Call center agents: boon or bane?

“Thank You for calling, how may I help you?” This is the common opening spiel that we usually hear from thousands of customer service representatives not just in the Philippines, not just in Asia but all over the world. From early in the morning till midnight, call center agents are relentlessly working 24/7, seven days a week. Business process outsourcing has been the bread and butter for a lot of Filipinos nowadays. Who would have thought that this type of job would be a saving grace for the hundreds and thousands of our fellowmen. Account associate or commonly known as customer service representative is highly in demand today than before. A lot of people are now considering this as their main job than taking it as a part time job. Even people who have completed their four year degree course are also taking this path than landing a job related to their field or related to their professions. If you think of call center agent what comes first in your mind? Maybe you would imagine someone who is working in the office. You may think of someone who is computer savvy or you might envision someone is good in communication skills. Well, all of these are true, because being a call center agent is such a diverse job description. It is not limited only to data entry of answering customer’s query and solving their daily problems but it would also involve critical thinking, data analyzing and good decision making.

I can say that being a call center agent is not an easy task. You must be a well rounded person to qualify for this position. Many people wish to try to venture in this type of job but only few are chosen, only a fraction of applicants are lucky enough to advance to the final interview and blessed enough to land a job.

Let me tell you what are the pros and cons in working in a call center industry. I will explain to you why a lot of people are being attracted to enter in this world and why some are hesitant to pursue their dream and to another type of job instead.

I myself have been a customer service representative for more that seven years already, and I am proud to say that I have maximised my skills and abilities working in this industry. It is true that working in a call center is not easy. You have to experience a lot of mistakes and get multiple reprimands from your superior but despite of that you still continue to press on since you know that it is part of the process and each one of us is a work in progress.

After I graduated from college I decided to apply for one of the premier call center companies in our city and lucky enough I was accepted and hired a account associate I. I Couldn’t express how happy I was since that company was one of my dream companies. I prepared myself before I went to that place. I made sure that I am ready to answer all of the possible questions that will be thrown to me. I was so determined and confident that I would pass the interview and hopeful that I would be included in the family of that company.

After a few days, the human resource personnel contacted me and scheduled me for a training in a financial account. I was part of wave one and a pioneering account in that company. I was so excited because that was my first company after college and also my first BPO company. There were so many first times that I experienced in that company. I was not a good communicator and I was so afraid to speak in front of people but because of that job I have learned so many things that until now I can still apply to any of my future job.

Now this time, allow me to tell you the pros and cons of working in the call center company.

Good points

• Working in call center develops your communication skills.

• It develops your critical thinking skills.

• It makes you a decisive person.

• It develops your character and makes you a well rounded person.

• It is a high paying job and the salary is lucrative.

Bad points

• It is somehow stressful for newbies.

• You can’t choose a specific time that is convenient to you.

• Your breaktime is limited.

• Internet connection is sometimes a struggle.

Conclusion: Now that you already know the pros and cons of working in the call center company you are free to choose if you continue working in this industry.