the underwraps of having good customer care skills

call center agents are expected to be individuals who take in the vital customer care knack. it is an asset in the field of contact centers. the company’s sales and productivity can be achieved through first-rate customer relations.

3 things which help agents keep their job:

*an outgoing and friendly personality. this is hard to show because the clients are being serviced over the phone. the voice, the choice of terminology and the manner of saying the words play an important role here.

*a people-oriented attitude. this makes everything possible for the agent to deal with customers making them feel as the most important people in their existence.

*an ample knowledge of phone etiquette. learn to listen carefully and never butt in while customers are talking. whatever they are saying, let them finish first. always acknowledge and let them feel you are more than willing to assist and help them the best possible way you can.

five years and still counting

Call centers still carry on to be the fundamental success of customer relations industry. Employers always look for agents with the indispensable skills and qualities.

February 27, 2011 marks my fifth year as a call center agent. YES..! I have been playing in the field for exactly five years .. still living a sleep deprived and  a caffeine fueled life. A call center agent job is not that easy. To stay in the game one should understand customer differences. Must have good communication skills and English language proficiency furthermore computer literacy.

sleepy agent

one of the calls that i had which i secretly wished wouldn't be monitored was unfortunately randomly picked. it wasn't really a bad call. i was able to service the call , addressed the concern of the cardmember and was even able to put add ons (some important details like giving out available credit/cash without being asked.)the call actually lasted for about 3-4 minutes. HOWEVER, all throughout the call, my voice sounded so sleepy, as if i wasn't in the mood to work, sounded like i was too lazy to assist the customersand i was obviouslyu in a hurry.. if it wasn't for my tone & mood, i should have gotten a rating of 2, which is considerably high. BUT because of the way i talked, i only got a rate of 3. it's lesson learned. the secret is to always have a friendly and enthusiastic tone. damn..that was close!

wow philippines

filipinos in the US are aware that several call center companies are based in the Philippines. my caller a while ago was a filipina. the first thing she asked was my location, and my nationality. i admitted to be a filipino like her. when she learned about this, she started speaking our own language and requested me to do the same . i can't. even if i want to.so, we discussed her issues however she used filipino/tagalog language while i reply in english. it was fun, she was relieved that it wasn't hard on her part to inquire and know more about her account details. the call lasted for about 10 minutes which is considered as long call. the heck, it's ok. at least i was able to make one of our kababayans happy. she even joked.. "dumudugo kasi ilong ko pag nag-english ako" ...we had a good laugh. i was tempted to speak the way she does, but i controlled myself. afraid the call might be monitored and be part of my scorecard..no way! hence, the call ended the way i started it.. english all the way...cmon!

i apologize

i wasn't able to assist my client.. the issue was so simple. he just wanted to know the balance information on his account... account balance, minimum payemnt due, payment due date, available credit, available cash. SO SIMPLE. there were no fraud issues. no suspicious activities. no block on the account. it was a second call made by the CM. he only called back to know and take note of the balance info.. I apologized because, my system was down at that moment. it would have been a good call.. but i wasn't able to do anything. i opted to transfer the call to the other agent. oh, i feel so bad. to hell with the system.

love/hate

my caller hates my company. she hates the service. she hates us all the more when she can't use her credit card. she screamed at me! she cursed me! she hates me!. she doesn't want to listen to me. she doesn't understand me. she hates me to the max...!
HOWEVER. she got tired of shouting and started to shut up and gave me time to talk.
i found out she was just trying to use the card for cash advance at an ATM machine and was unable to get the money she wanted.
i told her the reason was because of the wrong PIN (personal identification number) she used...
total silence. i removed the security hold on the account and informed her, the card is good to go..
THEN, she said sorry. she apologized. she didn't mean it when she said she hates me & my company. she admitted she was wrong.
SO, she started saying she loves the customer experience she had with me. she promised to be more careful the next time she uses her card. the call ended with her saying... " i love the way you assisted me and also the way you addressed my concern..i love you sweetheart.." CMON..!

duh..??

one of the calls i received about 6 hours ago was a funny one. my caller complained because she was trying to make a purchase at different merchants but were unable to. YES! none of the transactions has gone through. after she verified all the necessary info on the account, and after telling me that all the activities made on account were legit, i told her it's ok to use the card. she can actually bring out her credit card and swipe it,use it anytime she wants. GUESS WHAT? .. my caller actually was doing a shopping spree and she actually didn't bring the plastic with her. the credit card was not in her possession, she left it in her house, and still insists to use it. DUH...? i'm just a CCA and not a miracle worker.. i advised her to go home and get her card... what can i say?? another DUH...?!!

