The job description of a Call Center Representative often depends on whether one is inbound or outbound (and often both). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? In this article, we’re going to discuss the tasks and responsibilities of a CSR in the Philippines for inbound and outbound calls. 

In the Philippines, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is expanding at a rapid pace. Early outsourcing in the Philippines started out in 1992 and since then the industry bloomed thanks to “overly optimistic” government support.

According to an article from the London School of Economics, BPOs only come second to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) when it comes to remittances. Being such a valuable part of the economy in the Philippines it’s apparent that the BPO industry in the Philippines will definitely be here to stay. 

Likewise, this means a position as a call center representative is still one of the most in-demand jobs in the Philippines, especially in 2022.

After its infancy, outsourcing to the Philippines gradually evolved into an industry primarily occupied by call center work. Thus, those working in the industry are tasked to handle either inbound or outbound calls, or maybe both.

Just what exactly are the responsibilities of a call center agent in the Philippines?  

For the most part, a Call Center Representative’s tasks go far beyond just taking or answering calls. As such, even if you’re inbound or outbound, you could still have different tasks assigned to you depending on your clients’ needs.  

Because of this, agents need to be flexible as there will be times when unexpected setbacks occur. Still, the main skill that all call center agents need is good communication skills. In order to handle the duties of the job, individuals must have certain skillsets to be ready for life as a Call Center agent.

List of common tasks for call center agents in the Philippines: 

• Answer inbound calls or make outbound calls. 
• Provide solutions to complaints or issues from customers or clients. 
• Provide a personalized service that meets the needs of customers. 
• Give information regarding the company’s latest products and services. 
• Upsell products and services.
• Utilize available resources to find the information you require. 
• When necessary, transfer calls to other members of the team. 
• Make meaningful notes from your contacts with customers. 
• Determine whether or not clients are experiencing any difficulties. 
• Report customer feedback 
• Organize and maintain customer databases. 
• Follow up calls to customers 
• Increase customer loyalty by providing a positive phone experience. 
• Products and services can be upsold. 
• Increase customer loyalty by providing a positive phone experience. 

Inbound vs Outbound in Call Centers 

The main difference between inbound and outbound calls is whether or not you’re answering or making calls. As the name implies, an inbound CSR primarily answers calls from customers, meanwhile, outbound call agents call people themselves. 

JOB DESCRIPTION OF AN INBOUND CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 

For inbound CSR agents, their tasks mostly revolve around handling questions from customers and resolving their concerns. Furthermore, an inbound call center also deals with complaints from customers.  

Unfortunately, some of these customers are going to be irate. So, an agent has to be polite, respectful, understanding, and have a deep understanding of company policy when it comes to services. 

Here are the type of inbound calls: 

Customer Service – A customer service agent is tasked with handling returns, customer feedback, and over-the-phone payments. Furthermore, according to an article from Roi Call Center Solutions, an inbound CSR could also handle updates on mailing addresses, and questions regarding policies and practices. 

Technical Support – Call center agents that are more into technical support handle customers’ concerns regarding products related to technology. The tasks range from fixing television signal issues to turning on computers. 

Most of the people calling here for help are likely to be those not versed in technology. As such, it’s imperial that a Technical Support Agent has a high level of patience. Moreover, you need to be capable of handling complaints and demands while still remaining calm and collected. 

Inbound Sales – In some cases, an inbound sales agent needs to answer calls from people who aren’t part of a company’s clientele. These are potential new customers who are looking for more information that could help them decide to switch or walk away from your service or product. 

During an inbound sales call, an inbound sales agent establishes a relationship with the potential new customer by finding common ground and providing helpful information.  

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN OUTBOUND CSR 

In some organizations, agents may be assigned to outbound calls depending on the needs of the client or account. As such, the job description of an outbound Call Center Representative would be focused on direct marketing programs, insurance claims, outbound lead generation, and prospect and market research. 

