Author: WOW customer support

The goal of inbound call centers, which have been around for a while, is to help businesses connect with their customers. Aside from sales and customer service, inbound call centers can also be used for marketing, customer service, and technical support.

Businesses that want to establish an inbound call center must first conduct extensive research to identify a reliable call center solution provider that meets their requirements. Hiring has become increasingly competitive over recent years with businesses seeking to attract top talent. A better understanding of how to hire effectively will give you the edge when recruiting great candidates.

Today, let’s dive into understanding how to find the best agents for your business needs.

How to Find The Best Call Center Agents?

Step 1: Understand What Makes a Candidate Stand Out

Here’s what makes a job applicant for an inbound call center different from others.

1. They’re Self-Sufficient

Call centers aren't just places where people answer phones. They're also places where people process orders and handle customer service requests. To do their jobs right, they must make sure they have everything they need to give customers quality support. That means having fast internet access, lots of space, and plenty of equipment like computers and scanners.

2. They Can Adjust Their Schedules Easily

Even though a lot of inbound call center employees work shifts, not everyone's schedule is set in stone. Many businesses allow workers to choose when they want to come in, as well as taking time off whenever necessary.

3. They Have Strong Communication Skills

Most inbound call centers require strong communication skills, especially since much of the work involves getting customers to understand a product or explain their issue. While many industries rely heavily on email, chat rooms, and social media to communicate effectively, call centers still depend on phone calls to connect with customers.

4. They’re Passionate About Customer Service

Many inbound call center employees are willing to put in extra effort to ensure satisfaction. Since call centers typically deal with problems over the phone, they tend to focus on providing excellent customer care rather than simply putting out fires.

5. They Know How to Balance Responsibilities

It takes a special kind of employee to thrive in a call center environment. Not only do they have to excel at making customer interactions sound like natural conversation, but they also have to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously.

6. They Are Flexible

While inbound call center jobs generally involve predictable hours, some positions may demand additional flexibility. Even part-time call center jobs usually offer flexible schedules, including evenings and weekends. Some inbound call center jobs offer flextime options, allowing workers to swap days off with coworkers without impacting their salary.

7. They’re Ready to Go Into Management

Because inbound call centers require a high volume of skilled employees, managers are often needed to oversee operations and coordinate activities across teams. As a manager, you'll need to be able to organize, prioritize, delegate responsibilities, and motivate your team members to meet deadlines.

8. They Love Working with People

Call centers require a great amount of interaction between customers and staff, so naturally, employees love interacting with people. Call center jobs are some of the highest rated occupations based on personality traits.

Step 2: Identify Your Ideal Candidate Profile

What does the ideal inbound call center candidate look like? There are several key traits that you'll want to find in your next employee:

• Good communication skills - Whether you're talking to customers over the phone or in email, your employees must be able to effectively communicate what needs to happen and why.
• Flexibility - Call center jobs require employees to shift focus quickly between different tasks and projects. So being able to adapt to change is an absolute must!
• High energy level - Employees in call centers work under pressure so having high energy levels is critical to success.
• Strong organizational skills - Call centers operate within strict rules, deadlines, and budgets. These rigid structures mean that a strong organization is essential to maintain efficiency.
• Detail oriented - Communication is vital in call centers. Customers expect accurate information so keeping track of details is incredibly important.

Step 3: Ensure Your Company Culture Matches up with Theirs

Here are some tips on how to ensure your company culture fits with your current employees and future hires.

Look Out For Traits Beyond Skills

In addition to focusing on your technical abilities, look closely at traits beyond skills when interviewing potential inbound call center agents. While it may seem obvious, applicants' personalities play a crucial part in determining whether or not they'll fit into your organization. Check out these traits:

• Culture Fit

Culture fit refers to finding people who align well with existing values and practices, and who will fit seamlessly into the team dynamic. This is especially true for high performing companies, since retaining talented workers is critical to maintaining growth and profitability. Asking questions related to team dynamics and organizational culture during the initial screening process can help you identify cultural misfits early in the recruitment process.

• Integrity/Ethics

Integrity involves being honest and trustworthy, and ethics refers to the principles we follow in order to act fairly and appropriately in a variety of situations and circumstances. Both integrity and ethics go hand-in-hand, and both play a crucial role in the selection process. When hiring, ask candidates how strongly they adhere to ethical standards and how they expect others to behave. Candidates who demonstrate strong ethics are likely to hold themselves accountable to higher standards of behavior than those who show little concern for the interests of others.

• Leadership Ability

Leadership ability entails having the self-confidence to set goals and objectives, the desire to solve problems, and the ability to lead others toward achieving common goals. These traits are indicative of a leader who will motivate, inspire, and guide rather than micromanage. Leaders are able to influence others without dominating or intimidating them. They also foster teamwork and collaboration, and encourage others to achieve success.

