To find a great call center agent who can make your contact center thrive, you need to ask the right call center interview questions. These questions will help you identify the best agents who can boost your organization’s performance.
Hiring the wrong agents can have serious and expensive consequences. According to 27% of employers, a single bad hire can cost more than $50,000. Good contact center managers are aware of this, and they know that their success depends largely on choosing the right people.
The interview is a crucial stage to ask the questions that reveal whether a candidate has the skills and abilities you need. However, not everyone knows what questions to ask, or what answers to look for.
In this article, you will find 20 interview questions for call center agents. Check them out!
Table of contents
- Types of Interview Questions for Call Center Candidates:
- Personal Call Center Agent Interview Questions
- Practical Call Center Agent Interview Questions
- #7. What are the key factors that make a call center successful?
- #8. Tell me about a time when you had to handle an unreasonable or angry customer
- #9. What procedure do you follow when a customer contacts you?
- #10. Tell me about a time when you received constructive criticism
- #11. Describe a time that you needed to know or learn something new and how you got that information.
- #12. Tell me about the toughest decision or biggest work challenge you had in the last six months.
- #13. What have you done to promote great customer service?
- #14. What achievement are you most proud of?
- #15. How do you handle working in a call center?
- Call Center Agent Questions for Supervisors
- Questions to Close Your Interview
- FAQs
- Conclusion
- References
- Recommendations
Types of Interview Questions for Call Center Candidates:
Below, we have categorized the questions by the type of skill or ability they assess:
- Personal Contact Center Interview Questions
- Practical and Skills-Based Questions
- Interview Questions for Supervisors
- Closing Questions for Agent Candidates
See also: 30 Frequently Asked Competency-Based Interview Questions
Personal Call Center Agent Interview Questions
#1. Tell me about yourself
Before you ask any questions, give the candidates some time to introduce themselves. This way, you can avoid making them nervous and help them feel more comfortable.
Ask the candidate to share their journey before you dive into the details. This will help you get a sense of who they are and what they have done. A good answer will show the reasons and the lessons behind their career moves.
#2. What do you like to do for fun?
You want to hire someone who is ambitious and driven. If they only mention things like “hanging out with friends and watching movies,” they may not have the motivation you need.
Great talents pursue their interests beyond the office. They may enjoy cycling, playing guitar in a band, or having a side hustle — these are all signs of a strong work ethic.
Of course, “hanging out with friends” is a positive social skill, but you should look for a candidate who has more to say than that.
#3. How would your previous team/manager describe you?
The candidate should back up their statements with specific scenarios and examples. Check if they match the culture of your contact center.
#4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
You want to hire someone who can advance in your organization. If an agent you’re hiring has a goal of becoming a manager in the next five years, it means they have the drive to grow and lead. That is a great way to retain talent!
#5. What enticed you to apply?
After learning about their background and experience, you want to know what attracted them to this role. What makes them enthusiastic about working for your call center?
Pay attention to the keywords they use in their answer. If this is a role for a contact center agent, you might want to hear words like “customer-facing” or “problem-solving”. These words indicate how well they know what the role entails.
#6. Why are you leaving your current role?
This question is vital. The answer should show a valid reason for the choice. The candidate should also stay positive and demonstrate what they gained from their last role.
If the candidate is still working, you need to know why they are looking for a change. Answers like “I want to grow more” or “It’s time to explore new opportunities” are good, but not if they have a short tenure at their current job.
Pay attention to how frequently the candidate switches jobs, as this can indicate a problem. If they quickly badmouth the company, this also reflects poorly on their loyalty and professionalism.
See also: What to bring to a job interview | Top 5 MUST-HAVE things
Practical Call Center Agent Interview Questions
#7. What are the key factors that make a call center successful?
This question reveals candidates who have great potential, even if they are not very familiar with the company. Next, you want to find out what they know about the contact center sector in general. This also allows you to see what suggestions they have to improve your contact center.
#8. Tell me about a time when you had to handle an unreasonable or angry customer
Dealing with a difficult customer on the phone is something every agent has faced. How they managed it and what they learned is crucial for their career development.
They should have a story to share for this question if they have any customer service experience. It’s important to see what kind of story they pick and how they respond to challenging customer questions.
The best answer would show how they turned a bad customer interaction into a positive one. You want to hear that they stayed calm and did their best to satisfy the customer even if they were rude or demanding. Ideally, their manager was also impressed with the result.
#9. What procedure do you follow when a customer contacts you?
There is no one right answer to this question, as it depends on your contact center and industry. However, any competent agent should be able to give you a general idea of how to handle typical questions and issues. It might look something like this:
- Say hello to the customer and tell them your name.
- Find out what the customer needs from you.
- PAY ATTENTION to the customer. SHOW COMPASSION. PAY ATTENTION.
- Assist the customer to solve their problem.
- Make sure the customer is happy and if they have any other questions.
#10. Tell me about a time when you received constructive criticism
This question reveals how people deal with constructive criticism. This is a hard question, but you can often infer from the way the candidate narrates the story if they accepted the criticism well. If the candidate says something like, “I valued the feedback,” then it’s probable they don’t react negatively when given suggestions.
