Call Center Life

When I worked at the BOMC call center, our calls were supposed to be under three minutes. At the call center that I'm at now, if all your calls are under three minutes, they want to know what you're doing to hurry the customers off the phone.

We're supposed to let our customers feel comfortable with us on the phone, that they should feel free to ask questions about our products, to ask our opinions on how to furnish and decorate their rooms. "Be Consultative" ~ how's that for a phrase? ~ but not "just" an order-taker. We're supposed to shop-along with the caller. Some of the women at the Center are really into that.

While I basically agree with all of that, I have to say that asking us to inquire about children's ages, names, baby due dates, etc., is intrusive. If any of that comes up naturally in the course of the conversation during the call, then fine. Saying "isn't that special?", "oh, how adorable", "how wonderful for you!" may come naturally for some, but not for me. When I can hear doorbells, crying kids, cell phones ringing, and more coming from the background, usually the customer just wants to get those particular items ordered and get off the phone.

It's always great to get compliments from our customers. Most of the time my compliments come in the form of "You're so quick and efficient ~ I really appreciate that!" Sometimes customers will tell me way too much about their lives (monster-in-laws, health problems, spouse problems, moving problems, decorating problems, you name it, I think I've heard it). After a 30 or 45 minute call like that, they'll say that it was a pleasure to talk to me. Once, after a discussion that got way more political than I usually allow (she and I saw eye-to-eye on things) a woman told me that I must be a Virgo. I am and said how did she know. "I can spot a Virgo a mile away," she told me, "we're all bitches that speak our minds!" LOL ~ I must admit she was a hoot to talk with.

In almost five years I've gotten only two obscene callers. One of those was a guy who used to call regularly and some of the other associates got him many times - they called him the "blanket guy" because he called to ask deep, probing questions about the textures of our premium blankets.

BTW ~ all call centers have various ways of rewarding or recognizing the associates that take the calls. We now have email surveys that go to customers who placed an order and gave us an email address. Some customers ask to be transferred to our supervisor to tell them how good we were. But what really counts big with the management is when our customers take the time to write and mail a letter. If you feel like a call center employee really did something good, ask for the address and mail in a letter telling management. Of course, the reverse is true, too. It hurts the rest of us when one of our co-workers is rude or generally not helpful. They need to be educated or spoken to, and it won't happen if the supervisors don't know about it.

Phone Specials: we've always got 'em and we're supposed to offer them to every caller. I'll usually say "and we have our beach towels on special for those calling in today" and when the customer says "no, thank you", I just finish up the order. Other call center associates will go on to say something like "we've got other specials, wouldn't you like to hear them?" Heck, 99% of our callers know that we have them. If they want to hear them, they frequently ask to right up front.

I'll close today with a little funny incident that happened while a customer was giving me an order. I could hear her daughter, saying "mommy, mommy" over and over again. She must've been right at her mother's side. In the middle of giving me an item number, the mother exclaimed loudly "OW!" I asked "What happened? Is everything okay?" The woman started to laugh and "She bit me!"

That little girl REALLY wanted her mother's attention!