With 385,000 American workers in the call center industry, competition is intense for the most desirable positions. If you are fortunate enough to be called in for an interview for one of these posts, how can you prepare yourself so that you stand out from the crowd?

Land that Job: The Interview

Mastering the art of managing customer complaints can seem like a thankless job, but keep in mind that for every customer that shares their worries, concerns or complaints, there are likely more that did not express their dissatisfaction, and instead simply moved on to a competitor. Customer complaints can, and should be treated as opportunities.

Listen to Your Customers

If you have decided that working in a call center is the right career path for you, you should realize that you are not alone. The U.S. Department of Labor reported in 2006 that more than 385,000 workers across America find employment in call centers. How can you stand out from the crowd and secure the job of your choosing?

Land That Job: Part One, The Resume

Faced with falling customer satisfaction rates and rising costs, companies in recent years have been searching for solutions. For some years, companies experimented with off-shore outsourcing, building call center sites in locations such as India, the Philippines, and Malaysia, where cheap land and labor, along with a large English-speaking population were available. However, a new alternative is visible on the horizon, which may be even more promising than outsourcing. This is the home-based agent model.

Work at Home, a Call Center Option

Are you new to call centers or thinking of carving a career path for yourself in the industry? Before you head out the door for your first interview, get acquainted with some of the terms and technologies you will be faced with. Call centers employ a wide variety of different technologies. This article covers the most common terms and technologies agents are expected to understand and use.

Call Center Terminology

When you think of hazardous careers, firefighters, police officers, and coal miners doubtless top the list. Rarely would call center representative enter your mind. But in recent years studies in the UK and Australia are analyzing a syndrome affecting a significant number of call center operators.

Acoustic Shock

Call centers evolved around 30 years ago, in the travel and hospitality industry. The concept of call centers are giving way to "contact centers".  Often, smaller companies cannot afford the high price of Helpdesk software, let alone the resources to fund a full time support center. Call centers gained wide acceptance, as companies began to learn that service is the key to attracting and maintaining customers. Call center help desk software is now available on a wide variety of platforms and scalability.  

The Evolution of Call Centers