Call Centre

WORKBOOK

Contents
Orientation 9

The Call Centre Industry In Ontario 11

Call Centre Occupations 23
Call Centre Employers 35
Workplace Law 47
Training and Upgrading 61

Terminology 71

Terminology 1 73
Terminology 2 81
Communication 89
Customer Service 101
A Personal Plan 109
Glossary 117
Acknowledgements

The Steps to Employment project was made possible with funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada-Ontario Admini-
stration of Settlement and Integration services (OASIS).
LCRT Consulting researched each sector, developed the materials and conducted pilot tests of the workshops. Many individuals
and organizations were involved throughout the project. Thanks to all who provided input and support.
November 2000

Peter Ng Yuen Learning Enrichment Foundation

Program Consultant Pilot Test Location
Citizenship and Immigration Canada, OASIS
Roberta Kenaley
Judith Bond Pilot Test Instructor
Author, Canada Works
Advisor Pilot Test Participants

Mary Gellatly Louis Kioyo

Parkdale Community Legal Services (whose experience is featured in Unit 7)
Advisor Technical Support Worker, Hewlett Packard

Ralph Segal Cheryl Richman

Human Resources, Royal Bank LINC 5 Instructor, Toronto District School Board
Advisor Curriculum Reviewer

Kathi Fujino Bruce Russell

The People Bank LCRT Consulting
Advisor Curriculum Design, Research and Writing

B. J. Candeloro Monika Etzler,

Project Manager, Nexus LCRT Consulting
Call Centre Systems and Technology Outreach, Recruitment and Coordination of Pilot Tests
Royal Bank
Peggie Shek
Advisor
LCRT Consulting
Jack Green Project Management and Administration
Director, eConnex
Kaoli Hanawa
Advisor
Illustrations
Sharon Campbell
Centre Alphaplus
Call Centre Training Services, Goodwill Community Services
Web site
Advisor
 You just arrived in Ontario.
Steps to Employment in Ontario Where do you begin?
These first steps will help you get started.

Know your sector – employers, working con-

ditions, and entry-level qualifications.

Know your job-related traits – be able to de-

scribe your skills, knowledge and
interests.

Know sector-specific terminology – be able

to discuss your occupation with others.

Know what credentials are required and how

to translate and evaluate your
documents.

Know where you can get training,

upgrading and help finding a job.
Call Centre

In this workshop
you will learn about…
ã what kinds of call centre jobs are available in Ontario now, and what kinds of call centre
jobs will be available in the next few years.
ã different occupations in the call centre industry and learn about:
wages future
duties training
conditions
ã the labour laws that apply to workers in Ontario.
ã placement agencies.
ã training and upgrading options for call centre workers.
ã call centre vocabulary, including technical (job-specific) terms.

You will also practice how to...

ã ask for assistance.
ã offer assistance.
ã talk to your supervisor.
ã talk to your co-workers and customers.
ã deal with customers.
ã get specific information related to your occupation.

6 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre

Icons used in the workbook

Exercises in the workbook are headed by the following icons. These icons indicate the type of
activity intended by the exercise.

Reading

Vocabulary

Writing

Pair Discussion

Group Discussion

Research

Pronunciation

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 7

 Orientation

The Call Centre Industry In Ontario

Call Centre Occupations

Call Centre Employers

Workplace Law

Training And Upgrading

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 9

Call Centre

Introduction INTERVIEW
Steps to Employment

Interview your partner

Ask your partner the following questions. Write down his or her answers in complete sen-
tences. Once you are finished, prepare to introduce yourself to the group using the answers
on your partner’s sheet.

1. What is your name?

2. Where are you from?
3. How long have you been in Canada?
4. What is your occupation?
5. How much do you know about the call centre sector in Ontario?
6. How much work experience and training have you had in this industry?
7. Why are you taking this workshop?
8. What are your hopes for this workshop?

10 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

1 THE CALL CENTRE INDUSTRY IN ONTARIO

In this unit you will learn about

what call centres are
recent trends
the Ontario call centre industry
future trends

What call centres are

One of the new occupations that has created thousands of jobs during the past few years is
call centre work.
Call centres are telecommunications locations created by corporations and governments to
provide service and support for their customers by telephone. These call centres can be in-
bound centres, out-bound centres, or sometimes a mix of the two. In-bound centres, or help
desks, answer customer inquiries and/or give technical support. Agents in out-bound centres
call customers to promote products or services—the traditional telemarketing job.
While call centres may have started out as basic telemarketing centres, they are rapidly be-
coming transaction centres, where much more than cold-call selling takes place and customer
service has become extremely important.
Call centres are based on telecommunications and computer technologies such as automatic
call distribution (answer and queue/hold calls), interactive voice response (prompts) and pre-
dictive dialers. These changes, together with reduced telephone rates, make call centres an
attractive business option. They allow companies to improve on their customer relations. This
builds customer loyalty in a cost-effective way. Call centres save companies and consumers
money and time. They help customers who want to phone anytime, day or night, to do busi-
ness such as banking transactions.

Activity 1: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
in-bound automatic call distribution predictive dialers
out-bound interactive voice response cold-call selling
telemarketing business option cost-effective
transaction

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 11

Call Centre

Activity 2: Vocabulary matching

Read What call centres are and then match the words with their definitions.

1. __ telemarketing a) calls coming into a call centre

2. __ in bound centres b) business over the phone
3. __ out bound c) calls made from agent to outside contact for
4. __ automatic call distribution the purpose of doing business

5. __ interactive voice response d) place where buying and selling takes place

6. __ predictive dialers e) numbers are dialled on phone lines for a

group of agents automatically
7. __ business option
f) business choice
8. __ cost-effective
g) selling to a stranger over the phone
9. __ banking transactions
h) cheap
10. __ cold-call selling
i) banking (borrow, lend, withdraw)
11. __ transaction centres
j) answer and queue calls
k) automated prompts (questions)

Activity 3: Reading comprehension

1. How many call centre jobs have been created in the last couple of years?
2. What are the two main kinds of calls that call centres handle?
3. What three things make call centres an attractive business option?
4. How do call centres save money for companies and customers?
5. What has become extremely important?
6. What did call centres traditionally do?

Activity 4: Discussion
Talk with your classmates about the following questions:
What kinds of jobs did people in your class have?
1. Do any classmates have experience in customer service?
2. Are there call centres in the countries where other students come from? What kinds of
services do they offer? What business is done over the phone?

12 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 T he Call Centre Industry In Ontario

Recent trends
The number of call centres has increased in the last decade because business transactions in
North America are increasingly handled by telephone. As toll-free numbers grow and 24-hour
services increase, so does the number of people needed to answer the calls and manage the
centres.
Call centres can be found servicing almost every industry these days, including insurance
companies, financial service institutions, health care institutions, the hospitality industry, utility
companies, government departments, telecommunications companies and retailers. Some of
the strongest demand for call centres is coming from banks and long-distance providers of
loyalty programs such as Air Miles and Canadian Airlines’ travel points.
Call centres have become very important strategic marketing tools, providing companies with
a link to customers, and giving them an advantage in an increasingly competitive economy. To
stay competitive these days, companies need to be ready to engage a customer at any time of
the day or night and, in a global economy, anywhere in the world.

Activity 5: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
toll-free telecommunications companies
hospitality industry financial services institutions
retailers government departments
business transactions strategic marketing tools
insurance companies loyalt y program s
utility companies health care institutions

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 13

Call Centre

Activity 6: Vocabulary matching

Read Recent trends and then match the words with their definitions.

1. __ business transactions a) hospitals

2. __ toll-free numbers b) life, car, house protection
3. __ insurance companies c) gas, electricity, oil
4. __ financial service institutions d) Ministry of Transportation, Revenue Canada
5. __ health care institutions e) banks, investments companies
6. __ travel industry f) long distance numbers that are free
7. __ utility companies g) buying and selling
8. __ government departments h) car rentals, travel agencies
9. __ telecommunications companies i) Sprint, Bell, AT&T
10. __ retailers j) Bay, Zellers, Canadian Tire
11. __ loyalty programs k) Air Miles (keep customers)
12. __ global economy l) doing business all over the world
13. __ strategic marketing tools m) important ways to get business
14. __ to engage a customer n) a connection
15. __ link o) to work with a customer

14 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 T he Call Centre Industry In Ontario

Activity 7: Canadian companies

Using information from your classmates and the Yellow and Blue Pages, fill in the chart be-
low with names of local companies. Which ones do you think might have call centres and
what kinds of business transactions or services would they offer?

companies transactions or services

financial services

hospitality

utilities

government departments

telecommunications

retailers

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 15

Call Centre

The call centre industry in Ontario

Ontario has one of the largest concentrations of call centre activity in North America, and is
home to two-thirds of all call centres in Canada. Bell Canada estimates that there are more
than 3,000 call centres in Ontario, employing 150,000 people.
Ontario is an attractive province for call centre establishment as over half of the province’s
workforce has some post-secondary training. The call centre industry jumped by about 27
percent in 1997 and it is predicted that there will be a 120 percent growth over the next 10
years.
Ottawa competes with Toronto for development of the industry, with Ottawa having the ad-
vantage over Toronto in salary and occupation costs.
Sudbury, Ontario, is also planning to become an important call centre location in the future.
The city of 92,000 people has laid more than 150 kilometres of fibre-optic cables within 800
metres of every business. By the end of 1999, cables will connect the rest of the Sudbury re-
gion, which encompasses 165,000 people. The broadband network is a key reason why
Teletech Canada is establishing a major call centre in the city.
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is an excellent location for call centres because it has a
large, available, well-educated and multilingual workforce. The GTA offers a large toll-free
calling area, advanced telecommunications and very good public transportation and high-
ways. Also, businesses benefit from a low Canadian dollar.

Activity 8: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
salary fibre-optic cables
encompasses post-secondary training
advantage telecommunications
concentrations multilingual workforce

16 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 T he Call Centre Industry In Ontario

Activity 9: Vocabulary matching

Read call centre industry in Ontario and then match the words with their definitions.

1. __ concentrations a) suddenly increase

2. __ having the advantage over b) cost of living (rent)
3. __ in excess of c) university or college
4. __ post-secondary training d) is better than
5. __ jump e) includes
6. __ occupation costs f) more than
7. __ fibre-optic cables g) centre
8. __ encompasses h) tries to get what another wants
9. __ competes i) many in one place
10. __ multilingual workforce j) technology of sending messages over long
11. __ toll-free calling area distances electronically

12. __ telecommunications k) area that doesn’t need long distance charges

l) workers who speak many languages

Activity 10: True or false?

Read the following sentences and circle T for true statements and F for false statements.

T F 1. Toronto is home to two-thirds of all call centres in Canada.

T F 2. There are no more than 3,000 call centres in Ontario.
T F 3. Call centres employ about 150,000,000 people.
T F 4. Sudbury has one of the largest concentrations of call centres in Ontario.
T F 5. The salary and occupation costs are better in Ottawa than in Toronto.
T F 6. The Sudbury region has about 165,000 people.
T F 7. Sudbury has laid 800 kilometres of cable within 150 metres of every business.

T F 8. Subury’s unemployment rate is not attractive to American companies.

T F 9. Ontario’s workforce has a high degree of university and college training.
T F 10. Ontario may see the call centre industry increase by 120 percent in the next year.

Activity 11: Discussion

1. What makes Ontario an attractive place for call centres?
2. Why would American companies be interested in locating here?
3. How has Sudbury tried to make it easy for call centres to locate there?

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 17

Call Centre

Future of the industry

The Canadian market is attracting a fair amount of American business.
The strong growth of the industry reflects the importance of call centres as customer contact
centres, whether it be for service-oriented or sales-oriented business. By using call centres to
improve customer satisfaction, companies can retain customers and promote customer loy-
alty.
While the telephone remains the main call centre access device at present, centres are moving
away from just relying on the phone, and are using fax, e-mail and Internet-based communica-
tions.
According to statistics from Datamonitor, by the year 2002, 33 percent of all call centres and
64 percent of all outsourcers (service bureaus) will be Web-enabled and will be offering mul-
timedia services for clients.
Company intranets are being used as tools to give agents access to information within the
company that can provide background information on callers based on their previous business.
In-bound call centres, which handle 1-800, 1-888 toll-free calls, and help-desk calls from con-
sumers, are leading the growth in this industry. Customers do not like the more traditional
telemarketing calls. In opinion surveys, people generally prefer the in-bound call centres and
don’t like the out-bound ones.
Allowing companies to offer universal 1-800 numbers is another important development that
has taken place in the call centre industry. This has meant that companies can reserve the same
toll-free number for all the countries in which they do business, giving them a powerful mar-
keting tool.
A growing number of businesses, in Canada as well as the U.S., are taking advantage of out-
sourcing of call centre activities to firms specializing in their development, management and
operation. Some of the main reasons given for outsourcing include access to expertise, in-
creased flexibility, round-the-clock operations and access to the latest technology without the
high cost of investment. Database management, recruiting and training expertise, access to
multilingual employees and better reporting are other reasons for outsourcing.
The demographic composition of North America is changing. With the increase in two-
income families and single-parent families, people tend to have less free time and want recog-
nition, attention, service and information. Customers want more convenience and flexibility,
and the latest technology is allowing businesses to provide this service at lower costs than
ever before.

18 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 T he Call Centre Industry In Ontario

Activity 12: Pronunciation

Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
multilingual employees intranets
access device recruiting
outsourcers agents
demographic composition expertise
database management round-the-clock operations

Activity 13: Vocabulary matching

Read Future of the Industry and then match the words with their definitions.

1. __ service-oriented business a) customer service representative

2. __ sales-oriented business b) hiring workers
3. __ outsourcers c) way to communicate with customers
4. __ intranets d) 24-hour business
5. __ agents e) free long distance calls
6. __ 1-800 numbers f) keep customers
7. __ round-the-clock operations g) a company that provides call centre services
8. __ recruiting for another company

9. __ expertise h) electronic information system within a company

only
10. __ multilingual employees
i) selling products (e.g. retail)
11. __ access device
j) selling (provide) services (banking, Internet,
12. __ multimedia phone)
13. __ retain customers k) a lot of knowledge
14. __ demographic composition l) employees who can speak more than one lan-
guage
m) communicate by sound and/or graphics
n) size and types of families

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 19

Call Centre

Activity 14: Reading comprehension

1. How can call centres retain customers?
2. What other ways are call centres contacting customers besides the phone?
3. What will happen by 2002?
4. To what is there fair amount of customer resistance?
5. How have toll-free numbers given companies a strong marketing tool?
6. What are the four main reasons why companies are outsourcing call centres?
7. How much money do companies pay per a year to outsourced call centres?

