Rockstar Call Center Agent Best Practices

“Every job is good if you do your best and work hard. A man who works hard stinks only to those who have nothing to do but smell others.”- Laura Ingalls Wilder, American Author

There are call center agents and then there are rockstar call center agents. Every month, when management gives out awards and incentives, rockstar call center agents go home with big fat bonuses while everyone else pretty much just goes home. Makes you wish you were a rockstar call center agent yourself, right? Well, I say stop wishing and start doing. In this post, I’ll show you 10 best practices that make a rockstar call center agent.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. As a call center agent, you’re already spending at least 40 hours every week on the phone taking care of customers. Why not go the extra mile and do the best practices a rockstar call center agent does and benefit tremendously from it? These best practices will take just a little more effort, just a bit more push to pull you out from the mire of mediocrity and propel you into rockstar call center agent status!

Rockstar Call Center Agent Best Practices

Efficiency and Timeliness

Time is gold and customers value their time. According to a 2014 study by workforce management firm ClickSoftware, Americans spent an average of 30 hours annually waiting on the phone. This is roughly equivalent to $753.00 or a whopping $108 Billion worth of time wasted by every employed adult American. Over 35% of customers who got frustrated transacting with a call center agent have cancelled their service. These staggering numbers alone should give you an idea how valuable time actually is to your customers and should make you realize why customers get so frustrated every time they are put on hold or have to wait for a call center agent to resolve their concerns. A rockstar call center agent takes advantage of this fact and one of her best practices is to make the customer feel how much she values the customer’s time and will do everything to resolve the customer’s concern in an efficient and timely manner. A rockstar call center agent avoids placing the customer on hold as much as possible. If a customer really needs to be put on hold, the rockstar will clearly explain why the hold is necessary and set the customer’s expectations how long the hold will be. Active listening is vital so that customers do not have to repeat themselves. When a customer feels you are efficient, competent and you truly value her time, she will definitely be one happy customer. So happy she might just give you a perfect “10”!

Genuine Sincerity

If there is one reason why customers prefer talking to a call center agent to resolve a concern rather than transacting business with an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, it’s because of the warmth and sincerity of a human call center agent on the other end. Take that warmth and sincerity away and chances are Artificial Intelligence will replace most call center agent functions much sooner than expected. Apparently, those IT guys have yet to develop an algorithm to replicate human sincerity and this remains to be the single biggest advantage a call center agent has over machines. A rockstar call center agent ALWAYS projects genuine sincerity in her tone on every call. I know it’s not easy but genuine sincerity is what separates a rockstar call center agent from everybody else and if you want to be a rockstar call center agent, you have to depart from those canned empathy statements that practically everybody uses and develop your own unique way of projecting genuine sincerity.

Go the Extra Mile and Then Some

Every customer who transacts business with a call center agent expects her concern to be resolved. That’s expected. And if the call center agent does exactly what the customer expected and nothing else, then there’s nothing special about that transaction and the call ends “Passive”, at best. However, if the call center agent can go the extra mile and provide the customer something extraordinary and unexpected that the customer can appreciate, then the potential for the customer to give the call center agent a perfect “10” becomes higher. And the extra service doesn’t have to be huge or earth-shaking. Something as simple as being friendly, sincere, competent, or efficient can be well appreciated. The customer will love you for providing her self-serve options that can make her life much easier. As a call center agent, you already have an idea how to resolve your customer’s concern but you don’t have to lay down all your cards on the table right away. Rather than tell the customer how easy it will be to resolve her concern, do the opposite and make the customer feel that it will take a bit of effort to resolve her concern but reassure her that you will do everything to make certain her concern gets resolved as efficiently as possible. You’re not exactly being dishonest here. You’re just making the customer feel she is special and that you will take special care of her concern. Under promise but over deliver. That’s how you WOW your customer. That’s how you become a rockstar call center agent.

Effective Communication

Communication is a two-way highway. On top of the ability to speak clearly, a rockstar call center agent also practices active listening on every call. It is very frustrating for any customer to have to repeat themselves. It is even more frustrating if the customer senses that the call center agent did not understand the customer’s real concern. Often, because a call center agent gets the same customer concerns on practically every call, there is the tendency to be complacent and provide a solution based merely on keywords the customer says. While this may seem like an efficient way of resolving the customer’s concern, the risk here is the call center agent may miss a key point in what the customer was saying and may end up providing an inaccurate resolution and frustrating the customer even more. If unsure, a rockstar call center agent will paraphrase what the customer said just to verify accuracy. Be mindful of the difference between paraphrasing and parroting. A rockstar call center agent chooses her words well before she opens her mouth, using power words and avoiding jargons customers may not be familiar with. A rockstar call center agent will never interrupt the customer and confidently speaks in a low, calm tone.

Information overload is never a good thing. I’ve got a few more best practices for you on the next post but for now, let these rockstar call center agent best practices sink in first. Take what you can from these best practices and apply them on your calls. Try and tweak these best practices to suit your unique personality. You should expect a gradual improvement in your scorecard over the next few days after applying these best practices. Don’t rush it. Just enjoy your journey from mediocrity to rockstar call center agent. See you on the next post.

