What should we call our front line call centre staff?

Jonty Pearce

Editor

Call Centre Helper

I was at a great seminar yesterday run by Martin Hill-Wilson. He made an interesting point that the industry wide term "agent", although in widespread use, could be seen as being derogative.

A quick poll of the room came up with these titles that have all been used

- Agent

- Customer Service Representative (CSR)

- Specialist

- Associate

- Advisor

- Officer

- FTE (Full time equivalent)

We are also running a poll in parallel on the front page of the website.

What do you currently call your front line staff?

What do you think would be the best term to use on an industry wide basis?

16 Oct 2009 09:23:12

Emma Jenkins

Veritape

Jonty, I think it depends on the circumstances, and you're not going to find a one-size-fits-all moniker. There is one to which I have an immediate aversion though: FTE. Imagine that... poor people.

I have also heard TSR = Tele-Sales Representative, and Operative.

Emma.

16 Oct 2009 12:30:17

Cale

Customer Services Manager

Plastica Ltd

Afternoon,

We have just gone from Customer Services Advisors/ Sales support coordinators to CSA's

16 Oct 2009 15:26:08

pinaz

Currently seeking a job

Jonty, am thoroughly enjoying getting back to writing in and on this holiday of mine today, am taking the opportunity to pen down as much. On the names front for an inbound calling i would recommend CCE - Customer Care Representatives - I like the term, that makes them feel their real role too which is not of just service but caring for customers

If its a collection process - they can be also called as TC's - Tele callers. But i don't like that term a lot personally.

19 Oct 2009 09:31:23

Janette Coulthard

Director of Consulting

h2i Consulting Limited

Jonty,

How about CCCP - Call(Contact)Centre Communications Professional

I am aware the initials have an assocation with the old Eastern Block and the cold war but those days are long gone (aren't they?). With this title the 'agent' can work in a customer service operations, sales operations or on a help desk i.e. one title fits all. It covers phone work as well as email and white mail now dealt with by many contact centrs. It helps encourage managers and the 'agents' to think of them as Professionals with a capital 'P' rather than 'canon fodder' or 'bums on seats'. It also helps focus the mind on the 'communication' side of the job and looks good on a CV.

With reference to the title 'Customer Advisor', this seems to be winning the poll at the moment but it is a dangerouse title to use if your contact centre works in or for the Financial Services industry and especially if your business conducts sales on a non-advised basis. Advisor suggests that the 'agent' is qualified to give advice and giving advice is not permissible under the FSA regulations relating to non-advised sales.

19 Oct 2009 13:05:12

MIQ

I think they should be called Sales consultants or Sales advisors, as long as their primary role is the Sales!

19 Oct 2009 13:06:43

Martin Hill-Wilson

Director

Brainfood Training

It was interesting during the follow up debate around the room that the actual titles used by different brands were far removed from the public use of 'agent' 'CSR' etc. Advisor, colleague were a few of them and I agree with other commentators that a single title which everyone adopts is both extremely unlikely and of little value.

What I would like to see change is the public language used across the Media and amongst ourselves as an industry.

If you think about the word 'agent', the few that spring to mind are travel agent, secret agent or an MBA course in which the budding star is encouraged to be an 'agent of change'. It's a strange term indeed even if it's your passion.

I believe titles are most powerful when they describe the essence of the job undertaken. On that basis my nomination for an industry term of reference is Professional Communicator.

Communication is the core competency, whether inbound, outbound, customer service or sales.

The expectation of the rest of the business is that the customer experience is enhanced every time an interaction via these people takes place. That takes some.

Then there is the range of customer expectations for a style of communication that fits their own expectation. Having sensitivity to that demands the highest standards of empathy and expertise.

Finally all this has to be repeated to standard xxx times a day, every working day.

In my book only a professional could manage that as many a senior manager has discovered when they take their high profile 'turn on the phones'.

I aspire to be a Professional Communicator although I do many roles, speaker, facilitator, writer, consultant etc. Those that manage customers full time are, in my books, in the same category of skilled profession and deserve a turn of phrase that recognises what they do and promotes that.

19 Oct 2009 15:57:37

mrudolph

Call Centre Manager

NWHSC

Recently at the call centre I manage we decided to change the title of our front line staff from CSR (Customer Service Rep) to ISR (Inbound Sales Rep) so that on our online employment ad the job might look a little bit more interesting at first glance. Looking back I do not seem to notice a higher calibre person applying for the job, it seems to be no different.

So we have again recently undergone discussion as to a new name for our front line staff, TSR (Telephone Sales Rep). The reason we thought this new name might be better is because we work in a business that is very seasonal and it would allow us to use our front line staff to both take inbound calls (which an ISR was obviously doing) but also to make outbound sales calls during the slower season.

To be honest with you, I think a job description, no matter what the name of the position, would be a better route to go for describing the position. But I guess at least with TSR during the hiring process we will describe the position as more then just inbound sales.

20 Oct 2009 03:30:11

slambert

Principal Consultant

Qology Limited

One way to look at this might be to forget that you are hiring for a call centre environment and think about what you would call the people answering the phones if they were completing the same task(s) in a face to face environment?

21 Oct 2009 11:14:29

Jonty Pearce

Editor

Call Centre Helper

From some feedback I have got, it looks as though the term 'front-line' could also have negative connotations.

It could be seen convey a more military feel, perhaps being more hostile to customers - 'Going over the top' and things like that.

Is there a better term than 'front-line'?

22 Oct 2009 11:21:04

houghi

We still use the term Agent, but are enforcing throughout the company the term Contact Centre and not Call Centre as it explains we do much more then pick up the phone.

FTE is solely used for HR purposes and staffing. Two agents can be one FTE. Not all people work full time, yet budgeting is based on FTE and not headcount.

22 Oct 2009 16:08:57

skyman

New Media Customer Experience Advisor

BSkyB

We are called Customer Experience Advisor(s)

What about using this title as it covers customer service/sales/retention advisors

12 Nov 2009 12:04:27

qua3kers

Senior Manager - Business Process and training

First Data

Call them what they are. I have found that if you title staff with something other than "Takes lots of calls" they end up doing exactly the opposite.

16 Nov 2009 01:56:53

andrewbgillespie

Business Psychologist

MMIXX

I worked with an organisation which called their staff 'Customer Service Managers'on the premise that whenever someone rang up asking for a manager they could say that they were one. Good idea I think!

24 Nov 2009 11:23:08

Guy

Call Center Supervisor

One West Bank

Currently my center describes our front line operators as "Direct Bankers" however our institution is changing our focus from organic growth to retaining existing customers. As a result our focus is going to be "Customer Care" our Direct Bankers are now "Your customer care representive"

12 Dec 2009 19:42:00

Joyce

When a member of the public calls a Company they are expecting a service so my preference would still be customer service team.

When the same public choose to be sold a service and placed to another team this name could be changed to sales representative or sales support.

These names are obvious but take little explanation when opening or closing a call for both parties. Hence no misunderstanding and focussed call time.

14 Dec 2009 09:46:54