Activity 15: Discussion

1. Ask your classmates if they have had a personal telemarketing experience. What kind of
business contacted them? What did they ask? Did you ever accept a product or service
offered over the phone?
2. Why do you think customers are resistant to telemarketing?
3. What does round-the-clock operations mean to workers?

20 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 T he Call Centre Industry In Ontario

the labour market

For more information on… visit the federal government Web site:
http://www.worklogic.com:81/noc/home.html
visit Ontario Job Futures in the Research and Labour Market Information
section of the Ontario HRDC Web site: http://www.on.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
http://www.on.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/english/lmi/eaid/sources/sour/_e.html

the Ontario job market

see the booklet You and the Job Market at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 21

2 CALL CENTRE OCCUPATIONS

In this unit you will learn about

duties and responsibilities
salary
working conditions
skill requirements

Duties and responsibilities

Customer service, information and other clerks answer inquiries and provide information re-
garding an establishment’s goods, services and policies. They provide customer services such
as receiving payments and processing requests. They get and process information required to
provide services. Common job titles include customer service clerk, inquiries clerk, business
information clerk and public relations clerk.
They are employed by the retail sector, insurance industry, telephone corporations, utility
companies and by other establishments throughout the private and public sector.
Customer service information and related clerks generally work in the reception area or in call
centres. Much of the work now occurs over the telephone. Interactive voice response, predic-
tive voice response and automatic
call distribution (see unit 1) are Wondering about those terms “in-bound”
changing the nature of the work. and “out-bound”?
Only one percent of people in this
An in-bound Call Centre is one where the worker an-
occupation are self-employed.
swers the telephone (like at a College), and an out-
Most are employed with large
bound Call Centre is one where the worker makes the
organizations or small businesses.
telephone calls (like in telemarketing).
Duties of CSRs fall under the
following categories: order entry,
customer service, telemarketing and help desk. It is in the Help Desk field that you can some-
times make over $20.00 per hour using your expertise in trouble-shooting with computer key-
boarders. As the use of home computers increases and the world of the Internet enlarges, this
type of call centre work is increasing.

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 23

Call Centre

Activity 1: Vocabulary Matching

Match the job type to the correct job descriptions.

1. __ Order Entry a) where sales techniques are used to promote products

2. __ Customer Service and services. Every time you answer your telephone
and are asked, Have you joined a long distance tele-
3. __ Telemarketing phone savings plan? you are speaking to a call centre
4. __ Help Desk worker.
b) where customer relationships are maintained. Every
time you call a community college or university to ask
about courses to take, you are connected to a call cen-
tre.
c) where orders are taken over the telephone. Every time
you call for pizza delivery, you are connected to a call
centre.
d) where you telephone when you are in urgent need of
computer assistance when your software application or
Internet provider crashes.

Activity 2: Writing
In a group, choose an industry (retail, insurance, telecommunications, utility companies, etc.)
and complete the chart by filling in the duties, under each job title, of what each clerk might
do. Share your results with the other groups.

Industry:____________________________

Duties

Order Entry

Customer Service

Telemarketing

Help Desk

24 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Occupations

Salary
The average salary for a customer service information or related clerk in Toronto is $30,071
per annum. The hourly wage ranges between $8.00 to $18.00. Wage rates are based upon ex-
perience, education and years with the organization. CSR salaries start at around $9 per hour
and range up to $20 per hour, depending upon the skills, experience and qualifications needed
for the job.
Starting salaries average $22,000 to $26,000 a year. Managers can make as much as $60,000
a year.

Activity 3: Discussion
What would be the difference in jobs between someone who makes $8.00 an hour and
someone who makes $18.00 an hour? Think about experience, education and years with the
organization.

Working conditions
The call centre workplace is a fast-paced customer service or sales environment. Call produc-
tivity is the most important thing in running a successful call centre. The more calls an agent
can handle, the better.
CSRs must be self-disciplined and have the ability to manage challenging calls and cope with
the resulting stress. They might answer up to 100 or more calls per day, although fewer calls
are answered at the technical help desk, where customer needs are often very complex.
Workers are monitored to identify training needs and measure performance.
Many agents find call centres stressful places to work. Four factors that create a poor work
atmosphere are inflexible rules that leave agents feeling trapped and afraid to leave their desks
for lunch, high call quotas, criticism by managers for any drop in the number of calls, and call
monitoring by managers.
Continuous monitoring is stressful, with monitored employees reporting higher workloads and
fear of job loss. High job turnover is often the result of this ‘stressful’ environment. On the
other hand, because technology allows calls to be monitored, a good call centre will positively
coach the agents.
It is important that CSRs stick to schedules. They should also be able to multitask, using dif-
ferent software packages and technologies.

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 25

Call Centre

CSRs can advance to the position of team leader, supervisor or manager and to progress from
the call centre to the larger organization. CSRs can advance to team leader or supervisor posi-
tions fairly quickly due to high demand.
In addition to technical help desk positions in call centres, there are opportunities for techni-
cally-trained people including trouble-shooters and technical trainers. Experience with call
centre industry technology may be required, backed by two or three years of general experi-
ence.
Call centres are changing to include more services, improved access to customer databases,
and integration with the Internet. Multimedia call centres are likely to grow, requiring work-
ers to adapt their skills and knowledge to improved technologies.

Activity 4: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
fast-paced feeling trapped
self-disciplined challenging
multitask technical help desk
trouble-shooters multimedia call centres
adapt due to
call quotas monitored
job turnover measure performance

26 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Occupations

Activity 5: Vocabulary matching

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition.

1. __ feeling trapped a) because of

2. __ fast-paced b) supported by
3. __ call quotas c) people change jobs quickly
4. __ self-disciplined d) number of calls you must make
5. __ challenging calls e) feeling that you cannot control the situation
6. __ cope with stress f) use different software and technology
7. __ technical help desk g) difficult customers
8. __ monitored h) very fast work
9. __ measure performance i) checked
10. __ multitask j) deal with stress
11. __ trouble-shooters k) call centres that use phone and Internet
12. __ backed by l) get used to
13. __ multimedia call centres m) people who try to solve a problem (any)
14. __ adapt n) can control yourself
15. __ job turnover o) check how well you do
16. __ due to p) people who solve technical problems (e.g.
computer)

Activity 6: Reading comprehension questions

1. How many calls might a worker answer per day?
2. What three things are workers monitored for?
3. What three positions can a customer sales rep advance to?
4. Why should workers adapt their skills and knowledge?
5. What are four factors that create a bad work atmosphere?
6. What is often a result of a stressful work environment?

Activity 7: Discussion
1. Have you ever felt trapped in a job? What did you do about it?
2. Have you had a personal experience dealing with job stress?
3. Has anyone ever monitored you before? How did it feel?
4. Have you ever had to multitask?
5. What kinds of databases have you worked with?

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 27

Call Centre

Activity 8: Matching
A good call centre has effective coaching that helps the call centre worker. Match the three
coaching terms to their definitions.

1. __ drive-bys a) The supervisor or coach listens to calls from a lo-

2. __ side-by-side coaching cation away from the rep’s workstation.

3. __ remote monitoring b) The coach or supervisor overhears the rep’s re-

sponse to a customer while walking by.
c) The coach or supervisor sits beside the rep, usu-
ally listening in on a headset to both sides of the
call.

Skill Requirements (1)

Hiring the right person for the job is very important in the call centre industry, as in many in-
stances the representative on the phone is the first contact the customer will have with the
company. Call centre work is definitely a peo-
ple business requiring good communications Candidates for an entry-level position in
and customer skills as well as the right disposi- telephone sales or customer services need
tion, personality and temperament. the following skills:
“We hire attitude and we teach products and
skills. A lot of the ability to handle the call is • excellent speaking and listening skills
through the systems, through effectively • a professional manner
managing the databases.” • persistence and tenacity
• computer and keyboarding skills
The above quote shows the importance of • bilingualism is considered an asset
starting off with the right type of person for • can multitask
call centre work. Once the person has been
hired, it is the call centre’s responsibility to On a more practical level, call centre
ensure good training and ongoing motivation agents need to have:
of agents.
Basic typing skills are required. However, as • tolerance for stress
call centres change some of their focus from an • the ability to work well under pres-
oral/telephone service to a Web-enabled ser- sure
vice, more demands will be placed on employ- • the ability to sit for long periods with
ees for writing skills and for computer techni- a computer and headset
cal support. With the general technology ad-
vances in the industry, there is a growing need for employees who can provide this technical
support. E-mail service is growing rapidly and this is an area where written skills are more im-
portant than oral skills.

28 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Occupations

Activity 9: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
instances disposition
temperament databases
motivation candidates
persistence tenacity
headset bilingualism
personality ent ry-lev el pos it ion
ensure tolerance

Activity 10: Vocabulary matching

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition.

1. __ can multitask a) to make agents excited to do something

2. __ personality b) can do more than one project at the same time
3. __ temperament c) can speak English and French
4. __ managing the databases d) service that uses the Internet
5. __ ensure e) device on the head for listening with a micro-
6. __ motivation of agents phone for speaking

7. __ candidates f) allow other people to have a different opinion

8. __ entry-level position g) starting job

9. __ persistence h) people who are being considered for a job

10. __ tenacity i) the way someone behaves

11. __ bilingualism j) someone’s character and nature

12. __ tolerance k) do not give up easily

13. __ headset l) continue, constant

14. __ Web-enabled service m) make sure

15. __ computer technical support n) use a database

o) help someone with computer problems

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 29

Call Centre

Activity 11: Identify the language

One of the important qualities of a CSR is professional manner. This is important for dealing
with angry customers or customers who control the conversation too much. In column B, la-
bel the appropriate phrases you can use in these situations with either “angry customer” or
“talkative customer”.
angry customer / talkative customer

If I could just come in here…

The way I see it…

Take it easy!

That reminds me…

There’s no reason to get so upset.

Sorry to interrupt, but…

I’m sorry to hear that.

By the way…

I understand your situation, but ...

Activity 12: Pronunciation and speaking practice

1. By repeating after your teacher, underline the strong and weak syllables (or words) from
the phrases of Activity 9.
For example: Your teacher says: “By the way…”, you underline “By” and “way”
2. With a partner, choose a reading that you are comfortable with. One person reads “an-
grily” and at an appropriate break in the reading the other person uses one of the above
phrases for dealing with an angry customer. Try another reading and this time the per-
son reads without stopping and the other person must interrupt using one of the above
phrases for interrupting.

30 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Occupations

Skill Requirements (2)

Call centre representatives or agents need to be self-motivated in order to continue to work at
consistently high levels of performance. A good call centre will inspire and challenge its repre-
sentatives, and have bonus plans.
Call centre managers need to have a good working knowledge of the technology used in the
centre. A good supervisor needs to be able to look at management reports and be able to
coach and motivate based on results. Motivational skills, performance assessments, and lead-
ership ability are important qualities for this level of job. Management skills might include
three to five years of call centre experience, familiarity with call centre technologies and supe-
rior communication and interpersonal skills. A college or university education and call centre
training are advantages. Managers hire, supervise, coach, assess and discipline staff. They
also analyze results. Managers must know about corporate developments and communicate
well with people at all levels in the company as well as with clients.
The basic requirement for an entry-level position in a call centre is high school graduation.

Activity 13: Pronunciation

Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
self-motivated inspire
discipline motivational skills
performance assessments bonus plans
interpersonal skills

Activity 14: Vocabulary matching

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition.

1. __ self-motivated a) to see how well a task has been done

2. __ inspire b) to make someone believe in something
3. __ bonus plans c) can work well by yourself
4. __ discipline staff d) an assessment that measures how well you
5. __ motivational skills do your job

6. __ performance assessments e) plans that reward you for achievement

7. __ interpersonal skills f) to make agents excited to do a job

8. __ coach g) to help, support or teach someone

9. __ assess h) working well with people

i) take action if staff do not do their job

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 31

Call Centre

Activity 15: Sorting CSR and manager skills

Fill in the chart by writing the skill under the correct job title (CSR or Manager).
understand management reports understand Key Performance Indicators
provide computer technical support ability to coach
ability to motivate tolerance for stress
ability to sit for long periods with a com- ability to work well under pressure
puter and headset
ability to assess performance
multitask
leadership ability
knowledge of the technology used in the
computer and keyboarding skills
centre
ability to hire
superior communication skills
ability to supervise
ability to discipline staff
excellent listening skills
self-motivated
persistence

Customer sales representative Manager

(entry-level)

32 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Occupations

Activity 16: Comprehension questions

1. What are six tasks that managers do?
2. What will a good call centre do for its reps?
3. What is the basic requirement for an entry-level call centre position?
4. What kind of experience do managers need?

Activity 17: Interview your classmates

Write a short report about one of your classmates after asking the following questions:

1. What kind of on-the-job training have you had (orientation, work process)?
2. How long did it last?
3. Was the training done during your work time or after work?
4. Did your salary increase because of the training?

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 33

Call Centre

duties and responsibilities for different call centre jobs

For more information on… Human Resources and Development Canada, Ontario Region - Ontario Job
Futures: http://www.on.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
Visit an HRDC Employment Resource Centre in your area and search in the
binders and books with occupation descriptions.

call centre reference

Green, Jack. (2000) Contact. A Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre
Skills. Toronto: Nelson Thomson Learning.

job advertisements
see the classified section in your local newspapers
visit online job sites:
http://www.jobbank.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
http://www.workinfonet.bc
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca
http://jb-ge.hrdc-hrdc.gc.ca
http://careers.msn.com
http://www.workinfonet.ca
http://www.workopolis.ca
http://www.workopolis.com
http://www.jobshark.com
http://www.monster.com
http://www.brainhunter.com
http://www.workwaves.com
http://www.careerexchange.com
http://www.canjobs.com

34 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

3 CALL CENTRE EMPLOYERS

In this unit you will learn about

employers
how employers hire
unions

Employers
There are several thousand call centres in Ontario. Well over half are located in the GTA
(Greater Toronto Area). Call centres are found in many industries: financial services (includ-
ing banking, securities, mutual funds, insurance and credit card services); market research;
telecommunications; computer hardware and software; retail and loyalty programs; travel and
reservations; manufacturing; utilities; health and government services. Direct marketing firms
also have telemarketing call centres. Service bureau firms are growing as other companies
outsource customer service functions to them.
Research companies such as Angus Reid Inc. uses call centres for their telephone interviewing
needs. On-screen scripted questionnaires are read by the call centre representatives and re-
sponses typed directly onto the screen. Angus Reid employs over 800 people in their five Ca-
nadian call centres.
The Royal Bank has a big call centre in Mississauga and employs about 900 people, offering
services in English, French, Cantonese and Mandarin. Call centres like this would be divided
into different areas according to banking services with agents providing customer service re-
garding everything from local branch information to investment information.

