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Key To Good Outbound Call Center Operations: The Script

Key To Good Outbound Call Center Operations: The Script

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Outbound collections is a difficult division of any call center operations. Agents deal with irate and rude people on the other end of the line; they’re also likely to come across excuses to prolong payment of outstanding debt. Some calls are easier to handle than others, but everything must be dealt with calmly and professionally. It’s up to the agent to complete the call and make sure the debtor commits to payment.

Outbound collections call scripts come in handy. A good call script, drafted and implemented properly, is the agent’s guidemap in navigating collection calls. It’s a comprehensive outline of do’s and don’ts, also a playbook that helps keeps debtors from hanging up. This tool, while not the be-all and end-all of every call, ensures agents don’t drop the phone without assurance of payment to the other party.

Proper Introduction

A good outbound collections call script starts with proper introduction of the agent, and the reason for the call. It must also verify that the respondent is the actually the debtor. This is not just for formality’s sake; it is imposed by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (or any local equivalent). Good call center operations require debt collectors to identify themselves and the entity they are representing. Starting off with a prompt introduction lends a professional vibe and assures that the agent is on the right track.

The Spiel

Another point that a good call script must possess is a set of answers for the common excuses of not paying the debt. The list of excuses is long and varied, and each can be obvious or creative. It can escalate quickly from “We haven’t received the statement,” to “Our dog ate the statement.” The call script must be ready and creative enough to hold its own, or at least help the agent think on his feet when a more bizarre reason comes up. As the saying goes, “if there is a will, there is a way”, and if the one in debt can worm his way out of the call with words, the one collecting can also put a tight grip on that conversation with effective spiels.

The Pause

One more asset of good outbound call center operations is the pause. Indeed, debt collecting by phone isn’t a one-way conversation. The agent with the script sometimes falls for the trick of reading it religiously, word for word, that the debtor cannot butt in and state his side. The call script must be sprinkled with pauses, placed at the appropriate moments for the debtor’s convenience. A script with pauses allows room for the two parties to breathe, adjust, and keep the call engaging and transparent.

A Guarantee Of Commitment

Lastly, the good call script must secure commitment. It may not be actual payment; for instance, he can promise to be contacted again another time. And after that, the agent can confirm the deal made to prevent misunderstanding. Having this outlined in the script ensures that despite not being able to pay, business relations with this person will still continue. All it takes is firm phrasing to wrap a call, whether it’s successful or otherwise.

Despite these seemingly rigid points, the script does not need to be spoken to the last letter. The best ones are actually just guides for the agent to make a successful outbound collection. Spontaneity still works outbound call center operations, and is always encouraged when it comes with a formidable outline on the side.

An outbound collection call script helps lighten one of the harder tasks of a voice campaign. Irate, rude debtors will be better handled, and excuses will be better countered. It falls on the agent to make the most out of it, but good scripts are always guaranteed to make the most out of every call.

Common Call Center Interview Questions

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The booming call center industry today is increasingly looking for qualified applicants to fill up the many vacant positions needed by various call center companies. This can be a wonderful opportunity and an exciting experience for you to try out. If you have the skills and the qualities that call center companies look for, then you may just have improved you chances in landing a good and possibly high paying position in this relatively new service industry.

However, just like with any other job opening, you still need to go through the screening process in order to land any call center job position. One of the more important aspects of the screening process is the actual interview. If you have passed through all the other screening processes and are now preparing for that one-on-one interview with the recruiting officer, here are some possible call center interview questions to prepare for and how you may be able to answer them effectively.

“Tell me something about yourself that is not in your resume.”

There are instances where interviewers will ask questions not always related to the position being applied for. One of the main reasons for this is to catch the applicant off guard and to find a means to evaluate him or her in terms of creativity, articulation as well as their level of comprehension skills. Job-related questions are easy for many applicants to prepare for. Questions such as the one above aim to determine how an applicant composes himself or herself if caught off guard.

You can prepare a good answer for such questions by talking about your interests, hobbies and accomplishments. You can also indirectly connect it to the job you are applying for by adding in your work ethic, certain personality traits, and other strengths that will put you in a positive light concerning the job opening that you are applying for.

“Can you provide me with a brief summary of your employment history?”

There are two things that interviewers would like to get from you by asking you this question- to determine how you articulate yourself and to get additional information with regards to your job history. Interviewers sometimes would like to know how long you stayed with a company, the type of responsibilities you handled on the job as well as the reason why you left. This will give them a more accurate picture about you. The best way to address this question is by providing accurate and honest answers that will dispel any suspicion or negative views about you. Tell them the reason why you needed to resign or leave your previous company.

“Why would you like to work in the call center industry?”

A typical call center interview will sometime include this question. One reason why many interviewers include it is because they would like to know if you are someone who is just trying out the field or someone who has long-term goals staying in the industry. A good answer to such a question would be to cite certain areas in the industry that you like doing, such as customer service, technical support, etc. and how you would like to improve your skills doing it. Of course, you can also honestly cite that you are attracted to the competitive salary being offered. But your answer should just not be limited to your aim for financial stability.