RELATED ARTICLE: 6 More Ways to be a Rockstar Call Center Agent

Call Center Agents Perish in the Line Of Duty

I normally would write happy thoughts this Christmas day but tragic news from Davao left me deeply depressed instead.

As of this writing, at least 37 call center agents have perished in an inferno that razed a Davao City mall where their call center holds office. The fire struck Saturday morning just a few minutes before the mall opens and just before most of those midshift call center agents would have logged out. But the mall never got to open and the midshift never got to finish their shift.

The cause of the fire and why in heaven's name those 37 call center agents never got out is under investigation and we will leave it to the authorities to answer those questions and bring justice to the hapless victims. I just cannot help but think what if the fire had struck just a little after the mall had opened and after most of those call center agents have already logged out. Would the fire have been less tragic?

Considering they were still logged in when the fire broke out, those 37 call center agents perished in the line of duty. They died while performing their duty. Call center agents have often been referred to as "mga bayaning puyat" (sleepless heroes) because their work often requires them to be on graveyard shifts. The fact that those 37 call center agents perished in the line of duty makes their death somewhat heroic.

Chances are, most of those 37 call center agents probably have shifts on Christmas Eve. Chances are, those call center agents may have already told family and friends they "won't be home for Christmas". They all have no idea how tragically true those words would be.

Just an advise, in the event of a catastrophic emergency such as a fire, an active shooter or an earthquake, quickly excuse yourself from your customer, log out if you still can then go for the nearest safe exit. Don't even bother running to the lockers to grab your things. Your safety is paramount. CSATs and iPhones you can always replace.

As you read this post, please say a little prayer for those call center agents we tragically lost this Christmas. May their families find closure and justice. More importantly, we also pray tragedies like this never happen again.

A blessed Christmas to all.

10 THINGS EVERY FILIPINO CALL CENTER REP SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, half a world away in the Philippines, over a million workers in the outsourcing industry have a lot to be thankful for, as well. Here are 10 things every Filipino call center rep should be thankful for:

• As of 2017, the Philippine outsourcing industry (contact centers, transcription, IT, animation, accounting) directly employs around 1.4 Million employees- from college dropouts to university graduates, from millennials to retirees, from newbies to tenured rockstars, men and women from all walks of life- who found a steady source of income working to make customers' lives a little bit easier;
• Indirectly, several thousands more are employed with allied industries (construction, catering, engineering, security, housekeeping, etc) to service the various needs of a rapidly growing outsourcing industry;
• The outsourcing industry has pumped US$25.5 Billion into the Philippine economy this 2017, the second biggest provider of much needed revenue after remittances from overseas Filipinos;
• In the Philippine real estate market, outsourcing companies are currently leasing as much as 7 Million square feet (650 Thousand square meters) of prime office space and had spawned a construction boom to accommodate an increasing demand for more office space;
• The outsourcing industry has enabled average Filipinos with the right set of skills to earn well above minimum wage plus comprehensive health care and other benefits to boot;
• The outsourcing industry has pretty much transformed major metropolitan cities from sleepy communities into 24/7 commercial hubs with coffee shops, convenience stores, fast food restaurants and service stations open all night to service the thousands who work graveyard shifts;
• Thanks in part to outsourcing, Starbucks, Seattle's Best, J.Co and other specialty "hangouts" are everywhere to cater to the Filipino rep's acquired lifestyle of good coffee, good company and free WiFi;
• With the success of U.S. companies that outsourced to the Philippines, Canada, the UK, Australia, and other countries have hopped on the outsourcing bandwagon as well;
• As a testament to the Filipino's English skill and professional work attitude in handling customer care issues, income opportunities have opened up online for highly-skilled Filipinos to work from home as English tutors, writers, or even as virtual assistants;
• More than the money, practically every worker in the Philippine outsourcing industry has a compelling purpose to persevere inspite so many challenges and continue serving the customer- a younger sister who needs to finish college, a sick parent who needs continuous medication, a single mom who needs to ensure her child's future, a working student saving up to enroll next semester, a father paying the mortgage for a new house, a millennial looking to buy his first car. As long as the calls keep coming, every worker is assured he has the means to fulfill his purpose. So whenever a customer service rep says "Thank you for calling...", he means it.

Although we don't have Thanksgiving in the Philippines, we wish to say "Thank you!" to all our customers for allowing us the opportunity to assist you and the bounty y'all have given us in return.

Maraming salamat po.

SUP CALL CHALLENGE: ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

                          Sun-tzu,          

                          The Art of War

Suffice to say, knowing yourself – your strengths and your weaknesses – is crucial in winning over every challenge you face in your professional and personal life. If communicating effectively using the English language is of vital importance with the work you do, then knowing your English proficiency rating can go a long way in identifying your strong points as well as your opportunities for improvement. And it’s always a good idea to rate your English proficiency against internationally recognized benchmarks such as IELTS, TOEFL, CEFR and CAMBRIDGE since these organizations not only certify English proficiency rating but also identify areas where you need to improve. A certified English proficiency rating is so much better than just saying your English is “good” or “above average”.