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 35

Call Centre

Activity 1: Vocabulary Matching

The following are some firms with large call centres. Can you match them to the correct in-
dustry?

1. __ American Express Canada Inc. a) Telecommunications

2. __ Bank of Montreal b) Financial services
3. __ Bell Canada Direct Marketing Centres c) Manufacturing
4. __ Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce d) Travel and Reservation
5. __ IBM Canada Ltd. e) Health & education
6. __ Rogers Cantel Inc. f) Market research
7. __ Royal Bank of Canada
8. __ Scotiabank 12. __ Trimark
9. __ Sprint Canada Ltd. 13. __ GM Canada
10. __ George Brown College 14. __ Hertz
11. __ Manulife Financial 15. __ Angus Reid

Activity 2: Research
Using the Yellow Pages, look up the
companies from activity 1 that are Call centre job numbers by industry
new to you and find out what they do.
If the company is not in the Yellow Services 52,000
Pages, try the business listings in the
White Pages and locate the company Retail and wholesale 39,000
phone number. Call the company and Financial services 33,000
ask for some information.
Start your inquiry like this: Manufacturing 33,000
I have a general inquiry. Can you Telecommunicatons and utilities 20,000
briefly tell me what kind of business
you do? Transportation 13,000
Health and education 11,000
Other 17,000
Total full-time 218,000
The Canadian national full-time
All industries part-time 330,000
call centre job numbers
by industry u

36 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Employ ers

How employers hire

There are many opportunities for work in the
The People Bank
call centre industry if your English skills are
<www.thepeoplebank.com>
good. To find these opportunities, you can try Call Centre Division
the classified section in newspapers or job
search sites on the Internet. A common way of It is very important that applicants be-
starting out in the call centre industry is ing considered for positions within
through a temp or recruiting agency. Many Call Centres that deal with the People
banks hire new workers this way, for example. Bank have clear communication skills
Certain agencies may provide workers for (both verbal and written English). For
certain industries. Normally, once you are most assignments, typing and basic
hired by an agency, you would be placed in a keyboarding skills are required. In
workplace (a bank, for example) and the job some cases specific software and com-
would be temporary (vacation fill in, short puter operating systems skills are a
term project, etc.). In some banks, for requirement for consideration.
example, the job might last for twelve weeks
The People Bank is a leader in call
and then the employee would have the option
centre staffing. We find jobs for peo-
to be taken on by the employer full time.
ple in banks to service bureaus and in-
When you are hired by a temp agency, you house call centres. We have placed
normally take a test and then are given some thousands of employees in both out
basic call centre training, depending on the bound and in bound jobs in the fol-
agency and for what industries it supplies lowing positions:
workers. Typical training might include basic
work skills such as telephone etiquette and • sales
ways to project a professional manner over the • fulfillment
phone. • activation
• customer service
The test you take may include: English
grammar and spelling, logic and a simple math • retention
test. You might also have a computer test (to • collections
demonstrate software knowledge) and a • technical support
typing test (to see how fast you type). After • banking services (loans/mortgages)
the test you usually have a face-to-face Bilingual and multilingual placements
interview with someone who may ask you for the above positions include Eng-
about the kind of work you want (full/part- lish / French, Cantonese, Korean,
time, two days a week, etc.). The testing is Mandarin, Spanish, Vietnamese,
done so the agency can match you with the Hindi, and Punjabi. Most positions
most suitable job they can find.
filled have been at an intermediate
level, ranging from temporary and
There are many agencies that provide
people for work in call centres. The text on contract to permanent placements.
the right is a profile of one company. u

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 37

Call Centre

Activity 3: Reading comprehension

Employment Agencies
1. What is a common way of getting a job in the call centre industry?
2. Do certain agencies recruit workers for certain industries?
3. What happens when you are hired by a temp agency?
4. What kinds of things are on the test?
5. Why does the agency make you take a test?
6. What is The People Bank?
7. Is it important to know English to get a job?
8. What second languages are important for some jobs?

Activity 4: Vocabulary matching

Match the greeting or question with the correct job.

1. __ sales a) “I would like to activate my visa card.”

2. __ customer service b) “Good morning, Have you heard about our long distance
3. __ technical support savings plan?”

4. __ banking services c) “Good morning. This is [x] calling. Your visa account
is 6 months overdue.”
5. __ activation
d) “ Hello. I have a question about my computer – it keeps
6. __ collections crashing.”
e) ” Hello. I have a question about my chequing account.”
f) “ Hello. I would like to open an Internet account.”

38 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Employ ers

Job Advertisements
You can find job advertisements on the Internet or in newspapers. The following job ads are
from the Internet.

Call Centre Representatives Are you motivated and looking for a

Job Ad 1 work schedule that offers you flexible
BBM Bureau of Measurement is the
evening and weekend hours that fit
best known media research company
your lifestyle? If so, then one of our
in Canada with over 50 years of ex-
many call centre positions may be
perience in supplying radio and televi-
perfect for you. No selling or telemar-
sion audience ratings and research to
keting is involved and no experience
broadcasters, advertisers and their
is necessary. If you would like the
agencies
chance to demonstrate your positive
To Apply: customer service attitude and excel-
lent communication skills, we’d like to
Please send your resume, in meet with you. Full training will be
confidence, to: provided and students and seniors
Human Resources, are encouraged to apply.
1500 Don Mills Road, Suite 300, We thank all applicants but advise
Don Mills, ON M3B 3L7 that only those to be interviewed will
Fax (416) 445-8644 be contacted. BBM is an equal oppor-
E-mail: [email protected] tunity employer.
Visit us at: www.bbm.ca
Source: http://jobs.workopolis.com/jobshome/db/star.search_cri

Activity 5: Reading for information

1. What is the name of this company?
2. What is not involved in this job? Why does the ad say this?
3. Do you think this for in bound or out bound or both?
4. Is training provided?
5. What kind of pay do you think this job might offer? Why?
6. Why do you think students and seniors (retired people) are encouraged to apply?
7. What two skills are they looking for?
8. What do you think the responsibilities of this job would be?
9. What do you think “equal opportunity employer” means?
10. How can you send your resume to them?

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 39

Call Centre

Mortgage Customer Service Rep

Job Ad 2 Equitable Life of Canada is an inde- Qualified applicants are invited to for-
pendent Canadian life insurance com- ward a resume, indicating salary
pany offering a wide range of life insur- expectations, to:
ance, annuities, and group plans for in-
dividuals and businesses, as well as Equitable Life of Canada
residential and commercial mortgage Human Resources
services. Join the Equitable team in Equitable Life of Canada
this challenging position... One Westmount Road North
You thrive in a team environment and Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4C7
are able to interact effectively with oth- Fax: (519) 883-7400
ers. You will administer residential Please note: It is not necessary to
mortgage renewals and prepare dis- send both a fax and a hard copy of
charge statements and documentation. your resume.
In addition, you will process legal
documentation and property taxes and
provide general administrative assis- We appreciate all applications and
tance and a high level of customer ser- thank you for your interest in our com-
vice. pany, but only those chosen for an in-
Your 2 years mortgage experience is terview will be contacted at this time.
backed by computer literacy (Word, No phone calls, please.
Excel), a results-oriented attitude, and Committed to equal opportunity
exceptional communication skills.
Source: http://jobs.workopolis.com/jobshome/db/star.search_cri

Activity 6: Vocabulary matching

1. __ thrive a) home
2. __ team environment b) to work together with
3. __ to interact c) supported by
4. __ residential d) you want to find the answer to a problem
5. __ commercial e) know how to use the computer
6. __ to be backed by f) say how much money you want to make
7. __ computer literacy g) work well
8. __ results-oriented attitude h) work as part of a company team
9. __ indicating salary expectations i) business

40 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Employ ers

Activity 7: Reading for information

1. What kind of company is this and where is it?
2. What personal skills do you need?
3. What technical skills do you need?
4. What kind of experience is asked for?
5. What computer software do you need to know?
6. What do you think the pay might be?
7. Why do you think the pay is not mentioned?
8. Is this an entry-level position?
9. What does “committed to equal opportunity” mean?
10. How can you send your resume to this company?

Activity 8: Reading newspaper job ads

Look through the job ads in the newspaper. Underline skills and personal qualities that em-
ployers want. Write down at least five, discuss their meanings, and provide some examples
that would illustrate each skill or quality.

Skill or Quality Meaning Example

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 41

Call Centre

Activity 9: Discussion
Interview your classmates and find out who in the class is best qualified for these jobs.

Activity 10: Discussion

Discuss with your classmates their personal job search stories.

Activity 11: Report writing

Write a report about the personal job search story of one of your classmates.

Working conditions

Unions
Most of the call centre industry is not unionized at present, although the general lack of em-
ployee benefits and large part-time workforce make it a target for unionization. Not surpris-
ingly there is resistance to unionization by the call centre companies. However, the growth of
the industry means more demand for skilled staff, which gives workers more bargaining
power. For municipal call centres, there is the Canadian Union of Public Employees. The Tele-
communications Workers Union (TWU) is also active in the industry.
Generally, lower wages are being paid in a call centre compared to a job in a more unionized
industrial environment. However, there are some highly skilled jobs required in the industry
to manage the programs in the centres and to operate the technology that supports the sys-
tems.

Benefits
As in most permanent full-time jobs, a full-time job in a call centre can have many benefits.
Some of the standard benefits are: dental plan, supplementary health coverage and group in-
surance.

Short-term and long-term work

A lot of jobs these days are contract work - you only have a job until that project is finished.
Quite often, an entire company is formed only to complete a certain project; and when the
project is over, everyone in the company is out of a job (unemployed). With other companies,
a job means a career (work that lasts for years).

42 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Employ ers

Be careful that an employer does not treat you as self-employed. Being self-employed is
cheaper for the employer because he or she does not have to pay workers benefits.

Contract work
Contract work may pay twice as much as a permanent job. However, there are certain draw-
backs. If you do contract work you will not have company benefits, such as a dental plan or a
pension plan.

Activity 12: Pronunciation

Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
dental plan supplementary health coverage
drawbacks target for unionization
resistance unionized industrial environment
group insurance pension plan
bargaining power

Activity 13: Vocabulary matching

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition.

1. __ lack of a) not enough

2. __ a target for unionization b) extra health insurance
3. __ bargaining power c) power to get what you want
4. __ supplementary health coverage d) negative things
5. __ unionized industrial environment e) insurance for teeth care
6. __ drawbacks f) unionized jobs
7. __ dental plan g) refuse to accept something
8. __ pension plan h) money for retirement
9. __ resistance i) likely to get unionized

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 43

Call Centre

Activity 14: Reading comprehension

Read the following sentences and circle T for true statements and F for false statements.

T F 1. Many call centres are unionized.

T F 2. There is a lack of employee benefits and a large part-time workforce in the call
centre industry.
T F 3. Call centre companies do not want to unionize.
T F 4. The Canadian Union of Public Employees is for banking call centres.
T F 5. Unionized jobs have lower wages than non-unionized jobs.
T F 6. Permanent full-time call centre jobs have benefits.
T F 7. A contract job is a job that lasts for a long time.
T F 8. Contract jobs pay less but have more benefits.
T F 9. Being self-employed means that you do not get benefits.
T F 10. Being self-employed is good for the employer.
T F 11. Workers are getting more bargaining power.

Activity 15: Discussion

1. Did you ever belong to a union before?
2. What did your union do for you?
3. Did you have to pay any money to be in a union?
4. What kinds of customer service jobs are unionized in your country of origin?
5. What job benefits did you get before?
6. Did you ever work on contract before?
7. Did you ever have a bad experience with an employer or supervisor before?
8. What is good and what is bad about unions?

44 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Call Centre Employ ers

employers

For more information on… view company profiles at:

http://216.58.15.21/joblinks/Communications/index.html On this site you
will also find links to many companies in different industries (hospitality,
communications, etc.): check out careers sections of companies.

job requirements
look in job ads
go to: http://www.canadajobs.com/ then: click on Job Seekers - Search
and Browse Job Postings; type in “call centres” and click on “search”; click
on “call centres new”; click on hyperlinks to job postings across Canada

call centre associations

use the links to various associations at:
http://home.eol.ca/~ssimpson/assoc.html
visit the Manitoba Call Centre Association:
http://www.mcca.mb.ca/jobopps.html

Web sites for job search

visit online job sites:
http://www.jobbank.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
http://www.workinfonet.bc
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca
http://jb-ge.hrdc-hrdc.gc.ca
http://careers.msn.com
http://www.worinfonet.ca
http://www.workopolis.ca
http://www.workopolis.com
http://www.jobshark.com
http://www.monster.com
http://www.brainhunter.com
http://www.workwaves.com
http://www.careerexchange.com
http://www.canjobs.com

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 45

4 WORKPLACE LAW

In this unit you will learn about

the laws that protect workers in Ontario
employment standards
human rights
health safety
workplace safety

The laws that protect workers in Ontario

Workers in Ontario need to know about these important laws:

Employment Standards Act Occupational Health and Safety Act

The Employment Standards Act gives the The Occupational Health and Safety Act
minimum standards for salary, overtime, protects the health and safety of workers in
vacations, maternity benefits, termination the workplace.
and equal pay.

Ontario Human Rights Code Worker’s Compensation Act

The Ontario Human Rights Code forbids The Worker’s Compensation Act helps
discrimination against a person because of workers who are injured at work or get sick
race, colour, religion or sex. from their work.

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 47

Call Centre

Employment Issues

Real story
Mr. C & Ms. M - Telemarketers
A telemarketing company based in the They expected to be paid, but they were
Parkdale area of Toronto hired Mr. C and not, so they quit.
Ms. M. The company employed about 20
people to do “cold calling” - choosing The company closed down. Mr. C and Ms.
numbers from the phone book and phoning M are trying to get the wages owed to them
people to drum up (get) business for a through the Employee Wage Protection
cleaning company. Fund.
Mr. C and Ms. M worked for the company The company seems to have opened up
at separate times. Each worked from 9:30 again under a new name.
a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 5 days a week.

Source: Parkdale Community Legal Services, Toronto

Activity 1: Discussion
Which one of the four Acts applies to the story, “Mr. C & Mrs. M – Telemarketers?”

Activity 2: Interview
Ask your partner about workplace law in his or her country of origin. Write down the answers
in this chart.

Question Answer
What is the minimum wage?
Is there worker’s compensation?
How many weeks’ vacation do most workers get each year?
How many public holidays are there?
What are the normal working hours each week?
What are the normal working hours each day?
Are employers required to pay overtime?
What are some deductions from pay cheques?
Is there a Health and Safety Act?

