Everyone you speak to will have a different opinion of what working in a call centre is like, but believe it or not the negative stereotypes aren’t always true. Working in a call centre can be rewarding and fun and provide you with the skills to kick start your career.
It’s work that can make a difference
A lot of people think about outbound sales when they think of a call centre, but the reality is call centres operate in a variety of sectors and industries. You can be working in an inbound tech call centre supporting customers with their recent purchases and helping if any issues arise. You could be employed at a local council or housing trust, speaking with tenants daily and ensuring they are receiving the support they need. Or you could be an operator or advisor in the telehealth or telecare sector assisting vulnerable individuals and liaising closely with social workers, primary care teams, carers, emergency services, sheltered housing teams and family members.
It isn’t all about hitting hard targets and constantly smashing the phone lines – it really is a job where you can make a real difference to people’s lives.
You get to communicate with a wide range of people
For every hostile caller, there are many more that are grateful to speak with you and have your assistance. Talking to a diverse range of people every day can be incredibly satisfying – variety is the spice of life after all!
It isn’t only on the phones that you get to talk to a hugely different group of people, call centres themselves are a mixing pot of people from different backgrounds and walks of life. The people working alongside you in a call centre can turn out to be lifelong friends.
It’s a work hard, play hard environment
We won’t lie this is a career where a lot is expected of call centre advisors. The very soul of the job is two people speaking to each other, so it can take a lot of hard work and energy to ensure each call is as good or better than the last. But with the hard work comes a lot of fun. Many call centres are known to provide enviable incentive schemes and social events for staff. The wages are also better than most people expect – salaries across the UK range from £17,000 – £27,000 depending on experience and industry.
So, if you’re happy to put in the hard graft you can be sure you will be rewarded for it.
Your skills are valued
Whether you are bi or multilingual, have expertise of computers and hardware, or have bags of compassion, your employer values it! They know that without you and your skills, they wouldn’t have a business. This emphasis on skills and knowledge also means that many call centres provide training to upskill their staff and make them more confident. This could be objection and complaint handling, how to recognise vulnerable callers or software training.
Not only do they appreciate your skills and put time into staff training, but you’re also boosting your CV.