Hats off to call center agents

Rita Kruger

In her opinion, people who work in call centers deserve a medal for what they do. Can you imagine how you would feel if every one of you had a plan? As I pondered her words, it made me think of the rules and regulations that are part of our daily activities in the call center industry.

Even though you are locked in a table from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm as an employee, one thing you have is the freedom to plan your day. This is not the case in call centers. Call center agents may have to wait for their tea and lunch breaks or miss them. If there are not enough people to answer the calls in the queue, it is not possible to take a quick toilet break. Is this something you should think about in your daily office schedule?

In an area that is already highly regulated, the call center is also regulated by law, and agents must keep in mind what they are doing at all times. The Consumer Protection Act, which regulates most outgoing call centers, specifies who agents can call and when. The rules include no calls to residential areas before 8 a.m. or 9 p.m. and include no calls to customers listed on the register. Any mistakes made in this regard could ruin a customer’s day and lose you as a customer forever.

As a Call Center agent, you should know the South African Direct Trading Association, the Personal Data Protection Act and the Financial Advisory and Intermediate Services Act, which regulates sales in the financial services industry. And advice for financial and insurance products. There are many rules to remember and there is little time to connect with the customer to conclude a sale or create a feeling, so these agents need to think on their own.

There are also rules and regulations about debt collection, as well as contract requirements. For example, contracts may stipulate that calls are answered directly from an automated system or within a certain time frame. You need to make sure you are talking to the account holder, and a conversation with a business customer is governed by a set of rules that are more difficult for the average consumer.

In addition to this, the call center has its own in-house rules, such as no mobile device on your desk, being present at your workplace five minutes before the start of work, following scripts, knowing your talk time, being available to customers and treating customers properly. Are you still feeling the pressure?

Let’s throw it in the “Big Brother” section. Every key made by the agent is captured by the camera. Each call is recorded. There are quality monitors and target driving controllers. There is a snapshot of each call, and any calls that exceed the average are indicated.

Agents handle multiple calls per day. Even on a short call – the average is three and a half minutes – they have to make contact with someone you don’t know on the other line to solve the question. Callers often complain that employees do not have the power to solve problems, but they are limited in terms of the approval that agents can give.

You will then find a client who is arguing or arguing with you, asking for a recording or transfer to a manager, and perhaps threatening to take the matter to an ombudsman or the media. Unfortunately, there is no response to sarcasm in the script. Linguistic differences can also be a barrier. Explaining English terms and conditions is often difficult for someone who speaks a different dialect to understand.

It is one of the most difficult areas for us to deal with long hours, limited work experience, close supervision of management and constant stress. Call centers wrong? Yes, but you get it right. They handle thousands of calls every day to solve, sell, retain and deliver thousands of customers.

The next time you meet one of these agents, think about where they are going and how they feel about being in their seat. I mean, hats off to all call center agents.