Top transferable skills drawn from customer-service experience
Can you relate to some of my generation who have expressed some regret about their career choices? After all, we remember the days before Google and we had phones that were definitely not smart. The unfolding career landscape back then, though exciting proved to be challenging. Not unlike now when the world of work is radically changing again. Once more, we are called upon to adapt or die as we cross the Rubicon. Transferable skills seemingly the way to the next frontier.
Having negotiated colossal career turbulence before, we could, inadvertently, have put ourselves in the box seat to gain apogee-like leverage from this new world where the online creator economy is gaining traction. It is also providing new ways of earning a livelihood.
Perhaps, you are at a crossroads – older and still in a call centre or feeling stuck in an unrelated field. You may feel as though your work experience has limitations and you are afraid of making a move, yet hating every day on the job. It does, however, not have to stay that way: your skills can be the gateway to a fulfilling new chapter if you are willing to put in the work.
Global market
Nick Jiwa, Founder and President at CustomerServ, expressed that “The global business process outsourcing (BPO) market is currently valued at over $260 billion and is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. Outsourcing markets like the Philippines and India are well-established, but saturation, high turnover, and intense competition for labour are among the concerns in these and other mature locations.”
The situation described in my home country is as follows: “South Africa – … the only African country in the G20, among the three largest economies in Africa, estimated 300 000 + call center employees, 35% average unemployment rate.”
Chances are that with high turnover rates, there will be plenty of movement both locally and internationally. In places with high unemployment, people will likely seize the day, whereas jaded agents in more mature markets may be on the lookout for something new.
Opportunities are ripe for the taking. However, moving away from one’s comfort zone is never easy and does not come with a safety net. Courage and perseverance as well as a thorough understanding of both the macro environment and one’s role in it will be the differentiating factors.
Nailed it
Local Measure, a dedicated platform that fosters great customer experience, hit the nail on the head: “Working in call centers and contact centers is known to be notoriously difficult with exceptionally high staff turnover rates. On a daily basis, contact center agents deal with stressful situations, high call volumes, and very often, emotional and frustrated customers. The repetition of work is high, and pay levels are low, ensuring the contact center experience for both agents and customers is poor.”
My story
So how did I end up in one? Prior to working in a call centre, I secretly obsessed about being a journalist: but with virtually no role models and zero confidence, I buried the dream inside – next to my creativity. It seemed too lofty a dream; I could not even say it out loud. Instead, I chose to play it safe and chose finance as a career – studied and hated it and then failed at it too. No surprise really.
Confused, feeling like a failure and urgently needing to get a handle on my life; an opportunity to work in a reputable call centre presented itself. Instead of fulfilling my calling, I found myself in a call centre where callers called me with their requests, complaints and demands.
But all was not lost. It helped me to develop my character, afforded me the opportunity to travel and further my studies, buy a car and rent a place to live. Not all at once though, but I was able to put down some roots and I remain ever grateful. Not everyone is as lucky.
So why did I want to leave? Well, I just got to the point where nobody was going to call me for anything EVER again – no more demands or anyone screaming at me. But more than that, in my heart, I had a dream …
Transferable skills
With the wisdom that hindsight affords, I can clearly see the value of transferable skills. Not being able to articulate that value proved to be a stumbling block. Back then, a decade or so ago, the world was such a different place. I believe that there are infinitely more possibilities for hard-working folk seeking to capitalise on these skills today.
The post-Covid-19 world is radically different: new digital avenues have become a reality in the blink of an eye. Once remote workers discovered that the daily commute and grind no longer served them well, a shift was inevitable.
Those willing to take some risks, embrace the new digital frontier and wallop self-limiting beliefs are in the driving seat in this new digital economy where online solopreneurship is surging and small businesses are mushrooming. Perfect for those willing to take a leap.
But what are transferable skills and why are they pivotal to a successful career pivot? According to The Balance, “Jobs require a combination of skills. Some are hard skills, which are teachable and easy to quantify, like being fluent in another language. Some are soft skills, which are harder-to-quantify skills like time management. Transferable skills can be hard or soft skills. What sets transferable skills apart is that they can be used in multiple career fields. For example, time management and language fluency are both useful in multiple fields.”
