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Call Centre Operator

Call centre operators receive telephone calls from people enquiring about a service or product that their organisation provides, and deal with them accordingly. This may involve answering information queries, dealing with customer complaints, or selling goods or services. Some call centre operators may also make outbound calls to sell products or services.

Tasks & duties

Call centre operators may do some or all of the following:

answer telephone calls
take details of callers' queries
provide callers with appropriate information or advice
forward calls to relevant departments
follow up calls by sending letters, faxes or emails
ring customers to promote products or services
be involved in conducting surveys
make appointments with customers

The exact nature of a call centre operator's duties varies according to the products or services that the organisation provides.

Skills & knowledge

Call centre operators need to have:

excellent speaking and listening skills so they can deal effectively with callers
good computer and data entry skills
skill using databases
knowledge of their organisation's products or services to help them provide effective customer service

Entry Requirements

There are no specific requirements for becoming a call centre operator, as training is usually given on the organisation's products or services before operators start answering telephone calls.

Secondary Education

There are no specific secondary education requirements for becoming a call centre operator, although some employers prefer completion of Sixth Form Certificate.

Training on the job

Call centre operators usually receive training on customer service and telephone skills, and can work towards a National Certificate in Call Centre Operations. Experienced call centre operators can progress to a team leader's position and work towards a National Certificate in Call Centre Management (Team Leader).

ETITO (Electrotechnology Industry Training Organisation) website – information on training and qualifications