Cultural differences can be positive and negative. Mannerisms that are accepted in one country may not be as well accepted in another.

These golden rules apply when serving people from cultures anywhere in the world:

Good Manners

Good manners will bridge any cultural gap. If you don’t have them, you need to learn them quickly! Too many experiences fall apart because of poor manners.
Customers don’t only care about how much you know. They want to know that you care. If you want to have an edge then your level of “care” must go beyond good manners. Be willing to serve. Forget ego.

Change

BPO is all about technology at internet speed. This means we have to keep up and be open to change. Embrace it!

Listen!

The world of customer service floods us with information but you have to focus on the vital message. Customers are the lifeblood of any organization and you need to develop the skills that will make you useful to them. Listening skills are one of the most important skills worth acquiring.

Written by: Nadiem Fredericks, General Manager: Quality Assurance: Innovation Group Business Services

Everyone has a dream to chase when it comes to careers
Very few of us actually live our dreams.
Some have the right education for it
Few find the right opportunities

Welcome to an industry that has open arms for every kind of qualification, skill set and experience.|
From someone straight out of school to a highly qualified professional there is a role for everyone!

All the industry looks for is the right attitude to work and a commitment to excel, because in the BPO industry you no longer work for just one region or company. You become a GLOBAL citizen the day you become part of this industry.

Business Process Outsourcing:

• Manages critical business processes for global brands
• Shapes the future of young, bright minds like you in South Africa and around the world

The BPO industry offers high-end solutions to global companies. It is an industry brimming with opportunities for a wide range of talent. You may be surprised to bump into doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, MBAs and PhDs in the working environment.

Is a BPO career for you?
Yes, if you have:

• The enthusiasm to work in a team
• The drive to excel
• The will to learn
• The aspiration to grow fast
• The ‘can-do’ spirit to achieve goals

Hard work is part of getting ahead in any industry, so its important to chose a career path that you enjoy – and that suits your personality and personal skills set.

BPO is fast-paced, exciting, and is a growing industry in South Africa. It covers a wide range of careers. From contact centre sales and customer service to professional services in health, law, insurance, finance and more…there are career options for everyone!

The industry prides itself on fast-tracking careers for its talent. As a result, careers in the industry are taking off at a speed that is unmatched by most other industries.

If you enjoy a fast-paced competitive environment, outbound sales is a good option. If you are more of a caring and empathetic person, inbound customer care may suit you better. For those who don’t enjoy one-on-one communication, there are plenty of BPO back-office jobs that can provide job satisfaction!

Personal growth

A job in the BPO sector offers great personal growth opportunities:

• Business Process Management training
• Focuses on specializations
• Personality development
• Leadership skills

A career in BPO offers you the chance to :

• Impact the organisational life of global brands.
• steer the course of an organisation’s global journey.
• become part of the success of the companies you work for
• play a major role in the life of your client at a very young age.

Courteousness

One of the most important qualities of a good contact centre agent is how you treat customers. This might sound obvious, but being polite and friendly is essential since most customers can immediately sense a negative or lazy attitude. When a customer is having trouble with a product, for instance, getting condescending or confrontational treatment from an agent will only exacerbate the problem and reflect poorly on all companies represented.

Plus, you never know who’s on the other line. That’s why it’s so important that agents are committed to being warm and friendly throughout the duration of every call.

Professionalism

A big challenge at any job is leaving personal issues at the door. Everyone has a bad day, but when you let those feelings interfere with the ability to do your job it can cause chaos. Since call centre agents are constantly dealing with customers of all dispositions,  a lack of professionalism can quickly send an interaction off the rails.

Respectfulness

There may be days when an agent repeatedly gets connected with irate customers hurling abuse out of sheer frustration. This can be highly stressful and how you handle the situation will determine whether or not you’ll ultimately be successful at the job.

In all cases, an agent must be empathetic, respectful and understand that making an attempt to correct a problem is often the last thing an annoyed customer wants. Staying calm under pressure and handling the customer’s requests and questions in the face of adversity is one of the most-valuable contact centre skills.

Organizational skills

Agents that work in a busy call center need to be very organized. They need to be able to juggle multiple tasks at once (i.e., checking the knowledge base, updating the CRM and taking notes in your helpdesk), all while attending to the customer’s needs. Staying organized helps reduce errors and help customers more effectively.

Problem-solving skills

While contact centre agents are often directed to stay on-script, inevitably a problem will arise that hasn’t been covered in training sessions. It’s during these moments that it’s critical an agent can think independently. That doesn’t mean attempting to solve the issue alone. Often, it’s as simple as knowing when to ask for a manager’s assistance.

Staying calm under pressure

A good call center agent isn’t easily flustered. When a caller is angry or frustrated, an agent’s job is to be the exact opposite. Staying calm while dealing with frustrated callers on a daily basis is not easy. It takes self-discipline and maturity. A good agent must keep calm when someone is shouting at them over the phone and also when they have a chatty caller on the other end of the line who won’t let them get a word in edgewise. Keeping your cool throughout all of these situations and not letting the frustrated callers get to you personally will get any you far in the industry.

Good memory

The ability to recall information quickly is one of the most underrated contact centre skills. Agents are constantly being asked to study and memorise many different aspects of a particular product or service. They also need to learn the correct procedures to serve the customer. Some of this knowledge can be acquired over time, but it helps if you already have the knack to recall critical information immediately.

Confidence

Call centre agents need to show a ‘can-do attitude’ to serve a customer  – no matter how pressure-filled or complex the situation. This trait may not come naturally to everyone, but it can be learned, and it becomes easier with experience. Don’t give up. Building self-confidence is an important life skill!

Self-motivation

For all the training a contact centre provides, it can’t force you to take pride in your work. That sense of self-determination must be an intrinsic part of your personality. Self-motivated workers are always open to feedback, learning and trying to push themselves to be better.

Reliability

Due to the on-demand nature of the work, many contact centres are unable to offer traditional, 9-to-5 shifts for employees. Call centre companies must be able to count on the fact that their staff will regularly show up when scheduled, whatever the time of day or night. And during those hours, they must also be able to rely on their agents to remain calm under pressure, stay productive and handle as many calls as necessary. Anything less just won’t cut it.

Flexibility

An agent should be able to handle a chatty customer one moment and an angry customer the next. They should be able to roll with the punches and let the bad stuff slide off of them with ease (after providing a solution, of course). In addition, you may also need to work challenging hours: holidays, nights and weekends. Flexibility is key.

Sources:
Niceincontact.com