Call Center Student's Manual A2

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Call Center Manual
Student’s Manual
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Call Center Manual
1.Telephone Numbers in the United

States
Reading Practice.
The modern telephone is the result of work of many people. Alexander Graham
Bell was, however, the first to patent the telephone, as an "apparatus for transmitting
vocal or other sounds telegraphically". Bell has most often been credited as the
inventor of the first practical telephone.
In the early days of phone service, you'd call the operator and ask to be patched
through to a particular line by requesting to speak to a person. In the autumn of
1879 in Lowell, Massachusetts during a measles epidemic, Moses Greeley Parker,
a local doctor, realized that if all four of the city's operators were incapacitated by the
epidemic, their replacements would have great trouble quickly learning which of the
switchboard's 200 jacks were assigned to which subscribers. He recommended the
use of numbers instead. The local Bell company management at first protested that
its customers would consider their designation by numbers to be beneath their
dignity; nevertheless, it saw the logic of the doctor's suggestion and followed it. The
subscribers were not outraged; the epidemic quickly passed, but telephone numbers
did not.
Calling the USA

Exit code
Exit codes (also known as international access codes or IDD International Direct
Dialing codes) are used for dialing out of your country. For example, the exit code
for Guatemala is 00
Country code
The United States, Canada and some Caribbean countries use the country calling
code 1. Local area codes in these countries are managed by the North American
Numbering Plan (NANP).
Area code
Currently, all area codes (officially called numbering plan areas) in the NANP must
have 3 digits.

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Subscriber number
The subscriber number is the number assigned to a line connected to one customer's
equipment. It must always be dialed in its entirety. NANP assign 7 digits to all
telephone numbers.
Conceived in the late forties, area codes were not established until the introduction
of New Jersey's 201 area code in 1951. The area codes used today are an evolution
of the original "North American Numbering Plan."
Initially codes were assigned based on population. The areas with the largest
populations received codes that were quick to dial on a rotary phone. New York was
given 212, Los Angeles 213 and Chicago 312 while more rural areas like Texas and
Kansas got 915 and 913.
State Area Code(s) State Area Code(s)

Alabama 205 - 251 - 256 - 334 Montana 406
Alaska 907 Nebraska 308 - 402
Arizona 480 - 520 - 602 - 623 - 928 Nevada 702 - 775
Arkansas 501 - 870 New Hampshire 603
California 209 - 213 - 310 - 323 - 408 New Jersey 201 - 609 - 732 - 856 -
- 415 - 510 - 530 - 559 - 562 908 - 973
- 619 - 626 - 650 - 661 - 707
- 714 - 760 - 805 - 818 - 831
- 858 - 909 - 916 - 925 - 949
Colorado 303 - 719 - 720 - 970 New Mexico 505
Connecticut 203 – 860 New York 212 - 315 - 347 - 516 -
518 - 607 - 631 - 646 -
716 - 718 - 845 - 914 –
917
Delaware 302 North Carolina 252 - 336 - 704 - 828 -
910 - 919 - 980
Florida 305 - 321 - 352 - 386 - 407 North Dakota 701
- 561 - 727 - 754 - 772 - 786
- 813 - 850 - 863 - 904 - 941
– 954
Georgia 229 - 404 - 478 - 678 - 706 Ohio 216 - 234 - 330 - 419 -
- 770 – 912 440 - 513 - 614 - 740 –
937
Hawaii 808 Oklahoma 405 - 580 - 918
Idaho 208 Oregon 503 - 541 - 971
Illinois 217 - 309 - 312 - 618 - 630 Pennsylvania 215 - 267 - 412 - 484 -
- 708 - 773 - 815 - 847 570 - 610 - 717 - 724 -
814 - 878
Indiana 219 - 260 - 317 - 574 - 765 Rhode Island 401
– 812
Iowa 319 - 515 -563 - 641 - 712 South Carolina 803 - 843 - 864
Kansas 316 - 620 - 785 - 913 South Dakota 605
Kentucky 270 - 502 - 606 - 859 Tennessee 423 - 615 - 731 - 865 -
901 - 931

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Louisiana 225 - 318 - 337 - 504 - 985 Texas 210 - 214 - 254 - 281 -
361 - 409 - 469 - 512 -
682 - 713 - 806 - 817 -
830 - 832 - 903 - 915 -
936 - 940 - 956 - 972 –
979
Maine 207 Utah 435 - 801
Maryland 240 - 301 - 410 - 443 Vermont 802
Massachusetts 339 - 351 - 413 - 508 - 617 Virginia 276 - 434 - 540 - 571 -
- 774 - 781 - 857 - 978 703 - 757 - 804
Michigan 231 - 248 - 269 - 313 - 517 Washington 206 - 253 - 360 - 425 –
- 586 - 616 - 734 - 810 - 906 509
– 989
Minnesota 218 - 320 - 507 - 612 - 651 West Virginia 304
- 763 – 952
Mississippi 228 - 601 – 662 Wisconsin 262 - 414 - 608 - 715 –
920
Missouri 314 - 417 - 573 - 636 - 660 Wyoming 307
– 816
Did you know?

 Important numbers in the USA are 911 (police, fire and ambulance emergencies),
411 (local directory enquiries), 1 + area code + 555-1212 (National Directory
Enquiries), 0 (local operator assistance), 00 (international operator assistance).
 800, 888 and 877 are free phone numbers and cost nothing to call. They are
mostly provided by companies, organizations and government agencies. To call
an 800 prefix from within America you have to dial 1 first. For information on toll-
free numbers, call 1-800-555-1212. You can also call an 800 number from
abroad, but in this case the call will probably not be free.
 Often businesses in the United States will use letters instead of numbers in an
attempt to make them more memorable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it
doesn’t. The letters are: 1 – doesn’t have a letter, 2 – ABC, 3 – DEF, 4 – GHI, 5
– JKL, 6 – MNO, 7 – PQRS, 8 – TUV, 9 – WXYZ, 0 – doesn’t have a letter.
For example:
Do you need help with your iPhone? You can call 1-800-MY-iPHONE (1-800-
694-7466)
Do you want to talk to National Geographic? You can call 1-800-NGS-LINE (1-
800-647-5463)
 It is generally possible to make a collect call or reverse charge call from a

landline by dialing "0" and following automated prompts or using operator
assistance. The receiving party must agree to the charges (usually after being
informed of the name of the caller) before the call can continue normally.

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 AT&T operates a collect call service for the United States. The number for collect
calls is 1-800-225-5288 (1-800-CALL-ATT). This number can be called and used
from mobile phones as well as land-line phones.
 In the United States, fictitious telephone numbers are often used in films and on
television to avoid disturbances by calls from viewers. For example, The
US 555 code was never assigned (with limited exceptions such as 555-1212
for directory assistance). Therefore, American films and TV shows have used
555-xxxx numbers, in order to prevent a real number from being called.
Agent Tip
When a customer service representative provides or repeats a phone number he

must provide each number individually and pause after each segment (exit code –
country code – area code – subscribers number)
 Most American speakers may change number Zero by “Oh”. For example,
“Nine – oh – oh” (900).
Soft Skills Practice
Instructions: Practice the following dialogue using the phone numbers below.
Agent: Thank you for calling U-Talk Mobile. My name is

_________________________, may I ask what number you are calling from?
Caller: My telephone number is __________________________.
Agent: Could you please provide me with your area code?
Caller: The area code is _______________________.
Agent: Thank you for calling U-Talk Mobile, have a nice day.
1. (907) 567-9832 6. (907) 567-9832

2. (339) 220-7654 7. (339) 220-7654
3. (240) 678-1098 8. (240) 678-1098
4. (361) 932-0470 9. (361) 932-0470
5. (401) 662-7601 10. (401) 662-7601

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2.Addresses in the United States

An address provides information about the location of a house, building, apartment,
office or even a plot of land. Typically addresses have a mostly fixed format that
includes numbers and names. Some addresses also contain special codes to aid
routing of mail and packages, such as a ZIP code or post code.
An address in the USA will look like this:
Dr. Sheldon Cooper
2311 North Los Robles Ave
Pasadena, CA 91108
The United States has been using a Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code since 1943.
The rapid and continuous growth of mail demanded the United States Postal Service
(USPS) to use a system that would help its employees to better sort mail. By July
1963, a five-digit code had been assigned to every address throughout the country.
At first, use of the ZIP code was not mandatory for anyone, but in 1967, the Post
Office Department required mailers of second- and third-class bulk mail to presort
by ZIP Code. The public and business mailers alike adapted well to its use.
An extended ZIP+4 code, introduced in 1983, includes the five digits of the ZIP code,
a hyphen, and four additional digits that determine a more specific location within a
given ZIP code. So Dr. Cooper’s address would be:
Dr. Sheldon Cooper
Pasadena, CA 91108 - 2334
So how are ZIP codes assigned? The first digit designates a broad geographical
area of the United States, ranging from zero for the Northeast to nine for the far
West.
The first digit of the ZIP code is allocated as follows:
0 Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA), Maine (ME), New Hampshire (NH),

New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY Fishers Island only), Puerto Rico (PR), Rhode
Island (RI), Vermont (VT)
1 Delaware (DE), New York (NY), Pennsylvania (PA)
2 District of Columbia (DC), Maryland (MD), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina
(SC), Virginia (VA), West Virginia (WV)

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3 Alabama (AL), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Mississippi (MS), Tennessee (TN)
4 Indiana (IN), Kentucky (KY), Michigan (MI), Ohio (OH)
5 Iowa (IA), Minnesota (MN), Montana (MT), North Dakota (ND), South Dakota
(SD), Wisconsin (WI)
6 Illinois (IL), Kansas (KS), Missouri (MO), Nebraska (NE)
7 Arkansas (AR), Louisiana (LA), Oklahoma (OK), Texas (TX)
8 Arizona (AZ), Colorado (CO), Idaho (ID), New Mexico (NM), Nevada (NV),
Utah (UT), Wyoming (WY)
9 Alaska (AK), California (CA), Hawaii (HI), Oregon (OR), Washington (WA)
This number is followed by two digits that more closely pinpoint population
concentrations and those sectional centers accessible to common transportation
networks. The final two digits designate small Post Offices or postal zones in larger
zoned cities.

