Table 1Transition record

call centre agenttocustomer service representative

A call centre agent already meets 36% of what the customer service representative role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.

From call centre agent

36%

Overlap1

To customer service representative

13 Skills carried over

15 Required, not held

67.9 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 67.9

This move: 67.9 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the customer service representative role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the call centre agent profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A customer service representative role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a call centre agent background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held perform escalation procedure communication, collaboration and creativity
already held knowledge base information and communication technologies (icts)
already held use customer relationship management software working with computers
already held process data information skills
already held e-commerce systems information and communication technologies (icts)
already held perform data analysis working with computers

All 13 carried skills, including the 9 the customer service representative role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 26 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 6 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held identify customer's needs required
required, not held implement customer follow-up required
required, not held apply conflict management required
required, not held apply knowledge of human behaviour required
required, not held communicate with customers required
required, not held ensure client orientation required

optional, not held carry out active selling optional
optional, not held contact customers optional
optional, not held facilitate official agreement optional
optional, not held show diplomacy optional
optional, not held upsell products optional

02 information skills 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held determine charges for customer services required
required, not held process order forms with customer's information required
required, not held control of expenses required
required, not held keep records of customer interaction required

optional, not held measure customer feedback optional

03 management skills 3 required

required, not held process refunds required
required, not held manage schedule of tasks required
required, not held process customer orders required

04 business, administration and law 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held customer service required

optional, not held sales activities optional
optional, not held relationship marketing optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required

required, not held provide information required

06 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held data mining methods optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a customer service representative role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 13 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held create solutions to problems skill
already held guarantee customer satisfaction skill
already held have computer literacy skill
already held knowledge base knowledge
already held listen actively skill
already held perform escalation procedure skill
already held perform multiple tasks at the same time skill
already held process data skill
already held provide customer follow-up services skill
already held e-commerce systems knowledge
already held perform data analysis skill
already held speak different languages skill
already held use customer relationship management software skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held consumer protection optional

08 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held use e-services optional

11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held carry out active selling optional
optional, not held contact customers optional
optional, not held sales activities optional
optional, not held consumer protection optional
optional, not held data mining methods optional
optional, not held facilitate official agreement optional
optional, not held measure customer feedback optional
optional, not held relationship marketing optional
optional, not held show diplomacy optional
optional, not held upsell products optional
optional, not held use e-services optional

19 held skills the customer service representative role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role adapt to changing situations skill
not needed by the target role answer incoming calls skill
not needed by the target role apply operations for an ITIL-based environment skill
not needed by the target role characteristics of products knowledge
not needed by the target role characteristics of services knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate by telephone skill
not needed by the target role communication principles knowledge
not needed by the target role credit card payments knowledge
not needed by the target role e-procurement knowledge
not needed by the target role educate on data confidentiality skill
not needed by the target role handle helpdesk problems skill
not needed by the target role handle tasks independently skill
not needed by the target role keep task records skill
not needed by the target role present reports skill
not needed by the target role prioritise requests skill
not needed by the target role provide ICT support skill
not needed by the target role teamwork principles knowledge
not needed by the target role think proactively skill
not needed by the target role tolerate stress skill

5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held customer service required
optional, not held sales activities optional
optional, not held consumer protection optional
optional, not held data mining methods optional
optional, not held relationship marketing optional

Index

Other moves recorded from call centre agent

Full index of moves from call centre agent

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.