Call Interview

How would you describe yourself as a person?

The main purpose of this question is to see if you have some of those qualities which employers look for in their employees like – dedicated, performance oriented, hard working, creative etc. So, pick one of your qualities which employers are willing to buy and offer it as an answer.

Tell us something about yourself.

This is usually the first question you would face in any interview. The basic purpose of this question is to start the communication and put the candidate to ease. This is the simplest but the trickiest question as you can take the interview in whichever direction you want through this question.

To answer this question, start with some information about your family back ground, educational qualifications and work experience. Focus on the things you have learnt during your last employments.

The trick is to put a full stop at right place to provoke the desired next question.

What is a call center?

A center equipped to handle a large volume of telephone calls. These calls could be the calls coming in from customers for service or support or these could be the calls that call center executives make to the customers for marketing.

What are the different types of call centers?

There are mainly two types of call centers –

a.) Inbound call centers – Inbound call centers are those which receive support or service calls from customers usually on a toll free number. For e.g. when you call up a bank to check the status of your request for credit card, it is an inbound call.

b.) Outbound call centers – Outbound call centers are those in which the call center executives make calls to the customers. These calls are usually made to generate the leads or sales. For e.g. when you receive a call from a bank offering you a personal loan, it is an outbound call.

What according to you is a job like at a call center?

The purpose of this question to see if you are aware about the type of job you have applied to and if you are aware of what call centers do. So, based on the answers to question number 2 and 3 here, tell the interviewer what you think people employed at call centers do.

Why do you think companies outsource their call centers?

There are mainly four reasons for a company to outsource its call center:

a.) Cost saving 

b.) Focus on core activities 

c.) Access to special enterprise which has expertise in the domain. 

d.) Other resource related reasons like relieving resource constraints, reducing staff.

What is the difference between a BPO and a call center?

Call center is a subset of BPO.

What is off-shore outsourcing?

When a work process is out-sourced to a different country which is not nearby – it is called off-shore outsourcing. For e.g. If USA outsources a work process to India- it is off-shore outsourcing.

What is near shore outsourcing?

When a work process is out-sourced to a nearby country, it is called near shore outsourcing. 

For e.g. If a business process is out-sourced from a company in USA to a company in Mexico or Canada – it is near shore outsourcing.

What is onshore outsourcing?

When a business process is outsourced from a company in one country to another country in the same country – it is called onshore outsourcing.

Why do you want to work in a call center?

Relate the qualities you have to the requirements of a call center job like, good command over the language(English), team working capabilities, patience, good listening skills etc. and say that you think, these skills will make you successful in the industry. Also, talk about the prospects for the industry and how you think you can grow with it.

Have you ever worked in a call center before? If so, how long did you work there?

The purpose of this question is to see if you already have some experience of working at a call center. If so, tell the interviewer about your experiences and what you learnt there. If you do not have a work experience, don’t panic, stay calm and say “I don’t have a first hand experience of working at a call center but this is what I know about them and I look forward to work for one.”

Can you do a job that requires you to stay on the phone all day?

Before you go for a job at a call center you should know that the focus of the job here is “voice” which needs you to be on phone for quite a long time. So, the interviewer expects a “Yes” as an answer to this question.

How do you rate your English skills?

Again, before you apply for a job to a call center you should be aware that most of the call centers cater to English speaking customers and this needs you to speak clear English without any grammatical mistakes.

How do you rate your patience and people friendliness?

When you are applying for a job at a call center you should know that there will be moments when unsatisfied customers will get angry on you. The key here is to focus on what is the purpose of the call, maintain your calmness and be polite.

As an answer to this question, you can say that you would rate your level of patience and people friendliness above average. You can back it up with an example from your personal or professional life.

Can you work in shifts?

Say “Yes” if you have made up your mind to work for a call center. Call centers would usually work 24 X 7 which needs some executives to be always present in the center. This means that you would need to work in shifts.

Do you get along well with co-workers?

Getting along well with co-workers boils down to being a good team player. To answer this question, you can provide some examples from your professional life where you worked in a team and how you all achieved a common goal together.

