Hire Better-qualified Call Center Professionals More Quickly with Call Center Assessment Tests

In business, communication is everything. Marketing researchers have shifted their focus from what they would call 'transaction-centric models' to customer-relationship models. The nature of communication casts a particular impression on customers regarding the service they receive, which directly impacts consumers' behavior as to whether they will buy a specific product or, more importantly,  become loyal to certain brands.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of good customer service. Being able to communicate adequately can help you gain affinity from customers, leaving them with a feeling of having been served well. That's why training and assessment play a crucial part in ensuring that the call center staff builds strong consumer rapport. As a thumb rule, pronunciation and accent mustn't affect intelligibility, and grammar should be accurate while speaking with a clear articulation. 

Culturally appropriate communication is also essential to build rapport with customers when required. Miscommunication can cost companies a staggering amount of money per year. It can lead to consumer dissatisfaction, followed by agitated customers slamming the phone down in exasperation. Usually, when the person who is being spoken to belongs to another country and doesn't know the local language, it could lead to unclear or erroneous communication. 

About call center assessment tests

The cornerstone of a flourishing call center is a top-level customer service team that effectively serves the clients' needs and prompts them to become evangelists for their company. According to statistical data, eighty-six percent of clients will pay more for excellent customer service, and forty percent of customers will purchase more for having been given excellent customer service. According to the Global Call Centre Research Network's research in 2019, the average call center turnover rate is between 17- 44%.

• Large-sized call centers: 44%
• Medium-sized call centers: 37%
• Small-sized call centers: 17%

On top of that, the average cost to replace a call center employee is around 25-30% of their full salary and benefits package. Given this situation, call center assessment tests have been heralded as a surefire way of identifying and recruiting the best customer service reps. Nowadays, call center assessments have become an integral part of the hiring process and help hiring managers and recruiters evaluate the aspirants' crucial customer service skills.

The call center skills test helps recruiters shortlist the best individual for the available position. Given the significant amount of time, effort, money, and resources included in the recruitment drives, companies must search and secure the best talent whose test results indicate that he/she has all the qualities required to thrive in a call center environment.

For this reason, the grammar test for the call center aspirants assesses their ability to use the English language with the highest level of accuracy. The language assessment test measures an individual's knowledge of correct grammar and spelling usage. These pre-employment tests aim to discover whether a candidate has a cordial attitude, respect, and responsibility towards the client, and the capacity to solve multiple customers' problems. 

Essential skills and abilities every call center professionals should have:

Bringing the right people to the team can be the difference between losing and retaining your customers. Listed below are some core skills required by customer service representatives:

Excellent Communication Skills

They should be able to speak confidently and clearly and use persuasive language judiciously. They should talk with a positive tone and manage angry callers tactfully.

Multitasking Skills

They should be a pro at multitasking, which includes switching rapidly between different customers' requirements and providing quick issue resolution and follow-ups.

Problem Solving Skills

They should be good at solving problems and providing the best possible solutions for every product and operations-related issues. By adopting a strategic problem-solving approach, they can turn unhappy customers into loyal brand advocates. They should also be a good listener and show empathy with the client's situation. Customer orientation and assertive communication skills are also essential to be an excellent professional.

Mercer | Mettl's language assessment tool for call centers- choose great professionals for your team!

Mettl's Speech X assessment tool is specially designed to cater to the vocational and technical skills required for the call center roles according to industry standards. This pre-employment assessment tool is suitable for positions across all industries that entail frequent interactions with customers over inbound calls and direct interactions. 

Whether you are building a bigger team for your onsite call centers or switching to remote working processes, call center assessments are a must-have tool to shorten time-to-hire, decrease turnover and attrition, and identify high performing employees. In today’s rapidly-changing world, you must be able to measure job candidates accurately, objectively, and instantly. The Speech X skills assessment tool will be important in this regard.

Why should you use Mercer | Mettl's English proficiency test software?

