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Call Center Representative Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Call Center Representative Do?

A call center representative speaks with customers over the phone to answer questions and listens to any concerns they may have with products or services. To succeed in this role, call center representatives must have excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Call center representatives should be customer-focused, detail-oriented, and productive. They understand their company’s policies like the back of their hand because call center representatives are there to educate customers about any questions they may have about the business. 

This job opportunity is wonderful for anyone looking to go into sales since call center representatives are frequently responsible for making sales and recommendations for products and services that will better accommodate the customer’s needs.

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National Average Salary

Call center representative salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Call Center Representative is:

$34,820

Call Center Representative Job Descriptions

The first step when hiring a great call center representative is a well-crafted job description. Below are real-world examples to help give you the best chance of success on your recruiting journey.

Example 1

Without excellent call center representatives, our customers would not be able to receive the information they are seeking or reach the proper department. We rely on effective communicators to initiate, carry out, and end phone conversations with outstanding customer service. [Your Company Name] is looking for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment where they are responsible for their own work. We are looking for someone who can create a positive relationship with the customer during the phone call and keep up-to-date on industry information and product information. You will need the ability to transfer calls to the appropriate department and monitor the appointment status of customers. We are looking for someone who is always punctual, has a good work ethic, a cool head, and is persistent in order to achieve success. 

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Confer with customers by telephone or in person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints
  • Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken
  • Use company policies to determine if there can be an immediate resolution to a customer issue or if that issue requires managerial input
  • Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments
  • Resolve customers’ service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills

Education and experience

This position requires a high school diploma or GED.

Required skills and qualifications

  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
  • Excellent computer skills
  • Ability to manage time with little supervision

Preferred qualifications

  • Experience in customer service
  • Certifications required
  • Phone skills
  • Self-motivated
  • Bilingual

Example 2

We’re looking for highly motivated individuals with excellent telephone and computer skills to help our agency manage large amounts of inbound and outbound calls.

Responsibilities

  • Communicate with consumers verbally regarding outstanding debts
  • Manage sensitive information while maintaining confidentiality
  • Negotiate and maintain payment arrangements
  • Maintain complete and accurate records
  • Ensure strict adherence to all federal and state laws
  • Consistently meet established daily, weekly, and monthly goals

Qualifications

  • Attitude of service
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Strong verbal communication skills
  • Ability to convey a sense of urgency while displaying compassion and empathy
  • Ability to work swiftly while maintaining accuracy
  • Ability to remain calm and composed in a fast-paced environment

Example 3

We are looking for a Call Center Representative that will be the liaison between our company and its current and potential customers. The successful candidate will be able to accept ownership for effectively solving customer issues, complaints, and inquiries; keeping customer satisfaction at the core of every decision and behavior.

Responsibilities

  • Manage large amounts of inbound and outbound calls in a timely manner
  • Follow communication “scripts” when handling different topics
  • Identify customers’ needs, clarify information, research every issue, and provide solutions and/or alternatives
  • Seize opportunities to upsell products when they arise
  • Build sustainable relationships and engage customers by taking the extra mile
  • Keep records of all conversations in our call center database in a comprehensible way
  • Frequently attend educational seminars to improve knowledge and performance level
  • Meet personal/team qualitative and quantitative targets

Requirements and skills

  • Previous experience in a customer support role
  • Track record of over-achieving quota
  • Strong phone and verbal communication skills along with active listening
  • Familiarity with CRM systems and practices
  • Customer focus and adaptability to different personality types
  • Ability to multitask, set priorities, and manage time effectively
  • High school degree

Example 4

The Call Center Representative is responsible to provide outstanding call center service to our participants by answering questions, handling feedback concerns, and troubleshooting problems with our products and services within the finance industry. The service representative may handle a high volume of inbound and/or outbound calls and should seek to create a positive experience for each caller. They will listen to clients to understand the reason for their call, address all questions or concerns, and provide an accurate and efficient response.

