Typical Customer Service Representatives’ Competencies 25/01/19

Here are what employers look for in applicants desiring to work in a call center:
1. Business acumen - understanding the relationship between their jobs and its impact to business and customers
2. Call management- controlling a call through effective communication techniques
3. Change management- adapting to and handling changing situations and environments
4. Conflict resolution - using effective interpersonal skills to resolve conflict situations
5. Cross selling - selling upgraded or additional products to existing customers
6. Decision making - gathering relative information, and analyzing situations then applying appropriate interventions to resolve an issue or
come to a decision
7. Interpersonal communication - ability to listen actively, question appropriately, provide feedback, and use the skills outlined to build
customer relationships.
8. Managing diversity - knowledge and ability to interact with a variety of people in the workplace.
9. Managing stress – ability to maintain a calm demeanor and mental state when situations and emotions escalate to higher levels
10. Multitasking - managing multiple priorities or assignments simultaneously (e.g., receiving customer information over the phone while
inputting/ searching for data on a computer)
11. Negotiating effectively –ability to direct situations toward a winwin outcome
12. Organizing information and data- ability to assemble and maintain information in a logical file system that can be accessed by themselves
and others
13. Problem solving – identifying root causes of problems through questioning and applying appropriate interventions to address them
14. Good team player – ability to work effectively with others and contribute to team task accomplishment
15. Time management- ability to use available time and resources to address assigned tasks and customer issues
16. Peer coaching – offering support and guidance to co-workers
17. Technical literacy- ability to apply basic knowledge of computer usage, applications, e-mail and Internet, and the ability to learn
organization-specific software (requirement varies based on level of technical competence needed by the organization.)
18. Using call center technology- e.g., computer, facsimile, printer/ copier, database software

Performance Metrics
Call center managers use metrics which is a set of measurements to quantify performance and results.

There are two types of call center performance metrics: productivity metrics and quality metrics.
Call centers monitor both quantitative and qualitative aspects of calls answered by employees.
Quantitative refers to calls per hour, average call time, time between calls, etc.
Qualitative, on the other hand refers to content, style, adherence to policies etc.

1. Productivity Metrics
Productivity metrics in a call center measure how effective agents are in using their time and how efficient they are in maintaining the balance
of the various aspects of their jobs.
In measuring productivity, the one in charge of the quality monitoring program keeps track of the metrics generated by the automated call
distributor (ACD), various computer software programs, or the phone system.
There are a number of call center metrics to track. Here are a few of
them:
a. Average Call Duration (ACD)

This tracks the length of time a customer is on the phone. It is usually measured in minutes and exclusive of any pre-call preparation or post-
call documentation, referred to as “wrap”. Measuring the duration of a call is a means to improve the efficiency of the service, thereby
improving the customer satisfaction while controlling cost at the same time.
b. Call Quality
This attempts to determine customer satisfaction with the support received by phone. Unless one listens to both sides of a conversation,
however, it is impossible to know whether customers are receiving the type of quality service that includes accurate information, adherence
to professional communication standards, and the feeling of being valued by the company.

Measuring call quality starts by defining the components of a successful call. These components are compiled in a monitoring form listing the
criteria by which each call should be evaluated. The best monitoring forms differentiate between these two:

1. Standard criteria- are those elements that should be included or “standard” in every call, by every representative (e.g., include opening
the call with the appropriate greeting and asking customers if there are any other issues with which they need assistance). It is reasonable to
require all representatives, regardless of their level of experience, to include all standard criteria on each call.
2. Objective criteria- include elements such as building rapport with customers and using proactive, and service-oriented language. All
representatives should attempt to do them on every call, yet we anticipate that they will be carried out more successfully by the more
experienced ones.
It is important to complement the call quality criteria of the monitoring form with appropriate questions asked in the customer satisfaction
survey. For example, surveys that include questions like “Did the representative explain things in a clear manner?” and “Did the representative
ask if there were any other issues with which you needed assistance?” provide feedback that accurately depicts the representative’s
communication skills and allows you to correlate call monitoring scores with customer satisfaction.

c. Customer Service Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

The customer satisfaction score, or CSAT, intends to measure a customer's satisfaction with the received service. In its simplest form, CSAT
is expressed as a percentage between 0 and 100, with 100% representing complete customer satisfaction. CSAT is often determined by a
single question in follow-up surveys along the lines of “How would you rate your overall satisfaction with the service you received?”
This is often graded on a scale of one to five, with a score of one (1) representing “very dissatisfied” and five (5) representing “very satisfied.”
All surveys are then averaged for a composite CSAT score. Some organizations set their standard at a 4-out-of5; any customer who provides
a score of 3 or less triggers a callback from a manager or quality assurance (QA) team member.
The CSAT can help companies determine the effect of new initiatives on their customer satisfaction.

d. Escalation Rate
In an actual call center interaction, we know that some issues will need to be brought up to higher levels of management in the course of
supporting our customers. Keeping the escalation rate low helps boost customer confidence in our products, service, and company, and
supports overall customer satisfaction.
Whether an escalation is requested by a customer or initiated by a representative, the reasons for the escalation are often that:
the customer realizes that the representative does not have the authority or knowledge required to resolve the problem, or the customer
has become angry, and speaking to someone of higher authority will be a prerequisite to calming this customer down.
In either case, the best way to deal with escalations is to try to prevent them from happening in the first place. The best preventative steps
include:
making sure that all representatives have adequate technical training and customer handling skills. Monitor the performance of
representatives through the use of your contact center's monitoring technology by listening to live calls. Coach and provide additional training
as needed. teaching team members how to project confidence when dealing with customers. Speaking with confidence includes using an
up-beat tone of voice and choosing positive, and service-oriented words that demonstrate competency and self-assurance. The more
confident a representative sounds in her/his abilities, the less likely a customer will request escalation to a supervisor. illustrating the
difference between confidence and arrogance, making sure all representatives know how and where to draw the line between these two
very different ways of dealing with a customer.

e. First Call/Contact Resolution (FCR)

This is at the top of the list for many organizations when it comes to the metrics they are tracking. Also referred to as firstcall resolution in
contact centers where the primary mode of contact is by phone, FCR helps organizations track the efficiency with which their representatives
are able to resolve customer issues.

f. Resolution Time (Time – to – Resolution or TTR)

Resolution time (or TTR for time-to-resolution) helps organizations track the average amount of time spent in resolving customer issues.
This is of great importance, especially in technical support, where organizations and their customers share the common goal of resolving
customer issues as quickly as possible. For customers, this means returning to “operational status” or “good working condition” as quickly as
possible; for employers, this means controlling support costs while maintaining customer satisfaction.

Quality Metrics
Quality metrics in a call center refer to how well agents accomplish their tasks, especially their primary function of customer contact.
These quality metrics fall into two categories:
Standards
Standards describe the minimum acceptable level of performance for all agents. These vary from call center to call center, but include
behaviors such as giving the appropriate greeting, verifying the customer name and address, and giving accurate information. When
measuring standards, the representative determines whether or not these were met. This can be assessed through observation of actual or
recorded calls by the agent.

Objectives
Objectives are qualitative. They describe something that will be accomplished to different degrees depending on the agent’s skill level and
on the unique properties of the call, email, or chat session.
Typical objectives include building rapport with the customer, handling challenges effectively, and using empathy as appropriate. When
measuring objectives, the representative assesses how well they were met.