one long call

this is the worst day of the week for me. i cant believe to have handled a call for exactly 29 minutes and 33 seconds.. my ususal call lasts less than 5 minutes. my call handling time is always ideal. always equivalent to a score of 2. which is quite good because it's more than the average. but with this particular call i had a while back is really a nightmare. imagine yourself talking to a 92 year old cardmember who has alzheimer's disease... it took me forever to explain the status of his account. patience is really a virtue. PATIENCE. that's what i practiced. that's what i discovered. i never imagined myself possessing it.. but i cannot promise i would have it all the the time. oh pleaseee....!!

call transfers

it's considered call avoidance when a rep declines to accept a transfer call from a different department ... i was so closed to committing that crime a while ago. apparently, the rep who wanted to transfer the call just wants me accept the call because the caller was so mad... that CM was just inquiring about the status of his account and since the other rep wasn't able to assist the CM further, he requested for a supervisor. CM specifically requested for a manager.. i am not a manager.. i'm just a CCA.. i asked the other rep why the heck was she trying to transfer the call to me. she should escalate the call to her supervisor... anyway, i hate saying no to callers. i'm bound to accept calls to minimize call handling time..so i accepted the call. it was an easy one actually. ...after further verification, the CM just inquired re account balance information. that's it! piece of cake. funny thing was,the CM compared me to the first person he was able to talk to and said he likes me because i was able to help him better. pat on my back..cmon!

password please

as a CCA,everytime we receive a call, the first thing we do is to verify info from callers.. password is very important. we never service the call if the CM won't be able to verify info. there was a time when i played hard ball with the CM. she wanted details on the status of her account.i gave her zero info. she got real mad. i tried other means to verify her but still, she didn't pass. expectedly, all the bad words came out from her mouth. i just advised her to send necessary documents if she wants to have access on her account. before i could give out the address for acceptable documentations, she hung up!

don't wanna talk to you

i have just received a call from someone whom after i introduced myself and finished my opening spiel, my caller kept screaming and complaining about the declined transactions she tried to do at a supermarket somewhere in the state of California. i tried to explain the reason for the decline but she kept talking and at boiling point attitude. she complained she doesn't understand me, that i'm not willing to help her and will file a complaint against me. EXCUSE ME..?! i said, she needs to let me talk and explain. obviously, she wouldn't understand me because i wasn't given the chance to say anything at all... for couple of minutes i let her do her thing and eventually she requested to speak to someone else...pronto! so i did what she told me... i transferred the call to one of my colleagues... never know what happened next... whoever got that call.. good luck!

affected no more by insults

this is not a good day for me. i experienced another insult by one of the clients/cardmembers. it was actually a transferred call from the customer care department. the caller was already blowing his top and he got more aggravated when i handled the call. he doesn't like the idea of talking to so many people and being transferred several times. before i ask how can i help, he started saying how incompetent my company is. how inefficient all the employees are. i let him do the talking. he threatened me by saying he is going to close the account. all the curse, all the insult, the screaming and shouting on top of his lungs. i embraced them all. he noticed i just kept listening and never butt in. after he got tired of talking, i asked again how can i help. the issue was so easy. he wants the charge on his account be credited back because he already paid cash. i just informed the CM to let the merchant call us and everything will be taken cared of. the merchant should be the one requesting fro reversal and not him. that's just it. he then realized how stupid he was for getting mad unncessesarily. he ended the call by apologizing.

relay call: go ahead

the kind of call i wish i wouldn't get. unfortunately, i had my own share of it. relay call. it goes like, a representative will type in all the cardmember wants to say and read them back to me. i don't have contact with the caller. it was the other rep who relay the message. i, in return will respond and that will be typed as well to let the caller understand what's going on. every message should end with "go ahead". the message normally takes longer than the usual. sad to say, mine lasted for nearly 30 minutes. there was a time when i forgot to say "go ahead and the rep on the other end was still waiting for me to say some more . only then i realized, i have to give the "go ahead" signal. sigh. a simple call, nevertheless became complicated because it does not only involve talking but writing as well. oh how i wish i wouldn't get any of this kind in the future.

ooopppsss.... i did it again!

all it takes is patience. plus warm & friendly tone. it has been like almost two years since i last recieved a commendation call. lately, i have been an irate agent because of the pressure and tension during the last season. Luck it is.... The call i received was a fraud application... The onset of call was a complaint. My caller was so worried because someone else opened an account using her name and other personal info. since, the account was just opened a week back, i immeadiately informed the caller that i'll make sure that she wont be held responsible for it. i made her feel secured, knowing she was so afraid and so worried. after giving her the assurance, she was so delighted and thank me for being helpful. i already said goodbye however, she requested to speak to my supervisor. we cant say no to the callers if they request for a manager. i escalated the call to my manager only to find out that i got praised. A COMMENDATION CALL. the caller appreciated me for giving her good custoemr servie..wheeww.... yes.. i did it again.!

