What Does an Outbound Customer Service Representative Do?
An outbound customer service representative contacts customers who have made inquiries or have concerns related to their account, purchase experience, or product use. They follow scripts while talking with customers, process payments, and handle delinquent accounts. These professionals are also responsible for monitoring inbound phone calls, emails, and online chat requests, and responding in a timely manner. Excellent customer service skills and solid problem-solving abilities are essential for success in this role.
A typical day for an outbound customer service representative includes identifying customers’ needs, researching customer issues, and providing prompt, clear solutions via phone calls. They will also document all customer interactions through a CRM system. Exceptional verbal communication skills, a pleasant phone manner, and the ability to build strong relationships are important for these representatives.
Outbound customer service representatives also verify account information, ensure orders are processed correctly, and notify customers of unusual activity such as an abnormal credit card charge. A keen eye for detail and a desire to help others are also necessary traits for individuals in this role.
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National Average Salary
Outbound Customer Service Representative salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for an Outbound Customer Service Representative is:
$38,970
Outbound Customer Service Representative Job Descriptions
Crafting the perfect job description may be the key to finding an exceptional outbound customer service representative. To help you with your recruiting search, our team has put together some examples from past openings.
Example 1
[Your Company Name] is looking for an experienced outbound customer service representative. We are looking for an outbound customer service representative capable of maintaining our customer satisfaction rates with fantastic communication ability and an awesome personality. We are searching for a full-time and committed representative who is able to maintain relationships with our customers and clients, answer questions and troubleshoot account issues, help with product and purchase problems, and more. This is a full-time position with the ability to work remotely or in the office. Relevant certifications will improve consideration chances for this position, as well as relevant experience. Problem-solving and troubleshooting skills are a must. If this sounds like it describes you perfectly, please apply!
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Answer or make calls to clients to learn about and address their needs, complaints, or other issues with products or services
- Respond efficiently and accurately to callers, explaining possible solutions, and ensuring that clients feel supported and valued
- Engage in active listening with callers, confirming or clarifying information and diffusing angry clients, as needed
- Build lasting relationships with clients and other call center team members based on trust and reliability
- Utilize software, databases, scripts, and tools appropriately
- Understand and strive to meet or exceed call center metrics while providing excellent and consistent customer service
- Make sales or recommendations for products or services that may better suit client needs
- Take part in training and other learning opportunities to expand knowledge of the company and position
- Adhere to all company policies and procedures
Education and experience
- This position requires a high school diploma or GED.
Required skills and qualifications
- Exceptional customer service, active listening, and verbal and written communication skills, and professional phone voice
- Understanding of company products, services, and policies
- Proficiency with computers, especially with CRM software, and strong typing skills
- Ability to ask prying questions and diffuse tense situations
- Strong time management and decision-making skills
- Adaptability and accountability
Example 2
The Customer Service Representative (CSR) delivers exemplary customer service to Primerica term life policyholders and agents. The CSR addresses verbal and written inquiries pertaining to term life insurance products and policies. They assist clients with questions regarding billing, policy coverage, underwriting, or contract changes.
In addition, the CSR will identify concerns, asks appropriate questions, respond to inquiries in a concise and courteous manner while documenting all research findings thoroughly. This role will perform corrections identified during the call and forwards modifications to the appropriate party for further processing or approval when necessary. Recognizes priority situations and understands when to notify appropriate parties.
Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:
- 1 year of call center customer service experience is preferred but not required
- Minimum high school diploma or GED
- Previous insurance or financial services experience is a plus
- Excellent PC skills
- Intermediate skills in Microsoft Word
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent customer service skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to maintain knowledge of the company’s products and procedures
- Ability to communicate professionally with irate customers
Remote work requirements:
- Personal Computer/Laptop
- PC or MAC
- PC: Windows 10 compatible only (Cannot be Windows 7,8,9)
- Cannot use a Chromebook
- Internet Access – speed requirements:
- Upload speed 8mbps
- Download speed 15mbps
Example 3
Roles & Responsibilities
- Initiate outbound phone calls to our prescribers and members
- Utilizing multiple software systems to create cases and determine coverage, determination, and appeals process
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- The ability to display soft skills while moving the call forward
- Meeting or exceeding government mandated timelines
- Complying with turnaround time, productivity, and quality standards
- Conveying resolution to beneficiary or provider via direct communication and professional correspondence
- Acquiring and maintaining basic knowledge of relevant to our business goals
- Research, troubleshoot and resolve client application discrepancies using a computer system
- Meet daily tasks through various forms and mediums of communication – written, verbal, and/or by phone
Requirements
- Minimum 6 months prior outbound call center experience
- Availability for remote workspace audits (via webcam or phone cam) Inspection time less than 5 min
- Highspeed and reliable Internet connection. Connection can’t be a hotspot
- Quiet and focused work environment
Required qualifications
- Ability to effectively communicate with members and prescribers while managing multiple software systems
- Accountable and results driven
- Critical thinker/problem solver
- Receptive to constructive feedback and flexible in adapting to change
- Ability to effectively plan, prioritize, and organize time and workload
- Ability to execute successfully in a deadline-oriented, fast-paced, highly-regulated environment
- Proficient in navigation of multiple computer applications
- Proficient use of keyboard, mouse and ability to navigate 2 workstation monitors
- Ability to type more than 30 WPM
Preferred qualifications
- At least two years of general business experience that includes problem resolution, business writing, quality improvement, and customer service
- 1+ years of call center experience
- Team player with excellent communication skills both verbal and written
- Exposure to the business domain is an added advantage
- Organizational skills including the ability to multitask, set priorities, and follow up promptly
- Ability to work a flexible work schedule
Example 4
Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to offer customer support through phone, email, online chat, or social media to customers who have questions, concerns or confusion around a particular product or service. You’re literally the voice of the brand, and a strong relationship between our clients and their customers starts with you. So only the awesome need apply.
