What is a contact center representative?

Many are aware of contact centers but not really of the people behind it. Who are the contact center representatives? What are their roles in the industry?

Contact center representatives or agents must always ensure that the customers are happy and satisfied with their customer service experience.

Contact center representatives are basically the people that cater to customers via different communication channels. A contact center serves as a business organization’s direct point of communication with their customers.

Through a contact center, customers can relay their concerns or ask questions about certain products or services. Customers can also request for support, feedback on specific customer subject matter, or even perform a transaction through a contact center

Unlike the traditional “call center”, a contact center is not just focused on communicating with customers through phone calls. Contact center agents may also perform inbound and outbound calls. However, there are also other communication platforms that they use for customer engagement and support. 

Roles of a contact center representative

The role of a contact center representative is not just limited to answering large volumes of inquiries daily. Contact center agents are both customer service and sales professionals. They usually perform their services via different channels such as email, calls, SMS text, live chat, social media, and more. 

Part of the duties and responsibilities of a contact center representative are the following:

  • Answering inbound calls and performing outbound calls.
  • Replying to live chats, sms, and emails.
  • Engaging on customer queries in social media.
  • Responding to customer support tickets that are filled out from the web. 

Aside from customer support, contact center agents are also responsible for the following:

  • Inbound and outbound sales
  • Technical support
  • Appointment bookings and reservations
  • Bill payments
  • Account upgrades and closure
  • Responding to customer complaints

Contact center representatives or agents must always ensure that the customers are happy and satisfied with their customer service experience. They must always provide the correct information and answers to the customers. In addition, they need to answer phone calls within a specific time frame and attend to live chats real time. In some cases, agents are also required to handle certain volumes of calls per day. 

Essential skills needed for a contact center representative

Contact center agents must be good and effective communicators as their main role is to engage with customers. More so, they usually go above and beyond their call of duty. Contact center representatives possess the following skills:

  • Problem solving skills 
  • Empathy
  • Extensive knowledge on the company’s products and services
  • Technical skills
  • Organization skills
  • Active listening
  • Flexibility
  • Works independently
  • Patience
  • Good memory

Most of the skills given above are things that can be worked on and improved on over time. The main goal for contact center representatives is to always be able to provide good customer service experience to their clientele.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Jewel Tirona

The Ultimate Guide to Elevating Your Customer Experience
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