#11. Describe a time that you needed to know or learn something new and how you got that information.
Working in a call center requires agents to receive extensive training on the product or industry they serve. Your candidates should be eager to learn and always seek to expand their knowledge of the products they support.
The best candidates will enjoy sharing the different occasions when they learned something new and will usually do this on their own. They should also show that they can take the lead to find solutions by themselves.
#12. Tell me about the toughest decision or biggest work challenge you had in the last six months.
This question is very difficult, so don’t rush the candidate to answer. There is no correct answer here. Let the candidate share their experience, and hopefully, the challenge was worthwhile. This is a good chance to assess what the candidate thinks is a hard decision.
#13. What have you done to promote great customer service?
They should have mentioned the importance of quality customer service in their answer about what defines a successful call center, so let’s explore this further.
Find out what concrete actions they take to deliver great customer service. Do they understand how this applies in reality? How have they adapted their conduct and phone etiquette accordingly?
#14. What achievement are you most proud of?
You can learn a lot about a candidate’s personality from what they are most proud of. Maybe it was resolving a tough customer issue – this indicates they care about serving people or maybe it was winning a prize – this suggests they are driven by appreciation.
#15. How do you handle working in a call center?
Call center work is demanding, stressful, and hectic. It can be boring at times and hostile at others. You want to hire agents who can cope with the daily challenges of working in the contact center.
This question helps you evaluate how your candidates manage the constant, often negative, emotional impact they experience from customer calls.
See also: 10 Frequently Asked UCH School Of Nursing Interview Questions
Call Center Agent Questions for Supervisors
#16. How many people have you managed in the past?
They should be able to tell you something about their experience managing a few or many employees.
If needed, ask them to elaborate on the management methods they have used before and how they have improved their communication skills and management style through practice.
#17. Can you talk about a time when you escalated a call and how you handled it?
This question aims to see if the candidate can resolve the issue and enhance the customer experience simultaneously.
Seek out the best candidates who share how they apply these experiences to train the rest of their team.
#18. How do you go about onboarding a new employee?
Onboarding is essential for success. You need to ensure that your call center’s new manager knows how vital a good onboarding process is and how to implement one.
Seek out candidates who emphasize the importance of defining expectations, hands-on training, and continuous learning opportunities.
#19. Tell me about a time one of your call center agents was underperforming and how you addressed it.
Feedback and performance assessments are crucial for managing any business, particularly the call center. You want to know how this person delivers feedback and how they respond to a disengaged or struggling employee.
The best candidates to be your contact center manager will talk about how they spoke to the agent to get to the bottom of the issue and work with them to form a plan to resolve it.
See also: 20 Frequently Asked Security Guard Interview Questions
Questions to Close Your Interview
#20. Does this role align with your expectations based on the advert?
It is not easy to write a clear and precise job description. This question lets you check if your advert matches what you are looking for in the candidates. Are you creating the right ad to attract the right people?
#21. Do you have any questions for me?
This question lets you gauge how familiar they are with your business. Perhaps they’re curious about your customers or your work culture – these are all good questions!
Poor questions would be focusing on the salary or, even worse, having no questions at all. The first indicates that they care more about money than the opportunity; the second indicates that they are not committed to the role.
See also: How To Answer Interview Questions Confidently | Full Guide
FAQs
You can answer by highlighting your top customer service skills and your passion for helping others solve problems. Example: “I would love to work in a call center because I have a deep passion for conversation and finding ways to help clients solve problems.
One, understand what a call center is looking for in a representative; two, research the company, its products, and the job description; three, prepare for common interview questions and respond using the S-A-R technique and focusing …
Introduce yourself, tell them who you are and what you do. Then, talk about your past work experience, key responsibilities, and skills. Mention your relevant achievements. Finally, explain how your strengths can contribute to the company.
“I should be hired for this role because of my relevant skills, experience, and passion for the industry. I’ve researched the company and can add value to its growth. My positive attitude, work ethics, and long-term goals align with the job requirements, making me a committed and valuable asset to the company.”
“I am excited about this job because it allows me to be part of a company culture that values teamwork, collaboration, and open communication. During my research about [company name], I was impressed by the positive work environment and the emphasis on fostering creativity and diversity of thought.
Conclusion
Call center agents are the front-line representatives of your organization. They need to have the skills, abilities, and personality to handle customer interactions effectively and professionally. To find the best candidates for this role, you need to ask the right questions during the interview. These 20 interview questions will help you assess the competencies and potential of your call center agent applicants in Nigeria.
References
- mastersonstaffing.com -14 Call Center Interview Questions & Answers
- foundit.in – 20 Best Call Center Interview Questions and Answers
Recommendations
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- What to bring to a job interview | Top 5 MUST-HAVE things
- 10 Frequently Asked UCH School Of Nursing Interview Questions
- 20 Frequently Asked Security Guard Interview Questions
- How To Answer Interview Questions Confidently | Full Guide
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