News: Telephone and Writing Skills
Call centre staff need telephone skills training
05 November 2007
Call centre staff are far more than just telephone operators, and often need to absorb many weeks' worth of training.
Marife Zamora of Convergys Corp in the Philippines says that agents are expected "to facilitate the smooth exchange of information, but their level of job complexity goes far beyond operating a switchboard or handling a call", the Inquirer reports.
In fact, a high level of customer service is demanded and training is essential.
"Agents are experts in their assigned fields," Ms Zamora continued. "To become experts, they need to absorb and retain up to six weeks' worth of training on products and concepts that may have been alien to them at the start.
"Then, under the close watch and high expectations of clients and customers, they are expected to apply their newly acquired knowledge flawlessly from the first call. Customer dissatisfaction is not an option."