What are your strengths?

To answer this question – analyse the requirements of the position you have applied for and make a list of the qualities a person working in that profile should have. Pick up the qualities you have out of them and offer them as an answer. For e.g. some of the qualities people applying for jobs in call centers are: Patience, fluency in English, good hearing skills, problem solving etc.

This is quite an expected question so you must go prepared with an answer for this question well in advance.

What are your weaknesses?

You must understand that it is perfectly normal for any human being to have some weaknesses. What is more important is to identify them and work on them.

So, if you are asked this question in the interview – stay calm and admit that you have weaknesses. There are two ways for you to answer this question now.

a.) Offer a totally un-related weakness. For e.g. “Inspite of using the camera for so many years, I still can’t make out if anything wrong goes with it.”

b.) Offer one of your strengths as a weakness. For e.g. “My friends accuse me of being to picky about the grammar and the words in English but I think it is important to speak a language properly”. If you have applied for a position with a call center, they would immediately buy this.

Why do you want to quit your present job?

If you are currently working or worked in the past, it is one of the most obvious questions you would face. So, you must go prepared with a good answer for this. The key here is “do not bad mouth your last employer or boss”. Just say that you want to switch for better prospects.

Where do you see yourself 3 years from now?

The purpose of this question is to see if you are ambitious and if you will stay with the company for sometime or not. 

To answer this question you can say, “In three years from now, I see myself at a more responsible position where my company treats me as an asset and hope to grow with this company.”

Can you share with us your experiences from the last job?

The purpose here is to see what you learnt during last assignments, how you used the opportunities to grow etc. Focus you answer on the challenges you faced, solutions you offered and your achievements.

How would you manage your accommodation?

This question might be thrown at you unexpectedly to see your reaction. To answer this, you can just say that accommodation will not be a problem, you will manage.

Would relocation be a problem for you?

Think over this before you appear for the interview. Do not say “Yes” if you mean “No” otherwise you will face problems after you have joined.

Can you speak for two minutes on one of these topics?

You will be given some general topics to see you communication skills, on the spot thinking capability etc. So, read a lot and be ready to speak on some general topics.

Do you know anything about our company?

Answer to this question shows your level of interest in the job and company. Make it sure that you read about the company before appearing for an interview.

Do you know anyone who works for us?

Give a reference if you know anyone inside.

Why should we hire you?

To answer this question, you need to prepare well in advance. Read through the requirements of the job properly and match the qualities, skills and experience you have with the requirement. Now offer this as a reason for you to be hired.

Do you think you can work under pressure?

Work and pressure are always going to co-exist. It might be the pressure at work or on personal front but you should be able to deal with it. So, the answer to this question should be “Yes” backed up with some example where you worked under pressure.

If you were hiring for this position, what qualities would you look for?

A person in a particular role needs to have some qualities, skills and expertise. Analyse the ones required by the position and offer them as an answer. 

For e.g. – if it is a support job –offer analytical skills, problem solving skills, patience and communication skills as an answer.

What is your expected salary?

Don’t jump at a figure when asked a question about expected salary. Put the ball back in interviewer’s court by asking them, “What does the company offer for a position like this?” If you are the one who has to speak out the figure first, give a range which is not too broad for. e.g. I expect something in mid thirties or something.

Would you leave us if another company offers you 2K more than us?

By asking this question the interviewer tries to analyze if the candidate will leave the job for a couple of thousands. Recruiting a candidate costs money to the company so they would like to hire somebody who has some loyalty towards the company. You can answer this question by saying that though you know the attraction of money every job offers but you would first try to analyze the growth opportunities with both the jobs. If your present company can offer you the desired growth with the industry trend, you would not switch. You will discuss the issue with your senior and ask his views on your growth in the present job and if you see that there is a potential to grow in the present job, you will stick otherwise you will politely inform him about your decision to move ahead in life.

Would you like to ask any questions?

When you are going for a job interview, go prepared. Try to find out the latest information about the company. When you are asked this question, you can ask interesting questions like the opportunities for you to grow in the company, the expansion plans of the company and the chances for you to grow there. If the company has been in news recently, you can ask questions related to that also.