And because in the course of my research I have come across and had taken a CEFR ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST, I strongly urge you, in fact I challenge you, to take the CEFR ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST yourself just for you to certify and rate how good your English really is. CEFR rating ranges from A1 (NOVICE) to C2 (SUPERIOR). The challenge is to rank at least a B2 (ADVANCED MEDIUM) or better. If you’re up to the challenge, CLICK on this LINK.

After you have taken the test and rated, CLICK this LINK to show you where you need to improve on. After all, the objective here is to identify your weak spot and improve on it. After brushing up on your grammar, take the test again and see how much improvement you've made. BRAVO!

Since effective communication requires effective speaking as well as effective listening, I encourage you to take the LISTENING TEST as well. An effective speaker MUST also be an effective listener. The challenge here is to rank B2 or higher for both listening and English proficiencies. Just a heads-up, the LISTENING TEST has a couple of chaps speaking with a thick British accent. If you can understand what these Brits are saying and get a high proficiency rating for your listening test, then you should have no trouble understanding American accent. To take the LISTENING PROFICIENCY TEST, CLICK this LINK

You can finish both proficiency tests in under 30 minutes. Should you get a high rating for both tests (B2, C1 or C2) do a screenshot and post them on FB. You've earned your bragging rights. Then TAG a friend or friends you want to challenge. That would be so much fun!!!

The challenge has been set. Go ahead and take these proficiency tests and certify how good you really are. Enjoy.

THE COST OF A DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER

While doing research, I came across a very interesting INFOGRAPHIC that clearly illustrates how much a dissatisfied customer could cost a company. Somehow, I felt vindicated knowing I was right all along going the extra mile for my customer even to the point of going against the policy my penny pinching managers imposed. Every time you help out a customer, you are actually helping not just the customer but the company itself. And this infographic proves it. I scoff at management's policy of keeping customer credits to the barest minimum and even giving awards to reps who gave no credits at all. I kept arguing with management that those pennies they "saved" will cost them big time some day. And God how I hate it when I'm right! The account pulled out a few months after I left. I hate to say I told you so but yes I told you so.

Enough talk. The infographic is self-explanatory so I'll just let the numbers do the talking. Credits to www.providesupport.com for letting me use their infographic.



From: www.providesupport.com

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

Quoting an ARTICLE by customer service expert Shep Hyken:

"Customer service can make, or break, your reputation. Being known for your service earns you a reputation in the marketplace that can give you a competitive edge. Charging for these services can erode that positive experience. And you really don't have to charge more, because customers are willing to pay more for good service. The stats and facts prove that a large majority of customers- as high as 90%- would be willing to pay more if the company provided better service. So, rather than charge for each time a customer calls, build it into the price of your product."

It is mind-boggling to hear of some companies asking customers to pay extra for better customer support when in fact customer support should be an integral and vital part of every product or service companies sell. Why ask customers to pay more?

Consumers, Americans in particular, love to look at product feedbacks and surveys before they decide to purchase. Feedbacks are the barometer of a product's quality and reliability, and customer service is an integral component of product reliability. Customers would not mind paying more for a product or service as long as they are assured that they will have competent customer service when they need it. Any customer who finds a negative feedback about a product's reliability and customer service will definitely look elsewhere.

Bad news travels fast. Social media makes bad news travel exponentially faster. This is a fact. A company may spend millions on advertising and public relations only to see their marketing efforts trumped down by a negative feedback gone viral. That's how powerful feedback is. Feedback could be your best friend or your worst enemy.

In a perfect world, the ideal product should have the best quality backed up by the best customer service. Again, customers would not mind paying more as long as they know they're getting the best.

Read Shep Hyken's complete article HERE.

CALL BACK AND CSAT

Here's a fact: CSAT is inversely proportional to Abandoned Calls, i.e. the higher your abandon rate, the lower your CSAT. Any customer who had to call more than once to report or resolve an issue will more likely be a detractor. This is why we all dread those toxic days when calls spike through the roof and we wish we all had just stayed home. We already know it will be raining detractors that shift. It gets even worse when a customer who had been waiting forever for a live rep is put on hold by the rep. Most reps would probably start digging into their bag of TRICKS just to try dodging those incoming detractors.

In a recent ARTICLE about why we need to call back our customers, fonolo.com illustrated the financial cost of an abandoned call. It doesn't matter whether it's a customer calling about a complaint or a prospect calling to buy, every abandoned call adversely affects your site's profitability.

As a front line rep, you might argue profit doesn't matter much to you. But when you realize that your incentives and bonuses depend entirely on your site's profitability, you might rethink that argument.

The good news is, there is an option now available for customers to request for a call back instead of waiting on the line. This automated call back option would put the customer on a queue for a live rep to call back, setting the customer's expectation how soon a rep will call. I noticed this new option when I recently called my phone provider and was surprised to hear an option to request for a call back. Although I opted to wait for a live rep, the call back option certainly is a welcome improvement.

