CALL CENTRE MANAGER JOB

The manager of a call centre (now increasingly called a contact centre) is responsible for the daily running and management of a call centre through the effective use of resources, with responsibility for meeting, and possibly setting, customer service targets and planning areas of improvement or development. Call centre managers ensure that calls are answered by staff within predetermined time scales and are dealt with properly.

Call centre managers liaise with the businesses for which the centre provides services, as well as with the third parties who supply products to the centre. They co-ordinate and motivate call centre staff and may also co-ordinate staff recruitment. There are two main types of call centre - inbound and outbound (some centers may incorporate both): inbound centers receive calls from customers and clients, e.g. queries, requests, orders and complaints, outbound centers contact potential customers and clients with the aim of gathering information or selling a product.

Generally speaking, tasks will involve setting and meeting performance targets for speed, efficiency, sales and quality. Planning and managing change. Managing the daily running of the call centre. Liaising with supervisors, team leaders, operatives and third parties to gather information and resolve issues. Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of industry developments and involvement in or membership of networks. Monitoring random calls to improve quality minimize errors and track operative performance. Planning and developing staff recruitment, including wording vacancy advertisements and liaising with HR staff.

Reviewing the performance of staff, identifying staff training needs and planning training sessions. Recording statistics, user rates and the performance levels of the centre, and preparing reports. Handling the most complex customer complaints or enquiries. Organizing staffing, including shift patterns and the number of staff required meeting demand. Coaching, motivating and retaining staff and co-coordinating bonus, reward and incentive schemes. Forecasting and analyzing data against budget figures on a weekly and/or monthly basis. Developing, implementing and reviewing core responsibilities and tasks. Analyzing performance statistics and making decisions on the basis of these statistics; improving performance by raising efficiency and sourcing new equipment to enable this, e.g. new dialing products.