Key job responsibilities
- Talks to customers over the phone, email, online chat, or social media to resolve their questions or concerns
- Maintains and updates customer information as necessary
- Calmly attempts to resolve and de-escalate any issues
- Escalates calls to supervisor when necessary and appropriate
- Responds to requests for assistance and/or possible processing of credit card authorizations
- Tracks call-related information for auditing and reporting purposes
- Provides feedback reports on call issues related to downtime and/or training issues
- Upsells to customers as necessary
Candidate Certifications to Look For
- Customer Service Certification. A customer service certification will be extremely beneficial for an outbound customer service representative. These certifications will cover the basics of customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills. Often, real-time simulations will be provided in order to better help the trainee with real-world experience.
- COPC Customer Experience (CX) Standard. The COPC customer experience certificate offers recognition by a trusted source and a standard for customer experience training. This certificate excels in offering a customer service and communication standard, offering training in all sorts of customer service situations.
- Customer Service Representative Certificate. The customer service representative certificate course (CSR) provides online video training on the basics of customer service, how to apply for a customer service position as an inbound or outbound representative, and similarly important information.
How to Hire an Outbound Customer Service Representative
There are a number of important initial considerations when hiring an outbound customer service representative:
- Recruiting: Do you have the knowledge, tools, and resources to attract and screen candidates?
- Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid or junior-level skills and experience suffice?
- Duration: Are you hiring for a project or an ongoing need?
- Urgency: How soon does the opening need to be filled? What happens while it remains open?
- Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?
Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, great options exist for every scenario. These are our recommendations:
1. Use 4 Corner Resources (or another professional recruiting firm)
The heavy lifting is done for you when working with a top-tier staffing company like 4 Corner Resources. We source, screen, recruit, and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s), saving you significant time and effort throughout the hiring process while you remain focused on your core business. Understanding your needs and ensuring the right candidate for the position is the key to our success.
This is the best route to take when:
- You need to fill the position quickly
- You want access to a vast talent pool of high-quality, prescreened candidates
- Your position is suited for temporary hiring services, contract staffing, or contract-to-hire recruiting, and you intend to direct the work activity.
- You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff.
- You aren’t familiar with current salary rates, market trends, and available skill sets
2. Post the opening on a top job board
Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice.
We recommend using a job board when:
- Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
- You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort
- You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
- You are prepared to respond to all applicants
We recommend CareerBuilder when hiring an outbound customer service representative:
CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.
3. Leverage your internal resources
You can utilize your own website, social media, and employees to assist in your search for top candidates.
A company website posting should be the first step in notifying prospective candidates that you are hiring. Social media can also be a powerful tool for spreading the word about your new opening. As far as exposure is concerned, this option can be as good as some job boards when you have a large enough following across various platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
Current employees are every organization’s greatest asset. Encourage your internal team to promote job openings to their network by offering cash and other incentives.
We recommend these options when:
- Your brand has great name recognition
- You can consistently monitor and respond to candidate activity through your website and social media accounts
- You have a process in place to quickly and broadly communicate job openings and requirements
- You have an effective employee referral program in place
If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.
Sample Interview Questions
- What strategies do you use to de-escalate conflicts and provide satisfactory resolutions for challenging or difficult customers?
- When you were faced with a customer issue, how did you use your problem-solving skills to resolve it?
- What metrics or indicators do you use to measure your success in providing high-quality customer service?
- When managing multiple customer interactions, how do you prioritize your workload, and how do you make sure that all customer inquiries are addressed promptly?
- What steps do you take to ensure that you follow all company policies and procedures related to customer interactions and data security?
- When did you have to think creatively or outside the box to address a customer issue or request, and what steps did you take to ensure a successful outcome?
- How do you manage customer interactions and data using customer relationship management (CRM) software or other customer service tools?
- To provide accurate and helpful information to customers, how do you ensure that you are on top of the latest products, services, and company policies?
- How did you solve a complex customer issue when you had to work collaboratively with other team members?