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Some things to consider about addresses in the United States.
 Only the United States Postal Service (USPS) can deliver to a P.O. Box. For this
reason, the recipient may choose to insert their physical (aka street) address as
line two, expanding the complete address to four lines. Providing both allows a
sender to ship via the USPS or via a private carrier.
Dr. Sheldon Cooper

P.O. Box 1520
Pasadena, CA 91108 - 2334
 The state and type of street, e.g. Avenue, is often abbreviated as shown in the
Post Office standard.
Avenue – AVE Square – SQ

Boulevard – BLVD Street – ST
Circle – CIR Village – VLG
Drive – DR
Lane – LN
Plaza – PLZ
Port – PRT
Road – RD
The USPS discourages the use of all punctuation except the hyphen in ZIP+4 codes,
slashes in fractional addresses, hyphenated street numbers, and periods in decimal
addresses.

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Exercise 1
Practice dictating names, address and phone numbers to each other using the
NATO alphabet.
Student A: Ask your partner for the missing information.
1.Name: Paul Walker 2. Name: ____________________________
Address: ___________________________ Address: 1615 North Lombard ST Apt. 12

San Francisco, CA 94118
___________________________________
Phone No.: (415) 225-0101
Phone No.: _________________________
Email address: ______________________
Email address: fast&furious@oal.com
3. Name: John Smith 4. Name: ____________________________
Address: ___________________________ Address: 3290 N. Brooklyn DR

Bronx, New York 10468
___________________________________
Phone No.: _________________________ Phone No.: (415) 225-0101
Email address: jsmith@smith.com Email address: ______________________

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Student B: Ask your partner for the missing information.
1. Name: ____________________________ 2. Name: Mildred Ruiz
Address: 3408 Sunset BLVD Apt.100 Address: ____________________________

Los Angeles, CA 90026
____________________________________
Phone No.: (213) 489-0754
Phone No.: _________________________
Email address: _______________________
Email address: millyruiz@discovery.com
3. Name: ___________________________ 4. Name: Kenneth Garner
Address: 19876 SE Okeechobee RD Address: ____________________________
Miami, FL 33156 ____________________________________
Phone No.: (305) 567-1690 Phone No.: ________________________
Email address: ______________________ Email address: kengr@saxton.org

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Instructions: Practice the following dialogue using the information below.

_________________________, may I please have your first and last name please?
Caller: Sure! Karen McCarthy.
Agent: Thank you! What number are you calling from?
Caller: Area code ( ) ___________________________.
Agent: ( ) ______________________. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes.
Agent: What is your billing address?
Caller: ___________________________.
Agent: __________________________. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes.
1. (907) 567-9437 Jessica Patterson 1345 Place LN

Miami, FL 33133
2. (339) 270-7244 Tony Long 54232 S. Park AVE

San Francisco, CA 94133
3. (240) 258-1908 Vivian Russel 6423 Circle SQ

Milford, DE 19963
4. (361) 902-1050 Jane Griffin 1124 Cherry RD

Houston, TX 77008
5. (401) 625-7301 Amy Hayes 987 S Vermont AVE

Brooklyn, NY 11220
6. (775) 669-3904 Summer Lee 6578 Big Bear VLG

Boston, MA 02115

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3.English Dates
Calendar dates can be written in a wide variety of ways in English, and often depend
on formal or informal writing, personal style and whether you are writing British or
American English. In British English, dates are usually written in the order day –
month – year, while in American English they are written month – day – year. Here
are some common ways to write dates in American English:
In American English, the month comes before the day, which means you cannot
use of and rarely use ordinal numbers (adding st, nd, rd, th). Commas should also
be used to separate the day and year, and again the name of the day should come
at the beginning. The date should therefore be written:
 April 13
 April 13, 2014
 Sunday, April 13, 2014
April the 13th or April 13th are not incorrect, but are much less common now.
Numerical date formats

In both British and American English, the date can be written in abbreviated forms,
either as a group of numbers (separated by hyphens, slashes or periods), or with
the first few letters of the month. The date should be in day – month – year or
month – day – year format depending on British or American use.
American Abbreviated Dates
 04/13/14, 04.13.14, 04-13-14
 04/13/2014, 04.13.2014, 04-13-2014
 Apr. 13, 2014
 Year before month
Speaking about dates

When working for a contact center, dates are one of the most common things you
will hear, say, read and write. When speaking, dates follow rules and those rules
must be applied to sound professional and knowledgeable.

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The Days of the Week
The working week The weekend

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
/mʌndeɪ/ /tu:z deɪ/ /wenz deɪ/ /θɜrz deɪ/ /fraɪ deɪ/ /sætərdeɪ/ /sʌn deɪ/
The Months of the Year

Note: Days of the months are always capatilized.
January Jan. /dʒæn yuˌɛr i/

February Feb. /feb ruˌɛr i/
March Mar. /mɑ:rtʃ/
April Apr. /eɪ prəl/
May May /meɪ/
June Jun. /dʒun/
July Jul. /dʒuˈlaɪ/
August Aug. /ɔ:gʌst/
September Sep. or Sept. /sepˈtem bər/
October Oct. / ɑ:kˈtəʊ bər/
November Nov. / nəʊˈvɛm bər/
December Dec. /dɪˈsem bər/
Dates
In figures In words Pronounce It
1st the first 1st
2nd the second 2nd
3rd the third 3rd
4th the fourth 4th
5th the fifth 5th
6th the sixth 6th

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7th the seventh 7th
8th the eighth 8th
9th the ninth 9th
10th the tenth 10th
11th the eleventh 11th
12th the twelfth 12th
13th the thirteenth 13th
14th the fourteenth 14th
15th the fifteenth 15th
16th the sixteenth 16th
17th the seventeenth 17th
18th the eighteenth 18th
19th the nineteenth 19th
20th the twentieth 20th
21st the twenty-first ...
22nd the twenty-second ...
23rd the twenty-third ...
24th the twenty-fourth ...
25th the twenty-fifth ...
26th the twenty-sixth ...
27th the twenty-seventh ...
28th the twenty-eighth ...
29th the twenty-ninth ...
30th the thirtieth 30th
31st the thirty-first ...

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 Note that when writing dates, you do not have to use st, nd, rd, th, however
you must pronounce the ending when speaking.
Written: January 10, 1986

Pronounced: January (the) tenth, nineteen eighty-six
Written: July 4, 1776

Pronounced: July (the) fourth, seventeen seventy-six
Note: (the) is optional when saying dates
Expressing the year
Written 2005 2016 1900 1982

Two Two
Nineteen Nineteen
Formal thousand thousand
hundred eighty-two
Pronounced (and) five sixteen
Twenty oh Twenty
Informal - -
five sixteen
Expressing dates
April 8, 1964 April (the) eighth, nineteen sixty-four

June 15, 1967 June the fifteenth, nineteen sixty-seven
December twenty fourth, two thousand
December 24, 2015
fifteen
Exercise 1
Pair Conversation. Ask your classmates about when they were born and where
they were born.
Student A: Where were you born?

Student B: I was born in Guatemala.
Student A: And, when were you born?

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Student B: I was born on month/date/year. How about you?

Student A: I was born in that month, too. But on month/date/year.
Exercise 2
Practice saying these dates.
1. January 25, 1965 6. Sep. 26, 2000

2. March 14, 1978 7. Nov. 1, 2010
3. December 25, 2017 8. Feb. 14, 1999
4. May 30, 1960 9. Apr. 13, 2001
5. July 16, 1988 10. Jun. 10, 1933
Exercise 3
Why is my month / year special?
Prepare a small presentation about important events happening the month / year
you were born. You should research for your presentation and not memorize dates.
You need to present and not just provide a list of events.
Exercise 4
Important Events.
Choose an important date: your birthday, Independence Day, and a world event.
____________ / ______________ / _________________

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4.US Currency
Watch the video provided by your teacher.
Exercise 1
1. Make a list of the different objects that are found in the dollar bill.
2. Make a list of the objects mentioned in the video that have the number 13.
Dollar Amounts
In English we use the word ‘and’ instead of the word ‘with’, to separate dollar
amounts from cents.
Written: $1,650.50
Pronounced: One thousand six hundred fifty dollars and fifty cents
 Keep in mind that after each even amount,

we mention the word “dollars” to make sure
our customers understand what currency
we talk about.
American culture is known for wanting to save money. But, they also like saving
words when speaking. In informal speaking, dollar amounts are commonly divided
in two parts: dollars and cents. For example:
$10.50
Ten Fifty
This means that in informal speaking, customers might be saying “ten fifty” instead
of “ten dollars and fifty cents”.
Dollar amounts and mostly prices tend to be under the hundreds, however, when
used for banking and financial matters, amounts can go up to the thousands.
Amounts are the same in various languages. Dollar (USD$) amounts and amounts
used in Latin American countries such as Quetzal (Q.), Peso ($), Lempira (L),
Cordoba (C$), etc. are not the exception.

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It is easier to divide dollar amounts in blocks with 3 numbers for their correct
pronunciation. Each group can also be divided into smaller blocks.
$ 5 ,555 ,555 .55

(currency) million thousand hundred ten cents
Each group can have a maximum of 999 (nine hundred ninety nine) and then the
name of the block is added (million, thousand, hundred, cents).
It is important to keep in mind that after each block, its label (e.g. thousand), stays
in singular form. If the exact amount is known, regardless of the amount, the label
should always be the same. For example:
$3,000,000.00  Three million dollars
$44,000.00  Forty four thousand dollars
$800.00  Eight hundred dollars
Only the labels “dollars” and “cents” will change if the amount is higher than 1.
Then, the correct way to say the previous amount is: Five million, five
hundred fifty five thousand, five hundred fifty five dollars and fifty five cents.
 Commonly, in amounts starting with “1”, the number itself is not mentioned.
Instead, English speakers will change it for the word “a” to show that it is a
unit.
$1,000.00  One thousand dollars / A thousand dollars

$150.00  One hundred fifty dollars / A hundred and fifty dollars
 When amounts are even, you don´t need to mention that there are “zero
cents”. You can either use the word “even” or not use any.
Q 200.00  Two hundred dollars even / Two hundred dollars
Exercise 1
Write down a number; label each block and then check.
$ ________, _________, ________ . __________
Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4

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In letters:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Exercise 2
Get in pairs, come up with a big number.
__________________________________________________________________
Exercise 3
Write the following dollar amounts in letters.
1. $95,000.00 11. $19.99
2. $231.40 12. $25.15
3. $3,057.99 13. $101.23
4. $656.89 14. $9.20
5. $1,231.60 15. $0.50
6. $84.00 16. $209.60
7. $10.50 17. $99.12
8. $1,865.00 18. $548.10
9. $88.64 19. $1,345,784,000.00
10. $0.92 20. $875,986,543.00
Exercise 4
Prepare your phone / electricity / cable / internet bill or bank statement. Get in pairs
and pretend to be in a call. Take the following conversation as a guide to prepare
for this activity. Complete the dialog.
Agent: Thank you for calling us. My name is ________. How may I assist you?
Customer: I am Orlando Johnson. I´d like to know why my statement is showing
extra charges.
Agent: I will be more than glad to help you with that. As I am seeing here, you
should pay a total of __________, am I right?
Customer: Yes, and I usually pay __________ for this service. I don´t get it.
Agent: I am seeing here, Mr. Johnson, that this month you requested to have the
premium service. That service adds __________ to your bill.

