Call centre manager
The manager of a call centre (also called a contact centre) is responsible for the daily running and management of the centre through the effective use of resources. They have responsibility for meeting, and possibly setting, customer service targets as well as planning areas of improvement or development. Call centre managers ensure that calls are answered by staff within agreed time scales and in an appropriate manner.
Call centre managers liaise with businesses which they provide the first response for, as well as the third parties who supply products to the centre. They coordinate and motivate call centre staff and may also manage staff recruitment.
There are two main types of call centre - inbound and outbound (some centres may incorporate both):
Typical work activities vary according to the type of centre but, generally speaking, tasks will involve:
Entry is generally open to all graduates/diplomates, although some call centres may require their staff to have specialist knowledge or fluency in a foreign language. The following subjects may improve your chances for specialist employers (e.g. an IT helpdesk or airline):
Entry without a degree or HND is often possible but this may be at a call centre operative level, with the chance to work up to a management role. Personal qualities and a pragmatic, common-sense attitude are likely to be more important than the subject and level of study. Vocational training courses specific to call centre work are offered by City & Guilds and OCR Examinations Board . Many employers offer training at all levels.
Relevant work experience will greatly improve your prospects, including any experience with a strong customer focus.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
There are a fairly high number of vacancies in this field especially at entry level and for those with a few years’ call centre or marketing/sales experience.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Training for call centre managers tends to be on the job and continues through all grades.
Training aims to provide managers with essential skills and knowledge related to the effective control of incoming/outgoing calls as well as planning development, resource allocation and staffing issues. Other areas covered by training include:
The Call Centre Management Association (CCMA) provides a number of recognised and approved training courses for call centre managers in various modes. There is also a rolling list of training events.
Universities and colleges offer postgraduate/vocational courses in areas relating to call/contact centre management. The University of Central Lancashire offers a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Contact Centre Management. Suitable graduates/diplomates can continue on to earn a Masters degree.
OCR Examinations Board offers NVQs at levels three to five for call centre professionals. City & Guilds also has NVQs up to level four for contact centre professionals and NVQs/SVQs in customer service up to level four.
Masters/MBA courses in subjects such as performance management can contain relevant modules and thus be useful as a training tool. These courses may also be convenient as they are often available locally.
Many graduates gain experience in other areas of sales and marketing and develop their skills before moving into a call centre manager role. Alternatively, they may join a call centre as operatives and progress with experience to supervisor and then manager level. This is especially true of call centres that operate both inbound and outbound services.
As a rule, outbound centres have a higher staff turnover and can offer quicker promotion opportunities. For outbound sales, determination and resilience can lead to rapid progression within the sector.
Career progression may involve managing larger call centres or specialising in certain aspects of call centre management. This might include designing the layout of a call centre, training staff, developing a customer service focus, and report writing or analysis. Call centre managers may even move to roles where call centre management is only one aspect of their job. For example, research managers may be responsible for coordinating market research projects and data management. Call centre managers may become involved with the training and development of other centre managers or may move into management consultancy and specialise in advising call centres. There may also be the opportunity to be a divisional manager, coordinating a number of call centres.
It is also possible for call centre managers to work abroad. The Call Centre Management Association (CCMA) provides links to around 20 call centre management professional bodies throughout the world.
Many organisations across a range of sectors use call centres as a key function of the business, for example:
Call centres have grown dramatically in the last 10 years and are widely used. Certain areas, such as the North West, Cheshire/Chester, Yorkshire and the M25 corridor around Reading and Bracknell, have attracted the majority of centres. Regional development grants have also attracted businesses to set up call centres in certain regions.
Other employment opportunities could be with shared service centres (SSCs). Similar to call centres in how they operate, SSCs are created by global companies to centralise all financial support activities in their main areas of operation. SSCs are especially popular in finance.
Moves within the sector to shift call centres to non-UK locations, primarily India, in order to cut costs and keep call centres operational 24 hours a day have received a variable reaction from clients. The initial economic benefits of offshoring have been counterbalanced by customer complaints. Some major companies that previously moved their call centres abroad have now taken the decision to shut down and return to the UK in light of customer dissatisfaction.
Recruitment for many of the larger call centres is handled by recruitment agencies, which often have an office on the call centre site and deal with applications, interviewing and induction.
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