Debunking 6 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Call Center Jobs in 2021

The BPO industry, especially call center jobs, has become vital to the Philippine economy. Indeed, call center work is one of the country’s economic pillars even amid a global pandemic. 

According to the Philippines’ IT and Business Process Association (IBPAP), BPO companies directly employ 1.32 million Filipino workers. While the COVID-19 outbreak affects different business sectors, the Philippine BPO industry managed to continue its operations and even experienced a 1.4% growth in revenue. 

If you’re reading this article, you may already have an idea about what it’s like to work as a call center agent. However, not all the myths and stories you’ve heard are true. In this article, we’ll shed light on (and debunk) the common misconceptions about call center jobs.

Many people falsely believe that being a call center agent requires you to put up with racist and harmful language from customers, but this myth is far from reality. The truth is that most, if not all, contact centers have a standard operating procedure that allows agents to drop calls from overly rude and abusive clients.

In addition, BPO companies are persistent proponents of diversity and inclusion. Studies have shown that businesses that prioritize diversity are 70% more likely to enter new markets and 87% better at decision-making, and call centers take these findings to heart. Since many call center jobs utilize remote work arrangements, they can recruit talent from anywhere in the world, allowing for culturally and racially diverse workers to come together as a team.

In the age of automation and digital transformation, the human touch is still a vital component of business, especially customer service. Surveys found that consumers see personalized customer support as more important than speedy issue resolutions. What most customers want is to speak to a human call center agent, and this fact is likely not going to change anytime soon. 

The technological innovations used in contact centers, such as artificial intelligence and chatbots, make it easier for agents to do their job rather than replace humans entirely. AI-powered automation is meant to supplement and support the skills and operations of call center agents, empowering them to build a better and more seamless experience for customers.

One myth that many people believe about call center jobs is that there’s no room to grow professionally because all you’ll be doing are tedious and routine tasks. However, the reality is that call center work can be a lot more dynamic and fulfilling than you think!

When you work at a call center, you can be educated in everything from product training to sales to programming, and computer skills. Learning proper customer support instills you with a lot of transferable skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, communication, and teamwork.

When handling customer service, call center workers need skills beyond simply knowing how to speak English fluently. There is rigorous training involved in call center work. You will need to develop and retain in-depth knowledge about the communication process and the customer journey, not to mention internalizing the company culture of the client you represent.

Call center jobs require you to develop hard skills like technical proficiency and computer literacy and soft skills like patience, empathy, and clarity in communication. Basically, call center work is no walk in the park as some may think; it can be challenging and full of opportunities to learn and grow.

In addition, some contact centers offer multilingual customer support, meaning that English is not the only language one has to speak to start a career in this field. Since customer service is needed across the globe, BPO companies need to adapt to the language and culture of their target market.

This is one of the oldest, undying misconceptions about call center jobs. The reality is that working in customer service requires you to be adaptable and flexible instead of strictly following a pre-written script.

According to one survey, 36% of consumers say that the most frustrating part of the customer service experience is when a call center agent lacks the knowledge or skills to help them resolve their concerns. Although simpler customer concerns can be handled with a script, many unique, complex customer service interactions require nuanced, sensitive, and personalized attention.

Unfortunately, not all call center jobs will provide this. Plenty of fraudulent call center work and scamming accounts exist, which put the industry in a bad light. So, to avoid these situations, applicants who want to get into this line of work must be vigilant and research the company they want to work for. Look up online reviews or testimonials from others who have worked in the organization.

In addition, applicants looking for full-time call center positions must look closely at the contracts being offered to them. Some contact centers only provide seasonal accounts, which is only temporary employment.

Call center work can be a dynamic and fulfilling profession that can pave the way to a wealth of opportunities for those who pursue it. However, if you choose to go down this road, remember to find a BPO company that can offer the personal and professional growth you deserve. And that’s why SuperStaff BPO is here!

At SuperStaff, our workers are our greatest asset. We take care of our employees, invest in their training, nurture their knowledge and skills, and provide the competitive compensation and benefits they seek. Learn more about our various call center jobs, and see how we empower our workers to help them reach their fullest potential!