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Customer: Oh, I get it. But still, that wouldn´t make any sense!
Agent: Let me check. You are completely right, sir. The extra __________ is due
to a late payment made last month.
Customer: I always pay on time. I even have automatic payments set for this
account.
Agent: I understand your concern. And as you are saying, you have always made
your payments on time. Let me go ahead and remove this __________ charge
from your account.
Customer: Please do.
Agent: Very well. The fee was already removed. Your new total due is
__________.
Customer: Thank you. I appreciate your help.
Agent: Do not worry, Mr. Johnson, it is my pleasure. Remember that starting next
month we will be adding an insurance fee of __________ to your bill.
Customer: Yeah, I received that email. Thanks.
Agent: Yes, Mr. Johnson. I would also like to take advantage and offer you the
new and improved service for __________. It includes many more options that you
would probably enjoy.
Customer: Uhm. I don´t think so. I don´t want to pay more.
Agent: It´s alright, Mr. Johnson. You can continue using your normal service for
$392.50 plus the insurance fee of __________.
Customer: Ok, thanks. I gotta go. Bye.

Call Center Manual
5.Regions and Geography

Geography & Time in the United States
9’826,675 square kilometers make the USA the 4th largest country in the world by
land area. More than 9 million square kilometers are divided into 50 states and hold
more than 320 million people, but what are the most important cities in the United
States?
Look at the list of cities and rank them according to what you believe is their order of
importance.
Atlanta Boston Chicago Dallas Houston
Los Angeles New York City Philadelphia San Francisco Washington D.C.
Regions
Americans often speak of their country as one of several large regions. These
regions are cultural units rather than governmental units -- formed by history and
geography and shaped by the economics, literature and folkways that all the parts
of a region share. What makes one region different from another? A region's
multicultural heritages as well as distinct demographic characteristics like age and
occupation make regions different and special.
Pacific Region
Five states are part of this region: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and
Washington. These are the only states that have any borders on the Pacific Ocean.
The Mountain States

The name for this region comes from the proximity of the Rocky Mountain range to
each of these states. In some cases, these states are further separated into the
Northwest Mountain States (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming) and the Southwest United
States (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah). These states have higher
elevations than anywhere in the United States.
The East North Central Region

The East North Central region contains Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and
Wisconsin. Historically, many of these states were part of the Northwest Territory.
This region also borders on the Great Lakes, which makes the region a bit more
temperate (it has four seasons, unlike other regions of the United States).

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West North Central Region

The West North Central region consists of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Mississippi River separates the
West North Central region from its eastern counterpart. Many of the states in the
West North Central region have rich farmland, and that has helped to develop the
nickname “the Heartland.”
New England
There are six states in this region (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Rhode Island, and Connecticut). New England was part of the original 13 colonies
that became the United States after the Revolutionary War.
Mid-Atlantic Region
The Mid-Atlantic region of the United States is located in the “middle” of what is
referred to as the East Coast. There is some debate (depending on the source) as
to what is included in this region, but traditionally, these states are Delaware,
Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., New York, Virginia, and
West Virginia.
South Atlantic Region

The South Atlantic Region consists of the following states: Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, and South Carolina. It is one of the regions that is considered to be part of
“the South.” This region has a warmer climate than its North Atlantic counterparts.
East South Central States

The East South Central States, along with the South Atlantic and the West South
Central States, are considered to be part of “the south.” These states include
Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This region is referred to as “Old
Dixie” by several books.
West South Central States

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas are the four states that make up this
region. This region is incredibly diverse, especially in Texas, and many of the
residents of this region are “traditional southerners.”

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The 50 States
Pronunciation
Abbreviations
Every state has its own abbreviation. Knowing them, will save you time when
entering data in the system.
State Abbreviation PA
Pennsylvania
Alabama AL
Alaska AK Rhode Island RI
Arizona AZ South Carolina SC
Arkansas AR South Dakota SD
California CA Tennessee TN
Colorado CO Texas TX
Connecticut CT Utah UT
Delaware DE Vermont VT
Florida FL Virginia VA
Georgia GA Washington WA
Hawaii HI West Virginia WV
Idaho ID Wisconsin WI
Illinois IL Wyoming WY
Indiana IN
Iowa IA Unincorporated organized
Kansas KS territories
Kentucky KY Guam GU
Louisiana LA Puerto Rico PR
Maine ME Virgin Islands VI
Maryland MD
Massachusetts MA
Michigan MI
Minnesota MN
Mississippi MS
Missouri MO
Montana MT
Nebraska NE
Nevada NV
New Hampshire NH
New Jersey NJ
New Mexico NM
New York NY
North Carolina NC
North Dakota ND
Ohio OH
Oklahoma OK
Oregon OR
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Exercise 1 Match the state with the correct abbreviation.
Alabama AR California HI
Alaska AL Colorado GA
Arizona DE Connecticut CO
Arkansas AZ Georgia CA
Delaware AK Hawaii CT
Florida IN Kansas ME
Idaho IA Kentucky KS
Illinois FL Louisiana MD
Indiana ID Maine LA
Iowa IL Maryland KY
Massachusetts MO Montana NE
Michigan MN Nebraska NJ
Minnesota MS Nevada NH
Mississippi MA NewHampshire NV
Missouri MI New Jersey MT
New Mexico PA Ohio OR

New York NC Oklahoma UT
North Carolina ND Oregon OH
North Dakota NM Rhode Island RI
Pennsylvania NY Utah OK
South Carolina TX Virginia WV

South Dakota SC Washington WY
Tennessee VT West Virginia VA
Texas SD Wisconsin WA
Vermont TN Wyoming

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Exercise 2
Identify the states.
Time Zones
Before the days of long-distance travel, differences in local times weren’t a big deal.
That changed with the rise of railroads in the 1800s. Although it was now possible to
travel significant distances faster than ever before, a multitude of local times,
particularly in large countries such as the United States, made things confusing when
it came to train schedules.
In 1878, Sanford Fleming proposed dividing the world into 24 time zones, each
spaced a certain distance apart, according to measurements made on a globe. This
arrangement was adopted by many countries and divided the United States into four
time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. On November 18, 1883,
America’s railroads began using Fleming’s system of four time zones for the United
States. Within each zone, all clocks were synchronized. The railroad industry’s plan
was adopted by much of the country, although the time-zone system didn’t become
official across the United States until the passage of the 1918 Standard Time Act,
which also established daylight saving time.

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Time Zones and Business Hours

In the United States there are seven time zones in total. There are four time zones
in the continental United States.
It is important for you to remember that there are important cities in each time zone:
 Eastern Time (ET)
Major cities: Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Miami
 Central Time (CT)

Major cities: Dallas, Houston, Chicago
 Mountain Time (MT)

Major city: Denver
 Pacific Time (PT)

Major cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
When conducting business in the United States time and schedules are important
as well.
Daylight Saving
Twice a year, the time is changed in the United States. Daylight Saving Time (DST)
moves one hour ahead in springtime. On the first Sunday of March, all clocks are
set one hour ahead. American should set their clocks back by one hour on the first
Sunday of November during the fall season.
Remember the phrase: SPRING AHEAD, FALL BACK.
Please note that there are several regions in the U.S. that do not change the time,
such as Arizona, Hawaii, America Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands,
Puerto Rico and the United States Virgen Island.

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The following table lists recent past and near future starting and ending dates of
daylight saving time in the United States:
Year Start End
2016 March 13 November 6

Call Center Manual
6.Credit in the USA and its

importance
Having good credit in the USA plays an important role in every American’s life. It is
essential to have credit to be able to apply for a loan or get a credit card, but also for
less obvious things like getting cellular telephone service, renting a car, and perhaps
even getting a job. Without this, Americans are not able to do much. In the USA,
banks and companies look into people’s credit scores and credit report to determine
a person’s creditworthiness. A credit score is a three-digit number that measures
how likely you are to repay a loan within the next 24 months. A credit report is an
explanation of your credit history. It gives information of where and when you applied
for credit, whom you borrowed from and how much you owe.
Types of Credit Cards

Secured Cards: They are more common than an unsecured card. It does not
require an initial deposit and this card has a limit based on the person’s credit history.
Unsecured Cards: Requires a deposit of the limit amount before you use the card.
This deposit is held as a security guarantee in case the person is not able to pay.
There are three national credit reporting companies that keep credit history for every
credit-card holder in the United States. These three companies are: TransUnion,
Experian and Equifax.
Debit Cards: Nowadays, people who live in the US don’t carry around much cash
and rely more plastic money. A debit card can be used as cash but you can only
use the availability you have in your bank account.

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However, a credit card is similar to a debit card and will allow you to withdraw or
purchase what you have assigned in your credit limit.
People in the United States have more than one credit card, therefore, some of them
have debts that are beyond their capability to pay on a monthly basis, which reflects
on their credit.

