Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Call Center Manager

A Call Center Manager is a professional who oversees the operations and performance of a call center, ensuring efficient customer service and satisfaction. They are responsible for managing a team of call center agents, monitoring key performance indicators, and implementing strategies to improve productivity and customer experience. In this blog post, we will delve into the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Call Center Managers.

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Main Responsibilities of a Call Center Manager

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Call Center Manager:

Adhere to

Adhere to department and company policies.

Analyze

Analyze data and generate reports on call center performance.
Analyze margin reports, customer SLAs, and customer feedback.

Answer

Answer questions from staff and provide guidance and feedback, including escalations.
Answer questions of team members and relay information from upper management.

Anticipate

Anticipate escalation and take over calls when needed.

Assist in

Assist in the formulation of targets for individuals and teams.
Assist with implementation of Dispatch Science for On Demand customers.
Assist with training materials for external and internal users.

Assume

Assume responsibility of budgeting and tracking expenses.

Attend

Attend all required Manager meetings.

Build

Build and grow a team culture with a focus on customer obsession.
Build trust with clients and customers through honest and caring customer support.

Collaborate with

Collaborate with other departments to improve overall customer experience.
Collaborate with team members to craft solutions to meet customer needs.

Collect

Collect and analyze call-center statistics (sales rates, costs, customer service metrics etc.).
Collect information and document bugs for product issues that are impacting customers.

Communicate

Communicate with leadership team for optimization of inside sales team and outside sales team.

Complete

Complete both internal and external communication projects.

Conduct

Conduct annual performance reviews creating accountability through performance measurement.
Conduct / assist with training for call center staff.
Conduct call evaluations ensuring compliance with performance standards and superior outcomes.
Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide feedback to agents.
Conduct regular side by side audits of staff.
Conduct regular team meetings to communicate goals, updates, and expectations.
Conduct timely and accurate employee performance audits and evaluations.

Continue to

Continue taking advantage of the knowledge of the products, services, and promotions of our clients.
Continue to develop and implement program policies and procedures.

Contribute

Contribute ideas that will help to resolve customer problems.

Coordinate

Coordinate project needs, problem resolution, and client facing priorities with project manager.

Create

Create and maintain systems used for SOPs, Knowledge Base and Training.
Create bonuses and find ways to motivate his team.
Create incentives and contest ideas that result in performance improvement.
Create new procedures when required.
Create, support, and ensure adherence to department policies and procedures.

Deploy

Deploy communication solutions per service and business requests.

Develop

Develop and implement call center strategies to achieve performance targets.
Develop and implement strategies to reduce call center attrition.
Develop and maintain organization and staffing to meet customer service requirements.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
Develop KPI metrics for each support member, and team as a whole.
Develop, maintain, and monitor quality management and performance improvement.
Develop objectives for the call center's day-to-day activities.
Develop plans for the use of new tools and technologies.
Develop training plans to ensure compliance to organization's policies and customer requirements.
Develop training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of call center agents.

Devise

Devise ways to optimize procedures and keep staff motivated.

Engage

Engage staff to continue momentum during the day.

Ensure

Ensure adherence to all established guidelines and management practices for employees.
Ensure adherence to call center policies and procedures.
Ensure adherence to policies for attendance, established procedures etc.
Ensure client satisfaction and provide optimal level of customer services for various departments.
Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, such as data protection and privacy laws.
Ensure CSRs are adhering to set schedules by monitoring adherence, attendance, and overtime.
Ensure employee and customer satisfaction.
Ensure KPIs are met or exceeded.
Ensure leads flow to proper campaigns and queues.
Ensure that agents are delivering a high-quality experience with each interaction.
Ensure that the working environment is in line with the vision, mission and values.

Establish

Establish standards for call handling, service levels and performance monitoring measures.

Evaluate

Evaluate customer pickup and delivery requests and determines optimum driver assignments.
Evaluate performance with key metrics (accuracy, call-waiting time etc.).

Follow

Follow standardized operating procedures as directed.

Foster

Foster a culture of teamwork, open communication, and continuous improvement.
Foster a positive work environment and motivate team members to meet targets.

Gather

Gather and review of all necessary CSR statistics to address performance issues.

Handle

Handle customer inquiries and complaints.
Handle escalated calls and defuse potential complaints.
Handle escalated issues, including client concerns and maintenance of client information database.
Handle scheduling and shift planning to ensure adequate coverage.

Hire

Hire and onboard new employees.
Hire, coach, and provide feedback to the team to maintain high customer service standards.
Hire, coach and provide training to personnel to maintain high customer service standards.
Hire, onboard and schedule agents as required to ensure coverage for incoming requests.
Hire, train and onboard new Call Center Agents as required.

Identify

Identify and communicate areas of improvement that can be made to leadership.
Identify and solve customer problems through problem-solving.
Identify areas for improvement and implement process enhancements.
Identify bottlenecks and suggest solutions.
Identify issues, trends, opportunities, and process changes.
Identify prioritize and resolve operational issues.

