Outbound Call Center Agent

The Outbound Call Center Agent may appear to be a thing of the past. However, these highly skilled group of individuals is still highly valued in call centers everywhere. While not all customer service professionals may agree on the specific reasons why the Outbound Call Center Agent is so important, the fact remains that it is key to the success of the call center organization.

Outbound Call Center Agent

Outbound Call Center Agents are normally used by organizations as the customer facing part of the company. Depending on the specific industry and intended purpose, Outbound Call Center Agents are used to conduct survey's, collect overdue debts, telemarket products and services, set up appointments, and more.

As part of their daily functions, Outbound Call Center Agents use a predictive dialing system to make calls. The dialer provides a fast and effective way to reach very large numbers of phone numbers, so the Outbound Call Center Agent does not waste time dialing numbers where no one is available. Once the call is connected to an individual, the predictive dialer transfers the call to the agent who then continues with the conversation.

Outbound Call Center Agents are expected to connect with large numbers of prospective customers (or debtors, or survey respondents' etc), and will be responsible for making a minimum of 100 - 150 calls per day. Most companies provide at least basic product and computer training before putting the Outbound Call Center Agents on the phone. However, the usually prefer to hire people with telemarketing and predictive dialing system experience.

The pay for Outbound Call Center Agents depends on many factors lie geographical location, commission structure, bonuses, etc. The pay range can be somewhere between $11.00 - $15.00 per hour.

Some general requirements for prospective Outbound Call Center Agents include:

Excellent command of the English language (Other languages may apply for bilingual agents).
Great phone etiquette and demeanor.
Highly motivated with the ability to manage his/her time.
Customer service oriented with a knack for building quick rapport.
Minimum 6 months in a high volume call center with a strong emphasis on outbound sales calls.
Excellent listening and interpersonal skills.