48 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Workplace Law

Activity 3: Internet search Vocabulary

Instructions: go to the Ontario Ministry of Labour Web site
<www.gov.on.ca/LAB/main.htm> and find the answers to the minimum wage
questions below. After, compare your answers using the fol- coffee break
lowing reading, Employment Standards. meal break
1. What is the minimum wage in Ontario for (call centre) injury
workers? injured
2. How many weeks of vacation do most workers in Ontario compensation benefits
have every year? overtime pay
3. Is Remembrance Day a public holiday in Ontario? public holidays
workplace
4. How many public holidays are there in Ontario?
standards
5. What are the normal working hours for a (call centre) vacation
worker in Ontario each day? vacation pay
6. What are the normal working hours for Ontario workers statutory holiday
in a week? payroll deductions
7. Can employers deduct income tax from your pay termination of employment
cheque? fire
8. How much vacation pay do most Ontario workers get? quit
9. How much is overtime pay?
10. When must workers have a meal break?

Activity 4: Reading and completing a pay stub

Here is a pay cheque stub for two weeks. Fill in the pay stub with this information:
1. This person worked for 75 hours. 5. Employment Insurance (EI) deductions
were $18.30.
2. The regularly scheduled hours were 72.5.
6. She received $45 overtime pay.
3. The total pay before deductions was
$915.00. 7. Union dues were $12.00.
4. Canada Pension Plan contributions were 8. Taxes deducted were $228.75.
$27.45.

ð Detach Cheque Here ð

EARNINGS DEDUCTIONS
Time Gross pay Income Tax CPP NET PAY
72.5 hr 2.5 hr

$ $ $ $ $ 18.30 $ $12.00 $

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 49

Call Centre

Real stories…
The story of a job scam
The SuperFitness home-based telemar- After repeated phone calls and going to the
keters phoned the public, asking them to SuperFitness office, only one worker re-
join the local SuperFitness club. ceived a cheque for $150.00
Workers were told they would receive the Vinny worked for a month with SuperFit-
greater of $12.50 an hour or a $10.00 ness and logged 275 hours. She is owed
piece-rate for every new SuperFitness $3,932.49 in outstanding wages including
member they signed up. 55 hours of overtime. SuperFitness claims
Workers were expected to log onto the cen- she only worked 114 hours. She has been
tral Super Fitness phone system by a set told since July 1995 that the cheque is in
time every day. the mail. To date, she has received only
$250.00 for work completed in July.
Workers were electronically monitored by Vinny’s bills are piling up and not paid.
SuperFitness. If workers were not cheery
enough on the phone, they were told to be Anne-Marie has an extremely ill 3, year-
happier. If they were not logged onto the old-son. She must stay at home to take care
system, SuperFitness called to find out why. of him. When the Harris government took
21% off her welfare cheque, she knew she
SuperFitness told all the workers that they had to find some work to make ends meet.
are “co-venturists.” Under the Employment Working from home seemed to be the solu-
Standards Act, workers are not independent tion. Instead, Anne-Marie was taken by the
contractors just because the boss says they SuperFitness scam. She’s owed $2,340.00
are.
Christine worked for 85 hours in a 16-day
SuperFitness told workers they would only period. SuperFitness had not kept track and
pay for talk time - not all of their real work claims she worked for only 6 days. She is
time or overtime. Under the Employment owed $1,105.00 in back wages.
Standards Act, a worker must receive
wages for work time. David is owed almost $1,300.00. SuperFit-
ness did not record his accurate work time.
SuperFitness told workers a pay cheque He worked 18 days when SuperFitness
would be sent to them as soon as they claims 12 days. He’s gone to SuperFitness
worked for the equivalent of $150.00, not but has not received what he’s owed.
on a regular payday.
Many of the people who worked as tele-
SuperFitness told some workers they had to marketers for SuperFitness didn’t file their
pay a $40.00 deposit to work just to show claims with the Ministry of Labour until
“how serious they were.” more than 6 months after they performed
When workers called because their pay the work. If the 6-month limit on the claim
cheques hadn’t arrived, SuperFitness said, period in Bill 49 is passed, they will be out
“They are in the mail.” of luck.
Source: Parkdale Community Legal Services

50 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Workplace Law

Activity 5: Vocabulary matching

1. __ piece-rate a) remember or keep a record
2. __ to log onto b) increasing
3. __ electronically monitored c) pay basic bills
4. __ cheery d) unpaid wages
5. __ co-venturists e) happy, friendly
6. __ outstanding wages f) register on an electronic system
7. __ piling up g) illegal business activity
8. __ file their claims h) how many hours worked
9. __ to make ends meet i) private contractor
10. __ scam j) checked by computer
11. __ keep track of k) paid according to the amount of work
12. __ accurate work time l) register your complaint

Activity 6: Reading and Discussion

In your class, discuss these questions.
1. What Act did the company break?
2. Why do you think the boss wanted to make the employees “co-venturists” (self-
employed)?
3. Where were the workers working?
4. When should the employees have filed their claims?

Activity 7: Research
Questions or comments about employment standards
Telephone the Ministry of Labour Call Centre and find out what you should do if you were not
paid for work as in the reading above.

Ministry of Labour Call Centre

(416) 326-7160 (Greater Toronto Area)
1-800-531-5551(Canada-wide)
E-mail: [email protected]

With your classmates, discuss and write down the questions you will ask first.

Example: I have an inquiry about...

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 51

Call Centre

Also, keep track of:

1.The length of the call.

2. The voice of the information clerk. Was it clear? Polite?
3. What expressions did the clerk use?

Opening:

Closing:

After you have finished, compare your findings with your classmates.

Human rights
The Ontario Human Rights code protects workers in Ontario from discrimination and harass-
ment by their employers or co-workers. It also reminds all workers to treat each other with
respect.

Discrimination
Discrimination is what happens when you are treated differently from other people. It is
against the law to discriminate against people because of:
• Where they were born (place of origin)
• Where their ancestors were born (ancestry)
• Ethnic group (ethnicity) (black/white, etc.)
• Religion
• Sex (male or female)
• Sexual orientation (heterosexual or homosexual)
• Age
• Marital status (married, single, divorced or separated)
• Children (yes or no)
• Receiving welfare or family benefits
There are situations in which the employer is allowed to choose on the basis of citizenship,
age or handicap.

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 Workplace Law

Harassment
Harassment is a situation in which someone threatens, bothers or insults you. Discrimination
and harassment can occur in:
• job ads
• questions about Canadian experience
• job applications
• job interviews
• the way your employer or co-workers treat you.

What to do in case of discrimination or harassment in the workplace

Racial harassment and discrimination include racial jokes and comments, whether they are di-
rected at you or not. Sexual harassment or discrimination includes unwanted touching, com-
ments, sexual jokes and suggestions.
If you feel that someone is discriminating against you or harassing you, get help. If a co-
worker harasses you, report it to your employer. If an employer harasses you, tell them that
the behaviour is not welcome.
If the harassment continues, talk to your lawyer or community legal clinic. Ask about your
rights and the “Human Rights Complaint Form.”

Activity 8: Vocabulary match up

1. __ Place of origin a) Single, married, divorced, common law
2. __ Ancestors b) Relatives from many generations back
3. __ Ethnicity c) Where you were born
4. __ Sexual orientation d) Caucasian, Asian, African
5. __ Marital status e) Heterosexual (straight), homosexual (gay)

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Activity 9: Match the situation

For each situation below, decide if the person is being discriminated against or harassed.
Then, match each situation with the type of discrimination or harassment that it is:

1. __ Andy answered an advertisement for a “Girl Friday.” The duties a) place of origin
of the job involved typing, filing and sorting. When he asked for an b) religion
interview, he was told that the job was for “girls” only.
c) ethnicity
2. __ Nathan works in a machine shop. He is black. Most of his co-
workers are white. Last week his co-workers were telling “black d) race
jokes.” Nathan asked them to stop, but they just laughed and went e) sex
on with the jokes.
f) disability
3. __ Ameena applied for a job as a receptionist. Ameena is East
Indian. She speaks English very well, but she has an accent. At g) age
the job interview the employer told her that she was not right for
the job. He said that the company needed someone who spoke
English with no accent.
4. __ Andrea is a stutterer. One of her co-workers makes fun of her when she stutters. He
knows that this makes it harder for her to speak, but he does it anyway.
5. __ Ute has been looking for a job for almost two years. She can’t understand why it is so
difficult. Her friends say that it will be impossible for her to get a job because she is 52
years old.
6. __ Olivia has worked in a small factory for three years. She has never had a raise. Olivia
is from the Philippines. When Olivia asked her boss for a raise, he said: “You Filipinos
are all the same. You take jobs away from Canadians, and then you want a raise too”.
7. __ Ahmed is a Muslim. He has a special prayer time every Friday. Every Friday one of
his co-workers teases him: “There goes Ahmed to the mosque again!”
Adapted from: Discrimination and Harassment at Work, CLEO. August, 1993

Health and Safety

The Occupational Health and Safety Act gives workers three basic rights:

1. the right to know about health and safety hazards; By law, the Health
2. the right to participate in keeping their workplace safe and and Safety Act
healthy. Workers can give ideas and complain about prob- must be posted in
lems; every workplace.
3. the right to refuse work that they think is unsafe.
Employers and workers must work together to identify and solve health and safety problems
in the workplace.

54 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Workplace Law

Activity 10: Identify the task

Identify the following tasks as an employer or worker responsibility by placing E (employer) or
W (worker) beside the appropriate task.
An employer or worker must:
1. __ not work or operate equipment in a way that could be dangerous to themselves or
anyone else in the workplace.
2. __ give workers the information, training and supervision they need to protect their health
and safety.
3. __ help the health and safety committee representative.
4. __ use the safety equipment that their employer says to use.
5. __ keep safety equipment in good condition.
6. __ tell their employer if they see any broken equipment or safety devices.
7. __ make sure safe work procedures are followed and equipment is used properly.
8. __ report any violations of the Ontario Health and Safety Act to the employer.

Health and safety in call centres

The main health and safety concerns in call centres are work-related upper limb disorders
(RSI), voice loss, stress and a feeling of being cooped-up. To avoid voice loss, call centre
workers should drink plenty of liquids. Since regular movement can reduce body fatigue,
workers should periodically get up and stretch.
Comfort is even more important in a call centre than in a normal office situation. Temperature
needs to be at comfortable levels with no cold drafts.

Wrist Injuries
The main form of wrist injury, often caused by keyboarding, is called carpal tunnel syndrome.
It must be treated by exercise or by seeing a doctor, or you could be permanently injured. Try
to tap the keyboard instead of pounding it. Practice typing with a light touch. You may tend
to type harder when you’re tired, hurried or under stress. Pay extra attention to your keyboard
force at those times. Check your posture. Keep your wrists relaxed but not bent upward or
downward. Be sure your monitor is at eye level or a little below. Make sure you are in a com-
fortable position. Don’t drink too much coffee or tea. Caffeine can cause increased tension,
resulting in increased force when using the keyboard. Pain, stiffness, burning, or numbing in
your hands or arms are signals that something is not right. If you have pain, see your doctor,
and you may avoid more serious injury.

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Call Centre

The stages of carpal tunnel injury:

Stage One
Pain and fatigue near the end of the day.
Symptoms ending overnight and on days off.
Danger signs
No reduction in work or school performance. • Numbness, tingling or burning
Stage Two sensations.

Recurring pain and fatigue earlier in the day. • Persistent symptoms.

• Pain-related behaviour, such as
Night symptoms causing sleep disturbance.
frequently massaging yourself,
Reduced work capacity. or pain when someone touches
you.
Physical signs such as swelling.
A nerve-conduction study, or other medical tests, show- Suggestions
ing injury.
You should do a five-minute exer-
Stage Three cise warm-up before starting com-
puter work, just as athletes stretch
Pain and fatigue even during rest and non-repetitive
before a game, to prevent injury.
movement.
You should also stretch and bend
Nighttime pain causing sleep disturbance. your arms, shoulders, and back be-
Reduced work capacity. fore starting computer work.

Activity 11: Pronunciation

Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
periodically work-related body fatigue
limb disorders c arpal t unnel s yndrom e cooped-up

Activity 12: Reading and Discussion

1. What are some signals that something is wrong with your hands or arms?
2. How can you protect your wrists from injury?
3. What happens if you drink too much coffee, tea, or cola?
4. Is it good to pound the keyboard?

56 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Workplace Law

Activity 13: Physical exercise

Try this exercise in class
1. Extend and stretch both wrists and fingers bent upwards as if they are in a handstand
position. Keep that position and count to five.
2. Straighten both wrists and relax fingers.
3. Make a tight fist with both hands.
4. Bend both wrists down while keeping your fists closed. Keep that position and count to
five.
5. Straighten both wrists and relax fingers. Keep that position and count to five.
The exercise should be repeated ten times. Then you should let your arms hang loosely at
your side and shake them for a couple of seconds.

Workers Compensation
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), formerly the Workers Compensation
Board, gives compensation to workers who are injured on the job or who get sick because of
their work.

No injury is too small to report!

If a worker misses work because of an injury or illness, the employer must report it to the
WSIB. The worker must also report to the WISB.
If a worker has an injury related to his or her job, they must always apply for workers’ com-
pensation. The WSIB decides if the law covers a worker or not. Workers must report their
injury to their employer immediately. Workers must also make a claim with the WSIB within
six months of their injury.

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Call Centre

Activity 14: Complete the sentence

Write “compensation” or “accident” beside the appropriate phrase and then practice saying
the complete sentences.
Workers can get compensation benefits for…
Workers who have an accident on the job should…
some of their lost wages
stop working
ask for first aid
tell their supervisor or employer
if necessary, see a doctor right away. If it is not possible to see your doc-
tor right away, go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.
payment for pain and suffering
labour-market re-entry assessment and planning
make sure that the employer knows that they have been injured
make sure the employer writes down everything about the accident.
transportation costs to their doctor or therapy
health care costs

Activity 15: Complaining and giving advice

With a partner, practise complaining and giving advice about health and safety problems.
Person A begins with “I’m sorry to bother you, but…” and chooses any phrase to complete
the sentence. Person B begins with “Well, maybe you should…” and finishes with an appro-
priate answer.
A B
“I’m sorry to bother you, but…” “Well, maybe you should…”
or “Excuse me, but…”

my eyes are really sore and dry! not drink so much coffee
I am having difficulty focusing on the screen stretch more
image.
I feel numbness in my forearms. not type so strongly
my hands and forearms are really stiff. focus your eyes away from the monitor for a
while
lately I have had many headaches and a
very sore neck.
I can’t focus on the screen today because
my vision is blurred. I am seeing double!

