It’s easy to assume that anyone willing to answer the phone or make a call is qualified to fill the role of a contact center agent. However, a company focused on delivering a quality customer experience understands the importance of a skilled agent and will demand specific qualities in its prospective hires.

Let’s examine some of the preferred qualities for a successful contact center agent. When these qualities are matched with the right contact center software, an organization has the tools to drive performance in their industry, and to set the standard for quality customer interaction management.

Customer Care SkillsA recent Suite 101 article examined the qualities a contact center desires in a strong candidate. First and foremost – good customer care skills. More often than not, agents are responsible for maximizing sales and driving productivity through their customer interactions. Without the necessary customer care skills, it can be difficult for this prospective employee to deliver the desired results.

Multi-tasking SkillsThe optimal candidate for the contact center also possesses great multi-tasking skills. Agents in this environment have a lot to do within any given interaction. Not only must they manage the conversation, but they also often have to record notes along with the call, upsell or cross-sell other solutions or services, record a specific segment of the call, address all customer concerns and perhaps even ask permission to transfer the customer to a survey portal to share feedback. With so many tasks to juggle, it is important to have an agent that has an inherent knack for multi-tasking.

Communication and Listening SkillsGood communication and listening skills are also critical for contact center agents. While the installed software will manage much of the captured information, that value falls short if the information is not captured correctly. Customers rely on contact center agents to hear their pain and resolve the issue for which they are calling. A failure to respect the customer and their unique circumstance can quickly lead to a lost customer.

Computer SkillsFinally, the ideal candidate is someone who is open to training and able to function at a high level on the computer system. As contact center systems vary, specific training is a must for agents to become adept within a specific environment. Without the proper training, the chances of an agent succeeding are very slim.

Once the right candidates have been identified, Zeacom, a leading provider of multimedia contact center and business process automation software, can work with the contact center to provide the optimal solution to maximize those high quality skills. In addition, as Zeacom (News - Alert) solutions are user-friendly and highly functional, an organization will enjoy a higher level of employee retention, as their agents will both appreciate and enjoy the opportunity to work with next-generation technology.

To find out more about Damon Carter and Zeacom, visit the company at ITEXPO. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. Carter is speaking during “Microsoft Lync: Separating Hype from Reality” For more information on ITEXPO, click here.