5 Lessons I Learned Working as a Customer Care Agent: Real Insights

 

  Early in my customer service journey, I got a chance to work at a prestigious call center in Westlands. I must say that I  was destined for this job as I was interviewed via phone and landed it immediately.  This  reminds me of the importance of creating meaningful relationships. You see, a friend I had gone to college with had volunteered my contacts and informed me that I will be contacted. 

I had a lot going on as a first time mum and missed the first call.  This friend called me and informed me that I would be contacted again and to keep my phone close. Just like that, I passed the interview done in Kiswahili and reported for my first corporate job as a call center agent.

My entry into the customer care world helped me to harness skills in empathy, communication and problem solving.

If you are planning to venture into this field, here are five lessons i learned working as a customercare agent that will help you.

1. Always be prepared

 When I started out, I was allocated  inbound customer support campaign which entailed receiving calls from consumers of that brand. This required for me to have expertise on a number of issues as customers tend to be cheeky and can find you off-guard. Once I had found my footing, I received an email, stating that I had been shifted to outbound customer service, which meant that I was now requested to call clients.These two roles taught me about flexibility as a skill that you would need to do customer care work efficiently.

Takeaway Tip: Being dynamic, staying alert and,learning all you can in any area in the call center are great customer care skills.

2. Stay at a convenient location

A call center usually runs throughout the day and thus the introduction of shifts. There are days I would be so mad at myself for staying at Ongata Rongai. During this time, the Langata Flyover was under construction and as a result the traffic jam was extremely bad. Even after boarding the matatu at 5.a.m, I always ended up getting to the office in Westlands at 9.00 a.m. The matatus had to go through Karen into Kibera before getting to Raila Odinga road previously known as Mbagathi road.

Takeaway Tip: Stay in an area that you can easily access the call center to improve productivity, save time and energy.

3. Embrace both languages

I started out as a Kiswahili agent handling Tanzanian clients and one day I was shifted to Ugandan clients. You are all aware that they have honed the English language. Just like that I was from;

“Habari ya leo… ahsante kwa kupiga simu, je naongea na nani ?

 to "Good Morning thank you for calling…”

Takeaway Tip: You should master both languages; English & Kiswahili to stand out in a customer care  job. If you can learn any foreign language, please do,  it can open doors for you.

4. Hard work pays

As a customer care representative, you are always on your toes, if it’s not meeting your targets, you are off solving consumer problems. As a result, you must be resilient and professional since the calls are recorded. You would hear someone has been promoted and wonder how they did it, now you have an answer .You must continuously work hard and be disciplined.

Takeaway Tip: Success in customer care service is satisfying to an individual who is disciplined and a hardworker.

5. Forget Permission to leave

Life happens and you might need to leave or not come into the office. The call center cannot simply stop because you cannot make it, thus you will receive a no answer every time you send your request. Sometimes the Human Resource Manager may be lenient and give you that day off ,but trust me you will pay it back by working overtime.

Takeaway Tip: Learn to adjust and focus on your work. Only request time off or leave only when necessary. You are human afterall and prone to illnesses and emergencies.


Armed with these 5 valuable customer service insights, you can confidently handle a customer care role. Keep learning,  adapting, and watch  how you leverage the call center experience for a career growth.


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