Drawing from personal call centre experience, pivotal skills that have stood many in great stead and are especially great for potential new roles include the following:
1. Time management and adaptability
There is more to it than meets the eye when dealing with a caller, from proper authentication and verification to third-party processes. Agents have to respond to a call within set parameters like average handling time. There is so much that an agent has to take into account on every single call unbeknownst to the general caller, yet it profoundly affects the interaction.
Agents definitely don’t have all the time in the world. And depending on the industry and the requirement, they are handling more than 50 calls a day. They constantly have to evaluate information and make the appropriate call, excuse the pun, on what they are hearing – though much is standardised, a cookie-cutter approach does not work as each interaction is unique.
2. Problem solving and critical thinking
I have touched on it already: agents have to listen and accurately assess what a customer or stakeholder is after, or what the problem is and figure out what the best solution would be.
Often a quick assessment of forms, notes, etc. is required. Any outstanding requirements need to be communicated well amid a number of quality and efficiency metrics. Service level agreements (sla) are also communicated among other things. At all times, agents have to keep calm, manage expectations and ensure lovely customer experiences. No mean feat, actually.
If agents run into snags, they need to know not only when to escalate but the procedure in place. There is little room for error. A spot-on and accurate diagnostic of a problem needs to be done under pressure, perhaps not at the same level or intensity as doctors, surgeons and mechanics, but necessary nonetheless and not to be scoffed at.
3. Conflict resolution
Scenarios for conflict abound in a call centre. With all that the agent has to deal with, the own goal of technical glitches can create an adverse environment ripe for irritation. Agents really have to pull out the stops and deal with multiple callers complaining about how long they have waited before getting into the nitty-gritty and causing further delays: a knock-on guaranteed to produce more irate customers. A particularly sarcastic caller pretended to snore in protest once.
Sometimes agents have to douse flames of anger, offer profuse apologies, and assess what is required while defusing a veritable bomb of an interaction with finesse that doesn’t leave the client miffed. Often, they have to find a way to break bad news gently and handle the fallout.
Learning how to do this is a life skill. Ensuring that the relationship with the client remains intact is beyond invaluable. In any business, things go wrong sometimes – having someone handle that with aplomb, retaining a client in the process is priceless. A sought-after skill in any individual required to negotiate, manage or lead.
4. Quality is king – doing it properly first time round
There are no shortcuts to sustained, consistent excellence. The first time it really dawned on me that the quality of my work would be the definitive yardstick of my performance was the day I had half the number of calls that the top agent had.
Of course, I bludgeoned myself in self-flagellation. I considered the hour-long call involving management I had to attend to that day. I soon also discovered an issue with agents dropping calls implicating the top agent I had compared myself to earlier.
The penny dropped. Callers had mentioned this before but I had not really understood … It is why I was spending more time resolving complaints; why callers seemed obstreperous and distrustful of what was communicated and why they were generally giving me a hard time. I had a bird’s eye view of the obvious reputational damage, rife distrust and livid customers – some from low socio-economic backgrounds.
That day, I decided that come what may, I would endeavour to do my very best, no matter the challenge. For better or worse, I decided that effectively helping customers came first, even if it took longer and cost me in other metrics. A polarising decision to be sure, but not one I regret.
5. Customer liaison
It was Zig Ziglar who once said that there are no traffic jams on the extra mile. In a world where the bare minimum is sometimes enough, doing that little bit extra sets one apart. It also means that nasty surprises are rare: no awkward call-backs to clients, difficult chats with the boss or being marked down on metrics.
Call-centre angels exist. I have to mention that there are many agents who go the extra mile for clients – who take the hit to handling times, who chat to a manager on a client’s behalf or who fight for better processes. I have worked with some of them and have been so blessed to have had excellent managers too. Who would not want to hire someone who is trustworthy, gives 100 per cent and goes the extra mile?
6. Teamwork
The trite adage, There is no “I” in “we” is a yawn these days. But perhaps I want to suggest that there is an “I” and not because of my name. I understand the concept, but I think sometimes we underestimate the impact each individual has in a team setup.
If every team member is committed to doing the very best they can, the team is going to soar. Experience has shown that when individuals have built a solid reputation, others often adopt a more forgiving stance when they inevitably err because the quality of their work speaks volumes.
Conversely, slap-dash service can be responsible for internal clashes. One day, a particularly exasperated caller seemed to lay a problem squarely at a colleague’s door. In line with the process, I approached the individual to sort out the query and had what I thought was an amicable chat. Somehow, I expressed that I did not appreciate how the caller was treated. Details may be sketchy now but I was gobsmacked and will never forget her curt retort, “You don’t have to appreciate it.”
