Directory

- Directory is also known as “information” before it

Technical Support/Help Desk changed its name because of the unrelated queries from
- a group of individuals working as technical support the clients. It is a source of updated telephone lists and
teams which resolve issues or answers questions skip tracing where one can get somebody else’ address
regarding the products offered by technology companies. and telephone numbers. Its use is like that of a directory
book given to residences and commercial establishment
Sales Support with a telephone line. It looks like a thick book usually in
- a variety of functions that helps the sales yellow pages.
representatives sell or close deals. This function may
differ per company, the size of the team and the type of Booking
sales the company focuses on. - is a process of reservation of slots or seats to avail
- Sales support team comprises of people who are expert specific services.
in decision-making.
Technical Support
- This pertains to any technical assistance in hardware
and software applications. The agent usually assists the
clients to any troubleshooting needed for their devices.
Counseling
- This assistance makes use of toll-free telephone
services to assist clients on matters that includes
physical, mental, emotional or spiritual well-being.
Academic Instruction
Common Types of Counseling - Most of the call center company offer ESL or English
1.) Marriage and family counseling - this type of as Second Language. They look for agents who can teach
counseling is offered to couples before married life as a in English language to different nationalities.
preparation for their marriage. And this is also
applicable to those spouses having trouble on their Travel Advisories
relationship. - is associated to travel bookings. Mostly of the airlines
2.) Guidance and career counseling - It is a broad, has their own travel advisory agents who accommodates
developmental program to assist individuals in decision- inquiries on the clients’ bookings, refund, schedule of
making and implementing informed educational and flights, cancellation of flights and promos.
occupational options. Having this counseling is a good
choice to know which job opportunities are more likely Sales
applicable to the client. - In this matter, we are talking about Online Sales,
3.) Rehabilitation counseling - This is involved with which means transactions are made via internet. The
people having emotional and physical disabilities. main task of in this type of customer service is providing
4.) Mental health counseling - People in need of the customers with product and service information.
emotional and psychological support need this Gathering Data
counseling. This counseling is helpful in times of - It is the process of gathering employees’ knowledge
anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies. and skills and make it available to the organization for
5.) Substance abuse counseling - People with drug and everyone who needs it. It is one of the assets of the
alcohol addictions, eating disorders and other behavioral organization.
issues are those whom the substance abuse counselors - An organization uses a knowledge management system
help with. to help them organize documents, FQAs and other
6.) Educational Counseling - As children grow, needed information into accessible formats for both all
challenges grow along with them at home, with their customers.
friends, or in their studies. This is where educational
counseling comes in. School counselors can help them
nurture their formative years with confidence and
maturity. Financial Services
- This category means handling financial statements
while following legal and regulatory requirements. Some
companies hire BPO firm as theirthird-party partner to
manage these needs.
1.) Billing Support and sales support signifies the success factor of this type
- In billing, customers would usually call to BPO firms of business venture.
to make clarifications on their billing statement charge, - Outsourcing customer service to handle orders or to
interest rate, account receivables and any other billing answer queries is an efficient way in dealing online
issues. businesses. Most online store or businesses hire a third-
- Moreover, the billing department also informs their party outsourcing which specializes in digital marketing
customers about their outstanding balance, due date of and management.
payment, assisting payment arrangements or explaining
their current bill status.

2.) Collections
- A collection specialist is responsible to conduct calls to Types of Inbound Call Centers
delinquent customers in an effort to have them pay their 1.) Handling Queries
overdue accounts. - Queries: are questions or inquiries that may be asked
- They also provide account adjustments, resolve by the clients which vary from simple to complex.
discrepancies and short payments. They are also 2.) Handling Transactions
responsible in monitoring their assigned accounts - This involves more complex procedures compare to
through customer calls, account adjustments, customer handling queries. It is not just about being
reconciliations, and credit memos. knowledgeable on the product or service. With these
complex matters, handling transactions use application
systems to keep the recording more accurate and
efficient.

