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So you want to work in a call center

By Mallary Tenore, Times Correspondent
In print: Monday, May 26, 2008

Call center positions often include several weeks of in-house or on-the-job training.
	[iStockphoto.com]

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The Tampa Bay area has seen its share of call center layoffs recently, but some local call centers are still hiring and looking for new applicants. Nita Pennardt, vice president of customer development for Coca-Cola Enterprises' call center in Tampa, says call center jobs are well suited for people of all ages, in part because of the flexible hours involved. "One of the beauties of call center jobs is that there is an opportunity for people to work in hours that are most suited to their individual needs," said Pennardt, pictured at left. "We have part-time opportunities, late-night opportunities. There's pretty much something for everyone." Pennardt shares her advice on what to look for in a call center job.

What are some skills that call

center employees need?

Great computer navigation skills, good business reasoning skills and good customer service and communication skills.

What makes a good call center job?

• A very open environment with good access to leadership

• Good communication

• Career advancement opportunities within the organization

• Career development programs

• Fair compensation

• An environment that is fun and interesting

You want to work in a place that promotes employee engagement and helps senior leadership understand how the organization can better serve its customers. If I were looking for a call center job, I would want to make sure it's with an organization that has a good track record of promoting people within the company.

What kind of training would you

recommend call center

employees get?

Extensive training programs are not necessarily the norm in contact centers. We have a six-week formal induction training program that includes two weeks of nesting, interjected into the six weeks, where our trainees are actually taking live calls but with very close coaching. It's generally very positively received by employees. Within our company there is a very significant amount of time and effort invested in training compared to other roles, but it's really important because our folks have a tremendous amount of contact with our customers.

What is a good starting salary?

I would say somewhere around $12 to $14 an hour for a general contact center job that doesn't require specialized expertise. You'd also want to look for additional incentive opportunities that could get you to an annual compensation in the low to mid $30,000 range.

What are some questions an

applicant should ask call center employers during interviews?

I would ask about benefits such as medical, 401(k), tuition reimbursement. I would ask about work schedules, attendance policies, training programs, career opportunities, the work environment and the nature of

the work.

What advice would you have for someone who's looking for a call center job?

They should try to find out everything they can about what it's really like to work for the company that they're interested in. I would try to get an understanding of what a typical day would look like. How many calls would I make/take? How much of the day would I spend on the phone? What type of calls or other transactions would I handle?