Imagine how convenient it would be for your customer to just request for a call back and then go about her usual task while waiting for the call back. This certainly beats the agony of waiting forever for a live rep to pick up.

With the option to request a call back, there's a much higher probability that the customer would be happy, or at least not irritable, once a live rep does call back. Happy enough to buy a product or give a good CSAT score.

Customer call back is a WIN-WIN solution. Everybody's happy. Read more about the article HERE.

ROCKSTAR TODAY, TERMINATED TOMORROW

We're all only as good as our last call. Often, no matter how best we took care of our customers, we still get hit with detractors. And when our performance (and survival) on the job is based on NET PROMOTER SCORE (NPS), it's easy to see why some reps resort to "vet moves" and other "unconventional tactics" just to avoid those detractors.

And it's not too difficult to spot who's doing those "vet moves". Usually, they prefer to sit far away from the team and often linger after shift doing "notes". And you really can't blame them for resorting to vet moves. Their job is on the line. I mean, thank heavens for pitstops but you can only be on pitstop once or twice before management endorses you to HR. And good luck with the so called HR "hearing" because that's just a formality as required by law but 99.9% your fate is already sealed.

Survival is one thing but using vet moves habitually just to be a top performer is something else. I must admit I had resorted to and tolerated certain "unconventional tactics" as a sup mainly for the team's survival and only for survival. I am not proud of what I had to do back then and I paid a high price for that. But to see teams and individuals proudly flaunting their top performer awards and rockstar status knowing they had resorted to vet moves and unconventional tactics makes me sick. They're only cheating themselves. Am I being bitter? You bet I am!

It's sad to see people habitually resorting to unconventional tactics and vet moves to avoid detractors instead of simply going the EXTRA MILE to make certain the customer is happy with the resolution.

Sure they're a rockstar today but what's their guarantee they won't get caught and terminated tomorrow?

Letting your customers feel that you are genuinely sincere listening to their concerns, providing solutions efficiently and going the extra mile for them are among the best ways to get your promoters. Go check previous notes or ask your customer if this was the first time they called about the issue. If this was the first time then GOOD JOB for solving the problem right away! First Call Resolutions almost always become promoters!

However, if customer had already called several times about the same issue and you feel there is a possibility that your customer is not too happy even if you were able to resolve the issue, it would be wise to let the customer feel that "although the issue was not resolved right away as much as we all wanted to, there was a continuous team effort on our part to help find the best solution for you." I know this is bull but this sure beats guessing whether you get a promoter from a customer you helped or getting a detractor for some other rep's failure to resolve the issue much sooner.

Detractors will always be there. It's a fact. But as long as you can CONSISTENTLY provide excellent customer service efficiently, then you should have more than enough promoters to cover for your detractors. That's how the NPS math works. That's how you become a true Rockstar!

GHOST CALLS, PRANK CALLS AND MOANERS

Ghost calls, prank calls and moaners have become a regular part of a call center rep's shift. No shift is complete without these types of calls, especially ghost calls.

If you're with an inbound sales account, ghost calls can really hurt your stats as these ghost calls also count as part of all calls you received on the shift. Yeah you can notate all you want that you received a ghost call or a prank call but, based on experience, those notations won't do you no good. Ghost calls, moaners and prank calls will still be counted against you.

On the other hand, if you are with an inbound customer service or tech support, ghost calls may prove to be heaven sent as these types of calls give you an opportunity to breath and relax a little, especially when it's queing. You know you can have a stress-free minute or two just repeatedly delivering your ghost call or prank call spiel before you let the call go, so maximize! Oh come on! Anybody who says they release ghost calls right away is either a liar or a newbie.

I bet you there were even moaners that made you giggle while you're listening and even went to the extent of waiting for a sup to take the call or give you the green light to release the call. Some reps will take every available opportunity to "rest a while" which is perfectly understandable especially on toxic days. Just make sure QA doesn't tag you with "Lingering on a Call".

Rule of thumb: release ghost calls, prank calls and moaners within 2 minutes after delivering the prescribed spiels 3 times (NOT 30 TIMES!). Notate and if possible, have the sup counter notate as well.

Anyway, have a great shift this Halloween! I would love to hear from you. Feel free to REACT or COMMENT. See you next post.

ANEURYSM AND NIGHT SHIFTS

This article on ANEURYSM and its relation to chronic night shift workers is purely for information purposes ONLY and should not be taken as a medical diagnosis. It is BEST to seek professional medical intervention if you suspect you may have SYMPTOMS of ANEURYSM or any other health issues associated with chronic night shifts.

We were all taken by surprise when news that actress Miss Isabel Granada had collapsed after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm. And we ask ourselves how a young, healthy, lively Isabel Granada can have brain aneurysm.

Here's a scary fact: ANEURYSM is asymptomatic (exhibits no symptoms) until it ruptures. And a ruptured aneurysm according to global statistics is 40% fatal and 66% who survive a brain aneurysm will have a permanent neurological disorder. Anybody above 40 years of age can have aneurysm. Aneurysm is more prevalent among women. In short, aneurysm is a ticking time bomb. Scary huh?