Call Center job interview tips

The structure of the interview or the questions you face at every call centre interview might be different but their basic purpose will revolve around checking following 4 things:

- Level of interest in the position and the company 

- Level of confidence 

- Ability to communicate clearly 

- Ability to grab new things quickly 

- Flexibility

If you prepare yourself keeping these goals in mind, your chances of making through that call centre interview will increase substantially.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for the call centre interviews:

1. Read and understand the job notification thoroughly

2. Research the company - their website, press release, PR material can be a good source for you

3. Analyse your candidature

4. Anticipate questions and prepare for them

5. Rehearse for the extempore or the role plays

6. Improve your communication skills

7. Keep your confidence level high with a right body language

Some of the frequent and tricky questions you might face during the interview are listed below along with their possible answers.

1. Tell us about yourself.

As an opening question of any interview, this question gives you an opportunity to gain the momentum and rleax yourself. Answer this question with a focus on your education, work experience, learnings and information about any interesting project/quality/ challenge.

Why are you interested in this role/company?

Align your experience and personal qualities with the requirement of the position to answer this question. For e.g. you can say something like this: I have been working in an outbound call centre for last one year. I possess strong communication skills coupled with a high confidence and an ability to deal with customers effectively. These are the requirements of this position. So, I believe that I can perform well in this role and that is what makes me interested in this role.

Mention the biggest challenge you have faced at work during the last one year.

The purpose of this question is not to know about the challenges you have faced but to see your approach to manage them. Pick up an example of a challenge you faced at work and focus your answer on the steps to took to deal with it. Also, discuss about your learning in the process.

For e.g. "Recently I was asked to recommend and implement the changes in the way the calls are distributed among my team members at the call centre. My team members were quite used to the way they were working and there was a lot of resistance to the proposed changes. I knew that these changes will improve the performance of the whole team so I discussed them with my manager and team in detail. I tried to win the confidence of the team members and explain them that it will be in the interest of all of us and the call centre if we implemented these changes. As they started seeing my point, it became easier to gain their support and the desired outcome. The result is that the customers get a reply faster and the performance of each team member has improved by more than 50%.

Why do you want to leave your current job?

The reasons for leaving your current job could be numerous but offer the one that the interviewer is willing to buy. You can say something like "Better prospects in terms of responsibilities and growth" for example.

What is the importance of customer service to you? Have you ever walked an extra mile for a customer?

The business of call centre runs on customer service. Genuine interest in customer service is one of the most important qualities the interviewers look for in the potential candidates. Being in the field of call centres, customer satisfaction has to be your mantra. To answer this question, you can say something like: "Being in the field of call centres, customer is our king and customer service is our faith and religion. There have been times when I took an extra mile to ensure that my customer is satisfied." Focus your answer on the extra steps you took for customer and how this elated customer helped the business.

List the things which you think make a call centre successful.

Some of the key factors for the success of a call centre are:

- Clear communication

- Customer friendliness

- Dynamic environment

- Consistent service

- Excellent performance management

- Strong leadership

- Happy employees

What do you feel about change?

The business of call centres revolves around change. So, adaptability of the employees if one of the key things the interviewer looks for. To answer this question, you can say something like: "I understand that agility is way to grow. You need to constantly keep looking for improvements in the processes and people to improve the performances. This calls for a change for betterment and I am pretty open to it."

Can you perform a role play for us? How will you deal with an unhappy customer?

You need to rehearse some role plays as they are quite frequently asked for in the interview for call centres. 

The focus of this particular role play should be on:

1. Listening carefully to the customer.

2. Apologising and empathising with them. 

3. Re-iterating and confirming your understanding of their problem

4. Offering a solution and confirming if they are happy with this.

5. Thanking the customer for bringing the issue to knowledge

6. Taking the required steps as promised to the customer.

The key attributes of your personality that show off here are - problem solving, empathetic, good communication, calm under pressure, genuine interest in customer satisfaction, result oriented.

Are you flexible to work in night shifts?