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7.Holidays
A federal holiday is an authorized holiday that has been recognized by the US
Government. For federal holidays, federal government offices are closed and every
federal employee is paid for the holiday. Private-sector employees required to work
on a legal holiday which has been recognized by the US Government may receive
an additional pay to their salary.
Public holidays in the US are days that have significance for various sectors of
American society and are observed at all the levels of society, including government,
the private sector, and are typically derived from the history, religion and the cultures
of the U.S. demographics. These are not mandated by the US government.
State holidays are the official holidays of every state. Go to

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0002069.html for more information.
Note: If the holiday falls on a Saturday, it is observed on Friday. If the holiday falls
on a Sunday, it is observed on Monday.
The holidays observed in the United States are the following:
January 1 New Year’s Day

Last Sunday Jan. or First Sunday Super Bowl Sunday
Feb.
February 14 Valentine’s Day
March 17 Saint Patrick’s Day
March or April Spring Break
2nd Sunday of May Mother’s Day
Last Monday in May Memorial Day
2nd Sunday of June Father’s Day
July 4 Independence Day
October 31 Halloween
th
4 Thursday of November Thanksgiving Day
Friday after Thanksgiving Black Friday
Monday after Thanksgiving Cyber-Monday
December 24 Christmas Eve
December 25 Christmas Day
December 31 New Year’s Eve

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Exercise 1
Write the date for the holiday
1. Day people wear green _______________________

2. Day after Thanksgiving _______________________
3. Day Children dress up and go trick-o-treating _______________________
4. Celebrated on the 4th day Thursday of November _______________________
5. Independence Day _______________________
6. Day when people give chocolates and flowers _______________________
7. Day that commemorates the birth of Jesus _______________________
8. Last day of the year _______________________
Exercise 2
Describe your favorite holiday.

Call Center Manual
8.People in the USA

The CIA World Factbook calculates that by July 2015, the United States population
reached 321,368,864 inhabitants. This makes the USA the third largest country in
the world based on its population.
The United States Census Bureau considers that the USA is made up of the
following ethnic groups:
 American Indian and Alaska native alone
 Asian alone
 Black or African American alone
 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone
 Two or more races
 White alone
Hispanic or Latinos are not considered as one single ethnic group since there are
Latinos who are white, black or have Asian ascendance. However, 17.4% of the
total US population can trace their ancestry to a Hispanic country.
Exercise 1
Look at the following percentages; can you match the ethnic groups with the
population in the USA?
1. American Indian and Alaska native alone a) 79.96%
2. Asian alone b) 12.85%
3. Black or African American alone c) 4.43%
4. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone d) 0.97%
5. Two or more races e) 0.18%
6. White f) 1.67%
Ancestry
Exercise 2
It is no secret that the population in the USA comes from many different countries.
However, in the 2010 Census, the US Census Bureau has been able to identify the
top 10 ethnic ancestries that make up the US population. What do you think the
order is?
African American English German Italian Polish
American French Irish Mexican Scottish

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While some Americans can trace their ancestry back to a single ethnic group or
population in Europe, Africa, or Asia, these are often first- and second-generation
Americans. Generally, the degree of mixed heritage increases the longer one's
ancestors have lived in the United States.

Call Center Manual
9.The Typical American

Watch the following video: 5 ways that the rest of the world views America
Exercise 1
How do tourists view America? Write down the 5 things Joe mentions.
Important facts about Americans.

Family relationships: Families in the United States consist of a mother, father an average
of 1 – 3 children. It is common in most families that both parents work while their children
are at school or at a day-care. There is a large number of families that are made-up of a
single parent as a result of a divorce or being unwed. Once children graduate from high-
school, he or she leaves home and lives an independent life. Families usually get together
for weddings, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays or family reunions.
In the United States, some people get divorced and married several times. People and family
members are very open when it comes to their family life. Divorce rate in the US has
declined over the past few years and this is due to the fact that people are getting married
at an older age.
Punctuality: For Americans punctuality is vital. They usually arrive on time or before to
scheduled appointments or to work. It is customary, too, for them to call if they will be late
and give an estimated time of arrival. Most Americans are disciplined and do not like waiting,
they consider this as wasting time.
Weekends: During the weekends, Americans sleep, eat and drink, practice sports, do
errands, chores and watch movies or football.
Legal Status: There are four types of legal status in the United States: American Citizen,
Tourist, Immigrant and Illegal.
Bigger is better and size matters. Americans like big cars, big buildings, big homes, and
huge pay checks. Most things in the US come in three sizes: Small, medium and large.
People usually prefer buying in bulk or the largest size available.
Money is crucial: For American making money is crucial. This is one of the most common
topics amongst families and money is the center of all decisions, thoughts and activities.
From a very young age, children are encouraged to mow their neighbor’s lawns, deliver
papers or take out their neighbor’s trash for money or a treat. Younger generations are
constantly bombarded with the idea that it is important to make money now because social
security will no longer be available when they are older.
Communication Style: A person's culture influences how that person sends and receives
messages. A cultural filter is how a message is sent and received between two parties.
When a message leaves the sender's cultural filter, the meaning interpreted by the receiver's
filter sometimes differs from the intended message

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American prefer direct communication. They take messages literally and do not like to beat
around the bush. The primary focus of a conversation is usually to exchange information.
When communicating with others they use a straightforward manner and tone. The typical
communication style Americans use are:
1. information exchange – People's lives overlap in the workplace. The workplace is

an environment – or "context" – of shared knowledge and experience. For
Americans, communication typically prioritizes the quick and efficient exchange of
information. There are limited "ritual interactions" or pleasantries, and therefore it's
considered a "low context" environment. Interaction in "high context" societies tends
to be less focused on the exchange of information and more focused on relationship
building.
2. straightforward – Being straightforward in the American culture means asking direct
questions and making direct requests. The efficient exchange of information requires
coming straight to the point – whether in public or private – and therefore avoiding
simply implying or hinting something.
3. literal – Communicating literally in the American culture involves taking someone's
word at face value. In other words, people say exactly what they mean without
expecting others to read between the lines.
4. problem-orientated – The American preference toward rational thinking means they
tend to focus on finding solutions to problems. They may try to organize information
in a direct and efficient manner in order to provide recommendations to rectify the
situation. For example, if an American is listening to a colleague explain a problem
with a work task, the American is like to assume the person is asking for help.
5. personal – Given that Americans tend to be literal and straightforward, there's
usually more of a reliance on logic than emotions in conversation. However,
Americans can also be very personal. They may seek similarities to sympathize with
you, but they reserve empathy for situations where there is a shared emotional
experience.
Watch the following video: 9 wired things that only happen in the US
Exercise 2
Discuss the following:
1. How important is family life for you?

2. Do you believe money buys happiness?
3. How do you feel when people are late?
4. What do you prefer to do on weekends?

Call Center Manual
Exercise 3 (Answers will vary)

Write down the similarities and differences you find between your culture and the
American Culture.
Guatemala USA
Exercise 4
Rank these activities from 1 -7. 1 being the most important and 7 least important
for American. Write down the estimated time you consider Americans spend on
these activities during the weekend.
taking care of children _______

eat and drink _______
talk on the phone _______
cook _______
leisure _______
sleeping _______
shop _______

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Most Common Last Names

Although Smith is still the most common surname in the USA, seven Hispanic names
rank in the top 30 most common surnames. The surname Lee also made the top 25
indicating a continuing rise in the Asian American population.
1. Smith 1. Martinez 21. Lopez
2. Johnson 2. Anderson 22. Lee
3. Williams 3. Taylor 23. Gonzalez
4. Brown 4. Thomas 24. Harris
5. Jones 5. Hernandez 25. Clark
6. Miller 6. Moore 26. Lewis
7. Davis 7. Martin 27. Robinson
8. Garcia 8. Jackson 28. Walker
9. Rodriguez 9. Thompson 29. Perez
10. Wilson 10. White 30. Hall
The changes that the American population has gone through have also had an
important impact in the way children are named. The Social Security
Administration (SSA); an independent agency of the United States federal
government that administers a social insurance program consisting of retirement,
disability, and survivors' benefits; has a record of the popularity of first names in the
USA since the 1880s. Here is a list of the 10 most popular first names over the last
100 years:
Rank Male Female
1 James Mary
2 John Patricia
3 Robert Jennifer
4 Michael Elizabeth
5 William Linda
6 David Barbara
7 Richard Susan
8 Joseph Margaret
9 Charles Jessica
10 Thomas Sarah
Complicated names to spell

These are some complicated names to spell in the United States. Can you identify
which ones are female and male names? Try spelling them out.
Latoya Shaniqua/Shanequa Deantia
Tyrone Shanae-nae Antoine
Roberta Tanzania Ashanti
Laquisha Tanisha Jamal
Shaquille Latacha

Call Center Manual
Exercise 5
Practice spelling out these names.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1. Noah Smith 9. Emma Anderson

2. Liam Johnson 10. Olivia Taylor
3. Mason Williams 11. Sophia Thomas
4. Jacob Brown 12. Ava Jackson
5. Ethan Davis 13. Isabella White
6. James Miller 14. Abigail Martin
7. Alexander Wilson 15. Emily Clark
8. Michael Moore 16. Charlotte Lewis

Call Center Manual
10.Spelling on the Phone
When talking on the phone with clients, colleagues or superiors it is important to be

clear. There are times when sounds of certain letters may be confused by the
listener.
One of the means people use worldwide to carry out messages and specially spelling
clearly when talking through the telephone or radio is with the NATO phonetic
alphabet or Alfa, Bravo, Charlie alphabet.
The NATO alphabet also known as the International Radiotelephony Spelling
Alphabet, the ICAO radiotelephonic, phonetic or spelling alphabet and
the ITU radiotelephonic or phonetic alphabet, is the most widely used
radiotelephonic spelling alphabet. The purpose of this alphabet is that critical
combinations of letters and numbers can be pronounced and understood by those
who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of
language barriers or the presence of transmission static.
History
The first internationally recognized spelling alphabet was adopted by the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) during 1927. The experience gained
with that alphabet resulted in several changes being made during 1932 by the ITU.
The resulting alphabet was adopted by the International Commission for Air
Navigation, the predecessor of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization),
and was used for civil aviation until World War II.
After World War II, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recognizing
the need for a single universal alphabet, presented a draft alphabet to the ICAO
during 1947 that had sounds common to English, French, and Spanish. After further
study and testing among speakers from 31 nations, a final version was implemented
in March 1956. The ITU adopted it in 1959 because the ITU governs all international
radio communications; it was also adopted by all radio operators, whether military,
civilian, or amateur. It was finally adopted by the International Maritime Organization
(IMO) in 1965.
The 26 code words in the NATO phonetic alphabet are assigned to the 26 letters of
the English alphabet in alphabetical order as follows:

Call Center Manual
Letter Code word Letter Code word

A Alfa N November
B Bravo O Oscar
C Charlie P Papa
D Delta Q Quebec
E Echo R Romeo
F Foxtrot S Sierra
G Golf T Tango
H Hotel U Uniform
I India V Victor
J Juliett W Whiskey
K Kilo X X-ray
L Lima Y Yankee
M Mike Z Zulu
Numbers 10–99 are spelled out (that is, 17 is "1–7" and 60 is "6–0"), while for
hundreds and thousands the English words hundred and thousand are used.
Exercise 1
Interview 6 classmates and ask them for their contact information. Verify the data
by using the NATO alphabet and numbers.
My Contact List
First Name: __________________ First Name: __________________
Maiden Name: ______________ Maiden Name: ______________
Last Name: __________________ Last Name: __________________
Phone No. ___________________ Phone No. ___________________
Email address: _______________ Email address: _______________
Phone No. ___________________ Phone No. ___________________

Call Center Manual
Phone No. ___________________ Phone No. ___________________
Instructions: Practice the following dialogue using the information provided below.
Use the NATO Alphabet when necessary.

