customer service representativetocall centre agent
A customer service representative already meets 44% of what the call centre agent role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
44%
56.8/ 100
1 Share of the call centre agent role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the customer service representative profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.
Why this move works
A call centre agent role treats 8 of its required skills as things a customer service representative already does. These are the ones it depends on most.
- create solutions to problems
- guarantee customer satisfaction
- have computer literacy
- listen actively
- perform multiple tasks at the same time
- process data
What stands in the way is 9 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A call centre agent role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a customer service representative background worth leading with.
- already held perform escalation procedure communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held knowledge base information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held use customer relationship management software working with computers
- already held process data information skills
- already held e-commerce systems information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held perform data analysis working with computers
All 13 carried skills, including the 8 the call centre agent role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 19 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.
- required, not held adapt to changing situations required
- required, not held communicate by telephone required
- required, not held present reports required
- optional, not held educate on data confidentiality optional
- optional, not held handle helpdesk problems optional
- optional, not held think proactively optional
- required, not held characteristics of services required
- required, not held credit card payments required
- optional, not held e-procurement optional
- required, not held handle tasks independently required
- required, not held keep task records required
- required, not held tolerate stress required
- optional, not held prioritise requests optional
- required, not held characteristics of products required
- optional, not held apply operations for an ITIL-based environment optional
- optional, not held answer incoming calls optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a call centre agent role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 characteristics of products knowledge · sector specific
- 02 characteristics of services knowledge · sector specific
- 03 handle tasks independently skill · sector specific
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 13 skills that carry over
- already held create solutions to problems skill
- already held guarantee customer satisfaction skill
- already held have computer literacy skill
- already held listen actively skill
- already held perform multiple tasks at the same time skill
- already held process data skill
- already held speak different languages skill
- already held use customer relationship management software skill
- already held e-commerce systems knowledge
- already held knowledge base knowledge
- already held perform data analysis skill
- already held perform escalation procedure skill
- already held provide customer follow-up services skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held communication principles optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
- optional, not held provide ICT support optional
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply operations for an ITIL-based environment optional
- optional, not held e-procurement optional
- optional, not held answer incoming calls optional
- optional, not held communication principles optional
- optional, not held educate on data confidentiality optional
- optional, not held handle helpdesk problems optional
- optional, not held prioritise requests optional
- optional, not held provide ICT support optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
- optional, not held think proactively optional
26 held skills the call centre agent role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply conflict management skill
- not needed by the target role apply knowledge of human behaviour skill
- not needed by the target role carry out active selling skill
- not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
- not needed by the target role consumer protection knowledge
- not needed by the target role contact customers skill
- not needed by the target role control of expenses skill
- not needed by the target role customer service knowledge
- not needed by the target role data mining methods knowledge
- not needed by the target role determine charges for customer services skill
- not needed by the target role ensure client orientation skill
- not needed by the target role facilitate official agreement skill
- not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
- not needed by the target role implement customer follow-up skill
- not needed by the target role keep records of customer interaction skill
- not needed by the target role manage schedule of tasks skill
- not needed by the target role measure customer feedback skill
- not needed by the target role process customer orders skill
- not needed by the target role process order forms with customer's information skill
- not needed by the target role process refunds skill
- not needed by the target role provide information skill
- not needed by the target role relationship marketing knowledge
- not needed by the target role sales activities knowledge
- not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
- not needed by the target role upsell products skill
- not needed by the target role use e-services skill
6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- required, not held characteristics of products required
- required, not held characteristics of services required
- required, not held credit card payments required
- optional, not held e-procurement optional
- optional, not held communication principles optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
Other moves recorded from customer service representative
- sales processor 45% covered · substantial
- after-sales service technician 44% covered · substantial
- ICT help desk agent 35% covered · substantial
- technical sales representative in office machinery and equipment 35% covered · substantial
- technical sales representative in chemical products 35% covered · substantial
- technical sales representative in agricultural machinery and equipment 35% covered · substantial
- technical sales representative in mining and construction machinery 35% covered · substantial
- technical sales representative in hardware, plumbing and heating equipment 35% covered · substantial
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.