--- title: "Empowering CSRs: How to Handle the Tough Questions [VIDEO]" description: Every call center agent eventually will receive a call that they do not know the answer to. So, how do we handle a situation like that? 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[Working at The Connection®](https://info.theconnectioncc.com/careers) - [The Connection® Cares Benefits](https://info.theconnectioncc.com/the-connection-cares-benefits) - [Contact Us](https://www.theconnectioncc.com/contact-us) - [Request A Quote](https://www.theconnectioncc.com/contact-us/request-a-quote) - [Home Page](https://www.theconnectioncc.com/) # Tips from the Pros ![Screen Shot 2018-12-11 at 10.47.29 AM](https://blog.theconnectioncc.com/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202018-12-11%20at%2010.47.29%20AM.png) 14 Dec # Empowering CSRs: How to Handle the Tough Questions \[VIDEO\] “It’s not possible to know all the answers for the customers that are calling in,” says Cyndi McDurmott, our VP of Human Resources, “even for our most seasoned agents that have been with us 10+ years.” So, what can we do when we get those surprise questions that we just don’t know the answers to? Watch our video to learn more: ## Put Customer on Hold (With an End-Date!) If we are going to put our customers on hold, we want to make sure that we give them a timeline for how long they will be on hold for. “Most of us, when we call in for a customer service issue, are fine being placed on hold if we know how long the hold will be,” says Cyndi. So, it is okay to put our customers on hold as long as we make sure the hold will not be very long, and that we continually reassure them that we are solving their problem. ## Make Sure our Agents Have the Power Secondly, we have to ensure that our agents have the ability, know-how, and resources to solve the problem and keep customers on hold for as little time as possible! You can provide your [agents with all the training tools available](https://blog.theconnectioncc.com/call-center-agent-training) to make sure they can answer almost any question thrown at them, but there is always going to be a question they do not know the answer to. So, [the key to agent success is support!](https://blog.theconnectioncc.com/csr-success)Surround them with people who can help them solve their problems, and your agents will thrive in a collaborative and supportive environment. Learn more about our process at The Connection® and how we can support and grow your team by [visiting our blog page.](https://blog.theconnectioncc.com/) [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4278287/7a0bdf49-9ab6-438b-9a57-8ba6c9b42937.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4278287/7a0bdf49-9ab6-438b-9a57-8ba6c9b42937) ### Share this post - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Subscribe to Talent Blog Notifications ### Categories - [Call Center Management (36)](https://blog.theconnectioncc.com/tag/call-center-management) [Get in Touch](https://www.theconnectioncc.com/contact-us) ![The Connection](https://blog.theconnectioncc.com/hubfs/The_Connection_March2018/Images/the-connection-logo-white-1.png) ### About The Connection® is a business process outsourcer (BPO), offering a multitude of operational and consulting services for contact center services. ### Contact Us - **Address:** Bloomington, MN 55437 - **Phone:** +1 (952) 948-5488 - **Fax:** +1 (952) 948-5498 ### Blog Signup © Copyright 2025 The Connection®. 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