58 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Workplace Law

duties and responsibilities for different call centre jobs

For more information on… Human Resources and Development Canada, Ontario Region Ontario Job
Futures at www.on.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
Visit an HRDC Employment Resource Centre in your area and search in the
binders and books with occupation descriptions.
Green, Jack. Contact. A Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre Skills.
Nelson Thomson Learning: 2000.

entry-level qualifications for call centre jobs

Check job ads for call centre jobs in the newspaper or on the Internet.

web sites for job search

www.worinfonet.ca
www.jobbank.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca

health and safety

www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9712/htm/eyestrain.htm
www.visionsite.org/health/surf.htm
www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/1997/Nov-20-Thu-1997/news/6453622.html
Worksafe! (newsletter)
http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/publicat/worksafe/w152n98.html
Canada Safety Council
http://www.safety-council.org/info/OSH/OSH.html
An American site that has Canadian Safety Site links
http://www.safetyinfo.com
Health Canada (Workplace health)
http//hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/ahi/workplace/index.html

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 59

5 TRAINING AND UPGRADING

In this unit you will learn about

getting your training recognized
Canadian experience
call centre training programs
what employers look for in new employees

Previous training and experience

Accreditation
If you have a degree or diploma from your home country you can get some recognition for
that if you can show the employer an assessment. Have your training and experience assessed
here in Ontario. Assessment means that your diplomas, certificates, and employment letters
will be compared to training and experience here in Canada. To do this you will need your di-
plomas or certificates, transcripts, letters of employment and reference.

Translation and evaluation of documents

Foreign-trained workers must have their academic documents translated and compared. Pri-
vate translators or settlement agencies will translate your education documents for a fee. Your
translations must also be notarized. This means that an official must sign the translation and
copies to certify that they are correct and true.
If you are a university-trained computer professional, a computer engineer for example, the
professional association or college that regulates your profession must assess your profes-
sional qualifications. To get the name and address of your professional association you can
look in the phone book, visit the Access to Professions and Trades Web site, or ask a settle-
ment counsellor for help.
However, most computer occupations in Ontario are not regulated. Employers rely on your
resume and sometimes a programming or other entrance test given during the interview proc-
ess.

Prior learning assessment

If you have training and experience but don’t have a diploma, you may want to get one here in
Canada. If you would like to enter an educational program in Ontario, you can have a prior
learning assessment.
Prior learning assessment is a way to review and evaluate your learning achievements, so that
you can be placed in an educational program here in Ontario. A prior learning assessment

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Call Centre

evaluates your learning and experience, abilities, skills and understandings acquired through
work and life experiences.

General Education Diploma

If you don’t have a high school diploma from Ontario you may want to try the GED. This is a
test that the Ministry of Education makes available to adults who want to get a document
equivalent to high school in Ontario.

English as a second language (ESL)

You might want to join one of the classes run by LINC (Language instruction for newcomers
to Canada). To do so, contact your local community organization or immigration office.
Community colleges and local boards of education offer many different kinds of ESL courses.
For example, you may want to brush up on your pronunciation or your business writing skills
at a school near you. To get information about these classes, look in the board of education or
the community college’s continuing education calendars. These calendars can be found at your
local library.
Many private English language institutes offer ESL for a fee. Look in the Yellow Pages under
“Language Training.”

Describing your skills and training

Some jobs require specific skills, knowledge and experience. Think about your job skills and ex-
perience. How would you describe them to an employer? Here are some examples to help you.
They are about an ad for a programmer.
“I have four years computer and keyboarding experience. ”
“I can design Web sites.”
“I know how to use a database.”
Here are some other examples:
“I know a lot about Java.”
“I can use the Unix operating system.”
“I’m able to work well under pressure.”
“I’m familiar with order entry and telemarketing.”

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 T raining and Upgrading

Activity 1: Describing your skills and training

Complete the sentences.

1. I know how to …

2. I have ten years’ experience …

3. I have training in …

4. I know a lot about …

5. I have studied …

6. I’m familiar with …

Activity 2: Write your real story

Practice it and use it to tell people about your training, experience and knowledge. The more
people know about you, the more they are able to tell others! Word-of-mouth is one of the
best ways to get a job.

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Canadian experience
Longtime Canadians and new Canadians both
have difficulty looking for work. For new- When you apply for a job in Canada, em-
comers, one of the biggest difficulties is the ployers want to know about your work ex-
question of “Canadian experience.” The law perience. You have to talk about:
says that employers cannot stop you from get-
ting a job because you don’t have Canadian where you worked
experience, but many employers still ask for how long you worked there
it.
your position (job title, occupation)
To deal with this problem, get some exposure
to the Canadian job market by: your duties and responsibilities

Volunteering Here are two examples:

To find out about volunteer jobs, call a “In Russia I worked in a government de-
community agency that does work in your partment for five years. I started as a tech-
area such as the volunteer association in your nician. After three years, I was promoted to
city. Ask for the volunteer co-ordinator. supervisor. I kept records and trained new
Request information about volunteering. technicians.”
You can also check on the Internet. Some “I worked for a multimedia company from
volunteer organizations, such as the Volunteer April until November. I was a programmer.
Centre in your city, may have their own post- Sometimes I designed Web pages.”
ings on the Web.

Researching the Ontario workplace

Talk to a few people who have successfully adapted to the Canadian workplace. Compare the
Canadian workplace with the workplace that you used to work in and find the differences. If
possible, do volunteer work in your field.

Joining a temporary employment placement agency

Temporary placement agencies place workers in short-term assignments for companies who
require short-term help. Unless you really like change and can afford to be without work for
periods at a time, this is a difficult way to make a living. However, this is the perfect way to
get Canadian experience.

Getting help for your job search

When you are ready to start you job search, join a job search program, a job-finding club or an
assisted job search program. These will give you all the support and practice that you need.
You can find information about these programs at any HRDC Employment Resource Centre.

64 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 T raining and Upgrading

Activity 3: Speaking
Discuss with your class if anyone has had any experience with a job search program or job
finding club. What did they learn?

Call centre training programs

A number of schools and colleges have developed specialized training programs for prospec-
tive or current call centre representatives.
• Centennial College in Scarborough, Ontario, offers a 48-week program for people who
want to be call centre operators. The college partnered with several technology companies
to develop its program, which includes an actual call centre as a classroom. The course
covers computer applications, customer service, team building and life skills.
• Goodwill Community Services in Toronto also offers a call centre worker training pro-
gram which includes placement in a workplace.
• The Greater Hamilton Public Board of Education offers call centre training.
• Mohawk College has a Public Safety Communications Certificate Program in call centre
emergency-based training.

Centennial College Program

Call Centre Operations Program, School of Business How to apply
At the end of every 1-800 number is a group of people who
1. Apply to Ontario College
are ready to provide whatever service the customer requires. Applications Service *
Introduction 2. Attend Orientation Session

Centennial College offers a call centre training program to 3. Write English Test
meet the huge demand for employees from the more than 600 4. Write Aptitude Test
call centres in the greater Toronto area. 5. Phone Interview

Companies are looking for well-trained college graduates for 6. Face-to-face Interview
their call centres. This is not sweatshop telemarketing. This is
a career. * Regular Program
Code 2913
In the curriculum, students will be taught basic call centre * Accelerated Program
skills such as customer service, communications skills, com- Code 2914
puter skills, relationship marketing and the technology that
makes it all possible.

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Call Centre

Activity 4: True or false

Read the following sentences and circle T for true statements and F for false statements.

T F 1. Companies don’t need well-trained college graduates for their call centres.
T F 2. Students will be taught 5 skills.
T F 3. The application process has only one step.

Activity 5: Reading comprehension

Centennial College Program Description
Centennial’s Call Centre Operations program is a one-year certificate program developed to train
people for careers in the expanding call centre industry. This is NOT the telemarketing field. Call
centres are customer service centres that provide a variety of services to customers by tele-
phone banking, bill payments and insurance claims, to name a few examples.
The Call Centre Operations certificate program provides training in call centre technology, as well
as in the soft skills vital to effective customer service.
Three main indicators point to the success of the Call Centre Operations program and partner-
ship:
1. A 100 per cent placement rate for program graduates
2. Continuing support from corporate partners for the program
3. Support from corporate partners for new training projects, or, if appropriate, referrals to other
potential partners.
For students, the Call Centre Operations program has opened the way to well-paying careers in
an entirely new industry. (Many are mature students starting second careers.) Employers are hir-
ing every graduate available. In addition, the companies and the jobs they are offering provide
an excellent foundation for career advancement.
http://www.sob.cencol.on.ca/callcent/

1. Are all the students in this program young?

2. What is the hiring rate like?
3. Are these telemarketing jobs?
4. What are the placement rates for graduates?
5. How long is the program?
6. Who supports this program? Why do you think so?

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 T raining and Upgrading

Activity 6: Research
Call a program that offers call centre training (e.g. Centennial College, Goodwill Community
Services) and find out if you are eligible for the program by asking what level of English is
required to take the program. Also, ask how much the program costs and how long it is.
Compare your findings with your classmates.

Activity 7: Describe your qualifications

Fill in the chart with your personal information.

Do you have the Yes or Required for If yes, how can you describe it or give
following qualification? No your occupation? an example?

High school diploma

College diploma or
certificate

University degree

Other education

Specialized training
Membership in a
professional association

Experience in your field

Knowledge of computer
applications
Experience in customer
service
Good problem-solving
skills
Ability to speak with
clients in English
Ability to take orders
over the telephone

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Call Centre

What employers look for in new employees

What employers are looking for de-
pends partly on the type of company: Ask yourself these questions: What kind of person
a small company, for example, may are you? What skills do you have? What are your
be more interested in someone who goals and interests?
can work independently. A small
The answers to these questions are important. They
company might be looking for some-
will help you decide which employers to contact.
one who is flexible: able to work in a
They will also help you prepare for an interview.
job situation that often changes. A
bigger company might be looking for Employers want people with strong personal quali-
someone who likes a more fixed job ties. For example, an employer might want someone
situation. who is
In any company, though, one big strong — dependable, always doing the job well; or
question is: Does this person have
“team spirit”? Will he or she be able flexible — changing easily to new situations.
to work as part of the team? For the Different occupations in the sector require different
company, it is always important that personal qualities. For computer jobs, some of the
people work well together, under- qualities are as follows.
stand each other, and help each
other. Working at any company is “I’m co-operative. I like working with people. When I
like sports — for the company to was a programmer in China, we worked in teams. I
“win,” everybody on the team must got along with everybody.”
have “team spirit.”
“I feel that I’m an energetic person. I work very hard.
Today, technical training is not I’m ambitious and I want to learn.”
enough. Employees have to be able
to work with people. Employers “My boss said I was very organised. I did all the
might ask you non-technical ques- software maintenance for the company.”
tions, for example, “How would you “I’m responsible and honest. In Poland, I super-
handle someone who doesn't agree vised eight computer operators, and I had to deal
with you?” and “If you have a prob- with many clients.”
lem with your boss, what will you
do?”

Activity 8:Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
conscientious flexible punctual energetic
co-operative honest resourceful organized
determined level-headed responsible self-reliant

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 T raining and Upgrading

Activity 9: What are your personal skills?

Fill in the blanks with the following words.
respected self-reliant conscientious well-liked
level-headed punctual resourceful determined

1. I’m __________. I have never been late for work.

2. I believe that I’m a __________ person. I was a computer technician in China. Often, we
needed new equipment, and I went out and bought it myself.
3. I’d say I’m a __________ person. I don’t get frustrated when things are not going well.
4. People say I am __________. I am able to work without supervision.
5. I’m very __________. I don’t give up easily.
6. My supervisors have said I’m __________. I pay attention to details, and I always com-
plete my work.
7. I was the best consultant in the company. That’s why I was always __________ and
__________ by the clients.

Activity 10: Describe your personal qualities

The following is a list of characteristics that a good call centre rep needs. From your experi-
ence, can you think of examples or situations that show you have these characteristics?
Write a short report about it.
After, talk to your classmates by asking, “Can you describe to me your personal qualities?”
and then, “Can you give me any example?”
1. ability to learn
2. stress resistance
3. ability to multitask
4. flexibility
5. ability to get along with people
6. computer/keyboarding skills
7. positive attitude

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Call Centre

LINC classes
For more information on… vist CIC’s Web site at:
http://www.cicnet.ingenia.com/english/newcomers/linc-2e.htm

training and upgrading

http://www.the-resource-centre.com/index.HTM
resources for call centre professionals: on line training, books, etc. (Toronto
based company)
Centennial College (Toronto) call centre training program
http://www.acaato.on.ca/partnerships/Centennial/Call Centre.htm

call centre reference

Green, Jack. (2000). Contact. A Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre
Skills. Toronto: Nelson Thomson Learning.

ESL resources
Use this link to access ESL study sites on the Internet:
http://alphaplus.ca/index1.htm When you get to the homepage, click on
“English”, then click on “site map”, then click on “AlphaPlus Index to Web
resources”. Choose a search method such as “subject terms” and then
choose a topic like “pronunciation”. You will get a list of Web sites relating
to pronunciation.

70 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

 Terminology

Terminology 1

Terminology 2

Workplace Communication 1

Workplace Communication 2

A Personal Plan

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 71

Call Centre

72 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

6 TERMINOLOGY 1

In this unit you will learn about

call centre technology
the Internet
vocabulary for general office equipment
vocabulary for hardware and software

Call centre technology

Call centres use 3 technologies when dealing with an in-bound call (call from a customer);
they are: the ACD (automatic call distributor), contact management software and the Internet.
When a customer calls a call centre, instead of talking to a live person, the customer talks to
an ACD. An ACD is a technology that can use another technology called IVR (interactive
voice response) to get information from the customer before the call is passed to a rep. The
ACD can hold the call in queue and pass it to the next available agent or the agent who is spe-
cially knowledgeable about the customer’s particular need. When the call gets to the rep, the
customer’s information may appear on the screen and this is called a screen pop.
After the rep has received a call, the rep uses contact management software to serve the cus-
tomer. The information that the contact management software provides the rep may include
address, telephone, fax, email, addresses, records of previous business, etc. (If not already
provided by the ACD). As well as giving information about the customer, the software also
allows the agent to process the customer’s need through access to other software and data-
bases. The contact information software can also give different scripts to the rep to help deal
with the customer’s needs.
The third kind of technology that call centres use is the Internet. As business moves from the
telephone to the Internet (e-commerce), call centres have to serve customers over the Inter-
net. Customers increasingly shop and place orders through a company’s Web site and call cen-
tre agents deal with this business through e-mail. Also, agents can talk live with customers
over the Internet while looking at the same screen.