Here are some more responsibilities of an outbound call center representative: 

• Survey taking – Customer satisfaction surveys provide critical information about the quality and effectiveness of the service or product the customer received. 
• Scheduling – An agent may be tasked to schedule the day-to-day activities of a client. As such agents need to call clients as a reminder of the activities they need to be attending. 
• Appointment Setting – Outbound agents arrange meetings or appointments between the customer or lead and the salesperson who has been assigned to them. They will clarify the most convenient time and date for the current or prospective client to speak with a company representative. To keep the prospect motivated to stay in touch, the agent should be efficient and accurate, as well as interesting. 

Global Strategic furthers those inherent values through a thorough interviewing and training process. We invest in our agents because we believe that a company is only as good as its employees. Global Strategic provides training to improve accent, call center etiquette, sales skills, and client-specific business knowledge. 

So, now that you’re ready to take on your next CSR Interview and want to take the next step in your career journey, Global Strategic wants to hear from you. Apply today and become our newest Back Office Associate or Call Center Representative or talk to our Recruiters about our other roles that may be suitable for you. 

The post Call Center Representative Job Description – Inbound Vs Outbound appeared first on Global Strategic Business Process Solutions.

If you’re applying to a call center, interviewers are likely to ask why you want to work in the industry. As such, it’s important that you come prepared for the interviews.

But why does such a simple question have such an effect on applicants? Surely, if you’re planning on applying at a call center you already have your own reasons for it.

Furthermore, there’s an increasing number of fresh graduates and even students that want to apply with call centers. Additionally, professionals who have years of experience in other fields also want to be part of the industry due to the increase in demand and abundance of opportunities within the BPO outsourcing industry.

Knowing this, we can definitely say that being a call center representative is still one of the most in-demand jobs in the Philippines. Now, with such a diverse crowd, is there even a universal answer that could fit all? Sadly, the short answer is no.

If you want to make a good impression, you need to be genuine with your answer. More importantly, you can’t just copy verbatim “sample answers” that you see on Google. Instead, what you want to do is cater your answer to your personal experiences, goals, and situation. Luckily, in this article, we’re going to show you exactly how you can do that!

Before we go deeper into this, we need to understand the mindset interviewers have when asking this question. Generally, an interviewer asks this to evaluate if you’re fit for a call center position.

Furthermore, the recruitment team may ask this to gauge your intentions of joining in the first place. This is due to the high volume of “hoppers” in the BPO industry. Hoppers are the type of people that apply in a call center and leave after a few months.

So, if you are one, you’ll not only need to answer why you want to work in a call center but you’d also be asked to explain why you have 4 call centers under your belt in a span of 8 months.

Now that’s out of the way. Here are the best ways to answer, “Why Do You Want to Apply in a Call Center?”

Why Do You Want to Apply Here?

Knowing that you’re applying to a call center, you have to do your due diligence. That means that before the interview, you’re going to want to research the company you want to apply for.

When it comes to call centers, the job descriptions of most companies may be similar to one another. But what sets them apart is their culture, fit, workplace environment, or maybe their advocacies, commitments to causes, charities, and other corporate social responsibilities.

So, when you’re asked why you want to work in a call center, cater your answer to specify that you want to work in Call Center XYZ. And, because you know what the company advocates for, you can answer something along the lines of “I want to work here because aside from the friendly work environment, Company XYZ advocates for the environment, something that I am deeply passionate about”.

Meanwhile, if you want something more specific, you can always talk about how your skills can be used to help the company. Afterward, you can then talk about how the company can help you grow those skills. Here is an example:

“I want to work in a call center like this because I believe that my communication skills can excel in this industry. I also love conversing with other people as I’m genuinely interested in learning more about people and helping solve issues.

Additionally, I believe that the work environment here at Company XYZ can provide an applicant like me the foundation to pursue a long-term career and opportunities to improve my skills”.

If you want to learn more about the top CSR Interview questions in the Philippines, check out the article below!

Top CSR Interview Questions Asked In The Philippines – Tips From HR

So, now that you’re ready to take on your next CSR Interview and want to take the next step in your career journey, Global Strategic wants to hear from you. Apply today and become our newest Back Office Associate or Call Center Representative or talk to our Recruiters about our other roles that may be suitable for you.

The post Why Do You Want To Work In A Call Center? – Best Answers For Applicants appeared first on Global Strategic Business Process Solutions.