_________________________, may I please have your first and last name please?
Caller: Sure! Karen McCarthy.
Agent: K-A-R-E-N M-C-C-A-R-T-H-Y. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes, that’s right.
Agent: What number are you calling from?
Caller: Area code ( ) ___________________________.
Agent: (213) 549-8765. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes.
1. (907) 567-9832 Lawrence Henderson

2. (339) 220-7654 Christopher Jenkins
3. (240) 678-1098 Richard Perry
4. (361) 932-0470 William Morgan
5. (401) 662-7601 Matthew Powell
6. (775) 616-1864 Kimberly Taylor
7. (251) 441-5492 Michelle Diaz
8. (414) 878-2654 Margaret Sanders
9. (662) 764-3498 Kristen Cooper
10. (213) 553-3267 Florence Walker

Call Center Manual
11.The Call Center

What is a Call Center?
A call center is an office where a company's inbound calls are received or outbound
calls are made. Call centers are increasingly popular in modern society, in which
many companies have centralized customer service and support functions. Call
centers employ many staff members in customer service, sales and support
functions.
Call centers are often large offices staffed with representatives who either make or
receive phone calls. Depending on the size of the call center, a single office could
have less than a dozen representatives or more than 100 staff members. Some call
centers focus on answering inbound calls, such as a call center for a bank that gives
out a toll-free number for customers who need assistance. In this example,
representatives can provide services such as giving account balances, answering
questions about transactions or taking loan applications over the phone.
Other call centers focus on outbound calls, such as those for survey companies
whose representatives make calls to ask people survey questions.
Advantages
Call centers can provide various advantages to companies. By centralizing

telephone-based service and support in one location, companies can easily adjust
their staffing to match the call volume. Call centers can be located almost anywhere,
allowing companies to take advantage of time zones and cheaper labor rates in
different regions and countries. They also centralize the technological needs of
companies, allowing major telecommunications setups to be installed in a limited
number of call centers instead of a in many smaller offices. This helps make
maintenance, upgrades and training easier.
Technology
Many call centers use various technologies to help improve performance

and customer experience. Inbound call centers often use automatic call distribution,
in which incoming calls are assigned to representatives in the order in which they
are received. Other call centers utilize call monitoring, in which customer calls are
randomly monitored by quality assurance staff members to ensure that phone
representatives meet the customers' needs. Call center technology evolves
constantly, helping call center staff members assist customers more efficiently and
effectively.

Call Center Manual
Outsourcing
Call centers have become increasingly popular as outsourcing has increased. In

outsourcing, a company contracts out some jobs to be handled by other companies.
Maintaining call center equipment and staffing can be expensive, so some
companies choose to outsource their telephone functions to an external call center.
In this case, external call center staff members can be trained to answer phone calls
on behalf of multiple companies.
Your role at the Call Center
Your task is to provide excellent service, help your customer and make sure
customers are satisfied with whatever service we provide. You will be the face of
your company, and the voice of the product you offer.
Paperwork
Certain paperwork is commonly requested in any job. As part of a Call Center, you
will be requested with some paperwork that might take some time to obtain. You will
have several weeks to prepare the appropriate paperwork and be ready when your
interview comes.
Have this paperwork ready and updated to avoid rushing into getting it right before
your interview and maybe delay it:
 DPI
 NIT Card
 Updated Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
 High School Diploma (Titulo de Diversificado / Cierre de Pensum)
 Police / Criminal Records
 Proof of Previous Employment
 Water, electricity or phone bill
 Picture (look at your company’s website of size)
Make sure you have at least two copies of each document (most Call Centers
usually ask only for copies of these documents). Additional documents may be
requested depending on the Call Center, have everything ready for the moment
you start training, that way, you avoid absences and tardiness issues.

Call Center Manual
What is Customer Service?

Exercise 1.
Watch the video and analyze what the problem there is.
Discuss in pairs for a few minutes and list the issues you consider this customer
service representative shows when taking calls.
Exercise 2.
Watch this video and analyze.
Exercise 3.
Good Customer Service vs. Bad Customer Service
Read the following common call center phrases. Analyze which phrases are good
customer service and which ones are bad customer service.
Yes? / Huh? What? I can´t hear you.
Wait a minute. Thank you. Have a nice day.
How many do you want? May I help you with anything else?
How do you wanna pay? Gimme your email.
How many would you like? May I have your email?
Okay, bye. What do you want?
How may I help you? How would you like to pay today?
How may I assist you? What else? / Is that it?
Just a moment, please. I´m afraid I couldn´t hear you well.
Providing good service is being successful in the sense of operating in the territory
of positive sentiment. There is where customer service representatives come in:
making sure that the mention of the brand triggers good feelings from a customer.
To some, good customer service is as simple as solving problems and offering

solutions in an expedient manner. To others it means overall pleasantness and
politeness from those who represent the frontlines of the company.

Call Center Manual
Others define it as when a company is willing to give their customers anything and
everything that they want - the customer is always right approach - no matter how
unreasonable some of those demands may be.
There isn't a right or wrong, because the factors of what makes customer service
“good” also depend heavily upon what specific things a particular customer may hold
valuable or their expectations from what industry competitors do.

Call Center Manual
12.Predicting Callers Needs

When customers call you, they are in need of something. It may be something very
important or less important. Whatever the situation, it is important the customer feels
understood.
A good listener understands the information, the feelings of the caller and is able to
predict the needs. This means you always need to anticipate the situation and have
solutions for the customer.
Some useful language for predicting the callers need is:
It sounds to me like you need to…
I wonder if it is possible to…
I don’t know for sure, but we could try…
It may be worth contacting…
How about we try…
Example
Caller: I have a flat tire and it is raining outside and I don’t have a spare one.
What he means is: He needs you to send roadside assistance.
What you can say is: It sounds to me like you really need some roadside
assistance. Could you provide me with your location please?
Exercise 1: Let’s analyze the following situation and try to understand what the
caller means.
1. I’m calling because I lost my wallet and I don’t have any money. I am with
my family on vacation and I don’t know what to do.
What does the caller mean?
What can you say?
2. It’s my sister’s birthday on Tuesday. I want to buy her a special gift. She
had surgery last week and she is a bit down.
What can you say?

Call Center Manual
3. I just bought a new cell phone and I can’t make calls. I have tried calling
and all it does is drop the call.
What can you say?
4. My car just broke down and my flight to Canada leaves in 45 minutes. I am

worried because I have an important meeting later on today.
What can you say?

Use the situations below to practice the phone conversation. Change the
information in bold to adapt to the situation.
Situations:
1. No electricity at home.
2. Phone service is down.
3. Credit card was declined.
4. Need to change flight reservations.
Agent: Thank you for calling Genesis. My name is _____________________,
may I please have your first and last name please?
Caller: Sure! _____________________________.
Agent: ______________________. Is that correct?
Agent: How may I help you?
Caller: I have a flat tire and it is raining and I don’t have a spare one.
Agent: It sounds to me like you really need some roadside assistance. No
problem, we can take care of that for you right away. Could you provide me with
your location please?
Caller: ______________________________.
Agent: ____________________________. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes.
Agent: Thank you for calling Genesis, have a nice day.

Call Center Manual
Exercise 2: Listen to the call and answer the following questions.

1. Does the customer have a coffee shop or does she want to open one?
a. The customer has a coffee shop.

b. She wants to open a coffee shop.
2. What will the agent email her?
a. a link
b. a template
c. an information letter
3. In how many days will the representative contact her?

a. 10 days
b. 6 days
c. 7 days
4. What is her last and first name?
a. Greene, Ashly
b. Green, Ashley
c. Green, Ashly
5. What is her email address?
a. ash.34@yahoo.com
b. ash34@yahoo.com
c. ash.3@yahoo.com
6. What is her mailing address?
a. 273 Tackport AV, Sheldon, Missouri, MO

b. 273 Rockport AV, Sheldon, Missouri, MO, 65109
c. 273 Rockport AV, Sheldon, Missouri, MO, 65020
7. Is there a website that has franchising information?

a. Yes
b. No
8. When did she open her coffee shop?

a. one year ago
b. two years ago
c. five years ago

Call Center Manual
13.Putting the customer on hold

Imagine calling the phone company because you are having problems with your
internet service and being put on hold over and over again. How would you feel?
Customers do not like being put on hold. When they are put on hold for a long period
of time, they feel uneasy and uncertain that their situation will be dealt with
effectively. Whenever you put a customer on hold, make sure to follow these steps:
1. Tell the customer you will put them on hold and for how long.
Example: Mr. Lou, I’m going to put you on hold for a couple of minutes
while I find a solution to your inconvenience.
2. If you take longer than expected, go back to the customer and let them
know you are working on the problem.
Example: Mr. Lou, are you able to hold? I am looking through your
account.
3. When you go back to the customer, thank them for waiting.

Example: Thank you for waiting Mr. Lou, I am glad to inform you that…
Exercise 1: What would you say?

