A Guide to Call Centre Jobs

We have all heard of “call centre jobs” being a popular option among jobseekers fresh out of college, or even school.

It often comes with the image of a person with a headphone sitting at a desk cold-calling all day.

But call centre jobs are more than that. Here are a few FAQs to clear the air about call centre jobs and how you can start a career with them.

What are call centres?

Call centres are an essential component of customer service, sales and research. They may refer to offices which deal with these, specifically through the medium of telephone calls. At these centres, agents or executives reach out or respond to a company’s customer base regarding sales, technical support and other issues.

A common term associated with call centre jobs is BPO, which stands for business process outsourcing. In this context, it refers to call centres which are a third-party service provider hired by a company, either situated in its home country or overseas.

What do call centre employees do?

People working in call centres are mostly customer care or customer service executives. They make or receive phone calls for a number of reasons which include helping customers with technical problems and general enquiries.

They're responsible for tracking open cases, resolving issues, following up on complaints and grievances, providing support with financial transactions, and informing clients and customers about new products and services.

Why build a career in a call centre?

A call centre job prepares a person well for a career in the customer service sector and beyond. It teaches good communication skills along with several other technical and soft skills.

Scope of call centre jobs
• The professional skills gained from a call centre job, like negotiation, organisation and multitasking, are very transferable in nature. These give call centre agents an edge throughout their careers, whether they go ahead to pursue senior customer service jobs, sales, marketing or management.
• The nature of call centre jobs can be more flexible than other standard 9-to-5 jobs, which means they are a good entry point for freshers, freelancers, remote workers and people restarting their careers.
• Call centre jobs have great growth opportunities. There are many examples of agents moving up to become team leaders, then supervisors and then managers. Perhaps the most well known success story is that of Andrea Ayers, who started as a customer service representative and went on to become the CEO of Convergys, which was the world’s largest call centre management company.

Demand for call centre jobs
• Call centre jobs are very relevant since all businesses need a solid customer care or support team to keep the links with its customer base intact. The need for 24-hour customer support by certain industries means that some companies hire agents for both day and night shifts.
• Despite automated customer support systems coming up, call centre or customer care executives are in a lot of demand. Automated voice or text support cannot fully replace the experience of speaking to a live agent on the other end, and businesses want to make sure their customers are treated with the respect that a machine cannot provide.
• In India, the BPO sector is always a magnet for call centre employees. With countries like USA outsourcing their operations and setting up bases in “offshore” locations like India, call centre agents are always required to meet their demands.

Pros and cons of a career in call centres

Qualification required for call centre jobs

Call centre jobs usually do not require any specific educational qualifications. To be a call centre agent, the minimum required education may be a bachelor’s degree or even a high school certificate.

Courses and certifications for call centre jobs

Any course or certificate in telemarketing, sales or customer service is appropriate for a career in a call centre. There are several courses and modules available online which can be a highlight on your CV. Listed below are some of the popular ones which might be useful before applying for a call centre job.

1. Website: Udemy
   Course: Mastering Telesales
   Price: INR 8,000
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 2 hours)
2. Website: Udemy
   Course: Fundamentals of Telemarketing
   Price: INR 3,200
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 2 hours 49 minutes)
3. Website: Udemy
   Course: Telephone Sales Training Certification
   Price: INR 7,680
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 2 hours)
4. Website: Oxford Home Study
   Course: Call Centre Training
   Price: £ 310 (Approx. INR 29,000)
   Format: Online/Distance Learning
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 200 hours)
5. Website: The Call Center School
   Course: First Class Phone Skills
   Price: $49 (Approx. INR 3,500)
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 3 hours 45 minutes)
6. Website: The Call Center School
   Course: Frontline Fundamentals
   Price: $109 (Approx. INR 7,789)
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 8 hours)
7. Website: Udemy
   Course: Customer Service Soft Skills Fundamentals
   Price: INR 1,280
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 1 hour)
8. Website: LinkedIn
   Course: Phone-Based Customer Service
   Price: INR 1,062
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 22 hours)
9. Website: Coursera
   Course: Customer Engagement Specialist
   Price: INR 5,610
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 2 hours)
10. Website: Alison
    Course: Interacting with Customers
    Price: Free
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: Self-paced (Approx. 2-3 hours)

Call centre jobs in India

In the context of India, both in-bound and outsourced call centres are always in need of new agents. Let us take a look at the current vacancies in call centres and other related fields.

Job roles in call centres

Call centre salaries

Salaries at a call centre may vary according to the level of expertise or seniority.

Call centre agent skills

Take a look at the essential skills required to work in a call centre.

• Core skills

• Soft skills
Patience, punctuality, creativity, quick-thinking.