Although the correlation between ANEURYSM and chronic NIGHT SHIFT is still being debated in the medical community, what is clear is there are factors that can multiply the ill effects of chronic NIGHT SHIFTS and sleep deprivation. Among these factors are:

• Age
• Weight
• Gender
• Diet
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Junk foods
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Smoking
• Drugs

There are even findings that rotating shifts and even our normal sleep hours on rest days can prove more harmful than good mainly because our circadian or internal clock finds it difficult to adapt to constantly changing sleep schedules. It's like being constantly jet lagged. It's probably healthier to follow the same sleep schedules even on RDs. Bummer.

Some healthy advise: eat healthy, cut down on junk food, alcohol and nicotine (yeah right!), exercise, regular medical check-ups (your health benefits should cover you), meditation (that includes praying and yoga), cut down on coffee (OUCH!), trick your circadian clock by hanging heavy curtains to block daylight, let your household know you're trying to sleep, and maybe even ask your noisy neighbors to turn down the Videoke (or just shoot them if they don't comply 😋).

Aneurysm is serious... dead serious. Pardon the pun. Your night shift job is already stressful enough on your health as it is. Don't make it any more stressful.

Stay healthy.

TEN CLICHES CUSTOMERS HATE TO HEAR

According to an ARTICLE  from HelpScout.net, 7 out of 10 Americans said they would be willing to spend more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service and as much as 91% of unhappy customers will not willingly do business with a company that provides bad customer service. That being said, here are 10 cliches your customers hate to hear:

1.   "I would be more than    happy to help you"... Your customers have probably heard that a hundred times every time they call customer service. Just being happy would be fine. You don't have to be "more than happy". I mean seriously, what does being "more than happy" really mean? Be realistic. Stop patronizing your customers. Do you think your customers care if you're really happy while you're on the phone with them? Your customers would prefer you make THEM happy by genuinely helping them. It may be better to just say you can DEFINITELY help them.

2.   "I can see where you're coming from but"... this is just sugar coating for "No, I can't help you." If your  site's policy prevents you from providing what the customer is asking for, then offer them other suitable options that you can provide at your level. If your customer refuses, then it is the customer who actually said no to the solution you tried providing them. You've done your job. Escalate if needed.

3.   "I'm sorry... I apologise"...
Not unless it WAS actually your fault, stop being sorry for something you did not do. I know Training101 said you should EMPATHIZE but if you're using the same empathy statement on each and every call, you start sounding mechanical and insincere. There is nothing worse than an insincere apology. Do yourself a favor: get a pen and paper and try writing down two or three empathy statements that you can try on your calls. Get your QA's approval if needed. Or better yet, since those QA guys seem like they know EVERYTHING, ask them to come up with new ways to express sincere empathy.

4.   "Would you mind repeating that please."... YES! Of course they would mind. Nobody likes repeating themselves, especially Americans. Asking your customers to repeat what they just said makes your customers feel that either you were not giving them your full attention or that you are incompetent or both. Practice active listening on ALL your calls.

5.   "Can I put you on hold?"... Believe me, nobody wants to be put on hold. Consider this: your customer probably had been on the phone talking to the automated system for several minutes before you picked up. The last thing they would want is to be on hold and listen to that damn automated system again. Let's be honest, most of the time we put our customers on hold even for no reason just to catch our breath or even go on quick bio breaks. Been there. Done that. And then your customer drops the call and another call comes in while you're away and you get slapped with Call Avoidance. This has happened many times you know that and it never ends well. AVOID UNNECESSARY HOLDS. If you really need to, advise your customer the reason why you need to place them on hold and set their expectation how long they will be on hold. The longer your customer is on hold, the more frustrated they get, the lower your CSAT. That's how the math goes.

6.   "Your call is important... Please stay on the line."...
If my call is really that important, then how come I've been on the phone for the past fifteen freaking minutes talking to a machine? DUH... Personally, I hang up after 3 minutes. I may have lost 3 minutes BUT the company just lost one sale.

7.   "Uh-huh... Uh-huh..."
Avoid using fillers that don't make sense just to kill dead air. Saying a bunch of "uh-huhs" makes your customer feel that you are either bored listening to them or you have nothing intelligent to say. Be articulate. Be creative. Listen for anything in the background or look into account details that you can use for small talk. But be mindful of your handle time.

8.   "... unfortunately..."
After all had been said and done, it still boils down to "Sorry Mac, can't help you!" And this happens all the time. Customer calls in with a request that you know you cannot resolve. There's really nothing you can do even if you genuinely wanted to help. And your customer probably knows that too but she's being very nice and humble and begging for you to help her. Calls like this, I strongly suggest do not prolong your customer's agony. It's difficult enough for them to "beg" for you to help them. Turning them down only makes it more painful. Politely set their expectation as early as possible that their request is something you cannot help them with. Don't let them go through the pain of pleading and being told no. Offer alternate solutions if suitable but please do not wait until your customer is practically begging before you say no.

