Here at The Connection®, we like to encourage our employees to consider call center management as a career. When one of our customer service representatives is promoted, their next job is typically Team Supervisor. What is it like to supervise other agents? We asked Thomas.
Thomas has worked with The Connection since September 2010. He was originally hired as a Web Chat Agent, and since then has worked with a variety of clients. Two years ago, he was promoted to Supervisor for one client, but he also assists as Supervisor for a variety of other clients.
What does his job entail?
As one of the Senior Supervisors for the client, Thomas helps agents in many ways. “Our newest method of assistance is providing answers via Pandion (our chat software),” he says. “When an agent asks a question, I will answer on a case-by-case basis. If the agent's question can be found in a resource, I will often provide a link to this resource and provide any directed information to help assist the agent.”
If the issue is more involved, Thomas may provide direct instructions, sometimes even providing the call flag they will need to post so that the issue is properly resolved.
He also provides individual coaching when needed. “If time/availability allows, I will speak with the agent directly,” he explains. “However if the agent is not available (which can often be the case), I send this information via email. These emails included detailed information about the situation, what was done incorrectly and how to properly resolve the issue in the future.”
Thomas says he also does his best to provide mentoring sessions on a regular basis. This can get complicated during high-volume times because he is pulled in several directions all at once. He also tries to assist with the call flag review process. Thanks to his experience with the client, he is able to catch and proactively fix issues before they escalate.
What is his day like?
Thomas now works 8-hour shifts, from 7:30 am to 4 pm. “I have worked hard to get this shift and I like it,” he says. “It allows me to get up, go to work, do my work, and still have time to come home to my family (he is married with four kids), attend school events in the evening, etc.” Supervisors work every other weekend, he says, and the predictability allows him to schedule family trips, events, etc.
He adds that “the upper management team is very good at approving paid time off requests and meeting our needs as long as scheduling is available.”
His favorite part of the job?
The freedom that it allows in doing his work. “I enjoy not being 'chained to my desk' and being able to directly interact with the agents without the need to ask for permission to coach them, etc. This freedom allows me to share my knowledge and experience with my team and those that need my help.”
On the other hand, his biggest challenge is time management. It is a constant struggle, he says, especially during the client’s busy season. “On an average July day, I am responsible for a call flag review, assisting agents in Pandion, answering questions on the floor, making supervisor call-backs, taking supervisor calls, answering client emails, replying to internal client emails, managing the client’s dedicated numbers, and more.” On top of all that, he also is also responsible for team-related tasks such as grading and mentoring. He has to prioritize so he can make the most of his time.
Consider The Connection
As you can tell, every day for Thomas is different and never boring. Why not consider a career at The Connection for yourself? We are always looking for great new employees, so we would love to hear from you.
