Customer Service Key Terms

Succeed at a career in customer service by learning several key terms and phrases

If you're considering a career as a customer service representative, you might find it helpful to become familiar with customer service key terms. From knowing what a call center is or how and why outsourcing is used to understanding customer relationship management and average handle time, you'll find there are many customer service practices and systems that you should become comfortable with if you're going to work as a customer service agent.

 

Call center

Typically, a call center refers to an area in a company where the customer service department is situated. The call center houses the customer service representatives who, receive incoming calls from a company's customers.
Try: iBrand Solutions provides an extensive definition of what a call center is and how one operates.

Queue

When customers call a company's customer service department or call center, they are usually placed in what is called a queue. This refers to a line of calls that is held and answered in order.
Try: Diagnostic Strategies explains call center queues, including the different types, such as multiple, disjoint and joint queues.

Call tracking

Call tracking is vital to customer service departments. Call tracking allows a company to keep track of number of calls, resolutions and even customer satisfaction. Many customer service centers utilize a call tracking program to improve satisfaction.
Try: Right Now Technologies describes a call tracking system and how call tracking is used to improve customer service.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to a system in which a customer service center strives to better understand and service its customers. Through training and software systems, CRM can be developed for the customer service department of any industry.
Try: Find a detailed description of CRM, how it is organized and what it is used for at CIO.

Average handle time (AHT)

How long a customer service representative or agent is on the phone with a customer is called average handle time (AHT). AHT reflects how long is takes to resolve a customer's request or complaint. This helps a company establish department staffing.
Try: Find a brief description of AHT at TechTarget.

Outsourcing

Sometimes a company cannot handle a large number of customer service calls on its own and will outsource customer service. This refers to using an outside company, in some cases companies even located outside the U.S., to handle the flow of customer service calls.
Try: Get a thorough explanation about how and why to use customer service outsourcing as well as the pros and cons at icustomerserviceoutsourcing.com.

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