Consumers hold brands to higher customer service standards than ever before. Companies like Amazon and Zappos have set the bar high, and customers expect every company they interact with to provide them with top-notch service at every interaction. This means that talented call center and customer contact center managers are in high-demand, and competition is fierce. Call center management certification can be a way to enhance the skills, knowledge and experience of a call center manager, but are they really worth the investment?
What Can Certifications Do For Your Center?
There are a number of benefits associated with investing in certification for your call center managers, including:
- Demonstration of skills and competencies: You can quantify the achievements of your managers on paper, but certifications reinforce the necessary skills and competencies required for success.
- Close gaps: You may have an extremely talented manager who just needs a little more development to push themselves over the top. If your organization lacks formal training programs, certifications can close those gaps and help them develop their skills.
- Broadens managers’ perspectives: Certification programs will expose your employees to new concepts, new ideas and new processes beyond what they do each day at their job.
- Builds confidence: Achieving certification takes time and effort. Upon completion, an employee’s self-confidence will get the boost that comes with setting and attaining a goal.
What Certifications are Reputable?
Reputable certifications that are recognized and respected throughout the call center industry include:
- CCCM – Certified Call Center Manager
- SWMP – Certified Workforce Management Professional
- QAMC – Quality Assurance Mastery Certification
- CCCS – Certified Contact Center Supervisor
To see a complete list, visit RCCSP’s website.
Are There Drawbacks to Certifications?
Certification programs take time, and they take money. They may also require an employee to attend class, which could impact the work schedule. You must also be ready to prove ROI if you are soliciting company dollars to pay for the program. Whenever the company offers to pay tuition for a program, set rules and standards for completion. Many organizations require anywhere from two to five years (or more) of service for footing the bill. Just make sure the policy is documented and that the employee signs off that they understand the rules and caveats for payment.
Achieving certification is also never a guarantee that an employee will come to their desk prepared to implement what they have learned. Some will, but unfortunately, some won’t. This is the risk you take with any training program not directly tied to daily processes.
Determining whether or not certifications are worth the investment will vary on a case by case basis. In many cases they will add value to an already talented employee’s contributions – but not always. However, without risk, you cannot reap the rewards.
The most effective way to hire talent that has been fully vetted and comes to the table with the precise skills and experience you need is to work with a proven, market leader in call center staffing. If you are looking for talented staff for your customer call center, the expert recruiters at Contemporary Staffing Solutions are ready to help. We specialize in connecting call centers with fully-vetted, highly-skilled and engaged talent. Contact CSS today to start filling your customer service center with the best and brightest talent in the market.