Job Description for an Outbound Customer Service Agent

Outbound customer service agents should be courteous.

An outbound customer service agent is someone who works at a call center and attempts to sell a product or service via phone. Outbound customer service agents work from a pre-selected list of phone numbers and are usually equipped with a headset and a computer screen. Most receive a base salary along with a commission, or percentage of how much they have sold. They are often referred to as telemarketers.

Basics

Outbound customer service agents are often supplied with a sales "pitch" by the company for which they work. The pitch consists typically consists of a greeting, a couple of sentences about the product, and an inquiry as to whether the potential customer would be interested in making a purchase or finding out more information. If they're lucky, outbound customer service agents will also need to run credit card numbers---signifying they have completed a sale. Outbound customer service agents typically make dozens of calls each shift.

Skills

Outbound customer service agents must be capable typists and have a working knowledge of computers. They need to possess excellent communication abilities, and be organized, professional, courteous and resilient in attempting to make a sale. Since they often take credit card information, they also need to be trustworthy and own at least basic math skills.

Background

Most outbound call centers require candidates to have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Other than that, there are no set educational guidelines. Most outbound call centers provide their agents with extensive training (typically no less than two weeks), before an agent is permitted to make calls or work on the "floor." Agents who have displayed a strong work ethic and good sales record can be promoted to supervisory or training positions.

Prospects

Outbound customer service agents usually work for call centers that are hired by larger corporations, such as credit card or cell phone companies. So opportunities for agents are likely to fluctuate along with the industry that employs their call center. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for telemarketers are expected to "decline rapidly" from 2008 to 18. At the same time, jobs for customer service representatives in general are expected to increase by 18 percent. Outbound call center agents are likely to see their prospects fall somewhere in the middle.

Earnings

Call center agents made anywhere from $8.68 to $9.74 per hour in April 2010, according to PayScale.com. Again, much of those earnings are based on how much they have sold. Also, PayScale reported that customer service supervisors earned $12.39 an hour during that same month.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Customer Service Representatives
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Telemarketers
• PayScale: Telemarketing