Call Center Management Training

Call centers were established to expedite the process of resolving customer queries at a fairly inexpensive price. A customer service representative, who works at the call center, acts as the interface between the company and its customers.

Customer service representatives provide assistance to people by explaining the various options that are available to a consumer. Advancements in the field of telecommunications have resulted in companies positioning their call centers overseas.

The need for call center management training cannot be underestimated since delivering quality service can help differentiate between call centers of different companies operating within the same industry.

Moreover, quality service will ensure customer satisfaction and will have a direct bearing on the customer's perception regarding the efficiency and the quality of the company. Effective management will also ensure increased revenue generation that may help turn a low cost center into a profit making division.

The management at a call center is entrusted with the task of hiring, coaching, training, and motivating employees. Employee training is necessary in order to ensure that the process of receiving calls and answering queries is handled smoothly.

Employees work beyond the traditional work hours and have very little time between calls. The work is generally repetitive and stressful since the representative needs to minimize the length of each call without seeming discourteous to the caller.

The management needs to ensure that the employees are given proper training and coaching so that they can effectively manage their time and deliver the desired results. The management also needs to boost employee morale that may receive a blow due to the very nature of the job.

Training should focus on helping the trainee develop skills that are necessary for good management. Management training will vary depending on the size and the needs of the call center.

In general, the managers need to assess the state of the call center, think of ways of effectively servicing the customers, formulate guidelines for facilitating effective training meetings, and come up with motivation and retention plans.

Retaining the employees is particularly difficult in a call center, since employee turnover is usually high amongst representatives who are high school diploma holders. The customer service representatives quit on account of the repetitive nature of their work or move on to a job with better career prospects.

The management also needs to prepare a training budget for newly hired employees or for sponsoring ongoing training. Staffing needs are calculated using the Erlang formula. Forecasting the volume of calls, the expected workload, and creating presentations that justify staffing needs are some of the tasks that require training.

Call center manager certification incorporates the strategies that are ideal for existing call center managers, as well as managers who have been entrusted with the task of turning around a challenged call center.

Team leaders, who are interested in furthering their career prospects, and individuals who have been entrusted with the task of building a new call center operation from scratch, can benefit immensely by getting certified.