9.   "As I mentioned earlier..."
What? You think I'm stupid? You think I didn't understand you first time you mentioned that?... This is exactly what your customer will feel if you ever make the mistake of saying this cliche so please DON'T.

10. "How are you today?"...
I was perfectly fine until my WiFi stopped and I had to  wait on the phone for 10 minutes just to call you guys! How do you think I am?
Please, please, please... Think of other questions. Better yet, don't ask unnecessary questions. And don't ask them about the weather either unless it's part of your troubleshooting. A lot of customers don't appreciate being asked personal questions by a stranger from halfway across the globe. Yeah, I know you mean well trying to strike a friendly conversation but you need to first "feel" your customer if they feel like talking. Much better to keep the chatter on a professional level.

There's probably a dozen more cliches you'd best avoid but I really don't want to take more of your time. These will do for now. For any comments or violent objections, shoot Daddy Jim an email.

Later!

SOFT SKILLS: THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

In the call center business, we only have 3 tools we can use to create a positive impression on a customer's mind:

• the tone of our voice,
• the way we speak, and
• the words we use.

That being said, it really doesn't help even if you speak impeccable English in a clear baritone voice but completely tactless and insensitive with your words. We need to be constantly aware of the words we choose in conveying our message. We need to be sensitive to how a customer might feel with what we say. In a nutshell, we need to THINK BEFORE WE SPEAK.

Often, I tell my team to imagine they have a filter installed between their brain and their mouth. This filter determines whether it's fine to say what they have in mind OR if there is a much better way to say what they need to say. It's a good thing our brain can process information a thousand times faster than we can talk. Can you imagine the chaos if it was the other way around?

Develop the habit of STOP, THINK then SPEAK. Filter your words. Find better ways to say what you have to say. Be sensitive. Put yourself in your customer's place and imagine how you would feel if someone tells you what you are about to tell your customer.

In some ways, we are like hostage negotiators. We need to carefully choose our words to defuse the situation. Otherwise, the situation could escalate and end up bad. Think before you speak.

Until next post, more power!

RELATED ARTICLE: Soft Skill: Turn Irate Customers into Friends

THE GOOD SOLDIER

The Good Soldier

I still clearly remember these words as if they were uttered just yesterday: "Do EVERYTHING you can. You have MY TACIT APPROVAL."

Somehow, there was something about "TACIT APPROVAL" that didn't sit well with me. But being the good soldier that I am, I blindly followed the order and relayed to my team the mission to do EVERYTHING to make the customers happy and "fish" for that elusive CSAT. I must confess we had to resort to some "unconventional tactics" just to ensure the customer ends the call on a happy note. If 'tis true that the end justifies the means, then I feel justified. I'm not particularly proud of what the team had to do but at least we felt justified.

One little twist in this story of the good soldier is in what I had to do to follow orders while, at the same time, protect my team. Feeling really uneasy with that "TACIT APPROVAL" hanging over my head, I made it a point to cover for my team and made sure every "out of the box" solution my team offered to resolve customer issues had my imprimatur and clearly notated. I also backed those notes with my own notes.

One funny thing when your site becomes #1 is you suddenly appear on the auditors' radar. And I was totally anticipating that. I was hoping our managers can justify our performance but somehow that damn "TACIT APPROVAL" just kept haunting me. Well, at least I know I got my men covered. But who's covering me?

Damn, I hate it when I'm right. Guess what? When things got hot, our great general showed his yellow streak and disavowed a handful of sups and agents who were just following orders and now were betrayed and suffering the consequences of being good soldiers.

Bulls**t! Good people were put in a bad spot simply for following orders. The site lost a lot of good people that month, myself included. And dozens more subsequently left the account after realizing what happened. But our great general managed to hang on to his post... for a while. I heard karma eventually caught up with him.

As supervisors, we are usually caught between following orders and protecting our team. If the order is legit and adheres to site policy, then no problem. But if you know the order is questionable and you only have "TACIT APPROVAL" to cover your behind, better think twice. But whatever you do, DO NOT PUT YOUR AGENTS' CAREER ON THE LINE! You have to take the bullet for your team if things go south.

CONFESSION #2: BITTERNESS AND POLITICS ON THE PRODUCTION FLOOR

Can I be bitter on this post for once?

Since we are discussing soft skills, let me just stress that sucking up to your boss is not considered a soft skill.

While sucking up may help some people move up the proverbial corporate ladder, please ensure they don't move up at the expense of others.

Work on the production floor is already difficult and stressful as it is. Adding politics and factional bickering only adds to the stress.

Teamwork is founded on mutual respect and trust. Back stabbing has no place in a team. The day we allow divisiveness to spread unchecked on the floor is the day we start saying goodbye to our account. And I hate being proven right.

Forgive me if this post sounded bitter but I know that you know I speak the truth.

And yes, I am speaking from personal experience.