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Call Centre

Activity 1: Identify the technology

Label the task in the chart with one of these technological terms:
task term
1. can greet the caller
2. gives reps quick access to other software (inven-
tory, shipping)
3. schedules follow-up calls
4. can collect caller identification information (CTI)
5. prints reports or letters
6. places orders through a website
7. routes (send) the call to the appropriate rep
8. gets information from a rep by e-mail
9. uses IVR to question customers
10. speaks live to a rep using a computer
11. customers can have information e-mailed to them
right away
12. can be programmed to give reps time between
each call
13. queues the caller (put on hold)
14. provides a list of scripts (for example: call introduc-
tion statements, answers to questions or resource
information)

Activity 2: Interview your classmates

1. Have you ever used computer software while talking on the phone with customers? What
kinds of things did you have to do?

2. Have you had a personal experience as a consumer (customer) with an interactive voice
response system (recorded prompts)? Describe it.

3. Have you ever experienced delay announcements (recorded information while you were
on hold)? Describe the situation (what you were calling about, what was the message
about).

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Activity 3: Getting information using IVRs

Interactive voice responses (IVR) are used by many businesses and institutions. Using the
phone book, find the phone numbers for the following businesses and institutions and call
them. After the call, write down the prompts (questions) you can remember, then compare
with your classmates. What technological term describes what you just experienced (see
reading 1)?
1. Air Canada
2. Revenue Canada
3. Royal Bank
4. University of Toronto
5. George Brown College (or any community college)
6. Bell Canada

Activity 4: Discussion
Discuss your experience with the Internet with your classmates.

1. Have you ever used the Internet? For what purposes?

2. How can companies do business on the Internet?

3. How do you think a customer service representative’s job will change because of this
technology?

4. Have you ever designed a Web site?

5. Have you ever bought anything using the Internet (airplane tickets, books, etc.)?

Activity 5: Report writing

On the next page, write a short report (two paragraphs or so) about a classmate’s experience
with the Internet.
Include:
1. How long they have been using it.
2. If they used it for work.
3. What they use it for at home.
4. If they have used it for job search.

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 T erminology 1

Vocabulary for general office equipment

This section introduces office vocabulary in these four areas:
• Call centre rep • Computer related equipment
• Office supplies • Computer hardware/software

Activity 6: Describing office equipment

Name the call centre equipment by writing the number of the term on the pictures.
1. terminal
2. headset
3. wireless head set
4. mouse
5. monitor
6. keyboard
7. paper trays
8. cubicle

Activity 7: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor and mark the syllables and stress for each of the words in activity 6.

Activity 8: Discussion
Discuss with your classmates if anyone has ever worked using this kind of equipment before.
What did they have to do?

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Call Centre

Activity 9: Office supplies vocabulary

Write the number from the picture in front of the correct word.

___ calculator
___ clipboard
___ computer
___ correction fluid
___ desk
___ desk calendar
___ desk pad
___ envelope
___ fax machine
___ file folder
___ filing cabinet
___ ink pad
___ legal pad
___ letterhead paper
___ stapler
___ office manager
___ organizer
___ packing tape
___ paper clip
___ paper cutter
___ tack
___ photocopier
___ postal scale ___ rotary card file
___ post-it notes ___ appointment book
___ swivel chair ___ microcassette transcribers
___ paper shredder ___ electric pencil sharpener
___ printer cartridge ___ padded envelope
___ stacking tray ___ rubber/elastic band
___ supply cabinet ___ computer workstation

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Activity 10: Computer equipment

Write the number from the picture in front of the correct word.

___ monitor
___ cable connector
___ keyboard
___ zip drive
___ laptop / notebook
___ scanner
___ floppy disks
___ printer
___ CPU (hard drive)
___ track ball
___ CD-ROM
___ power bar
___ mouse

Computer software
This is a list of software applications that appear in one of the placement agency’s tests.
What software are you familiar with? Circle the ones that you have heard about before. Put a
star beside the ones that you can use.
ACCPAC Adobe Framemaker Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Pagemaker Adobe Photoshop CorelDraw
Eudora FileMakerPro HTML
Lotus123 LotusNotes LotusWordPro
MS Access MS Excel MS Front Page
MS Internet Explorer MS Power Point MS Windows
Netscape QuarkXpress QuattroPro
Quicken WordPerfect

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Call Centre

Activity 11: Matching

Match the work tasks with the software application that you would use to perform it.

1. __ changing a customer’s address and telephone a) database

2. __ looking up a premium rate b) word processor
3. __ updating customer’s payment schedule c) Internet
4. __ transferring funds d) accounting program
5. __ purchasing office supplies e) payroll program
6. __ purchasing RRSP f) billing & bookkeeping
7. __ maintaining records program

8. __ balancing financial records g) accounting program

9. __ sending an e-mail message h) e-mail program

10. __ preparing a letter i) scheduling system

11. __ auditing yeterday’s financial transactions j) records management

program
12. __ researching other companies

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7 TERMINOLOGY 2

In this unit you will learn about

computer use in call centres
work processes and procedures
call monitoring terminology

Computer use
Call centre workers may have to use the computer to complete the following tasks.
Workers may have to:
1. Use word processing software. Example: type
customer information sheets.
2. Use a database. Example: use a database to
locate customer addresses or to key in new
orders.
3. Use bookkeeping, billing and accounting
software. Example, use a computer program to
check prices during a sale.
4. Use communications software. Example, send
e-mail messages to other departments,
branches or customers.

Activity 1: Interviews
Using the above information, develop ten questions for your classmates to find out what they
know about computer use. Start your questions using "Have you ever.........." followed by a
close-ended question (what, where, why, when, how long, what kind of, etc.).

Activity 2: Writing
Using your questionnaire, write a report about one or more of your classmates.

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Call Centre

Real story
Working as a call centre agent
Louis Kiyo works as a technical support The final stage of the interview process
agent for Hewlett Packard’s call centre in was when he was called back and given a
Toronto. This call centre serves all of Can- tour of the call centre by the boss.
ada. Louis immigrated to Canada from His training period was two weeks long
Cameroon and speaks fluent English; his and consisted of one week of problem
first language is French. solving cases on computer hardware and
He did not start working in a call centre software and a second week of training in
right away, but attended a Human Resources soft skills: working with a script, being
Development Canada networking program. taught how to speak to customers, what
He also took some courses to upgrade his you say and don’t say, how to react to an-
software knowledge and got a lot of training gry customers and make small talk with
in interview preparation. customers, etc.
Louis did not work in a call centre before The call centre he works in has about 15
coming to Toronto; however, he had experi- people under one supervisor who the
ence working as a computer support person agents refer to when they encounter a
at university while he was a student. He problem they cannot solve. Sometimes the
transferred these skills to a call centre agent supervisor listens while he is talking to a
position. In his interview, he stressed that he customer and interrupts. Louis puts the
had experience explaining to people solu- customer on hold while the supervisor ex-
tions to their problems, that he was a fast plains what should be done.
thinker and a results-oriented person. He
also explained how he did troubleshooting Louis felt the first month to be the most
for students over the phone. difficult because he was unfamiliar with
colloquial Canadian English. Using collo-
When he got an interview at Hewlett Pack- quial English in small talk with customers
ard, he was first asked to take an examina- is sometimes useful while the agent is
tion about computer technology. After that, checking files.
a Human Resources person asked him gen-
eral questions such as “How do you work Now Louis is satisfied with his perform-
under pressure?” ance and alternates handling French and
English speaking customers.
The next part of his interview consisted of a
one-on-one interview with a supervisor who
tested him on computer troubleshooting.

Summary of Louis’ work processes:

• talk to supervisor during call • use software
• deal with angry customers • make small talk with customers
• know how to speak to customers • put customers on hold
• know what to say and not say • explain a solution to a customer

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Activity 3: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.
colloquial networking program
technical support agent upgrade
results oriented person troubleshooting

Activity 4: Reading comprehension

1. What is Louis’ job title?
2. What is his first language?
3. After he came to Canada, what kind of training did he take?
4. Did he have a call centre job before?
5. What skills did he have that he could use in a call centre?
6. What kind of job training did he get after he was hired?
7. How big is the team he works on?
8. What does the supervisor do?
9. Why was the first month difficult for him?
10. What work processes involving call centre technology does Louis do?
11. What soft skills are part of his work processes?

Activity 5: Find someone who…

Compare yourself to Louis’ experience. Using the above work processes make close-ended
questions beginning with “Have you ever…” and “Do you know how to…” and interview your
classmates. Follow each question with several open-ended questions beginning with what,
where, why or how.
• talk to a supervisor during a call
• use contact management software and database
• know how to speak to customers

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Call Centre

Activity 6: Matching
Assign an appropriate job process from the second column for the following phrases.

1. __ Excuse me, can I put you on hold? a) Deal with angry customers
2. __ It’s not as bad as all that b) Make small talk while customers
3. __ Do you mind if I put you on hold? c) Put customers on hold
4. __ The first thing you have to do is… d) Explain a solution to a customer
5. __ There’s no reason to get so upset.
6. __ Do you see what I mean?
7. __ Are you going anywhere this summer?
8. __ After you’ve done that, you…
9. __ OK so far?
10. __ Make sure you remember…
11. __ Have you been enjoying the nice weather we’ve been having?

Practise some of the above situations in customer/agent role-plays.

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Call monitoring terminology

In Unit 5, it was mentioned that call centre reps are monitored by the supervisor. In a good
call centre, the monitoring is done to improve the quality of the work while creating a positive
learning environment for the agents. To do this, the supervisor looks at different call centre
processes to measure agents’ performances: average handling time (AHT), Average talk time
(ATT), average work time (AWT), average hold time (AHT), adherence to the staffing
schedule and average speed of answer.

Activity 7: Matching
Match the following call centre process terms on the left with the definitions.

1. __ Average handling time (AHT) a) A measure of whether the staff in queue

are ready to take calls during the period of
2. __ Average talk time (ATT) time they are expected to.
3. __ Average work time (AWT) b) The average length of time it takes the rep
to handle each call, including talk time and
4. __ Average hold time (AHT)
after-call time.
5. __ Following the staffing schedule c) The average length of time the rep spends
6. __ Average speed of answer out of queue doing wrap-up (finishing)
work on a call after the call has been
completed
d) The average time a caller was on hold be-
fore his or her call was answered by a rep.
e) The average amount of time the customer
was on hold per call during a call.
f) The average length of time the rep spends
talking to the customer in each call.

Activity 8: Discussion
Discuss with your class how measuring call centre processes might be stressful for the rep.

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Call Centre

Working together in a call centre

Activity 9: Interview your classmates

Look at the picture of the call centre seating arrangement.
1. Why would this be a good seating arrangement?
2. How many agents would be on this team?
3. Have you ever worked in this kind of seating arrangement before?
4. Have you worked as part of team before? How many people were on it and how did
you sit?
5. Did a supervisor ever measure your performance before? What did he or she do?

Banking and call centres

Banks are a major employer of call centre workers. As a lot of banking is now done over the
Internet, many call centre agents are employed servicing customers by Internet. The following
reading describes the major services banks provide online.

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Banking and call centres

Online transactions
Online Banking Call Centres
Banking by computer can be done either with Canada’s major banks offer telephone bank-
a PC or through the Internet. PC banking is ing services. This service allows customers
done through the clients personal computer to make account inquiries, account transfers
with software provided by the bank. Internet and bill payments from a telephone 24 hours
banking uses a public network and the cus- a day. Customers can also take out a loan,
tomers go to a bank’s home page to access buy a GIC or contribute to an RRSP by talk-
the bank’s services. ing to a customer service representative at
ABMs the bank’s call centre. Call centres are the
source of most employment opportunities
Automated Banking Machines (ABMs) are for clerks in the banking sector.
everywhere these days: in bank branches, in
E-Commerce
grocery and retail stores, and in gas stations.
ABMs are convenient for customers because The Internet is like a 24-hour-a-day global
they are available 24 hours a day, often near shopping mall. Anyone with Internet access
parking. Customers use the ABM to make can buy in cyberspace. Using an Internet
cash withdrawals, deposits, bill payments, browser, customers can get onto the Web
and to transfer funds from one account to site and look through the descriptions of
another. products. Once a product is selected, cus-
tomers can pay by credit card or be billed
In some countries it is possible to use ABMs
later. In some countries, but not yet in Can-
for mortgages, loans, mutual funds, RRSP
ada, it is possible to pay with a kind of “digi-
deposits, foreign exchange and insurance.
tal cash”.
Canadian legislation does not allow these
services to be offered through ABM, but the Experts predict that e-commerce will be-
banking industry predicts that this will come increasingly popular. In fact, it is al-
change. ready possible to trade stocks, mutual funds
and other securities and
Although ABMs are convenient to many cus-
http://www.cicnet.ingenia.com/english/newc
tomers there are others who don’t like it.
omers/linc-2e.htm
Many seniors, for example, prefer to deal
with a bank teller. get a loan or mortgage over the internet.
Interac Direct Payment Consumers can get all the information they
need on the Internet before deciding on
The Interact Direct Payment allows custom- where to get their financial services. For this
ers to pay for their groceries, clothes, books, reason, it is important for workers in this
in fact anything, with a bankcard. This means industry to be aware of the technological
that people don’t need to carry around that trends.
much cash with them.

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Activity 10: Matching

Match the service name to the description. More than one description may apply.

1. ______ ABM a) This service allows you to buy items without

having to carry any money.
2. ______ Interac Direct Payment
b) This service allows you to buy items and pro-
3. ______ Call Centres vides on line services 24 hours a day.
4. ______ E-Commerce c) This banking service allows you to personally
withdraw and deposit money, pay bills and up
date your bank book 24 hours a day.
d) This banking service allows you to talk to a
customer service representative without having
to visit the bank or the insurance company.
e) This service allows customers to make ac-
count inquiries, account transfers and bill pay-
ments from a telephone 24 hours a day.
f) Customers can use this service to make cash
withdrawals, deposits, bill payments and to
transfer funds from one account to another.
g) This service allows customers to pay for their
groceries, clothes, books, in fact anything, with
a bank card instead of cash.
h) This banking service allows you to use your
own personal computer to do your banking.

88 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

8 COMMUNICATION

In this unit you will learn about

workplace communication tasks
working as a team member
offering and asking for help
workplace social communication
communicating with your supervisor
dealing with conflict

Workplace communication tasks

In a call centre workplace you may have to do the following workplace tasks that involve the
language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. You will also be expected to have
ongoing training.