1. Mr. Arriaza has been put on hold for 5 minutes but you need more time to
send the new configurations to his phone.
What would you say?
2. Mrs. Harrison credit card has been blocked for security reasons; you need
to get authorization from your supervisor to unblock it.
What would you say?
3. Ms. Boyd has been waiting for an answer and you finally have a solution for
her.
What would you say?

Call Center Manual

Use the situations below to practice the phone conversation. Change the
information in bold to adapt to the situation.
Situations:
1. Your email account doesn’t work.
2. Your phone is blocked.
3. The ATM didn’t return your debit card.
Agent: Thank you for calling Hwang Bank. My name is _______________. How
may I assist you today?
Caller: My credit card is not working. My transaction was just declined at
Orbit’s.
Agent: No problem, we can take care of that for you right away. For security
purposes I will ask you a set of questions:
 May I have your account number?
 Can I have your billing address?
Caller: Sure! My account number is ____________________ and my billing
address is ____________________.
Agent: ____________________________________________, is that correct?
Mr/Mrs Lizardo, I am going to put you on hold for a couple of minutes.
Caller: Sure, no problem.
Agent: I am checking your account, are you able to hold for a moment more?
Caller: Yes.
Agent: Mr/Mrs Lizardo, I am pleased to inform you that we have activated
your card again. You shouldn’t have a problem with it any longer. Is there
anything else I can do for you?
Caller: No, thanks.
Agent: It was a pleasure to assist you. Thank you for calling Hwang Bank. We
appreciate your business.
Exercise 2: Listen to the call and answer the following questions.

1. What is the caller inquiring about?
a. Colorin powder

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b. Coloxin powder
c. Colocen powder
2. How many cups a week will they use?

a. 1 – 2 cups
b. 1 – 3 cups
c. 2 – 3 cups
3. How many pounds might they need?

a. 30, 60, 80 pounds
b. 40, 60, 80 pounds
c. 60, 80, 100 pounds
4. How is in the product packaged?

a. In 12 ounce containers
b. In 20 ounce containers
c. In 50 ounce containers
5. What is the main idea of the call?

a. The customer needs to buy the medicine for a pet shop.
b. The customer needs to buy the medicine in 20 ounce containers.
c. The customer needs to buy the medicine in bulk.
6. What phrases does the agent use to put the caller on hold?
7. Will the customer buy the medicine from Petfix?

a. Yes
b. No

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14.Maintaining the conversation

When speaking to a customer, it is important that they know you are listening to
them. If you just nod your head or remain quiet, they might think you are not listening
to them or that you are incompetent. By using short responses such as uh and um,
or longer ones they will know you are paying attention to what they have to say. This
is known as back channeling.
You can use back channeling in the following situations:
 To let the caller know you are listening
Caller: I flushed my credit card down the toilet.
Agent: Oh!
 To respond to a specific statement

Caller: I was taking a shower and I fell. I twisted my ankle and now it is
swollen.
Agent: Oh no! Are you ok?
 To let the caller know you will continue listening and understand
Caller: My telephone just shut down and it didn’t turn on again.
Agent: Uh huh.
Caller: So I took out the battery.
 To repeat what the caller said

Caller: Can you give me a refund?
Agent: Can we give me a refund? Well,…
Exercise 1. What would you say?

1. I was driving down the street and I crashed into a taxicab.
2. I went to see the doctor and he told me I have a throat infection.
3. Can you send me another frequent flyer card?
4. So my daughter got married last week.
5. And I bought her this beautiful necklace.

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Instructions: Work in pairs and make up a conversation. Choose one of the
following topics: 1. The camera on your mobile is not working. 2. Your computer
doesn’t turn on.
Agent: Thank you for calling ___________. My name is ________________. How
may I assist you?
Caller: Explain the situation
Agent: Listen actively and use appropriate back channeling strategies.
Agent: It was my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for calling ____________.
We appreciate your business.
Exercise 2: Answer the following questions:

1. What is her phone number?
2. What is her name?
3. What is her password?
4. What numbers should she press to activate the caller id block?
5. What is her new number?
6. What steps must she follow to configure her phone?
1 Turn it off
2 __________________
3 Type number in
4 __________________
5 Tap add dialogue box
6 __________________
7 Tap MSI field
8 __________________
9 Say something
10 Tap ok
11 ____________________

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15.Taking ownership
Providing excellent service is a culture and a way of life within an organization.

During a call, you need to take ownership of the customer’s experience by engaging
them in a memorable and positive experience. Every time you take a call, be sure
to do the following.
1. Put yourself into the customer’s shoes both emotionally and physically.
2. See the point of contact with the customer as an opportunity to do more
than just a task.
3. Show passion for what you do.
Some ownership phrases are the following:
 It will be my pleasure to assist you with your concern.
 I can gladly help you.
 I can definitely assist you with that.
 I will do my best to find a solution to this inconvenience.
 We will immediately take action on this.
 I will keep you updated.
 I will take responsibility for that.
 Let me assure you that you are speaking to the right person.
 I will explain the process step by step.
Phrases to avoid when speaking with customers are the following:
1. We’re sorry, we can’t help you.
2. You should know../ You have to…
3. Did you hear what I said?
4. I don’t think you are listening to me.
5. Can I be honest with you?
6. Calm down!
Exercise 1. What would you say? Write and appropriate ownership phrase.
1. I lost my phone at the park. I am very worried they will run up my bill.
____________________________________________________________
2. My credit card expired last month and I haven’t gotten the new one.
____________________________________________________________
3. I don’t have electricity and it’s freezing in here.

____________________________________________________________

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4. My keyboard is not working properly. I am not able to send text messages.

____________________________________________________________
5. I have called in twice and no one seems to care about my problem.

____________________________________________________________
Now practice the situations in exercise 1.

Agent: Thank you for calling Vision. My name is _____________________, may I
please have your first and last name please?
Caller: Sure! _____________________________.
Agent: ______________________. Is that correct?
Agent: How may I assist you?
Caller: Explain Situation
Agent: Use Ownership phrases
Caller and Agent: Continue with call
Agent: We appreciate you doing business with us. We value you as a customer.
Have a nice day.
Exercise 2: Answer the following questions.

1. What is the loan number?
2. What is the customer’s name?
3. What are the last four digits of his social security number?
4. What is his home phone number?
5. What is his address?

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6. What is the customer´s problem?
7. How does the customer feel?
8. Do you consider the agent handled the call correctly? Why or why not?

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16.Showing Empathy & difusing anger

Agents need to acknowledge customer’s feelings. When they call in, they share their
concerns and feelings with you. By being empathetic, you are connecting with your
customer. Empathy plays a key role in customer service, therefore you need to listen
actively and say the right things.
When you are empathetic, you put yourself in the customer’s shoes and you let
them know that not only do you understand the situation but that you also know
how it makes them feel.
The expert agent:
Communicates sincerely: Says the right words and uses an appropriate tone of
voice.
Does not engage in personal opinions or experiences: Do not agree with the
caller or become involved with personal opinions. Acknowledge the customers
feeling, regardless of how you feel about the situation.
Listens closely: Listen to the facts and feelings throughout the call and address
both when you paraphrase.
Never stays quiet: Acknowledge their anger verbally.
Make realistic promises: Commit to what you can you do.
Watch what you say: Don’t ask the caller to remain calm or stop shouting.
Empathy phrases are:

 I understand why you would be so confused about this.
 I see why you would be frustrated about the inconvenience; I would feel the
same if I were you.
 I can see why you are upset regarding…
 I can completely understand. If that happened to me, I’d be really upset too.
 I am sorry you had such a terrible experience with…
 I can understand how frustrating it is when…
 I realize how complicated it is to…

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Let’s look at an example:
Caller: I am worried about running out of furnace oil, it is freezing and I have 3 young
children that may get cold. I have called three times and you never tell me what is
happening.
Agent: I can see why you are upset regarding the blackout. I realize how
complicated it is to have small children and not know what is happening.
Exercise 1. What would you say? (Answers will vary)
1. C: I paid my credit card on time and now you are charging me very high
interests. This makes me feel so upset. I don’t know why I pay you on time
if you don’t register it on your system.
A:__________________________________________________________
2. C: I ordered my dress last week and I paid for overnight shipping. I haven’t
gotten my order and my best friend’s wedding is tomorrow. I don’t know
what I going to do if I don’t get my package.
A:__________________________________________________________
3. C:I bought a camcorder yesterday because I wanted to film my daughter’s

graduation. In the middle of the ceremony, it shut off and the battery was
full. I wasn’t able to capture the moment. I am so frustrated.
A:___________________________________________________________
4. C:My internet service is down again. I have already called your company 5
times this week. I just don’t understand why you can’t provide me with a
good service.
A:___________________________________________________________
5. C:I have called in twice and no one seems to care about my problem. Are
you able to help me or not?
A:___________________________________________________________

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Agent: Thank you for calling Global Unlimited Services. My name is __________.
How may I assist you?
For security purposes, I will ask you a set of questions:
May I have your social security number?
Can I have your name as it appears on your account?
Caller: Explain Situation and feeling(s)

Agent: Identify reason of the call and acknowledge.
Caller and Agent: Continue with call
Thank you for calling Global Unlimited Services.
Exercise 2: Answer the following questions:

1. What is the return authorization number?
3. What is his phone number?
4. What accessories should the customer send with the camera?
5. What happened to the camera?
6. What phrases does the agent say that are inappropriate?
7. What does the agent suggest that the customer do before sending in the
camera for repair?
8.

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17.Avoiding statements that blame

When talking to customers avoid pointing fingers at them. It is better to take away
the doer of the action and focus on the situation. Customers may become
apprehensive and feel you are blaming them.
Example:
You didn’t pay your balance in full and this is the reason why your interest
charges were accumulated.
If you notice, you are implying the customer did not pay his balance in full.
Say the same thing in a different order:
The balance wasn’t paid in full and this is the reason why your interest charges
were accumulated.
NOTICE:
How the object becomes the subject and the verb is changed to passive voice.
was/weren’t + past participle
Exercise 1. How can you transmit your message better?
1. You didn’t make the payment before the due date.
____________________________________________________________
2. You didn’t pay for the promotion within the time frame.
____________________________________________________________
3. You didn’t update your address.
____________________________________________________________
4. You accumulated charges due to late payment.
____________________________________________________________
5. We didn’t process the request.
____________________________________________________________

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Agent: Thank you for calling Universal Wireless Services. My name is
__________. How may I assist you?
For security purposes, I will ask you a set of questions:
May I have your mobile number?
Can I have your billing address?
Caller: Explain Situation and feeling(s)

Agent: Identify reason of the call and acknowledge. Put caller on hold.
Caller and Agent: Continue with call. Make sure not to blame the caller.
Thank you for calling Universal Wireless Services.
Exercise 2: Listen to the conversation and evaluate the call. Mark “T” for true and
“F” false. Write down details to support your answers.
Agent Evaluation T F Supporting Facts

1. Agent was able to solve customer’s
problem.
2. Agent made customer feel comfortable
with information provided.
3. Agent communicated effectively.
4. Agent was polite at all times.
5. Agent seemed knowledgeable.
6. Agent showed empathy.
7. Agent was always understood by the
customer.

