JOB DESCRIPTION
The job of supervisor involves overseeing, organizing and coordinating the work of call centre interviewers. In charge of managing both operations and staff, these professionals act as an interface between agents and management.
On a daily basis, they supervise calls and ensure that set objectives are achieved. They motivate agents and make sure that rules of conduct are observed. When an interviewer runs into difficulty with a caller, supervisors handle the problem by taking the call directly. As required, they perform the same duties as the people they supervise.
They produce regular activity reports for their managers. They are also responsible for spotting inconsistencies in the scripts/questionnaires and for suggesting improvements.
In small or medium-size call centres, supervisors are called on to recruit and train new agents. They also take care of scheduling and have their say on bonuses. In large call centres, these tasks are distributed among the various departments.
MAIN SKILLS
To apply for a job as a supervisor, you should have one to two years’ call centre experience. Recruiters also often seek out complementary personnel management experience. Regardless of your path, one thing is sure—you have to like taking the initiative and leading a team to victory.
Excellent oral and written communication skills are required. Your interpersonal skills help you solve everyday problems. The role requires dynamism. Finally, you have a sound knowledge of basic computer tools (e.g. Office suite, Internet, e-mail).
PERSONAL QUALITIES
- Leadership
- Organization skills
- Team spirit
- Sense of initiative
- Patience
- Availability
- Proactivity
WHAT THE PROS SAY
INTERVIEW WITH FRANCINE NELSON,
BELRON CANADA CLAIM MANAGEMENT CENTRE
Francine Nelson is a supervisor with Belron Canada, a leading player in the Canadian automobile window repair and replacement industry. Some 50 agents reporting to her process business partners’ customer claims. She agreed to talk to CallCenterjob.ca about her job.
DO YOU HAVE TO BE “ZEN” TO BECOME A SUPERVISOR?
Yes, you do! In my call centre, I play a pivotal role. I’m one of the resource people who make sure that everything on our team always runs smoothly. This means being able to turn on a dime and making quick decisions. This requires an ability to listen, act quickly, show leadership and rally people.
WHAT PART OF YOUR JOB DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?
I particularly like personnel management, even though it’ comes with its share of challenges. Most of our new agents are in their twenties. It’s great to see them grow and evolve. My goal is for us to develop their talent and skills together by drawing on their strengths. I try to help them become better professionals. Every day requires innovation, because each person is different. In short, we work with people and not “numbers”!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE LEAST?
It’s true that there is a fair amount of turnover, but this tends to improve. Here, we have a below-average turnover rate. . . far from that found in outbound call centres!