6 Traits of a Great Outsourced Industry CSR

If you work in the trades, you know that your company’s customer service representative (CSR) is one of the most important members on the team. Your CSR is responsible for bridging communication between your technicians and your customers – every time you get a call, it is filtered through this operator to the appropriate parties. Because of this, it is crucial that you take extra care to vet who exactly is taking your messages.

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In-House vs. Outsourced CSRs
You might have an in-house representative working for you already. However, even if that is the case, partnering with an outsourced service as well can be very beneficial. For example, an outsourced operator can take on your after-hours calls. Obviously you can’t ask your in-house CSR to answer calls 24/7, but you can do that with an outsourced answering service. An answering service can also take on your overflow calls, allowing you to take many, many more of them without overwhelming your in-house staff. Partnering with outsourced CSRs through an answering service is like adding an entirely new branch to your team (without the high costs of training and extra office space as well!)

Here are some characteristics to keep in mind when screening for this vital position.

1. Strong Communication Skills
   This is perhaps the most important skill for your CSR to have – it is more or less the crux around which the entirety of their job hinges. A bad communicator is like a blockage in the contact pipeline between your business and your clients. If your CSR has poor communication skills, they will impede your entire business operation and frustrate both you and your customers. What good is a messenger if you can’t understand any of their messages?

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2. Organized
   Staying organized ties in largely with having strong communication skills. Someone who is all over the place might not be able to effectively document and convey the customer’s needs. An agent taking client messages on scraps of paper is likely not very prepared for call handling and likely will not be getting that information where it needs to go. Be sure that your CSR is following the correct protocol for taking messages and that they are able to compile all of the necessary information from your customers in a neat, orderly fashion.

3. Professional
   Your CSR will likely be the first person that anyone speaks to when interacting with your business, so making a good impression is vital. Your customers want to hear a voice that is friendly, attentive, and helpful on the other end of the line. A good CSR should speak clearly, use professional language, and remain calm during tense calls.
   
   

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4. Provides Exceptional Customer Service
   Customer service – it’s right there in the name. Remember: your CSR will be the one speaking to every single person that calls your business. They will be the ones assessing your customers’ needs, scheduling appointments, answering questions, and completing follow ups. Here are some of our tips on providing excellent customer service over the phone.

5. Prompt
   Your CSR should be prepped and ready to go before they even pick up the line. They should be crystal clear on what to say, who they are going to be taking messages for, what information needs to be documented, and who they need to report to. This will ensure a smooth, timely flow of communication between your customers and your technicians.

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6. Follows Your Company’s Core Values
   Your company’s core values are a major way to establish brand consistency. This is why it’s important to look for a CSR that matches up with your mission statement. Someone that holds the same values as your business is also more likely to have the same drive to go above and beyond as you do, and is also likely to stay with your company longer.

The Dexcomm Difference
Dexcomm thoroughly trains every one of our agents to exemplify all of these characteristics. When you partner with us, you can be sure that you will be getting a team of professional, organized, attentive CSRs ready to handle your calls. We are dedicated to providing you and your clients with an exceptional customer service experience. Your in-house staff will thank you for offloading some of that call volume, and after-hours missed calls will become a thing of the past.

So what are you waiting for? Check out our services page for more about what a partnership with us can do for your business.