Both Types of Calls (Handling Queries and

Technical Support / Help Desk
Transactions)
- a group of individuals working as technical support
teams which resolve issues or answers questions - Call centers handle both queries and transactions.
regarding the products offered by technology companies. Staffs are able to answer their clients’ queries and
- In outsourcing, tech-support team requires people with transact any procedures needed.
an in-depth knowledge for technology, good
communication skills and understand costumers without
the need to be physically present.

Sales Support
- variety of functions that helps the sales representatives
sell or close deals. This function may differ per
company, the size of the team and the type of sales the
company focuses on
- comprises of people who are expert in decision-making.
They are also well-trained in product value, research,
market aspects and interpersonal skills.

Client-Specific Products
- Selling products via Internet has progressively
becoming popular and growing nowadays. Numerous
websites offering products have given enough good
reason why people considered shopping using their
fingertips helpful and convenient.
- Techno-Entrepreneurs who are mostly young and
dynamic individuals vastly develop ecommerce that
serviced common needs of people. Although technology
is a factor in delivering such service and promoting
products, most experts suggest that customer service
 Probing Skills
- is the ability of the agent to dig down what the client is
saying by using PROBING QUESTIONS.

Summarizing
- It is stating the necessary details of the entire
statements.
- It involves the wholeness of the statement.
- It separates the necessary and unnecessary details of
the story or event.
- It minimizes the text to one-third or one-quarter of the
original without compromising the original meaning of
the story or event.

Tips in Summarizing
1.) Use the FIRST, THEN, FINALLY
- First: What happened first? Identify the initial action of
the main person.
- Then: What are the details of the action happened?
- Finally: What are the results of the action happened?
2.) Use the 5Ws and 1H Question
✓ Who is the main person involved?
✓ What did he do?
Probing Questions ✓ When did the action happen?
✓ Where happen? did the action
- can help the agent understand the client's needs. These
✓ Why did the main person do the action?
questions help the conversation more specific and direct. ✓ How did the main person did the action?
probing questions serve as the backbone of the
conversation so that the agent can give effective
solutions to the client. the use of 4ws 1h questions is
used to create an effective probing question.
Call Structure
Paraphrasing - includes phases or stages they follow as they talk to
- is another way to keep you and your client be on the their customers. From the greetings down to the closing
same page. It is stating your own version based on what part of the call is essential. Both inbound and outbound
you understood with the client's message. calls follow a call structure.
- It doesn't need to be as exact as it is but it must
maintain the thought of the message and have the A basic Call Structure has:
specific information intact. Paraphrasing also helps the 1.
message more simple and comprehensive. Opening/Greetings
2. Identify the calls through listening
Steps in Paraphrasing 3. Gathering Information (Inbound) / Negotiating
1. Study the original version of the message until you (Outbound)
fully understand its meaning. It could be a voice 4. Making an Agreement (Inbound) / Closing the Deal
recording or a written document. (Outbound)
2. Jot down important details. You may use probing to 5. Closing
help you come up with your paraphrase.

3. Write your own version of the passage.

4. Check your version if it accurately expresses the

Paralanguage Cues
thought of the original version.
- it uses a nonverbal process in sending messages. This
5. Present your paraphrased version to your client. Use means paralanguage focuses on how the message is
quotation marks ("") if you get specific information from being sent.
the original version. - The term
"para" means like and "language" means mode of 1. Smile when you talk on the phone. A wide smile can
communication. Paralanguage cues include the body change the tone of your voice.
movement and voice qualities.
2. Change the stress in words. The feeling and the
Voice meaning of the words changes due to shift of the tone.
- the manner of how you deliver the message is one of 3. Apply proper breathing. It will greatly improve your
the important aspects in dealing with clients and tone and help you relax with proper breathing. Speakers
customers. The quality and appropriateness of the who are pressured and stressed tend to breath low. When
message being conveyed must be properly utilized to you are confronted with an irate caller, practice long,
accomplish success in verbal communication. slow, deep breaths o improve your tone.

Rate
- It refers to the speed of your speaking voice.
- Normally, we slow down when talking about serious
topics or needs to emphasize on certain matters, while Conversational Cues
we accelerate when talking about lighter topics. - are
- A typical person can speak 150 words per minute. prompts
used by
Volume people indicating that they anticipated a response or
- It refers to the loudness of your speaking voice. A reaction. It also signals the true meaning of the words
suitable volume of the voice in call center industry conveyed by the speaker.
affects the intention of the message. - These cues can be verbal or non-verbal.