I HATE SUP CALLS: FROM A SUPERVISOR'S PERSPECTIVE

Please do not hate me for this but, I really hate sup calls. I'm sure I'm not alone. More often than not, sup calls result into DSATs that ruin my team's metrics. I especially hate it when a sup call resulted from someone else's fault and I take the flak. Damn. But it is what it is and sup calls are an essential part of a typical shift.

When I was an agent, I took every sup call as a challenge. Modesty aside, I take pride being able to de-escalate sup calls and even get  a few commendations handling my sup calls. And when I was made floor support, I gladly took that assignment as an even greater challenge. To me, it was management's validation of my "skill". Besides, I really loved wearing that bright orange vest floor supports wear.

When I became a sup, things changed a bit mainly because now, I need to manage the metrics of 20 reps on my team or I don't earn any bonus at all. Life was a lot simpler back when I only needed to take care of my own metrics. Although I still take sup calls as a supervisor, it seems I no longer enjoyed taking sup calls as I once did. And you need to understand your sup before you start talking behind your sup's back that your sup hates taking sup calls.

Let me put it this way: if your sup has 20 reps and each rep had one sup call and each sup call lasts 10 minutes, this amounts to over 3 hours your sup is not able to monitor your other calls. Over 3 hours that your sup could have spent coaching you and ensuring better metrics for the team. Metrics that amounts to bonuses for everyone. Instead, your sup is on the sup call.

So, as you can see, it's not that your sup hates taking sup calls. It's more like your sup hates the consequences being on the call instead of managing the team.

And thank heavens for floor supports! We would not know what to do without you.

Soft Skills: Turning Irate Customers Into Friends

Modesty aside, one ability Daddy Jim has that helped him perform relatively well as an agent, floor support, and eventually supervisor is SOFT SKILLS. By effectively applying soft skills, Daddy Jim can often convert a call from an irate customer into a friendly conversation that ends well for both parties. A lot of times Daddy Jim even gets kudos from the customer and that all-important CSAT. Feels good, really.

Soft skills are a combination of intangible and non-quantifiable traits that enable one to interact and work well with others. Although there are a lot of these traits that fall under soft skills, we will focus our discussion on soft skills that you can use in a typical over-the-phone setting where the only tool you have is your voice and your demeanor while on the call.

And knowing that most of us have very short attention spans and probably will not finish reading this post in its entirety, we will, instead, cut this topic into easy to digest chunks, discuss a couple today and then continue on a later post. Fair enough? Let's start.

SOFT SKILL #1: THE TONE OF YOUR VOICE

The first 10 seconds of any conversation, whether face-to-face or over-the-phone, determines how the conversation is going to end. It doesn't matter if you're smiling ear to ear or if you're wearing a tie while on the phone, your customer can't see that (unless you're video conferencing). The picture that your customer sees in her mind is the image you project with your tone over the phone. If your tone sounds apathetic or insincere or tentative, your customer will perceive you as someone who cannot help her and most probably will ask to speak with someone else. Unless you plan on spending most of your shift every night side jacked with your sup listening to your sup calls, we suggest start with improving your tone.

Your tone should always be confident, clear and empathetic. Yes, we all know y'all are tired and it's not easy being bubbly the whole graveyard shift but that's what we're getting paid for.

It would be tremendously helpful to watch and listen to your fave Hollywood actors or actresses and sort of emulate how they talk. Hey, no kidding! As a matter of fact, because he has a deep baritone voice, every time Daddy Jim puts on his headset, he becomes George Clooney and his customers appreciate that, especially the ladies!

More soft skills on our next post. Feel free to leave a comment. More power!

RELATED ARTICLE: Soft Skills: Think Before You Speak

How to Handle Irate Customers on the Phone

I WANT TO SPEAK WITH AN AMERICAN REP!

How many times have you encountered a customer asking to speak with an American rep even before you finish your opening spiel? 

Although it may not be your fault, you are expected to de-escalate and at least try to make the customer feel that you are willing to assist since you already have the customer on the line. If your customer still insists, make certain you strictly adhere to your center's policy regarding returning the customer back to the queue and set your customer's expectations.

Anyway, this post is about why some US customers prefer to speak with US-based representatives. Trust is usually the primary reason, especially if the transaction involves providing personal info such as credit card and Social Security numbers. With scams and identity theft rampant with online and over-the-phone transactions, you really cannot blame them.

Another reason is difficulty communicating with non- native English speaking reps. Obviously, there are certain nuances that only a US-based rep can understand and appreciate. Most Americans don't have time to waste talking on the phone. Anything that adds to the customer's frustration such as incompetence, rudeness, or inability to communicate clearly will all add up to a bad customer experience that will make the customer ask to speak instead with a US-based rep.

Perhaps one more reason customers prefer to transact business with a US-based rep is the ease of doing business with someone on the mainland vis-a-vis someone off shore on the other side of the globe mainly because they feel a  US-based rep would be more familiar with how Americans think and talk.

To overcome certain bias against talking with an off shore rep, you should, first and foremost, exude confidence and trustworthiness in your tone at the onset of the call. Trying hard to sound stateside is nice but once your customer detects you are offshore (and they will, they're not stupid), doubt sets in and you can throw trustworthiness out the window. A  natural confident tone should be a good way to start a conversation.