Responsibilities

  • Monitor personal performance relative to defined department performance targets
  • Assist plan participants by telephone, chat, or email by answering any questions, providing information about products or services, and/or obtaining any details of feedback
  • Ability to successfully adapt and perform during times of high call volume
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong listening ability to interpret and clarify information being provided by customers
  • Strong commitment to providing quality service
  • Keep records of participant interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken
  • Follow through to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customer’s concerns
  • Contact customers to respond to inquiries and resolve customer’s concerns
  • Obtain and evaluate all relevant information to handle inquiries and complaints
  • Record details of inquiries, comments, and complaints in our operating system as well as any actions taken
  • Meet service level and quality requirements on a daily basis
  • Communicate and coordinate with internal departments
  • Keen attention to detail and accuracy

Basic qualifications

  • High School Diploma or G.E.D
  • 1+ years of experience in a call center environment
  • Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office products and common workplace internet software and applications
  • Type 45 words per minute
  • Focus on finance is a plus
  • Public Trust clearance is a plus

Additional preferred skills and qualifications

  • Working knowledge of contact center operations
  • Experience with contact center and/or direct customer service experience
  • Demonstrated ability to achieve and maintain quality and efficiency standards in a high-volume, high-velocity work environment
  • Rapidly responds to emails and establishes clear communication cadences

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • Management and Strategy Institute (MSI) Training. This course teaches important skills for candidates conducting business phone calls. It costs $99 and is self-paced but usually takes about two hours to complete. The course covers topics such as controlling tone, obtaining information, being emotionally skilled, establishing rapport, rate of speech, responding to angry customers, answering phones, closing conversations, and putting people on hold. Some companies give this course to all of their employees. When candidates purchase this course, they have access to it for one year.
  • Call Center Training. This training is available through Customer Service Profiles and empowers call center representatives to learn the components of successful interactions. It builds on their existing skills to help them improve their etiquette, customer service, and engagement during phone calls. Some topics covered include Best Practices for After-Call-Work (ACW) and Best Practices for Average Handle Time (AHT), and the impact of positive customer interactions.

How to Hire a Call Center Representative

Consider the following when hiring a call center representative:

  • Recruiting: Do you have the internal resources and tools to source and recruit for this role successfully?
  • Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid, or even junior-level skills suffice?
  • Duration: Is this a one-time project, or an indefinite need?
  • Management: Can you effectively direct the work effort?
  • Urgency: Are there any deadlines associated with this need?
  • Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?

Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, various great options exist for every scenario, no matter how unique. For hiring a call center representative, we recommend the following options:

1. Use 4 Corner Resources (or another professional recruiting firm)

The heavy lifting is done for you when working with a top-tier staffing company like 4 Corner Resources. We source, screen, recruit, and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s), saving you significant time and effort throughout the hiring process while you remain focused on your core business. Understanding your needs and ensuring the right candidate for the position is the key to our success.

This is the best route to take when:

  • You need to fill the position quickly
  • You want access to a vast talent pool of high-quality, prescreened candidates
  • Your position is suited for temporary hiring services, contract staffing, or contract-to-hire recruiting, and you intend to direct the work activity.
  • You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff. 
  • You aren’t familiar with current salary rates, market trends, and available skill sets
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2. Advertise your opening on a top job board

Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice. 

We recommend using a job board when:

  • Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
  • You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort 
  • You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
  • You are prepared to respond to all applicants

We recommend using CareerBuilder when hiring a call center representative:

CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.

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3. Leverage your internal resources

You can utilize your own website, social media, and employees to assist in your search for top candidates. 

A company website posting should be the first step in notifying prospective candidates that you are hiring. Social media can also be a powerful tool for spreading the word about your new opening. As far as exposure is concerned, this option can be as good as some job boards when you have a large enough following across various platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Current employees are every organization’s greatest asset. Encourage your internal team to promote job openings to their network by offering cash and other incentives.

We recommend these options when:

  • Your brand has great name recognition
  • You can consistently monitor and respond to candidate activity through your website and social media accounts
  • You have a process in place to quickly and broadly communicate job openings and requirements
  • You have an effective employee referral program in place

If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.

Sample Interview Questions

  • How can you engage with a customer for a positive phone interaction?
  • What motivates you at work?
  • What’s your idea of a successful call center?
  • What do you believe makes quality customer service?
  • What makes you believe you will make a good call center representative?
  • What do you think you will enjoy about working at a call center?
  • Are you able to work with multiple phone lines?
  • How would you handle a customer’s question you didn’t know the answer to?
  • How do you deal with rejection?
  • What is your ideal workspace environment?
  • How do you handle a call from an angry customer? 
  • Do you do your best work on a team or do you work best independently?
  • Can you give an example of a time when you went above and beyond for a customer?
  • Is there something unique about the methods that you can bring to the team?
  • Tell me about a time you made a customer service mistake. Were you able to fix the problem? What did you learn?
  • Can you tell me about your most impressive customer service moment?

Need help hiring a Call Center Representative?

We match top professionals with great employers across the country. From filling urgent job openings to developing long-term hiring strategies, our team is here to help. Review our staffing solutions, browse our award-winning Staffing Corner blog, or call today. We look forward to connecting with you soon.

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