But as I said, there are angels … I remember my first day taking calls. Providentially, a colleague who had laryngitis and was unable to attend to calls was assigned to help me. Did she save the day or what? Just listening and figuring out the requirements was hard enough – I would have drowned if she wasn’t right next to me manoeuvring to the correct screens where I had to make notes or extract information. There are others out there serving their colleagues and building team spirit – worth their weight in gold for any prospective client, employer or role.
7. Communication
It was Tony Robbins who said that “The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” For someone working in a call centre, this could not be truer.
One’s writing and oratory skills develop quickly when lightning-quick decisions need to be made and communicated effectively to various audiences, colleagues and stakeholders. It is like having a firm understanding of your toolkit and knowing which tool will do the job.
Miscommunication or the lack of appropriate communication on the other hand, leads to heated arguments, escalated calls, time wasted, wrong or incorrectly completed forms, you name it. When peace and goodwill seemingly evaporate, a timely word and empathy expressed could be the trick.
Essentially, exceptional agents save the day, the bacon and the reputation of a company. By virtue of honed communication skills, they are adept at applying rules and explaining concepts to customers as well as discerning when decisive action is required. Additionally, individuals are able to express empathy as required and are adroit at maintaining corporate relationships.
8. Client experience
Even way back, there were complaints that some agents sounded cold: like fridges. Considering what needed to be done every time we took a call, it was not surprising. I wonder whether agents settled for effective and clinical. Exuding too much warmth could have tempted callers to chat a bit longer – giving their stats a hit.
Customers, though, expressed the need to feel heard and understood by someone who exuded warmth and exhibited the human touch. It is vividly illustrated by Megyn Kelly of the eponymous show regaling her experience with an airline when the family’s suitcases went missing. Unfortunately, she ran into artificial intelligence (AI) in the guise of automated agents “Guillaume” and “Louis”, when all she wanted was human interaction.
Statistics as produced by Fonolo show that “44% of people surveyed in the U.S. still prefer phone or voice as their primary customer service channel. That’s 21% higher than any other channel available, with live chat coming in second at 23%.”
The article further explained that “The future of the contact center lies in the symbiotic and harmonious relationship between AI/bots and the call center agent.”
Moreover, it is interesting that considerable effort has been expended in order to make AI-generated voices sound less robotic. It stands to reason considering that human connection is still so valued. As such, a silky voice is a real asset especially bearing in mind the popularity of podcasts and videos as promotional tools. These are staples for online solopreneurs and businesses alike. The time to capitalise is NOW.
9. Analytical skills
Local Measure rightly expressed, “More often than not, contact center processes are implemented from the top down. Bad policy, made by those who don’t use it on a daily basis, can be incredibly frustrating for those working in a call center, just trying to do the right thing by the customer. In many instances, agents know the answer they’re giving isn’t the one the customer is looking for. They’re playing a balancing act between applying internal policy of which their job security depends, and looking after the customer by resolving their issues.”
Agents quickly become au fait with the processes, especially the ones causing bottlenecks as feedback from clients is often immediate. With unerring accuracy, it becomes apparent where the problems in the system are. These often help to pinpoint inefficiencies and solutions to them improve efficacy. Those with honed analytical skills are able to provide workable solutions: a boon in any field requiring these skills.
10. Resourcefulness
A resourceful agent handling a call is the window into the soul of the company. If one encounters someone who is sunny and efficient, the value is more than just window dressing; in fact, it is an inducement to do business. It also sets one’s business apart, especially in today’s competitive world where customers have immense choice and bad customer experiences can lead to adverse social media coverage than can spread like wildfire and lead to loss of business.
Fonolo confirmed that “Customer experience is rapidly becoming the differentiator between what brands customers choose to do business with.”
In conclusion
CareCall concurs: “Being a good call centre agent is a gift. Learning to deal with difficult customers, turning a negative into a positive or upselling a product is a unique specialist skill that not everyone has. These skills are special and they will come in handy in all industries.”
Customer service personnel are often superstars that get things done and their experience, knowledge, qualities and abilities are invaluable. The trick for agents is being able to articulate why their specific skill sets and transferable skills are a good fit for a specific business.
If you have found value in this post, tell me what resonated. Any other thoughts? Feel free to pop them in the comments below.
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