Job description: Call Centre Managers hire, train, prepare and motivate their staff members to provide excellent service to customers. They set objectives, analyze call centre metrics, ensure that the company and staff meet goals and provide reliable, efficient support for customers.
About call centre managers
If you thrive in fast-paced, customer-focused environments, are self-motivated and have great leadership skills, consider becoming a call centre manager.
As the manager of a call centre (also called a contact centre) you’ll be responsible for the daily running and management of the centre.
You’ll be responsible for meeting, and possibly setting, customer service targets as well as planning areas of improvement or development. Call centre managers ensure that calls and emails are answered by staff within agreed timescales and in an appropriate manner.
Call centre managers liaise with businesses for which they provide the first response, as well as the third parties who supply products to the centre. You’ll coordinate and motivate call centre staff and may manage staff recruitment.
What does an Inbound Call Centre manager do?
Duties vary according to the type of centre you work in but generally involve:
• managing the daily running of the call centre, including sourcing equipment, effective resource planning and applying call centre strategies and operations
• doing needs assessments, performance reviews and cost/benefit analyses
• setting/meeting performance targets for speed, efficiency, sales and quality
• ensuring all relevant communications and data are updated and recorded
• advising clients on products and services available
• liaising with supervisors, team leaders, operatives and third parties to gather information and resolve issues
• maintaining up-to-date knowledge of industry developments and involvement in networks
• monitoring random calls to improve quality, minimise errors and track operative performance
• coordinating staff recruitment, writing job adverts and liaising with HR staff
• reviewing the performance of staff, identifying training needs and planning training sessions
• recording statistics, user rates and the performance levels of the centre
• preparing reports on these statistics, rates and performance levels
• handling the most complex customer complaints or enquiries
• organising shift patterns and the number of staff required to meet demand
• coaching, motivating and retaining staff
• coordinating bonus, reward and incentive schemes
• forecasting and analysing data against budget figures on a weekly and/or monthly basis.
Are you…?
- professional
- positive
- confident
- organised
- team worker
- a good communicator
- prepared to work shifts if required
What to expect
- Jobs are often in large, open offices that may be noisy and fast paced. As technology advances, the virtual call centre is also developing, creating opportunities for staff to work from home. Product experts may be on call, creating new challenges for managerial staff. Call centres may be scaled up and down to accommodate seasonal fluctuation. It is the call centre manager’s responsibility to optimise the workforce during this time.
- Dress code tends to be smart, with a requirement to wear suits and formal clothing once on the management team, although call centre operatives tend to wear smart/casual clothes.
- You need to enjoy working in a fast-paced work environment as the majority of call centres are target driven and certain results are expected.
Skills
You’ll need to show:
- excellent communication skills
- a strong customer focus and a good telephone manner
- the ability to work well in teams
- leadership skills and the ability to motivate and develop staff
- a desire to help others work towards targets and develop their skills
- confidence and good business sense
- the ability to set, meet and exceed targets
- a focused and self-motivated approach to work
- the ability to manage change.
Working hours
Working hours regularly include unsocial hours, particularly in the early stages of a career. Some call centres operate usual office hours but others may be open up to 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some centres target overseas clients in different time zones.
It is common to work additional hours or overtime at management level to allow representatives of the management team to be present on a rota basis throughout the call centre’s opening hours
Learning pathways:
Entry without a degree is possible at call centre operative level, with the chance to work your way up to a management role. Some call centres may require their staff to have specialist knowledge or fluency in a foreign language.
Personal qualities and a pragmatic, common-sense attitude are likely to be more important than the subject and level of study.
3. SPECIALISED TRAINING ACADEMIES
- Ucademy offers recognised qualifications for BPO careers, including management.
Source: Graduate prospects, UK