Activity 1: Identify the communication task

Write the correct word beside the appropriate workplace communication task.
Speaking Writing Reading Continuous Learning

_________________ Discuss changes in service/workplace policy with supervisors.

_________________ Customer service and computer manuals to understand how to

work with specific types of orders.

_________________ Communicate with co-workers to arrange schedules and tasks.

_________________ Memos to customer service supervisors to update them on activi-

ties or to seek clarification of policies.

_________________ E-mails to co-workers in other departments.

_________________ Memos from supervisors about new procedures or services.

_________________ About company promotions on e-mail.

_________________ There is an ongoing need for call centre workers to keep up to date
on changes to the information they provide as well as with com-
puter technology and with trends in customer service.

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Call Centre

Activity 2: Interview
Discuss with your classmates whether they have had any experience with any of the above
tasks. Make close-ended questions beginning with “Have you ever…?” Be sure to change the
verb to the past participle. Follow the question with an open-ended question beginning with
“what”, “why”, “when”, “where” or “how”.

Working as a team member

Call centres are usually organized in teams of 10-15 people. Working as part of the team is
important because call centre reps must work together to manage the calls in their queue.
There are many ways in which the actions of one team member can affect the job of the oth-
ers:
• if one rep is out of queue unnecessarily, the others have to manage more calls
• if one rep doesn’t handle a customer well and that customer calls back, another rep may
have to take the call
• if one rep is speaking too loudly or sounds upset, the others on the team have to concen-
trate harder to deal with their customers

Activity 3: Complaining to a co-worker

Role-play with your classmates complaining to a co-worker on your team who is speaking too
loudly. Use these phrases to start your conversation:

Use these phrases to start your conversation

I’m sorry to bother you, but you’re …
You may not have noticed, but you’re …
I’m sorry to have to say this, but you’re…

Use these phrases to respond

Sorry, I didn’t know.
I’m very sorry, I didn’t realize.

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Activity 4: Sorting
Look at the following behaviours and write either “good team” or “bad team”
Good / Bad

1. trust

2. offer to help

3. form cliques (“we are smart”, “they are stupid”)

4. spread rumours

5. thank others for their help

6. be dishonest with peers, supervisors and customers

7. share information and ideas

8. do the minimum to keep the job

9. have a positive, professional attitude

10. respect peers

Activity 5: Interview your classmates

1. Did you ever work as part of a team before?
2. Did you ever have problems with other team members? What kinds of
problems were they?
3. Did your supervisor ever do anything to improve the team’s spirit?

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Activity 6: Dialogue
Dialogue 1: Offering help
Make a list of possible situations where a team member might need help, then practise this
type of dialogue with a partner.
Line 1 Joe: Mary, you seem to be having a bit of trouble.
Line 2 Mary: This program has a couple of bugs that I can’t seem to get rid of.
Line 3 Joe: Maybe I can help.
Line 4 Mary: That would be great.
Line 5 Joe: Hmm…let me see. Maybe you should try…

Line 1 suggestions
You seem to be having a bit of trouble.
Is something wrong?
Is something the matter?
Line 2 suggestions Your situations
I’ve got a lot to do by 2:00.
I’ve got to finish processing this order by 3:00.
I’ve got too many customers right now.
I’m not sure how to handle this problem.
I don’t know what the customer said.
I don’t understand what to do.
I don’t know how to talk to angry customers.
I’ve got a headache and feel stiff.
Line 3 suggestions
Maybe I can help.
May I make a suggestion?
I wonder if I could make a suggestion?
Line 4 suggestions
That would be great.
Please do.
or
No, it’s ok.
Thanks, but I’ll figure it out.
Line 5 suggestions
Maybe you should try…
Why don’t you try…
If I were you …

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 Communication

Dialogue 2: Asking for help

You are a new employee and everything is new to you. Ask your co workers (classmates) for
help. Before you start, make a list of things with your class that a new worker might need help
with. Look at the workplace tasks at the beginning of the unit for some ideas.
Practise these dialogues.
Line 1 Joe: Excuse me, could you show me how to [access the customer’s file]?
Line 2 Mary: Sorry, could you say that again?
Line 3 Joe: Could you show me how to [access the customer’s file]?
Line 4 Mary: Let me see, I think you do this.

Line 1 suggestions Example situations

I wonder if you could show me how to… …access the customer’s file?
Line 2 suggestions …get into that program?
I’m sorry. I didn’t catch what you said. …solve this problem?
Sorry, I didn’t quite understand. …process this order?
…find the account number?
Line 3 suggestions
…transfer this order?
Could show me how to…
…finish this invoice?
Line 4 suggestions
Oh, let me think…
or
I’m not sure about that.
I’m afraid I don’t know.

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Call Centre

Social communication
Other than job-related communication, you will need to do some social communication tasks
too. For example, you will need to talk to your coworkers at breaks and lunch. Here are some
dialogues that you can practise.

Activity 7: Accepting and refusing invitations

Dialogue 1: Politely refusing

A: Are you in the coffee fund?
B: No, I’m not. I just started here yesterday. I don’t drink coffee, but thanks for
asking anyway.
A: No problem. By the way, I’m Michelle.
B: My name is Susan. Nice to meet you.

What is the phrase for politely refusing?

Dialogue 2: Accepting an offer

A: Are you in the coffee fund?
B: No, I’m not. I just started here yesterday. But I really need a coffee to get me going in
the morning.
A: Well, the coffee fund is 5 bucks a month.
B: Great. Who do I pay?
A: You can pay me. I run the coffee fund. My name is Trish.
B: Hi Trish. I’m Cathy. Where is the coffee anyway?
A: It’s near the washrooms by the back door. Just follow me and I’ll show you where it is.
B: Thanks.

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Dialogue 3: Not sure

A: Hi Min. Are you going to the training on Friday afternoon?
B: Is it this Friday? I thought it was next week.
A: No. It’s this Friday. Check your e-mail.
B: Well, I guess I will be going then.
A: Good. Some of us are going to The Keg after. Are you interested in going?
B: The Keg? Where is it?
A: I’m not sure. It’s not that far, but you can’t walk. You can get a ride with someone, no
problem.
B: Hmmmm. I’m not sure right now. I’ve got to check with my husband and see what’s
happening with the kids after school then.
A: OK. Just let me know if you can tomorrow. Linda wants to make reservations because
it’s Friday.
B: OK. Thanks for asking me.
A: No problem.

What’s the phrase for saying that you are not sure?

Activity 8: Write your own dialogue

Now work with your partner to write your own dialogue using the ideas from Accepting and
refusing invitations.

A: _____________________________________________________________________

B: _____________________________________________________________________

A: _____________________________________________________________________

B: _____________________________________________________________________

A: _____________________________________________________________________

B: _____________________________________________________________________

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Call Centre

Activity 9: Communicating with your supervisor

A: You are a supervisor in a call centre. Write an e mail to an employee about a software
training workshop. Mention date, time, location and duration of workshop.

B: Your supervisor has sent you an e mail asking you to sign up for training on new software.
Write a reply back to him. If your answer is no, give reasons and show interest for training.

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 Communication

Real story
On time
Raphael was excited about starting his new When Raphael arrived at 5:15, his boss
job at the Hewlett Packard call centre. He was very angry. He told Raphael that he
really liked his new boss, and he thought expected all his staff to be on time. Raph-
working there would be cool. His boss told ael looked puzzled because he was on
him to come in around 5 for the night shift. time.

(Adapted from Canada Works, used with permission from the writer.)

Activity 10: On time

Read this story about coming to work on time and discuss it with your class.
What do you think was the misunderstanding? Is anyone wrong?

Dealing with conflict

A performance review

A: Hi Leslie. I’d like to talk to you for a minute. Can you come into my office?
B: Sure. Right now?
A: Well, when you get a minute.
B: OK... Later.
A: Hi Heather.
B: Come in, Leslie, and take a seat.
A: I’ve been going over everyone’s performance and yours seems to be slower than eve-
ryone else’s. Your call volumes are low and your durations are long. You know we just
changed to a new interactive voice response so we could filter the callers better, but
you seem to be lagging behind.
B: I’m sorry about that. I’m still having problems with the new software. I didn’t get the
training that everyone else got and the repeat session is not ‘til next month.
A: Why did you miss that training?
B: I had three days off that week and you said that there would be plenty of repeat ses-
sions. But they were cancelled because of the weather.
A: OK. I see. I’ll have to arrange a training session with someone else or send you over
to the other site. Thanks, Leslie.
B: You’re welcome.

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Call Centre

Activity 11: Reading and discussion

Discuss with your classmates these questions about the dialogue.
1. Why was Leslie called into her supervisor’s office?
2. Why did she miss the training?
3. Whose fault was it?
4. What could Leslie have done to avoid this situation?
5. Do you think Heather is a good manager? Why or why not?

Activity 12: Making suggestions

Sometimes you might want to make a suggestion to your supervisor about how to improve
something (look back at your list in Unit 4, Working with Others, for examples).
Look at the following conversation and then practise it with your classmates (supervi-
sor/agent) trying different situations using different phrases.

Dialogue 1
A: Excuse me, [supervisor’s name].
B: Yes?
A: I was wondering if I might make a suggestion?
B: Of course.
A: I think we should [have more software training].
B: Hmmm. That’s a good suggestion. I’ll think about it.

Dialogue 2
A: Excuse me, [supervisor’s name].
B: Yes?
A: Could I make a suggestion?
B: Of course.
A: It seems to me that we should [have more reps on duty].
B: Hmmm. That’s a good suggestion. I’ll think about it.

More suggestions
…have better headsets. …have better ventilation.
…have more breaks away from the computer. …move the coffee area further away.
…have better lighting.

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 Communication

Activity 13: Asking for permission

In this conversation, the employee uses the supervisor or manager’s first name. This is
common practice in North America. It is advisable to begin by using Mr. or Ms. plus the sur-
name at first, and the supervisor or manager will tell you if he or she prefers to be called by
his or her first name.

Mike: Excuse me, Marco.

Malu: Yes?
Mike: Could I possibly leave an hour early today?
Malu: Hmm. Well, I’m not really sure.
Mike: The reason I’m asking is that my wife is pregnant and I have to take her to the
hospital to see the doctor.
Malu: Well, in that case, of course you can leave an hour early today.
Mike: Thanks a lot.

With your class, make a list of things that a worker might have to ask a supervisor’s permis-
sion for, then with your classmates practise the conversations using the following model.

Your conversation…

A: Excuse me, _______________________.

B: Yes?
A: Could I possibly _____________________________________ ?
B: Hmm... Well, I’m not really sure.
A: The reason I’m asking is _________________________________________________.
B: Well, in that case, of course you can ________________________________.
A: Thanks a lot.

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workplace culture
For more information on… Future Culture Links
http://www.wcpworld.com
Postcards from the Edge: Working styles from the four corners of the world
http://motiv8.com/work/postcards.html
Gateway to Diversity
http://www.equalopportunity.on.ca
Words That Count Women In
http://www.gov.on.ca/owd/ (click resources then click Words That Count Women In)
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work: On-line Newsletter
http://www.workink.com.

100 Steps to Employ ment in Ontario

9 CUSTOMER SERVICE

In this unit you will learn about

agent/customer work tasks
agent/customer vocabulary
rate of speech

Agent work tasks

In a call centre workplace you may have to perform tasks that involve the language skills of
reading and speaking. This includes everything from explaining billing information and service
contract provisions. See the following exercise.

Activity 1: Identify the communication task

Write the correct word beside the appropriate workplace communication task.
Speaking Reading

__________ Explain billing totals to customers.

__________ Follow a script which will guide you through a call.

__________ Read customer information files that containing information about customer
orders and requests.

__________ Listen to customers describe their needs and respond to customer inquiries.

__________ Handle complaints from dissatisfied customers.

__________ Explain service contract provisions to dissatisfied customers.

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Activity 2: Matching
1. __ Agent a) The person within a business or household who
2. __ Decision maker determines which products or services should be
considered.
3. __ Cross sell
b) A person in a call centre who speaks with the cus-
4. __ Customer tomer via the telephone.
5. __ Launch a call c) A technique to increase revenue of an order.
6. __ Lead d) Process by which the agent makes ready to speak
7. __ Telemarketing with customer.
8. __ Validation/Verification e) Confirmation by a third person of a verbal transac-
tion between an agent and a customer.
9. __ Cross Sell
f) Someone who has been screened and meets your
buying criteria and/or wants to talk business-
qualified.
g) A term or label created to cover the range of mar-
keting related functions that can be performed
through the telephone.
h) Someone who purchases a product or service.
i) A technique to increase revenue of an order.

Activity 3: Pronunciation
Listen to the instructor. Mark the syllable stress in these words and phrases, then practice
saying each one.

validation confirmation determine

verification verbal transaction purchases

telemarketing criteria

Activity 4: Discussion
Discuss with your classmates if you have experience with any of the above tasks.

Activity 5: Report writing

Write a report about one of your classmates and his or her experience related to the above
tasks.

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Activity 6: Role-play
With your back to another student, develop a role-play based on this task: listen to customers
describe their needs. Person A : call centre representative; Person B : customer. A good
scenario might be Bell calling to see if you are satisfied with the services you are receiving.
Make a list of services they offer before the role-play and use them.

Calls coming into a call centre

Activity 7: Writing
In-bound calls generally fall into 3 categories. With a classmate, write possible customer
opening sentences that fit in each box of the chart. Your sentences might start with “I would
like....” or “I have an inquiry about…”

1. orders

2. information

3. problems

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Dealing with complaints and making apologies

Complaints and apologies can go from customer to rep or from rep to customer. The follow-
ing three dialogues show language that can be used in these situations.

Activity 8: Role-play dealing with complaints

Dialogue 1: Agent talking to customer

Line 1 A: I’m afraid to say this, but [your payment is overdue].
Line 2 B: Sorry, I forgot to pay it.
Line 3 A: That’s all right but [you must pay by the end of the week].

Line 1 suggestions Example problems

I think you may have forgotten, but… …we haven’t received your payment yet.
It seems that… …your cheque was returned.
There may have been a misunderstanding… …your Visa card was declined.
Line 2 suggestion
I’m very sorry, I didn’t realize.
Line 3 suggestion
It’s not a problem but…

Dialogue 2: Customer complaining to an agent (A)

Line 1 A: I’m sorry to say this, but [if you don’t send someone to fix the machine,
we will have to cancel the contract].
Line 2 B: Sorry.
Line 3 A: That’s all right .