Implement

Implement and help improve procedures for ongoing operation of onboarding listings.
Implement and help improve procedures for ongoing support to Partners.
Implement and maintain customer feedback interaction tool.
Implement continuous process improvement.
Implement customer satisfaction surveys and analyze results to drive improvements.
Implement quality assurance measures to maintain service excellence.
Implement technology solutions to streamline call center operations.

Improve

Improve products and / or customer services.

Keep

Keep management informed on issues and problems.

Know

Know the collateral, marketing campaigns, and drip campaigns to optimize conversion.

Lead

Lead a team of 15 - 20 call center agents, call center leaders and assistant managers.
Lead by example and promote a customer-centric approach throughout the call center.
Lead, motivate and mentor a team of 10+ customer service reps.
Lead regular team meetings to educate and coach agents.

Learn

Learn and comprehend new concepts.

Maintain

Maintain a high level of accountability in developing new ways to reward staff when KPIs are met.
Maintain and improve call center operations by preparing and completing action plans.
Maintain and reviews billing and operation records.
Maintain composure and professionalism with customers, clients, and colleagues.
Maintain flexibility and perform other duties as assigned.
Maintain general e-mail and chat inquires, ensuring proper service levels.
Maintain monthly teams, goals, and reporting for the contact center.
Maintain professional composure during periods of intense focus and / or high-pressure situations.
Maintain reliable transportation to ensure punctuality for shifts.

Make

Make outbound phone calls on escalated or urgent account needs.
Make recommendations to the Call Center Director.

Manage

Manage and support onsite staff as well as remote employees as needed.
Manage and train call center staff.
Manage call center equipment and troubleshoot technical issues.
Manage dialers and data import and sorting.
Manage effective use of Independent Contractors (IC) to ensure adherence to customer SLAs.
Manage inbound calls and customer service inquiries.
Manage team members and perform performance reviews.
Manage the call center budget and allocate resources efficiently.
Manage the Team Leads, who are ultimately responsible for a team 20+.

Measure

Measure performance with key metrics such as call abandonment, calls waiting etc..

Mentor

Mentor, support, and cross-train communication administrators.

Monitor

Monitor all functional resources required for growth and ensure appropriate working.
Monitor and improve ordering, telephone handling and other procedures.
Monitor and improve support request handling and warm and cold transfer processes.
Monitor and maintain dialer flow.
Monitor and optimize workforce management systems for efficient staffing.
Monitor and oversee team's KPIs.
Monitor call center metrics, such as average handling time, response time, and customer satisfaction ratings.
Monitor call recordings and provide coaching to enhance agent performance.
Monitor calls at random for quality assurance.
Monitor daily logs for errors and / or compliance to customer requirements.
Monitor leads and proper follow up.
Monitor Talk times / Ensure minimums are met and exceeded.
Monitor team's metrics on a weekly and monthly.

Offer

Offer solutions for improvement.

Optimize

Optimize the use of dispatch software.

Oversee

Oversee and ensure conflict resolution between associates and customers.
Oversee and manage the daily work of the call center activities and departmental tasks.
Oversee, implement, and execute quality assurance programs and assessments (QA).
Oversee recruitment and scheduling of the call center staff.

Own

Own all aspects of the customer relationship.
Own internal department communications.

Perform

Perform other duties as needed which may include cross-training in related positions.

Plan

Plan and implement the overall call center strategy, deciding on people, processes, and technology.
Plan, design, upgrade, and implement communication solution.

Prepare

Prepare for seasonal ramp-up.
Prepare monthly / annual results and performance reports.
Prepare performance reports by summarizing data and trends.
Prepare reports for different departments or upper management.

Process

Process weekly / monthly reports for submission to management.

Promote

Promote a cooperative and productive work environment.

Propose

Propose to Call Centre Director areas of improvement in terms of process and the overall program.

Provide

Provide coaching and assistance to call center agents on an ongoing basis.
Provide coaching and support to team members.
Provide constructive feedback and positive reinforcement to drive performance.
Provide information about the company services and programs.
Provide monthly reports on all programs in the Call Center to project manager.
Provide on-call support and coverage as needed.
Provide product / services information by utilizing multiple resources.

Put

Put the customer first and be respectful and professional at all times.

Receive

Receive incoming calls & making outbound calls, booking service appointments whenever possible.

Record

Record all customer information, contacts, and purchases in the CRM system.

Recruit

Recruit and train callers.
Recruit, hire, and facilitates onboarding of employees within the call center.
Recruit, train, and onboard new call center agents.

Represent

Represent Infrastructure team on projects with communication needs.

Resolve

Resolve customer complaints and answer customers' questions regarding policies and procedures.
Resolve customer complaints and escalations in a timely manner.

Respond to

Respond to customer requests or questions.