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18.Keeping instructions clear and

simple
Giving instructions or explanations over the phone can be difficult because you
cannot see the other person’s face or what they are doing.
The rules for giving clear instructions are the following:
1. Keep the language simple.
2. Tell them what you are going to do.
3. Check for understanding as you go along.
4. Summarize at the end to make sure they understood.
Example:
1 I’m going to guide you through the of steps to active the roaming
services on your phone.
2 I need you to go to settings and tap on more networks. Did a new
dialogue box open?
3 Now I want you to tap on mobile networks. Do you see where it says
data roaming?
4 Now tap on data roaming and a dialogue box will open. Is it showing?
5 Tap ok in the dialogue box.
6 We have now activated your roaming services.
Exercise 1. Over to you.

Practice giving instructions to each other. Follow the steps stated above. Sit back
to back with a partner and follow the instructions.
1. How to brush your teeth
2. How to take a picture with your mobile
3. How to make a cup of coffee
4. How to change the ringtone on your mobile

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Agent: Thank you for calling Fast Talk Mobile. My name is __________. May I
ask what number you are calling from?
Caller: _____________________________
Agent: Verify information. How may I assist you?
Caller: Ask for instructions on how to do something

Agent: Identify reason of the call and acknowledge. Guide caller through the
process. Use the steps listed above.
Agent: I appreciate you for letting me assist you. Thank you for preferring Fast Talk
Mobile.
Exercise 2. Listen to the conversation.

1. How does the customer feel when he doesn’t understand the agent?
2. What inconvenience does the customer have?
3. Do you consider the agent listened actively to the customer?
4. How long has the inconvenience been going on?
5. Is the agent polite? Does he demonstrate empathy during the call?
6. Do you consider the customer felt satisfied with the service? Why or why
not?

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19.Getting additional information

When you ask for additional information from a customer, you are probing. Doing
this will help you have all the details you need and understand the situation better.
Probing is an important skill to develop as an agent.
Let’s look at some examples:
1. I want to buy a new phone.
Probing questions: Do you want texting? And a camera? And Internet?
2. I bought a camera last week but it isn’t working.
Probing questions: Where did you buy it? And what is the exact date of
your purchase?
3. I lost my checkbook.
Probing questions: What was the amount of the last check you wrote out?
And when did you issue it?
As you can notice, all the questions above allow the agent to have more
information and help the customer better.
Exercise 1: Look at the situations below and come up with appropriate answers.
Situation 1:
The caller dropped his tablet and the screen shattered. He is very upset because
he just bought it on the weekend.
What probing questions could you ask him?
Situation 2:
Mrs. Cooper bought a blender and it doesn’t turn on. She has tried plugging it into
different outlets.
What probing questions could you ask her?
Situation 3:
Ms. Harper is going on vacation and needs to book a room for her and her sister.
What probing questions could you ask her?
Situation 4:
Larry is being charged a late fee on his credit card. He paid in full last month.
What probing questions would you ask him?

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Now practice the situations in exercise 1. Take turns and switch roles. Use all the
strategies you have seen throughout the course to carry out the call.
Exercise 2. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.

1. What is the customer’s number?
2. What is the customer’s email address?
4. What problem does the customer have?
5. Write down 5 steps the agent asks the caller to do.
6. How does the customer feel?
7. What is the attitude of the caller?

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20.Admitting mistakes
One day, you may give a customer the wrong information or mispronounce
something. For Americans, it is important that admit you are wrong or have made a
mistake and move forward to repair it.
Whenever you admit your mistake, make sure to sound sincere.
Let’s look at an example:
Caller: I need you to withdraw the money from my checking account to pay my
insurance plan.
Agent: Ok, so you would like us to withdraw money from your savings account.
Caller: No, I said I wanted you to withdraw the money from my checking account.
Agent: I’m sorry, I misunderstood what you said. We can definitely withdraw
the money from your checking account. I will notify our financial department to
update this information in our system.
Exercise 1: Practice admitting your mistakes.

Agent: You tell the customer there is an outstanding balance.
Caller: You paid your credit card in full yesterday.
Agent: You mispronounce the customer’s last name. You said Yun.
Caller: Your last name is Young.
Agent: You notify the customer the hotel reservation is for February 15.
Caller: You asked for a room for February 14.
Agent: You tell the customer the iPhone is ready to be picked-up at the repair
shop.
Caller: Your phone is a Samsung Galaxy.

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1. How many times has the insurance company called her this week?
2. Why did the customer call the insurance company?
3. What problem does the customer have?
4. Why is the caller upset?
5. The customer received a check for $________________.
6. Do you consider the agent was able to handle the call? What did she say to
keep the call under control? Why or why not?
7. Do you think the agent could have handled the call differently? Why or why
not?

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21.Sarcasm
Some angry customers will tell agents how they feel. Others may use sarcasm to
express their feelings. Sarcasm is used to you say the opposite of what you feel.
These remarks intend to make a cutting or hurtful remark. At times, it is difficult to
pick-up on this sarcasm but the most important thing is that you address it and not
ignore it or laugh at the customer or the situation.
Look at the example:
Agent: How are you doing today?
Caller: Wonderful! My phone isn’t working and I am traveling abroad.
Agent: I’m so sorry about that, it must be terrible to not have a working phone.
Some phrases to express you are sorry are the following:
I’m sorry…
I apologize…
I am deeply sorry…
Sorry about that…
I do apologize…
Please excuse me…
I’m so sorry…
Exercise 1: Practice responding to sarcasm. Write an appropriate response to

each situation.
1. The agent is not able to reprogram the internet service and offers to transfer
the call to IT. The customer says: I love being transferred, I have been
transferred to IT 5 times this week and my service still doesn’t work.
2. The agent is not able to increase the customer’s credit limit without the
authorization of the supervisor. He has put the customer on hold several
times during this call. The customer says: I love listening to Frank Sinatra. I
will dance to his music this time around.

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3. The customer listened to an automated machine and punched in the incorrect

selection to talk to an agent. When she is able to get through, the agent
explains that she has chosen the wrong department. The caller says: I love
automated machines. They definitely make life easier for us.
4. The customer needs to pay his hotel but his credit card has been declined.
He says: I couldn’t be better. My credit card has been declined again.

1. What is her account number?
3. What is the problem?
4. What does she need to do to fix the inconvenience?
5. How long does it take the change to take effect?
6. What is her case number?
7. What does the agent do to help her out at the end?

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22.The call flow

During this module, you learned important strategies you need to use when speaking
to a customer. Below you will find the call flow that you may be required to use at
your contact center. A call flow demonstrates the steps you should follow when
handling a call.
Opening
“Thank you for calling [company’s name]. My name is [your name]. How may I
assist you today?”
Verification
“For security purposes I will ask you a set of questions…”

 “May I please have your account number?”
 “Can I have your name as it appears on the credit card?”
Bonding
“So, how’s your day going so far?”

“I am truly sorry about your loss.”
Identify reason of the call / Acknowledge
“We truly apologize for the inconvenience that [paraphrase the exact issue] may
have caused you.”
“I will be more than glad to help you with your [paraphrase the issue/request]”
Probing questions
 “When did the signal go off?”

 “Since when have you been experiencing these issues?”
 “Have you tried [suggest an option]?”
Present and confirm solution
“What we need to do is [give instructions/explain the process in a detailed and

organized manner] because [mention the importance/consequences of this
process]”
Summarize
“After [paraphrase the process that was performed during the call]. Have I
been able to answer all your questions?”

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Provide additional information
“Remember that you can do this by logging into your account on

www.account.com”
Verbatim (If necessary)
*Remember that not all accounts have a verbatim (phrases that need to be
said/read word by word) and it also depends on the situation that the customer/agent
is facing.
Brand the call
“It was a pleasure to assist you. Thank you for calling [company’s name]. We
appreciate your business.”
Some bonding questions are:

 How are you doing today?
 How’s your day so far?
 Are ready for the weekend?
 How was your weekend?
 How’s the weather?
 Really, that sounds great!
 I’m glad to hear that!
 That’s great news!
Exercise 1: Practice the following situations using the call flow above.
Situation 1:
Customer: You need to change your travel arrangements. You lost your passport
walking down the street and now you have to wait a week to get a new one. Your
trip is in 3 days. You are concerned and worried.
Situation 2:
Customer: You have additional charges in your checking account and you have
not authorized the bank to make them. You are upset.

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Situation 3:
Customer: Your cable service is not working and your children are on vacation.
Your payments are up-to-date. You are overwhelmed.
Situation 4:
Customer: You just bought a new computer and you don’t know how to use the
new Microsoft Office Program. You have to give an important presentation
tomorrow and you don’t have much time to figure things out on your own.

