Talking on the phone can be fun, but it can also be useful. If you enjoy helping people and are comfortable with phones and computers, you might want to consider working as a contact centre customer service agent. With the right skills for the job or a willingness to learn, it could be an ideal job, especially in times when many other jobs disappear. It could work as a full time or part time position- which ever you want.

Working as a contact centre customer service agent is basically about answering questions and helping people through problems that they have with products or services. People in this job might work at telephone companies, government offices, and large corporations. Traditionally, these jobs were in large offices, but many contact centre customer service agents can now work from home as long as they have a computer and telephone that they can use.

Generally, contact centre customer service agents work with questions that customers have about products or services that a company or other agency offers. In government departments, contact centre customer service agents might answer questions about programs such as Old Age Security or Employment Insurance benefits.

When people apply for these programs, the call centre agents might take the information over the phone or possibly through a text or e-mail. In businesses, contact centre customer service agents answer questions about products or services, take note of complaints, and find information or contact another person to help.

Suppose that a customer calls about a dishwasher that is not working. The contact centre customer service agent would take down the information and possibly suggest a few easy solutions. For bigger problems, it might be necessary to make an appointment for someone to repair the machine.

Training programs for working as a contact centre customer service agent are available at places like Centennial College, but most positions in this field require a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Wages start at about $12 per hour or slightly over $25,000 per year and can rise to $19 per hour or $46,000 per year. The job is not physically demanding, although people must be able to sit for many hours.

Mental strain can be the most difficult part of the job. Contact centre customer service agents always need to be friendly and professional, even when customers are rude. They need to know as much as possible about the product or service so that they can answer many of the questions without looking them up. They should be able to work with other people. Having a quick typing speed is useful for entering information into a computer, but accuracy is more important than speed.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the job of a contact centre customer service agent could become more important than ever. Larger towns and cities are more likely than small places to have work for contact centre customer service agents, but jobs in this area are likely to increase, especially for people who can work entirely from home.

If you enjoy talking on the phone and you want to help people, working as a contact centre customer service agent could be the right choice for you.

Bibliography:

Centennial College. “Contact Centre Operations.” https://www.centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/full-time/contact-centre-operations/.

College Grad.com. “Customer Service Representatives.” https://collegegrad.com/careers/customer-service-representatives.

Day Job.com. “Call Centre Training.” https://www.dayjob.com/call-centre-training-1189/.

Indeed.com. “Call Centre Agent.” https://ca.indeed.com/Call-Centre-Agent-Customer-Service-jobs?advn=1533551386143070&vjk=c03e5df6dacdf574.

Payscale Canada. “Call Centre Agent.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Call_Center_Agent/Hourly_Rate.