Call Centre Cool - The Perks Of Working In A Contact Centre
When most people imagine call centres, they think of claustrophobic cubicles, the sharp shrill of phones ringing and angry customers demanding to know where their delivery is.
Contact centres have come a long way since the nineties. Those stuffy cubicle walls have been torn down to reveal modern, trendy office spaces. Dialler systems save fingers from bashing out those digits all day. And hey, we've even gone hands-free!
Sales careers within call centres have fast become a popular choice for driven sales professionals looking for a lot more than a nine to five. We take a look at the reasons call centre jobs are cool...
No experience... no problem
All jobs require experience, right? But everyone has their first job at some point. Whether you're changing careers and making your mark in the world of sales and customer service or have just graduated and ready to secure your first role, a call centre could be a great step.
The basic requirements for most call centre jobs are great communication skills, computer skills and an attitude that makes you a great team player. Some call centres will give extra brownie points for fluency in other languages such as English, French or German.
Though if your experience is a little light, show the right amount of drive, determination and dedication to making it a success, and there's an opportunity with your name on it.
Earn big
Call centre jobs offer a higher salary than many entry level positions. If you're good, you can double your earnings through commission and enjoy additional perks such as performance incentives, bonuses and even rewards for coming into work every day! Many contact centres we work with reward their employees for exceeding targets, not taking unneccessary sick days and for showing the makings of a true team player.
You might not always work a nine to five role, though you may be able to enjoy overtime for working bank holidays, weekends or late shifts.
More? On top of your salary, you can bump up your bank balance through benefits such as health insurance, free gym membership and discounts on dining, retail products or holidays, dependant on the company you work for.
Stretch your skills
As most call centre jobs don't require a great deal of experience, free training is often provided. This is a great chance to develop new skills to add to your CV. Think, communication skills, use of call centre systems or skills in training and managing your own contact centre team.
Dependant on the product or service your company sells, you'll also develop your product knowledge in a particular area which can lead to bigger opportunities later down the line.
Climb the ladder
Once you start life as a contact centre professional, you open up opportunities to progress your sales or customer service career. Most leading contact centres prefer to promote from within as their people already have strong knowledge of the product and how things are run within the business.
When the opportunity for promotion arises, you'll be ready to take on that next challenge.
Dream team
Call centres employ people from all different backgrounds and walks of life. It's a breeding ground for bonding, establishing new friendships and carving out a great working team. Many contact centres run team building days to encourage colleagues to get to know each other, and therefore create a stronger team culture.
A contact centre team is like one large family. You root for each other, support each other, work together and play together. Five o' clock Fridays and chocolate covered treats are often involved.
Stylish surroundings
Gone are the grey, fusty contact centres filled row upon row with desks and partitions. Today's call centres are created to encourage fun, vibrant and passionate working environments. You'll enjoy modern, open plan offices, cutting edge computer equipment and if you're lucky, perks such as rec rooms, pool tables, in-house dining or even a gym.
Ditch the dress code
Not a fan of office wear or strict suit and tie? Most contact centres adopt a more casual approach to workwear. Don't for one-minute think rocking up for work in your gym gear or trainers is the norm, though smart casual is often the tradition for today's call centre employees. Skinny jeans on the daily? Yes, please.
Leave the work at work
There are many jobs that involve taking a little work home at the end of a hard day's graft. The result - no work, life balance. When working in a call centre, you won't be required to take a 'little extra' home. Once you have logged off, it's time to switch off. Leaving more time for those all-important social plans...
Thinking a contact centre career is the one for you? Speak to the team about our latest call centre vacancies or upload your CV and we'll set about finding you the perfect match.