blind transfer

BLIND TRANSFER. this is what i hate the most. i had a call from a cardmember who never had the idea that she will be transferred to my department..
she was so freaking mad. bad words came from her mouth. she actually doesn't know how to listen. i suspect that the other representative who received her call wasn't even able to explain to her the issue on her account because CM kept talking non-stop. Since I'm used to this kind of call, i just let her do her thing. when she noticed i never butt in. she started asking if i could help her. i informed and advised her i can be of help only if she will listen to me... to every word that i will say. i told her, if she wants to use her card, if she wants to make transactions right away, she has to listen to me.listen carefully. and stop talking (for christ's sake) just one moment is what i asked for. true enough, i fixed the problem. recently changed address.. she verified the activity as legit. as simple as that! when she learned she can start using the card..as expected. she hung up! total bitch!

OT

the best way to render overtime is during rest days and holidays. the yuletide season is the time when large volume of calls keep pouring in. i, of course took this rare opportunity to get to work. double-double pay. money.more money. HOWEVER, non-stop calls. less time for bio break. can't even find time to sip coffee in between calls. the heck! i dont give a damn! at the end of the day, i see peso signs. that's enough motivaiton for me to continue working .. real hard!
OT..c'mon!

mabuhay philipines!

the call i just received was from an american who knows that the office i work for is in the Phillipines. the cardmember makes it a habit to check the status of his account.. and since he is a regular caller, he already knows that agents who receive his calls are filipinos. He enjoys talking to filipinos. he even said, he prefers to speak to filipinos because he feels the warmth. he experiences filipino hospitality. it is a plus factor. when i took his call, he thanked me and asked about philippine culture, weather, and the beach! since he's a nice guy, i gave him 5 minutes of my time and promote the Philippines. He was convinced, he's gonna visit the country this summer 2009.!!
WOW PHILLIPINES..!

how can i help you today?

i've been helping a lot of people re use of their plastics (credit cards). help includes declined transactions, forced authorizations, payment by phone, replacement cards, cancelling cards, fraudulently used cards. I make sure that there wont be any problems when they use their cards. i am of service for eight long hours, 5 days a week. it would be so frustrating when your help is not being recognized or appreciated. one thing i'm sure of, when i say how can i help.. i mean it.. the customers need me more than i need them.haha!

sorry about that

i received a call from a filipino living in Texas. a security block was was placed on his credit because of the recent activities made on it. as part of the procedure, to be able to remove the security hold, i need to run security questions. i know, and i can feel that the caller was the true person, the legit cardmember. the only problem is that, he cant recall the details, the correct info or answers to the security questions i asked from him. as i expected, he didn't pass. i wanted to help him avoid some inconvenience but, as a policy, if a cm failed, documentations need to be submitted. i requested the cm to send a copy of his driver's license and utility bills. he pleaded, he insisted me to ask some more questions, he even volunteered to give out other personal infos just to convince me he wasn't fraud and i do believe him but, i cant take control of the situation. a policy is a policy . we need to adhere. so, i told him to do send the docs and we can take care of everything once we received them. the cm just requested the account be cancelled. seriously, i really felt sorry for him. i felt real bad because he's a kababayan. and i wasnt of help to him.

i'm an asshole!

there are various reasons why some callers are irate: impatient.never listens to reasons.keeps talking and never let me explain.racist.swell headed.the lists can go on and on. i was called so many names. idiot.stupid.shithead.moron.asshole. the latter is the callers' favorite...and mine too.but whether i like it or not, this is part of my job and i have to be used to it.used to them.damn! i recently had a caller who keeps screaming on the onset of call. he was actually being transferred from one department to another. he was first able to connect to customer service, then to collections dept., eventually to billing disputes unit and lastly to me. fraud & security department. imagine the person talking on top of his lungs. i have to take the headset away or else my eardrums will pop. i was never given the chance to talk and instead obliged me to transfer the call to my supervisor. i never said a word. i let him talk.and talk.and talk. and when he noticed i wasn't saying antyhing he sudddenly stopped. then i moved my mouth. i said, you wanna talk to my supervisor? he screamed again and said are you deaf? i said no. and told him if he wants to talk to my supervisor, he has to call back after 3o minutes because my sup is still engaged in a call. the caller even screamed louder than the usual. he went back to his nagging, cursing, demeaning words. i never talked back. i just let him do his thing. finally, he sensed i dont get affected and guess what?.. he hung up.. ahahahahaaa...