Active listening is mandatory on each and every call. DO NOT MAKE YOUR CUSTOMER REPEAT WHAT THEY JUST SAID. Nothing irritates an American more than incompetence. Being tired or sleepy is no excuse for incompetence. If you feel you are in no condition to take the next call, notify your team lead right away. Better yet, make certain you get enough rest after shift. It is your responsibility to be in tip top shape for your shift. I hate being a party pooper but drinking after shift knowing you still have shift later tonight is IRRESPONSIBLE.

RELATED ARTICLE: Powerful Effective Communication Skills

You should do your part to reverse the bias that customers are better off speaking with someone on the mainland. Look at it this way, if majority of Americans prefer to speak with an American on the mainland, how long do you think will you still have your job?

More power!

THE AFTERMATH

First of all, Daddy Jim prays everyone in Florida is safe after Hurricane Irma unleashed her fury. Because he has family in Tampa, Daddy Jim anxiously stayed glued to CNN for two whole days hoping Irma would lose steam before she hits Tampa.

Yes, Irma was devastating BUT things could have been a lot worse. I'm no weather expert but I know Irma could have been a whole lot stronger had she crept along the warm Gulf of Mexico. Thank heavens Irma went inland instead, against what the weatherman predicted.

And now that Irma has died down, the next phase is recovery and reconstruction. Over the next few days, utility workers will be working round the clock restoring gas, water, electricity, phone, cable and satellite TV services to practically every subscriber in the State of Florida and perhaps even Georgia.

This means millions of subscribers will be calling customer and tech support for repairs over the next several days. In Call Center lingo, the next several days will be TOXIC. So if you're a rep or tech support handling internet, cable, satellite TV, or TELCOs, good luck!

Do not be overwhelmed by the queue. Take them ONE CALL AT A TIME. Show genuine EMPATHY. Remember, your customers have just gone through a major catastrophe. They're already upset with what just happened. Don't make it any more difficult for them.

And Miss Customer, please understand that your friendly customer service rep will do everything she can to help you. Shouting and cussing isn't going to help. Please work together with your rep. It's not her fault that Irma took down your satellite dish.

Make each call an opportunity to make a friend and earn a CSAT or even a commendation from your customer.

TRUE CONFESSION #1

Perhaps among the saddest memories Daddy Jim had of his call center days was walking along Buendia Avenue at 9 in the evening looking up at those high-rise condos that lined Buendia with most windows lit up. I was thinking those guys are probably having dinner or preparing for bed while here I am just starting my shift. I just console myself with the thought that I'm just starting my workday early so that I get to earn my pay earlier than those guys up in those condos.

What's your saddest memory of working nights? Feel free to leave your comment below.

NEWBIE OR NOT TO BE... THAT IS THE QUESTION

Daddy Jim started in the call center industry sometime 2009 while having noodles at Chowking with a friend. My friend dared me to try out and see if I can qualify as a call center rep at my age. I believe I was around 45 then, a tad too old a newbie in an industry dominated by very young, straight out of college, professionals. I took the dare. Went to the recruitment office which was just upstairs and a week later, Daddy Jim was already in English 101 training. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What's my point? Well if you're someone looking to try working in a call center but apprehensive for whatever reasons, I say go ahead. It won't hurt to try and see if the shoe fits.

A couple of important factors you need to consider are the abrupt shift in your normal sleeping pattern and missing out on a lot of social activities with the family.

Since most call centers have US-based accounts, shifts are normally graveyard. That means you'll be busy taking calls while every one home is asleep and then you go home to sleep in daytime when every one is awake and noisy. Good luck getting at least three hours of good sleep. And since most call centers operate seven days a week, no holidays, not even Christmas or New Year's, expect to spend Christmas on the phone.

If you can get by with very little sleep and Christmas away from family, then yeah go ahead and try out. The pay is above average plus the added perks like health insurance (which you will really, really need), cash incentives, and lots of coffee!

Daddy Jim will give you some insider info on what to expect with the application process on my next post just in case you want to go ahead and try.

Later!

WELCOME TO SUP CALL

Thank you for visiting SUP CALL! My name is Daddy Jim. How may I help you today?

HAHA! I can't say I miss saying that all too familiar opening spiel but some habits are so hard to break. I thought it's just appropriate to use that opening spiel to welcome you to "Sup Call: True Confessions of An Ex-Call Center Supervisor".

And as the description says, this blog aims to be an info hub for stories, experiences, news, events and resources for the call center professional.

Ex-Call Center Supervisor? Yes! It's a long story. Hotel reservations. Satellite TV. TELCOS. Been there. Done that. Six years tour. Two years as a sup. Made a lot of friends and, sadly, a few "enemies". It comes with the position. Y'all know that, right?

Let's park that story for now. I don't want to be a spoiler.

Whether you're tenured or a newbie or just curious to know more about how life in a typical call center is, you are welcome to comment and share your own experiences and opinions.

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