managing customer complaints - i.e. dealing with unhappy customers. This requires a lot of emotional fortitude and the ability to defuse conflicts efficiently before they spin out of control.

3. Handling troubleshooting and making follow-up calls

In modern SaaS and IT companies, call center reps often help customers troubleshoot and resolve technical issues. This may include troubleshooting software, setting up product features, and conducting diagnostic tests.

Since more complicated issues often can’t be solved during the first contact, the agent may also need to make a follow-up call with the customer to provide further assistance.

4. Handling outbound calls

In the context of an outbound call center duties of call center agent often include initiating calls to prospects, leads, or existing customers. 

The aim of these calls can vary and may range from telemarketing, cold calling, offering proactive support, conducting research, or gathering feedback. 

To achieve better results and streamline agent workflows, call centers leverage modern dialing tools such as software auto dialers. These solutions help automate the calling process, enabling representatives to handle a larger call of outbound calls. Doing so reduces agent idle times and streamlines the company’s outbound call center expenditures. 

5. Cross-selling and up-selling

Lastly, the duties of call center agent may also cover making up-sales and cross-sales. When engaged with customers, representatives may nudge customers to buy a higher-end version of the service or product they’re using or offer a complementary offering (cross-selling). 

Doing this professionally and not coming off as overly intrusive requires agents to possess a deep level of expertise regarding the product and the ability to communicate the benefits of up-selling or cross-selling to customers clearly.

What skills are essential for call center agents?

Working in a call center is dynamic, to say the least. Agents are under excessive amounts of pressure daily. This alone requires a great deal of mental fortitude.

In addition to possessing a competent knowledge of a product or a service their company is offering, agents need to possess extraordinary levels of emotional intelligence. Moreover, communication and problem-solving skills are necessary along with an ability to effortlessly shift communication styles when dealing with different customers.

What software do call center agents use?

Soft skills aside, to handle customer service calls and conduct their other duties, call center representatives require modern software that includes advanced features, such as an auto-dialer. 

Most current solutions come in the form of omnichannel call center solutions that not only include gizmos that simplify making and receiving calls but also provide agents with a full view of customer data like a database of previous interactions, purchase history, and instant access to the company knowledge base.

Using such a solution allows the agent to provide an even higher level of customer service.

Work with the best agents available

Finding qualified call center representatives isn’t easy, especially when considering the ongoing talent shortage.

Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about staffing as long as Aspen Media is around. 

As a professional call center outsourcing company for over three decades, we hire only the most qualified call center agents and are ready to provide you with extraordinary call center services at an affordable price. 

Furthermore, our agents will cooperate with your team daily to learn business-specific information allowing them to provide your customers with customer service nothing short of excellent. 

If you’re interested, call us at 800-853-2240 or fill out our contact form for more information.