Find The Best Agent Through Outsourcing Company

One of the effective ways to find the best agents is through outsourcing companies. Here’s why:

1. Cost-Effectiveness

Organizations frequently outsource customer-service operations to outsourcing firms because they can save a ton of money by doing so. Cost-efficiency is one of the main factors driving outsourcing. Businesses don't have to worry about costly infrastructure, locating qualified personnel, providing training, and other such issues. Not only does it cost a lot of money, but it also takes a lot of time. As a result, outsourcing is the best choice because third-party companies have competent staff, the required infrastructure, and streamlined processes that are specifically designed for offering top-notch customer service.

2. Omnichannel Assistance

Numerous companies find it challenging to assume the full responsibility on their own, but customer service outsourcing offers a wealth of access to omnichannel support including email support, live chat support, voice call support, technical support, mobile messaging, social media, and many more. The likelihood that a customer will be happy greatly increases if they can contact the business through a variety of channels. Therefore, outsourcing companies can only offer all of these support services while efficiently maintaining proper communication.

3. Round-the-Clock Assistance

The majority of businesses today, from large multinational corporations to mid-sized businesses, target customers worldwide. It necessitates 24-hour customer support services. Resolving the problems of the customers should come first, whether it is a holiday or the weekend. In this situation, it is preferable to contract out customer service to a specialized outside service provider who will offer customer support services around-the-clock. 

4. Abilities in Multiple Languages

The company's outsourced customer service team should be knowledgeable about the company's products, market trends, and corporate culture, just like the brand ambassadors. Always check to see if the customer service representatives speak the same language as your clients. Offshore outsourcing companies are helpful in this situation. When speaking with customers, inbound call center representatives must be courteous, able to use the correct tone, and fluent in the language.

5. Enhanced Effectiveness

Customers are regarded as the lifeblood of the business, regardless of the industry to which it belongs. For instance, manufacturing businesses focus more on manufacturing than they do on handling client issues. The great thing about a third-party service provider is that they go above and beyond to please the clients. In contrast, businesses can easily concentrate on their core business operations and better allocate their resources across all administrative tasks.

Leading Qualities You Should Look for When Hiring The Best Agents:

Skills in Effective Communication

The nature of the job necessitates effective communication abilities. Every aspect of this job is impacted by communication, which is a crucial skill for success. For an agent to fully comprehend a caller's question and offer a solution that satisfies their needs, they must not only have excellent oral communication skills but also be attentive listeners. During an interview, you can learn a lot about a candidate's communication abilities. You can set up a role-playing exercise to evaluate these skills before hiring as an additional ability test.

Administrative Skills

Call centers are hectic workplaces that demand good organization from management as well as from the agent level. While speaking with callers, agents must be able to multitask by taking notes, consulting the company knowledge base, and updating the CRM system. For the task to be completed effectively, they must be well organized.

You can gauge a candidate's multitasking prowess during the interview process. Their previous employers can vouch for this.

Empathy

An essential trait of a productive inbound call center agent is empathy. A positive rapport can be built with a caller by being warm and approachable. An agent must be able to demonstrate a sincere comprehension of a customer's issue and give them the assurance that they are being heard.

If an agent demonstrates sympathy for a customer's problem, much can be accomplished. Nothing is more unsettling or frustrating from the perspective of a caller than interacting with someone whose demeanor exudes complete disinterest. During the interview process, you can determine a candidate's empathy level by asking pertinent questions. They are probably a good candidate for an inbound call center agent if they show an interest in helping others.

Efficiency and Quickness

From the perspective of the business, a quick and effective agent will be able to handle more calls and boost revenue. Naturally, the speed of an inbound call center should never come at the expense of the quality of its customer service, and vice versa.

Callers value quick and efficient service very highly. They don't want to stay any longer than necessary, but they also want their issue or question to be satisfactorily resolved. You can verify these attributes of your potential agent by contacting their previous employers.

Team Member

It would be simple for people to work alone in the modern world, where virtual and cloud-based call centers employ agents located all over the world. All call centers perform at their peak when staff members collaborate effectively and take advantage of all the features available in comprehensive call center software. It is crucial for agents to build relationships with other team members and for everyone to be available to help one another out when needed.

Outsource Inbound Call Center Services Today!

Customers are increasingly looking for prompt answers to their questions in the current environment. Because of this, reputable inbound call center services will be crucial to your company's success. 

Wow Customer Support's devoted agents will efficiently handle your customers' calls. All customer calls will be handled expertly, call abandonment rates will be kept to a minimum, and customer satisfaction will be maximized.

Although providing the best service is a call center's primary goal, there should also be a consideration for efficiently increasing sales. After all, excellent call center support interactions give you the chance to determine what a customer wants and allow you to sell them precisely what they require.

Despite this, many companies struggle to use their call center support to generate sales effectively. Sales can get a little lost in the shuffle when you consider that callers primarily seek clarification on issues and solutions to problems.

Call center support services need more multifaceted skills to provide excellent customer service and close sales simultaneously as more call center support shifts toward up-selling and cross-selling.

When done correctly, call center support sales training significantly raises conversion rates, average order size, and overall customer satisfaction (CX).

10 Effective Call Center Support Strategy That Will Increase Sales

Call center support plays a vital role in customer service. They provide 24/7 support and handle inquiries from customers who want to speak to someone or get information about their orders.