SpeechX is an AI-Powered English speaking proficiency assessment tool that solves the call center/BPO industry's major pain points. These being: reducing turnaround time in hiring and eliminating human bias while selecting candidates. 

This tool-based communication test evaluates the candidates on fluency, pronunciation, grammar, and listening comprehension. The test is AI-backed and auto-grades job applicants by providing an overall score based on the CEFR level that ranges from A1 (beginner) to C2 (proficient), helping the hiring managers know the candidate's skill level at present.

This video-proctored assessment software enables employers to make well-informed hiring decisions that result in lower turnover and higher productivity. Speech X has been developed to solve the hiring challenges faced by the call center industry. This assessment tool will assess candidates on their ability to listen actively and respond clearly. 

Leading call centers rely on Mettl's Speech X to effortlessly screen job candidates and hire the most competent customer service agents and sales representatives. This 45-minute voice assessment test focuses on finding candidates who are trainable and possess personality traits integral to long-term success in call center roles.

This call center assessment tool allows recruiters to assess test-takers based on essential evaluation parameters, such as sentence mastery, fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, and listening comprehension. 

Selecting talented job-applicants for your call center staff has never been easier, and now this has become incredibly easier with the Speech X English test for call centers. Whether you are hiring for outbound calls, inbound calls, or both, Mettl's language testing tool enables you to craft a customized test specific to your needs. 

Mettl's online call center assessment solutions are widely used to identify and address shortcomings, leverage strengths, and maximize the workforce's efficiency. The call center pre-employment assessment test precisely evaluates a person's ability to take on mid or entry-level job roles within customer service and sales departments.

You can use this call center simulation test to screen out those applicants who lack the required level of competencies and skills for the job, helping you develop your call center workforce the way you want.

Test Details:

Parameters of Evaluation:

Key profiles the call center assessment is useful for:

• Customer Service Representative
• Customer Service Associate
• Customer Service Executive
• Customer Service Consultant
• Customer Service Specialist
• Customer Service Analyst

Answer to common queries:

What do you say to a rude customer?

For call center agents, staying in control during arguments or confrontations is essential. Given below are some strategies for handling rude customers:

• Remain calm and don't react
• Empathize with the client and never take someone's rudeness to heart
• Always listen actively to the customer's needs and if the situation calls for it, apologize
• Be clear, confident, and understand more details of the situation
• Come up with creative solutions

How do you calm down an angry customer?

Listed below are some tips that call center reps must use to cope with a tense situation:

• Remain calm
• Refrain from taking anything personally
• Be an active listener 
• Express sympathy for customer's undesirable experience
• Express apology whether the customer’s complaint is irrelevant or legitimate
• Find a solution to their problem

What skills do you need for a call center?

Every call center agent should have these skills: 

• Flawless communication skills
• Strong technical skills and a good understanding of products/services
• Patience
• Flexibility and solution-seeking mindset
• Empathy
• Staying organized at work
• Listening capacity

What are the soft skills in a call center?

Soft skills are tools that enable call center professionals to interact with customers, seniors, and colleagues. These skills can include emotional intelligence, growth mindset, adaptability, work ethic, team player mindset, active listening, and openness to feedback.

What type of work is done in a call center?

A call center acts as a vocal communication channel that clients use to ask queries, report complaints, or place requests with a business. Call center reps and customer support executives working in the call center handle customer complaints and resolve their queries.  

What is call control in call centers?

Call controlling involves extracting information from customers quickly and proficiently, so that call center agents achieve their maximum productivity.

What makes a good team leader in a call center?

Given below are some qualities that every successful call center manager should have:

• They stay connected with their team
• They lead by example
• They stand up for their teams
• They inspire and motivate their team to accomplish big tasks
• They keep the top talent engaged and motivated

Related Tests:

• Verbal Ability Test
• Verbal Ability Test (British English)
• Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation Test

How it works:

step 1

Add this test to your tests

step 2

Share test link from your tests

step 3

Candidate take the tests

step 4

You get their tests report