Review

Review and meet call center metric targets.
Review individual daily Business Development activities, providing feedback and direction.
Review, recommend, and implement the tools, processes, and other critical items needed by the team.

Set

Set performance goals and objectives for individual team members.

Share and seek out best practices and knowledge.

Stay abreast of

Stay abreast of emerging technologies and suggest innovative solutions.
Stay informed about customer trends and preferences to personalize service.
Stay updated with customer service best practices and implement relevant methodologies.
Stay updated with industry trends and best practices in call center management.

Supervise

Supervise daily productivity of the Support Team.
Supervise the team's day to day operations.

Support

Support all aspects of IT communication.

Take

Take corrective action as needed.

Track

Track, analyze, and report on performance levels of the team.
Track and measure productivity and compare to benchmarks.

Train

Train staff on how to cross-sell products.
Train, support and motivate the Business Development team to obtain monthly goals.

Transit

Transit and Highway accessible.

Troubleshoot

Troubleshoot and investigate potential system or process issues.
Troubleshoot and investigates potential or emerging issues.

Understand

Understand and demonstrate the principles of AUTOPAY's Mission, Vision, and Values.
Understand the importance of serving others and taking care of their needs.

Update

Update training collateral / manuals and provide onsite training to Call Center representatives.

Utilize

Utilize Call Center systems and reporting to manage day to day operations.

Work with

Work closely with project manager and incident manager to ensure the success of all programs.
Work with each team member to ensure they reach their quotas.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Call Center Manager:

Proficiency in call center software and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
Strong data analysis skills to extract insights from call center metrics.
Knowledge of workforce management systems for scheduling and forecasting.
Familiarity with automatic call distribution (ACD) systems and interactive voice response (IVR) technology.
Ability to utilize call center reporting tools to generate actionable reports.
Expertise in call scripting and call flow optimization.
Experience with call monitoring and quality assurance software.
Proficiency in using chatbots and live chat platforms for customer support.
Knowledge of telephony systems and call routing mechanisms.
Familiarity with call center performance benchmarking and industry standards.
Ability to interpret and analyze customer satisfaction surveys and feedback.
Strong understanding of contact center operations and best practices.
Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for reporting and presentations.
Knowledge of virtual call center technologies and remote workforce management.
Experience with speech analytics software for call center insights.
Understanding of call center security protocols and fraud prevention measures.
Proficiency in call center CRM integration with other business systems (e.g., sales, marketing).
Knowledge of call center telecommunication infrastructure and network protocols.
Familiarity with call center ticketing systems for issue tracking and resolution.
Proficient in using social media platforms for customer engagement and support.

Most In-demand Soft Skills: The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Call Center Manager:

Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to effectively interact with team members, clients, and customers.
Strong leadership abilities to motivate and inspire a team of call center agents.
Exceptional problem-solving skills to address customer issues and resolve conflicts.
Active listening skills to understand customer needs and provide appropriate solutions.
Empathy and patience to handle challenging and irate customers with professionalism.
Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships with team members and stakeholders.
Time management and organizational skills to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
Adaptability and flexibility to adjust to changing call center dynamics and customer demands.
Analytical mindset to interpret data and make informed decisions for process improvement.
Customer-focused mindset to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.

Conclusion: Being a Call Center Manager entails a wide range of responsibilities, from managing a team and ensuring operational efficiency to enhancing customer experience and driving performance. Alongside the technical skills required to handle call center technologies and data analysis, soft skills like communication, leadership, problem-solving, and empathy are crucial for success in this role. By possessing a combination of these hard and soft skills, Call Center Managers can effectively lead their teams, meet customer expectations, and contribute to the overall success of the call center.

Proficiency in call center CRM integration with other business systems (e.g., sales, marketing).
Knowledge of call center telecommunication infrastructure and network protocols.
Familiarity with call center ticketing systems for issue tracking and resolution.
Proficient in using social media platforms for customer engagement and support.

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Call Center Manager

Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to effectively interact with team members, clients, and customers.
Strong leadership abilities to motivate and inspire a team of call center agents.
Exceptional problem-solving skills to address customer issues and resolve conflicts.
Active listening skills to understand customer needs and provide appropriate solutions.
Empathy and patience to handle challenging and irate customers with professionalism.
Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships with team members and stakeholders.
Time management and organizational skills to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
Adaptability and flexibility to adjust to changing call center dynamics and customer demands.
Analytical mindset to interpret data and make informed decisions for process improvement.
Customer-focused mindset to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Being a Call Center Manager entails a wide range of responsibilities, from managing a team and ensuring operational efficiency to enhancing customer experience and driving performance. Alongside the technical skills required to handle call center technologies and data analysis, soft skills like communication, leadership, problem-solving, and empathy are crucial for success in this role. By possessing a combination of these hard and soft skills, Call Center Managers can effectively lead their teams, meet customer expectations, and contribute to the overall success of the call center.