A call center support service is usually staffed by agents who answer calls and take customer messages. The job requires patience, attention to detail, and good communication skills. In addition, they should also be able to deal with angry clients and remain calm under pressure.

Here are some ways to create an effective call center support services strategy to increase sales.

1. Sell Your Product's Advantages Rather than Its Features

Don't spend too much time discussing the product's features and specifications with customers; they can easily find that information online. Instead, emphasize the advantages that will assist customers in their daily lives. Are you selling smoothie makers and your client says they don't have time for breakfast? Take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate to them how quickly their breakfast will be prepared using your smoothie maker.

2. Stay Informed

It is essential to be thoroughly knowledgeable about the product you sell. Never be caught off guard by a query about the product's features. Yes, we did say to avoid concentrating on parameter descriptions, but you should always be able to respond to the caller's inquiries. Do you offer air fryers for sale? Then, you should be aware of its benefits over a conventional fryer, what makes it superior to rival products (or your older model), and how quickly it can cook fries.

3. Be Professional, but Avoid Exerting Excessive Pressure

Even though it's your job as a call center support to sell products, and the ideal call outcome would be for the customer to buy your product, never put the client under any pressure. In some situations, applying pressure might be adequate, but the client won't feel good about the purchase they made, the product, or the business you represent.

4. Use Fundamental Communication Principles

• Always get off to a good start by saying hello, introducing yourself, and using the client's name.
• Be courteous. Please and thank you should always be used.
• Show your enthusiasm, keep your voice natural and avoid sounding overly dramatic. The client should sense immediately that they will gain something from the call if they don't hang up.
• Calling the customer and "taking" their time is part of your job; don't feel bad about it. I understand you're busy, but how about you give me three minutes of your time?"
• Be assertive, in charge of the call, and listen intently without interrupting the customer.
• Ask more questions and carry on the conversation. Avoid giving succinct responses like "yes," "no," or "maybe." If a customer asks if they can leave the house while the washing machine is running, say "yes," but also mention that they can use the scheduled start feature to start the machine when they need to leave.
• Be adaptable. Don't strictly adhere to the call script; modify it to fit the situation. Did the customer express interest in your set of knives during a call about non-stick pans? Utilize this chance to convince them to buy it. Does the client seem to be bored? Perhaps they have grown weary of hearing or have lost interest. Learn about their preferences and provide a different option.

5. Be Trustworthy

Would you purchase iron from a random person on the street? I do not. When speaking with your clients, convey professionalism and empathy. The customer will think the same about the product you're selling if they believe you are trustworthy.

6. Recognize Your Clients

Adapt customer interactions to the unique needs of the client. As a call center support, you can suggest items to the caller that might interest them if you have access to customer communications and order history. To make your calls more effective, learn to categorize each client's customers and modify your communication and selling strategies accordingly.

7. Learn Why the Deal Was Not Completed

Even though everything went as planned, how come you still couldn't seal the deal? Learn why. The call recording should be listened to, advice from more seasoned co-workers or your boss should be sought, and warning signs should be noted. This might assist you in stopping similar occurrences in the future.

Even though it's not always straightforward, the caller must recognize your professionalism and friendliness. Nobody can be forced to buy something they don't want, but with the right personalized approach and sales techniques, you can set up a win-win scenario where both you and the customer are happy with the outcome.

8. Cross-Sell

Why not try to sell them more goods or services if you've already gone to the trouble of building a relationship with them? These cross-selling opportunities can benefit your business greatly because the hard work of building trust has already been done.

Maybe you initially drew a client to your establishment because they were looking for good lawn fertilizer. That customer will require a high-quality lawn mower as time passes and your fertilizer does its magic. That's where your astute salespeople step in, offering your client a brand-new, cutting-edge lawn mower to answer all of their problems (with a loyalty discount if that's your style). Freshly cut grass is provided to your client, and you receive a powerful illustration of cross-selling in action.

9. Reduce Waiting Times

This one is straightforward: it will be more challenging to do business with them and more likely to become frustrated the longer they are kept on hold. Wait times can be decreased by emphasizing efficiency in your sales agents' work. This calls for minimizing pointless conversation whenever possible. Naturally, developing a rapport is essential, but not at the expense of losing clients because of absurdly long caller wait times.

10. Consult with Your Clients

The bond between a company and a customer requires work to keep up, just like any other relationship. Consider it a field that your call center support sales representatives must cultivate: they provide regular customer check-ins to water the crop, and they occasionally bring in the harvest as a renewed subscription or the sale of a new item. The deals won't happen unless your agents work to maintain a positive relationship with their current customers, just as the harvest requires the tilling.

Outsource Customer Service to The Best to Increase Your Sales Effortlessly!

You must provide excellent customer support to grow your business operations and keep your clientele. By outsourcing call center services, you can focus on other business operations while giving your customers utter attention.

Wow Customer Support's call center services are ideal for you if your business needs assistance with customer service, client sourcing, and customer retention. You'll be able to manage your operations successfully and efficiently with the help of our skilled, adaptable, and reasonably priced customer support solutions.