Call centre agent tools

Different call centres may use different tools, but generic names of some common tools used in most call centres or customer care centres are mentioned below.

Common career paths for call centre jobs

Here are some common ways that can make your way to start a career with a call centre job.

A. When you have a 10+2 or high school certificate

Career Path 1:
Complete high school in any stream → Gain experience via an internship or traineeship in a call centre → Apply for a regular position in a call centre or BPO.
Career Path 2:
Complete high school in any stream → Complete online course or gain certification → Spend time as an intern or trainee at a call centre → Join as permanent call centre agent or customer support executive

B. When you have a Bachelors degree

Career Path 1:
Complete Bachelors degree in any discipline → Complete short-term course in sales → Apply for job in a call centre.
Career Path 2:
Complete Bachelors degree in any discipline → Join as sales or customer support intern → Apply for a position as customer support or customer care agent in call centre.

Note: The above career paths are just examples of common career paths. There is no fixed career path to start a career in a call centre. The career steps can vary as per the background, aptitude and skills of the individual.

Tips to get a job in a call centre

Here are some useful tips for landing a call centre job.

1. Develop fluency in languages
Call centre and telemarketing jobs rely majorly on how well you can speak to and understand your customers. To excel in such a role, fluency in one or more languages is a must. English is now universally required, but for region-specific jobs, a good command over native Indian languages or foreign languages may be preferred.

2. Build computer literacy
A call centre agent has to use computer-based tools in his/her daily job for taking calls, recording complaints, rerouting tickets, checking and creating databases, etc. Although you may receive training to use a specific set of software or applications, a certain level of comfort and familiarity with using computers is a must before joining a call centre.

3. Build conversational and communication skills
The work of a telemarketer or customer support executive does not end with following a fixed script. In the real world, a customer support executive needs to use wit and charm to make the customer on the other end listen and respond positively. For this, exceptional skills for conversation, listening and speaking, negotiation and professionalism are required.

4. Get work experience in sales
Sales is a good field to gain experience and the essential skills of facing a customer, effective communication, and closing a deal. Even if you are not hired as a telemarketer, these skills will translate well into whatever role you are required to play at your call centre or customer service job.

5. Obtain professional certifications
In case getting work experience is difficult, another way to make yourself a more desirable candidate for a call centre job is to get relevant qualifications. Complete a short-term certificate course or an online module in telemarketing, sales, customer support, etc. It will add value to your CV and convince the company of your capabilities.

Call centre blogs

Here is a list of popular call centre or customer support blogs:

1. Fonolo
2. Ozonetel
3. Hubspot
4. Call Centre Helper
5. Destination CRM
6. International Customer Management Institute
7. Envision
8. Service Untitled
9. Intradiem
10. MattsenKumar

Call centre books

Here is a list of popular call centre or customer support books:

1. Challenger Sale: How to Take Control of the Customer Conversation
2. Call Center Fundamentals
3. Call Center Optimization
4. Cold Calling Techniques That Really Work
5. Sales Secrets of a Telemarketing Queen
6. I’d Rather Have A Root Canal Than Do Cold Calling!
7. Uncommon Service: Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business
8. The Amazement Revolution
9. Customer Service Training 101
10. The Million Dollar Rebuttal

Call centre job YouTube videos and channels

Here is a list of popular call centre or customer support videos:

1. Call Centre Interview for Freshers
2. BPO Interview Questions
3. Mock Call Practice: Simple Outbound Call
4. Practice Call Centre Interview
5. Mock Call Practice: Handling an Irate Customer
6. Call Centre Interview Sample
7. 10 Telemarketing Tips for Beginners
8. 9 Easy Phone Sales Tips
9. Customer Service Sample Call
10. Customer Service Expressions

Call centre job forums

Here is a list of popular call centre or customer support forums:

1. Call Centre Helper
2. Call Centers Forum
3. Call Centers India
4. Customer Service Manager

Call centre job webinars

Some of the available webinars on call centre and customer support jobs are:

1. Call Centre Helper
2. Talkdesk
3. Customer Contact Week Digital
4. International Customer Management Institute

Call centre interview questions

When you start applying for jobs the call centre, BPO or customer representative sector, it might be useful to brush up on some basics and prepare well with sample questions and answers.
Customer service interview questions .

BPO interview questions useful.

Top companies to follow

Popular companies

• Genpact
• TCS
• Tech Mahindra
• Infosys
• Aegis Global
• Wipro
• WNS
• Intelenet Global Services
• First Source
• Trupp Global
• Invensis
• Uneecops

Call centre agents are a necessary part of customer support and sales teams across industries. Hopefully, the guide above will help you find the call centre or customer service job you deserve.
Good luck!