Line 1 suggestions Example complaints

I’m sorry to bother you, but… … I haven’t received the application in the mail yet.
I want to complain about something.
…there are some parts missing from the
I’m afraid…
unit I just bought.
Line 2 suggestions ... the replacement you sent doesn’t work.
I’m sorry about that. ... my Visa card was declined, but it should be fine.
Let me see what I can do. One mo- I don’t understand what’s wrong.
ment please.
... our client hasn’t received the delivery yet. This
Line 3 suggestions is the second time.
It’s okay. ... the amount hasn’t been deducted
Thanks. from my account.

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Dialogue 3: Customer complaining to an agent (B)

A: May I help you?
B: Yes. I bought a [printer] here last week and it isn’t working.
A: Oh. What’s the problem1 with it?
B: [It doesn’t seem to print.] And now in addition to that2, [it makes a funny noise.]
A: I see. How long has it been [making a funny noise?]
B: Since I bought it last week.
A: I apologize3 for the inconvenience. We’ll try to fix it for you.
B: Thank you.

Substitutions Objects and problems

1. the matter computer camcorder

wrong • It crashes all the time • The tape doesn’t rewind
• It is overheating • The volume control won’t work
2. besides that
on top of that TV cell phone
• The remote doesn’t work • The reception is bad
3. I’m sorry for • The sound is funny • Some functions don’t work

CD player scanner
• It skips tracks • It doesn’t scan properly
• It makes a strange noise • It overheats

Activity 9: Dialogue practice

With a partner, follow the 9 steps and write a dialogue. Use a telemarketing situation that you
have experienced or create your own. A good scenario might be an agent from Bell or Sprint
trying to get a customer to use their long distance service.

Selling Steps
1. a clear call objective 6. answer questions or objections
2. identify and reach the decision maker 7. close
3. introductions and call justification 8. confirm the conditions
4. identify needs 9. congratulate
5. present solutions/benefits

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Activity 10: Presentation

Present the dialogue from activity 9 to the class.

Activity 11: Rate of Speech

How fast do call centre agents speak? Are you speaking too fast or too slow?

1. Record your dialogue from Activity 8. Find the sections in it where you spoke more than
twelve words.
2. Time each section from the beginning of the 1st word to the end of the last word.
3. Count the number of words in each section.
4. Determine the average number of words per minute for each section you recorded. If,
for example you spoke 32 words in 10 seconds, divide 32 by 10 to find the average
number of words per second. Then multiply by 60 to determine the number of words
per minute. For example: 32/10 x 60 = 192 words/minute. Appropriate speaking rate is
about 140 to 160 words per minute. If you have any samples that are higher than that,
you may be speaking too fast.
Source: Activity taken from Contact, A Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre Skills,
Jack Green, Nelson Thomson Learning: 2000.

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customer service
This website contains a quiz for customer service representatives. The quiz
For more information on… tests knowledge of good customer service practices.
http://telephoneskills.com/judge.asp

Steps to Employ ment in Ontario 107

10 A PERSONAL PLAN

In this unit you will

talk about your goals and interests
get information about training and upgrading
make a personal plan for the near future

Your goals and interests

Here are some examples to help you talk about your goals, interests, and preferences.

Goals
1. “I want to work as a technician.”
2. “I am a sales person. But I’m looking for other work. Eventually, I’d like to be a program-
mer.”
(Note: I’d like to = I would like to).
3. “I’m going to be a computer engineer. I hope to work as a computer engineer in Canada
too. But first, I have to improve my English. Until then, I am willing to do any kind of work
in a computer company.”

Interests
1. “I like working in a small company. I don’t like working in a multinational corporation.”
2. “I like to work with people. I don’t enjoy working alone.”
3. “I’m interested in computers. I am also interested in taking an English-upgrading course.

Preferences
1. “I can work alone. But I prefer working with people.”
2. “I’m willing to work in a government job, but I prefer private firms.”
3. “I’d rather work full-time than part-time.”
4. “I’d rather not work on weekends.”
5. “I like Macs more than PCs.”

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Activity 1: Describe yourself

Fill in the blanks to describe yourself.

Personal qualities
I’m ____________________________________________________________________

I believe that I’m ___________________________________________________________

People say I’m ___________________________________________________________

Interests
I like _____________________________________________________________________

I’m interested in ____________________________________________________________

My hobby is _______________________________________________________________

Job skills
I can _____________________________________________________________________

I know how to ______________________________________________________________

I have experience as ________________________________________________________

Work preferences
I prefer ___________________________________________________________________

I’d rather _____________________________ than ______________________________

Skills you would like to learn

I’d like to learn _____________________________________________________________

I’m interested in studying _____________________________________________________

I want to take a course in _____________________________________________________

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Activity 2: Interviews
In a group, discuss each other’s personal qualities, goals, interests, job skills, work prefer-
ences and skills you would like to learn. Use the following questions to guide your discussion:
1. [name], how would you describe your personal qualities?
2. [name], what are your job skills?
3. [name], what are your work preferences?
4. [name], what skills would you like to learn?
If someone in the group is not talking, someone can say, “[name], what do about you? ….”

Training and upgrading

Activity 3: Research
Use training and upgrading pamphlets, fliers and calendars (or the Internet) to find informa-
tion for the chart below.

Training providers Cost

English as a Second Language (ESL)

ESL / Computers

English Upgrading

Job Search Programs

Call Centre Training

Adult Day School

Co-op Programs

ESL / Business Communications

Volunteering

Other

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Activity 4: A personal plan

This self-assessment will help you think about your previous education, training and experi-
ence, your skills and knowledge, and your interests. It will also help you make a plan of ac-
tion. For some questions, the answer will be “yes”. However, if the answer is “no,” write what
you have to do.

QUESTIONS YES NO TO DO LIST

Personal qualities

Do you work well independently?

Do you work well as a member of a team?

Are you reliable?

Are you creative?

Are you well-organized?

Are you punctual?

Skills and knowledge

Do you know how to communicate with your

employer, your co-workers and your clients?

Do you know how to prevent injuries?

Do you understand the laws about working in

Canada?

Do you know the terminology for computer

hardware and software?

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 A Personal Plan

QUESTIONS YES NO TO DO LIST

Are you able to help other computer people

with their jobs?

Can you observe and report a client’s needs?

Do you have the right education and training?

Do you have your diploma or certificate here in

Canada?

If not, can you get a copy from your native

country?

Do you need to write to your university, college

or employer?
Have you already translated your diploma, cer-
tificate and letters of employment or reference?

Do you know where can you go to get them

translated?

Do you know how do you get them notarized?

Do you know how much this will cost?

Do you know how and where to get your docu-

ments evaluated?

Training And Upgrading

Do you think you need upgrading or extra train-

ing before you begin your job search?

Do you know what kind of training or upgrading

do you need?

Do you have a good knowledge of the Cana-

dian computer industry?

Do you know where you can get training in your

field?

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Call Centre

QUESTIONS YES NO TO DO LIST

If you were trained overseas, do you need to

upgrade your certification?

Have you collected information about certifica-

tion here in Canada?

If not, do you know were to get this informa-

tion?

Is your level of English good enough to look for

a call centre job right now?

Do you need to find a special ESL class?

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 A Personal Plan

training and upgrading

For more information on… For private colleges and vocational schools, look in the Yellow Pages under
“computer training.”
For a list of Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology visit the
Ministry of Education and Training Web site: www.edu.gov.on.ca
Visit the HRDC Interactive Training Inventory Service for Ontario at
http://www.trainingiti.com
Connect to the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training’s Training Hot-
line at 1-800-387-5656

language training/ESL
Free ESL and word processing courses are available through the catalogues
for boards of education and the information on bulletin boards at your local
library.

translation and certification of foreign documents

Visit a settlement agency in your city and request the help of a counsellor.

assessment and evaluation of academic credentials

For information, visit the Access to Professions and Trades Web site:
www.equalopportunity.on.ca/enggraf/more/trades
Ontario Comparative Education Service:
University of Toronto, Admissions and Awards
315 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A3
Tel: (416) 978-2185, Fax: (416) 978-7022
Academic Credentials Evaluation Service:
York University, Admissions Office, Room 150
Atkinson College
North York, Ontario M3J 1P3
Tel: (416) 736-5787, Fax: (416) 736-5536
e-mail: [email protected]

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11 GLOSSARY

Agent
A person in a call centre who speaks with the customer via the telephone.

Blended Agent
A call centre agent who handles both in-bound and out-bound calls throughout their shift
without any designated time for each type of call.

Call Centre Management

The art of having the right number of people at the right times in their seats to answer an ac-
curately forecasted number of calls at the required service level.

Call Guide
A paper or screen system providing bullet points or actual verbatim copy for agents to use on
the telephone during live calls.

Campaign
In-bound and/or out-bound marketing, sales or service activity that is tied to specific preset
parameters.

Client
An individual or organization that hires fee-paid professionals to provide specific expertise in
complex specialties.

Coach
A person who provides expert guidance to agents to help them enhance their communications,
sales and/or service skills.

Complete In-bound
Any call that inquired specifically about a campaign or program offer or objective.

Complete Out-bound
Any record that will not be dialed/attempted again.

Cost Per Call Hour

Basic unit of call centre measurement that is determined by dividing all fixed, variable and
semi-variable costs by the number of workstation (call hours) projected or achieved.

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Cross Sell
A technique to increase revenue of an order.

Customer
Someone who purchases a product or service.

Database
A group of records containing specific types of information in the sale location (field).

Decision Maker
The individual(s) within a business or household who determines which products r services
should be considered and who should provide these products and services.

Disposition Code
Numbers used to classify the outcome of a call.

Field
Space on a record to enter or display specific database information.

Flexible Shift
A shift template that some workforce management systems use to create schedules only after
permanent shift types can no longer be used.

Forecasting
In workforce management software, the ability to forecast call volume, staffing requirements,
and trunk requirements.

Frontline
First point of contact with customer. See Agent.

Fulfillment
The delivery of what was promised, in the time promised, as a result of a direct marketing of-
fer.

Function Key
A key defined by the current running program to carry out a specific function or set of func-
tions.

Handle Time
Talk time plus wrap-up time.

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In-bound Calls
Generally fall into three primary categories: 1. orders; 2. information; 3. problems. Calls com-
ing into a call centre.

Information Technology (IT)

The application of computer, communications and software technology to the management,
processing and dissemination of information.

In-House
Single product or service represented.

Input/Output
A general term used to describe sending data to and receiving data from a computer.

Integrated In-bound/Out-bound
A system that combines in-bound call handling with out-bound dialing.

Launch a Call
Process by which the agent makes ready to speak with customer.

Lead
Someone who has been screened and meets your buying criteria and/or wants to talk business-
qualified.

Log In/Out
Sign in procedure which makes or breaks a connection between the user and the computer.

Log Off
To enter the proper key sequence to terminate the active user session and disable further
communication with a given network or computer system.

Marketing
The innovative synergism of all those activities within an organization to get the goods or ser-
vices of that organization inthe hands of the customers.

Mentoring
A bridge between training and coaching.

Monitoring (call observation)

(call observation) The process by which telephone calls are observed by people who are
trained in specific strategies and techniques to improve call quality and effectiveness. Used
also to ensure that mandated information is provided in each contact correctly.

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Occupancy
The percentage of the scheduled work time that agents are actually handling calls or after-call
wrap-up work.

Operating Hours
The period of day that a call centre is open to launch or accept calls.

Out-bound
A call made from agent to outside contact for the purpose of doing business.

Outsource
(Multiple Service Bureau) The service of in-bound or out-bound agents provided to more than
one company.

Password
A word or code used to identify an authorized user.

Platform
The architecture of a particular computing environment. Can refer to either software operat-
ing environment or hardware type.

Predictive Dialing Campaign

Campaign in which telephone numbers are dialled on multiple trunk lines simultaneously for a
group of agents assigned to a campaign.

Prospecting
Calling to generate leads for telephone sales or field sales staff.

Queue
A feature that holds incoming calls when no agents are available to answer them.

Real-Time Adherence
The monitoring of an agent’s activity at this moment.

Remote Monitoring
Most frequently used by service bureau clients, this is the process whereby a quali-
fied/authorized party can dial into a remote call centre and monitor certain telephone calls.

Retention
A marketing goal to keep current customers buying.

Schedule
A record that specifies when an agent is supposed to be on duty to handle calls.

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Screen Pop
Delivering a screen or window of information to a terminal or workstation when a telephone
call is delivered to the associated telephone.

Script
The text that is put on an agent workstation monitor when a call is connected. A script is usu-
ally specifically written for a campaign.

Selling Steps
1. A clear call objective; 2. identify and reach the decision maker; 3. introduction and call jus-
tification; 4. identify needs; 5. present solutions/benefits; 6. answer questions or objections; 7.
close; 8. confirm the conditions; 9. congratulate.

Server
A shared computer on a network that is the repository for files, database, applications and e-
mail.

Service Levels (In-bound)

Standards set for acceptable speed of answer, abandon rates, longest time a caller will be held
in queue.

Service Objectives
The call centre goals or "performance checkpoints" that affect caller satisfaction.

Silent Monitoring
The process whereby a Supervisor or other qualified party monitors the calls of an agent . The
agent may or may not be aware that this specific call is being monitored.

Site Adherence
Comparison of how closely actual staffing levels conform to either scheduled or required
staffing levels.

Station
A work area for an agent, usually including a computer terminal.

Supervisor
A person whose primary responsibility is to oversee the activities of a group of telephone-
based sales, marketing, service or research agents.

Support Staff
Anyone who assists in the agent’s performance on the call floor.

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Talk Time (Out-bound)

Total time from connection to a business or household to representative hang-up.

Talk Time (In-bound)

Total time from when an agent answers a call until the agent disconnects.

Telemarketing
A term or label created to encompass the range of marketing related functions that can be per-
formed through the telephone.

Terminal
A device for inputting data to and receiving data from a computer; in call centre terms, the
workstation at the agent’s desktop.

Time Zone Calling

The ability of a dialing system to start and stop calling at predetermined times to different time
zones.

Tracking
Workforce management feature that models actual events and activities in a call centre to aid
in short-term planning and evaluation of agent and call centre performance.

Universal Agent (Blended Agent)

An agent who is trained to answer all types of calls both in-bound and out-bound.

Validation/ Verification
Confirmation by a third person of a verbal transaction between an agent and a customer.

Work Time (In-bound)

Length of time an agent is wrapping up a contact and not available to handle another call.

Work Time (Out-bound)

Length of time from when an agent accesses a record or receives a predictive dialer connec-
tion, including talk time plus the time spent in wrapping up a contact, to when that agent is
ready to make another attempt or accept a dialer connection.

Wrap Up Time
The post-call work time an agent spends on a call.

Glossary Source: The Manitoba Call Centre Association

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