Tips for a Call Center Customer Service Representative

If you are a customer service representative, you hold one of the most important positions within your company. You represent the face and personality of your company to the public. Often, you will be the first person that a customer meets. How you handle yourself during that meeting can determine whether or not that customer will return.

But being a customer service representative, especially a call center one, is not an easy task. You are at the end of a phone line maybe thousands of miles away from your customer and somehow you become less than human to them. People who call may be upset or frustrated because your company's product or service did not meet their expectations. They need to vent their feelings and you are there representing your company. The phone gives the customer a shield. They often say things that they wouldn't if you were to meet face to face. This job is definitely not for those whose feelings are easily hurt.

After spending most of my adult career on the front lines; I have come up with some tips on how to make this job an easier one. I have listed them below:

1) No matter what is said, always keep your cool. Do not take anything said personally. Remember to the customer, you are the company not an individual.

2) Give the customer a few moments to vent. Once they have lost their steam, most become reasonable again.

3) Use your words to remind them that there is a human being at the end of the phone line. Say something like: "I have been at the other of the phone in past and I know how frustrating it can be when you try to resolve an issue and hit a brick wall. I want to help you all that I can but I need you to calm down so I can understand your problem."

4) Never get into a screaming match with the customer. Things can degrade quickly if you have taken what they are saying personally. The customer will remain disgruntled and you may lose your job. Instead, if the call has gotten out of hand, say something like: "I am sorry, sir/madam. I can't help you when you are screaming and cursing because I can't understand what the problem is. I think it is best that we end the conversation right now. When you calm down, call back and I will be glad to help with your problem.

5) Have empathy for your customer. Remember the times when you were a customer trying to resolve a problem. Think about how you would have liked to be treated even if you were very upset because your issue wasn't resolved in the way that you had expected. Respond in kind to your customer.

We are all human beings. It is very easy for us to return fire when we perceive ourselves to be under attack. It takes a lot more patience and understanding to ignore the ranting of an upset customer than it does to retaliate. But it is essential that a call center customer service representative do just that. It is the best way to resolve the customer's issue and promote the company's reputation.

Being a call center customer service representative is not an easy job. However, if you have the right personality and the desire to succeed in this field, it can be a rewarding one.