Call center agents, also known as business process outsourcing (BPO) agents, play a crucial role in business operations. You’re often the first point of contact for the company’s customers who have questions or concerns.
Phone calls are customers’ most preferred mode of communication (68%) to make transactions, followed by email and in-person interactions. For this reason, call center agents like you are still in-demand and are highly important in business operations.
Besides working to personalize customer service for each customer, a call center’s agents’ critical role lies in their core tasks. A clear understanding of your duties is an excellent starting point to help you be more effective at your job and stand out as a BPO agent.
What Are Your Fundamental Tasks as a BPO Agent?
Below are the fundamental tasks you need to perform well at to become a better BPO agent slowly:
- Answer incoming calls and help businesses handle a large volume of customer interactions in an efficient and organized way
- Respond to customer inquiries promptly and clearly
- Troubleshoot problems and guide customers to solutions
- Provide information about your company’s products and services
- Collect data, such as important customer feedback and insights, that the company can use to improve its services and products
- Help your company cross-sell and upsell products and services to increase revenue, as 87% of surveyed consumers stated that conversations over the phone with another person that answers questions make them feel more confident in purchasing more expensive products or services
- Assist in scheduling your customers’ appointments and processing their payments.
Performing well in these tasks helps you differentiate yourself from the pack and influences a company’s branding. You become an extension of the company because you directly interact with its customers.
It’s why managers may also train you to handle challenging or frustrated customers, helping defuse potentially explosive situations and maintain a positive image of your company.
The skills above present many opportunities for you to grow as an individual and professional.
7 Qualities You Need to Have to Stand Out as a BPO Agent
The qualities below ensure that you provide industry-leading customer service and improve the customer experience. Given those companies in the U.S. lose $1.6T yearly due to poor customer service, having these qualities help you become more valuable to a business, paving the way for possible promotions and raises.
In addition, 32% of customers opted not to do business with a brand they used to like after one negative experience, placing positive customer service at the center of customer satisfaction and retention.
Below are the qualities you must possess to further your career growth and stand out as a BPO agent.
1. Active listening skills
It isn’t enough just to hear the customer’s frustrated voice. Active listening skills are essential among call center agents like you because you must fully understand the customer’s needs and concerns to provide the best possible service.
2. Good communication skills
An agent who can communicate clearly and effectively can help reduce confusion and ensure that customers receive the information they need. After all, your main job is to answer queries: an integral part of customer experience.
When you can answer customers’ questions, customer satisfaction improves, leading to improved customer retention, positive word-of-mouth marketing, and enhanced customer relationship.
3. Patience and empathy
More often than not, the customers you’ll encounter are upset and frustrated. Calls with these customers require the utmost patience and empathy to address their concerns promptly.
Patience and empathy are becoming rarer qualities in the customer service industry since most businesses have deployed artificial intelligence (AI) helpers). These qualities are your defining advantages against bots and automation since customers will always prefer human interaction.
Experts predict that 81.5% of contact center inbound interactions will remain human due to the irreplaceable delivery of warmth and reassurance that only a genuine human interaction with a call center agent can provide.
These qualities can also generate a better brand representation for your company. Remember that you are your company’s in-call voice, speaking on their behalf. Being genuinely patient and concerned about your customers can nourish your company’s brand image.
4. A positive attitude
A positive attitude is essential for you as it helps create a good customer experience, even when dealing with difficult situations. It can help build trust and rapport with customers, increasing customer satisfaction.
5. Problem-solving skills
You may encounter complex problems or issues that need resolution. Having the quality to think critically and find solutions to problems can help ensure the quick and efficient delivery of solutions to customer issues.
Problem-solving skills are also essential to personalize customer service, one that is appropriate to the needs and preferences of the customer on call. This quality is crucial as 60% of unsuccessful First Contact Resolutions (FCR) were attributed to the agent’s failure to access and provide the correct data to the customer.
Thus, when you cannot address the customer’s concerns, the issue remains unresolved, causing customer frustration.
Problem-solving skills also allow your company to save costs on repeated calls. Good problem-solving skills ensure the delivery of needed answers or solutions to customers, reducing callbacks on the same problems.
6. Adaptability
You may have to deal with different customer types and situations. Adaptability to various conditions will help you handle different customers and provide the best service possible for each of them.
7. Technical skills
As a BPO agent, you need to be able to use technology to access and provide information. Therefore, a basic understanding of the technology and systems used in the call center can help improve the agent’s ability to serve the customer faster. This results in enhanced productivity and may even garner your internal commendation.
Be In Your Best Form!
As a BPO agent, you must remember that you carry the responsibility of representing your company to its customers; you are the company’s voice. Therefore, your job is naturally challenging, but with the right qualities, you can deliver your duties efficiently and stand out to become a commendable agent.
Becoming a better version of yourself with the mentioned qualities will not only benefit your company. These qualities will ultimately make you a better employee who is reliable, effective, and worthy of career growth.