Verbal Cues
- such as spoken language and voice tones are common
prompts. It is easier to distinguish one's emotion and
incoming reaction while utilizing these cues.

Pitch Non-Verbal Cues

- refers to the highness or lowness of the speaking voice. - non-verbal cues like hand gestures, eye contact, lip
It is also called the frequency of variation of the sound movements, sigh, quick delayed or responses are subtle
waves. hints embedded with the delivered message.
- The pitch of
your voice translates your mood and emotional state. A
low speaking voice maybe linked with sadness while a
high pitch may signify excitement.
- Intonation: the use of pitch Accent
- a distinctive way of pronouncing a language,
4 levels of Pitch especially associated with country, area, and social class;
• 4-Pitch (highest level) if the speaker wants to - A particular emphasis; and a distinct emphasis given to
emphasize something or show strong emotions a syllable or word in speech by stress or pitch.
- And to know where to have stress in a word or phrase,
• 3-Pitch (common level) if the speaker primary wants to
we should learn syllabication. Syllable is the smallest
stress a syllable
unit of pronunciation that can contain stress. Every word
• 2-Pitch (neutral level) this is used as a beginning of a contains syllables.
thought
Stress
• 1-Pitch (lowest level) the speaker falls at the end
- To stress is to give an emphasis to a specific syllable of
thought
the word. It is making a forceful pronunciation of the
syllable. Proper stress must be put to right syllables to
not confuse the meaning of the word. Let us learn
syllabication to learn stress.
Tone
- refers to the variation in the pitch of the voice.

Tips to improve your tone

Rules in Pronunciation:
1. One word with one stress sentence.
- a word contains one syllable. When you hear two - is used in declarative sentences and to questions using
stresses, you have two words. what, when, where, who, why and how. Customers utter
Ex. ask, ran, been, can falling intonation are conveying facts.

2. Stress are placed in vowels only, not consonants. 3. Non-Final Intonation

Ex. brain, awhile, early, able - Uses rising intonation followed by falling intonation in
the same sentence.
3. Most 2-syllable nouns and 2-syllable adjectives - It is used for unfinished thoughts, introductory, giving
have 1st syllable stress. choices and sentence containing a series.
Ex. 2-syllable noun - present, report, update
2-syllable adjective - present, clever, patient

4. Most 2-syllable verbs have the stress in the last

syllable.
Ex. update, report, remove
*Note: the words update and report can be in a form of a noun and verb. When
the words are in a form of a noun, the stress is in the first syllable. And when the
Blending
words are in a form of a verb, the stress in in the last syllable. - refers to joining of sounds or phonemes to create a
word. It is also pertaining to combining the end sound of
5. The stress is on penultimate syllable. Penultimate a word to another word which has the same sound.
means the second to the last syllable. Words ending in
-ic, -sion, tion.
Ex. geographic, graphic, television, confusion, ignition,
direction

6. The stress in on ante-penultimate syllable. Ante-

penultimate means the third to the last syllable.
Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, -gy and -al.
Ex. democracy, discrepancy, durability, accessibility,
demography, biography, geology, psychology, And reduced to ‘n’
biological, sentimental Ex. Salt and pepper = salt'n pepper
Name and address = name'n address
7. For compound words:
• Compound nouns have the stress in the 1st part.
Ex. greenhouse, blueberry, blackhole
• Compound adjectives and compound verbs have
the stress in the 2nd part.
Ex. hot-tempered, well-known, overflow, understand

Intonation
- is the rising and falling of the pitch of our voice to
convey grammatical information or personal attitude.

Types of Intonation
1. Rising Intonation
- is when the pitch of our voice goes up.
- It is usually indicated from the beginning of the
sentence until the last part of the sentence.
- Interrogative question especially yes/no question has
rising intonation. Customers utter rising intonation need
a reply.

2. Falling Intonation
- is when the pitch of our voice lowers at the end of the