Answer this question YES only if you really mean it. Don't say yes just to get the job.

Would you like to ask us something?

Given an opportunity to ask something to the employer - ask some intelligent questions like:

- Your growth prospects

- Growth of the company

- Some questions if the company has been in the news recently etc.

What do you know about BPO? BPO is an abbreviation of Business Process Outsourcing. It could be outsourcing of various processes, such as, manufacturing, call centers, IT, and others.  There are 2 types of Call Centers: - Inbound– Here agents receive calls from customers - Outbound – Here agents are supposed to call random people, to sell a service or product.

What is the difference between inbound process and outbound process? Inbound customer service agents handle incoming calls from customers for: - Requests for help - Inquiries or requests for information - Placing orders, in product purchases - Applications for services - Filing complaints Outbound customer service agents make calls to random potential customers to sell a service or product. These agents can also be called as telemarketing executives.

What will you do when a customer is abusive/irritated? When you work at a call center you will come across irritated, angry, and abusive customers, you can say you will do that following to handle them: - Listen to them and empathize with their situation - Apologize and take ownership of the problem and give a solution - Approach them and ask for a reason for their displeasure - If they insist on talking to your manager, get him on line ASAP - Follow up after giving the solution and ask for feedback

Rate yourself on communication skills Communications skills are one of the key skills an interviewer looks for in an interviewee - Be confident and say "I would give myself an 8+ for communication skills, and I am improving on it."  - You could tell them to get in touch with references who think you are good and say: "My previous Manager who rated my  communication skills gave me a 9." - Give a range to be on a safe side: "Anywhere between 8-10"

Do you have patience? Give an example to show this. Patience is considered as a strength, by showing you are patient you are letting the interviewer know that you know what to expect and that you are prepared for it. Show that you are able to maintain a positive attitude and a high performance standard under pressure and can face of challenges head on. Describe a situation when you used appropriate methods to overcome provocation and stress and exhibit that you are able to keep patience when faced with a difficult customer.

Can you work in shifts/rotational shifts? Call Centers provide 24*7 support to customers, so if you want to make a career in this industry, make sure you are ready to work in shifts. You will not only work at odd times, but your shifts will rotate on weekly, fortnightly, or daily basis. So be prepared to say yes to this question and be open to working in shifts.

Can you work under pressure? Here again they are checking your patience level, so you need to provide some examples to answer this question, some sample answers: - In any job one has to face with stressful situations that require them to work under pressure on a daily basis and with time one learns to manage stress. For most of us it is just part of the job - I like the challenge of working under pressure, but proper planning and time management skills can take the pressure of. - I work well under pressure. But I do not panic when faced with stressful situations. Instead of reacting to a situation, I analyze the situation and try to come up with an optimal solution.

What motivates you to work in a call centre? You need to again show them that you know what does a call center do and you would enjoy working at one. Some of the following would be good reasons: - I like to deal with customers over the phone and develop my customer service skills - The call center industry is booming  - I like the type of work done in call centers and the salary provided by call centers is decent and I look forward to a long term career in this industry, as it is bound to grow and will provide long term career stability.

Sell a product. Pen/Watch are common products as they come handy. Sales is one of the most difficult jobs and you need to prove that you can sell the product to someone who does not actually need it, you need to: - Focus on how the product’s features and how it addresses your potential customer’s needs - Be persuasive, confident, and lively - Do not list down the features of the pen, be creative and think about the situation when you will need a pen desperately - One such example would be, signing a check; you could give a blank check to the interviewer with your sign and ask him how it would be like to have a pen in this situation. - You will need to consider your customer’s concerns and how to handle them. Your interviewer might counter your points, but keep your cool and focus on addressing those concern. Show your willingness to take up the challenge.

- Be honest about your CTC, as you will have to produce you salary slip as a proof of employment - Be realistic when you state your expected CTC, you can ask for a 20-30% hike - If you are underpaid at your current company you can look for the standard salary paid for the experience you have and ask for that amount. - For freshers, call centers usually pay a decent amount and there are lot of other benefits so make sure you ask for the industry’s standard salary.