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23.Interview Skills
Activity 1. Who would you hire? Watch the video and look at the different
applicants. Choose who you would hire and why. And also why you wouldn’t hire the
other applicants.
What do I need to do?
1. Do Your Research
At minimum, review the company’s website and Google its key players. Find out who
you’ll be interviewing with and learn something about them, such as when they were
last quoted in a publication or if they’ve recently received an award. Casually
reference the information during the interview and quote specifics, such as “I see the
company has expanded into several new markets over the past year.” You’ll project
the image of someone who is interested, does their homework, and pays attention
to details.
2. Brush up on Body Language

Be aware of what you're communicating through your posture and stance—and
make sure it’s good. For example, sitting with your arms and legs crossed sends a
message that you are closed-off or feel defensive. If you keep your hands in your
lap the entire interview, you could signal that you lack self-confidence. And twirling
your hair can make you look nervous or juvenile. Next, always stand up when
someone else comes into the room. Professionally, you lose respect and credibility
by staying seated—it sends a weak and powerless message. Think your movements
through ahead of time so you are not distracted (or distracting) during the interview.
3. Dress the Part

An interview may be the only shot you have to impress the decision-maker in person,
so make sure you’re dressed impeccably. It’s always better to overdress than
underdress, but do some sleuthing and find out what the corporate dress culture is
before you walk through the door. A dark suit (jacket and pants or skirt) and a crisp
white shirt, manicured nails, simple make-up, and clean, professional shoes will be
perfect in most cases. And definitely avoid dangling earrings, too much perfume, and
multiple, clanking bracelets.
4. Shake it Like You Mean It

No "fingers-only" handshakes, ladies! The proper, professional way to shake is using
the entire hand, extending your arm (first if possible) for a firm, but not overbearing
grip, while rolling the index finger around the bottom of the other person's hand. The
"fold" between your index finger and thumb should touch the other person’s. If this
doesn’t come naturally, practice with a friend before your interview.

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5. Smile
Yes, a job interview is a high-pressure situation, but freezing up and looking nervous
will lose you points in the few critical moments you have to shine. Smiling naturally
(without pursing your lips tightly together) will make you appear confident, friendly,
and approachable. Even if you're not feeling it, fake it. A smile conveys that you’re
someone who can get along with fellow employees, wow the boss, and impress the
clients.
6. Take the Water

If your interviewer offers you a glass of water, take it, even if you're not thirsty. This
little prop can help buy you time to formulate an answer to a difficult question or just
give you a moment to center yourself.
7. Know Your Faux Pas from Foie Gras

Hint: one is a mistake, and the other is a delicacy made from the fattened liver of a
duck or goose! Some interviews (usually second or third) are conducted over a meal,
so being familiar with proper table manners is imperative to your interview
success. Here’s why: the recruiter will be watching to see how you’ll conduct yourself
at a meal with clients, how you handle accidents, and how you treat the wait staff.
8. Ask Questions
Keep in mind that the job interview is a two-way street. It's an opportunity for you to
sell yourself to the company, but also to learn more about the workplace to see if the
position and environment are a good fit for you. Go in with a few questions, such as
details about the type of work that the position entails, the corporate culture, and the
typical career path of someone who holds the position. And don’t be scared to speak
up: not asking questions can signal that you’re uninformed or uninterested.
9. Eye contact
Most interviewers will request you to speak a bit about yourself. What can be easier
than talking about what you know, what you´re interested and who you are. When
doing this, make sure you are not looking away in the middle of the sentence or
thought you are expressing. Hold eye contact until the end of it.
You don’t want to make the interview become an odd situation for the interviewer or
yourself, so you can definitely blink and take small breaks. Some things you should
try to avoid are: Drawing your eyes up towards the ceiling as if the answers to every
question are there; shifty eyes moving back and forth, it makes you look very
nervous; or constantly rolling your eyes or up and down.
When your eyes need to relax, you can look down in a steady and reflective way and
then go back to eye contact. Don’t stare.

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10. Voice quality
It is important to know how you sound. Does your voice project confidence? What is
your tone? Could your voice etch glass? Is your tone warm?
Younger people tend to speak more quickly; their pace is sometimes too quick. By
lowering the tone of voice, it adds more meaning to your voice. A lower tone makes
what you´re talking about sound more important.
Always enunciate when you speak; mumbling and stuttering makes your interviewer
struggle to understand and avoid trying to.
11. Sitting posture
When being kids, we are told to have good posture and sit straight. This same rule
applies to job interviews. Sit straight and drop your shoulders back. This will give you
nice presence, instead of making you look stiff and uncomfortable.
You can tilt forward a little bit from the waist; it is an interactive posture which signals
that you are engaged, interested in what the interviewer has to say; and it is
conversational.
The day of your interview at a Call Center, be prepared for the following Steps:
1. For an English Test:
Remember that you are going to a Bilingual Call Center. Be prepared for an
English Test, whether this is written, oral or through a computer.
2. For a possibly long process at the Recruitment Area:
Schedule your whole day for this so you have enough time to patiently go
through the process. The recruitment process usually takes between 3 – 5
hours.
Remember that, like you, many other applicants might be there. Enjoy the
process, make new friends, eat well, take a snack and rock your interview.
3. To fill out a Form with your information:
Even if you show up with all the necessary paperwork, Call Centers will
require you to fill out some forms for them to know about yourself.
Fill them with legible handwriting and be honest about your information.

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4. To perform a Typing Test:
Working as a Customer Service Representative, you will need to type

information very quickly. Most of the Call Centers will ask you to be able to
type at approximately 40 wpm.
Make sure you polish your Typing Skills timely enough to obtain the
necessary score at the Call Center of your choice. You can use one of the
following sites to practice on a daily basis:
 http://www.typingtest.com/
 http://10fastfingers.com/typing-test/spanish
 http://typing-speed-test.aoeu.eu/
5. To perform a Computer Test:
As a Customer Service Representative, you will be using a computer to look

for information, enter data, or do any process. Some Call Centers will request
you to perform a quick Computer Skills Test.
If technology and you are not best friends yet, it is time for you to start. You
can practice your Computer Skills and add some exercises or courses to
your agenda. This will ensure an easy pass through your Hiring Process.
A suggestion for you to improve your skills is the following site:
http://www.ppl-inc.org/the-hub/computer/practice-computer-skills/
It has free tutorials, mouse exercises and much more.
6. For interviews with different people at the Call Center:
Take into account that more than one person will decide whether you are fit
for their Call Center. If you have different interviews, each interviewer will be
evaluating different areas. Make sure you show your best and give the same
answers to all of them.
Keep in mind that every interviewer has a say in your hiring process.

Call Center Manual
7. To have a Drug / Alcohol Test.
In some Contact Centers, you might be required to provide a sample for Drug
Testing or an Alcohol Test. This may directly affect your hiring process and
stay in the company.
Workplace drug screening is primarily limited to drugs with the potential for
abuse, including some prescription drugs, and alcohol.
Many variables may affect the amount of time that a drug remains detectable
in the urine or other biological samples, including a drug's half-life, the
subject's state of hydration and fluid balance, frequency of use, route of
administration, cut-off concentration used by the testing lab to detect the drug,
and many other variables. Each person and circumstance is different, and the
best way to avoid detection of an abusable drug is to not use the drug.
Many drugs stay in the system from 2 to 4 days, although chronic use of
marijuana can stay in the system for 3 to 4 weeks or even longer after the last
use.
For extra help, there are websites that can help you know a bit more about
the topic:
https://www.drugs.com/article/drug-testing.html
8. Medical Checklist
In some Call Centers, you might be required to discuss your medical history.
Be honest when answering every question about your medical history; some
Call Centers offer great medical benefits, but you have to express any special
needs in regards to Placement, Facilities, Environment and so. This way, you
and your employer can make sure you are in your ideal work environment.
9. Schedule Flexibility
Call Centers offer a wide variety of schedules. From morning shifts, afternoon
shifts, night shifts, to even graveyard shifts and middle shifts.
You might be offered a part time schedule or a full time schedule. Part time
schedules can go anywhere from 6 – 8 hours a day; and full time schedules
may be in between 8 – 10 hours a day depending on the Contact Center.

Call Center Manual
Every Call Center has a different line of business; this means that their
schedule availability will depend on their accounts’ needs. Remember that
your needs and the Call Centers’ needs may be different, so the schedules
you will be offered will be the ones they have.
Show that you are flexible about the amount of hours and the shifts they offer
you. But, keep in mind that you may also have other activities scheduled, such
as studies, family, or just think about transportation from your workplace to
whatever place you are heading and vice versa.
Most likely, Call Centers won’t have your ideal schedule available, so listen
to your options and try to balance your needs with what they offer, to make
sure you will be able to fulfill all your tasks successfully.
10. Outfit
Call Centers are not known for being the most fashionable places. They do
not require you to wear a suit or gown. The expectation at a Call Center is
for you to dress appropriately but also something that shows your outgoing
personality. A semiformal outfit will look great and yet make you look serious
enough to get a job.
Take these examples as a reference and create your own outfit. Stay away
from:
 ripped jeans
 shorts
 short skirts / dresses
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 showing too much cleavage

 dirty sneakers
 slippers
 pajamas
 flashy prints (animal print, crazy colors)
 wrinkled clothes
 non fitting clothes
 excessive accessories
 flashy nails
 excessive makeup
 jerseys
 t-shirts
 overwhelming scents (food, cologne, perfume, sweat)
 flip flops
 visible underwear (bra, bra straps, briefs, boxers)
 pants that are too low-rise or too tight.
 Blouses that are too low-cut or too short - don't show your cleavage
or your belly.
Investing in a nice job interview outfit will help you enhance your chances of
obtaining your dream job. Dress for success and aim towards who you want
to become instead of wearing something inadequate and untidy.
Interview questions
When we go through an interview, interviewers make several questions that seem
to be odd or very common. Every question an interviewer asks, has a very specific
purpose and it matches the company’s needs.
There are several questions that you’re pretty much guaranteed to be asked during
an interview: “Why do you want to work for this company?” “What are your strengths
and weaknesses?” and “Where do you see yourself in five years?”—to name a few.
So be prepared with insightful answers for these classics, plus be familiar with other
interview questions typically asked in your field, too. Practice looking in the mirror
and answering the questions out loud. This prep work will help you clarify your
thoughts and make you much more comfortable during the interview.
When you are asked those questions, make sure your answers are honest but at
the same time, make sure you give them what they want to hear.
These are some of the most common questions asked in a job interview:
1. Are you the best person for this job? Why?

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Model answer: I definitely consider I am. I understand the business very well
and understand the needs and the role I play in the success of the company.
Plus, I will try my best to learn and deliver what is expected.
What the interviewer is looking for: That you are confident and aware of
your knowledge or lack of it. That you are willing to learn and give your best
and that you will meet the expectations of this position.
2. Are you overqualified for this job?
Model answer: I wouldn’t like to say that I am over or under qualified for this
position. I just consider that I can deliver what is expected and even more.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see is you are confident about your
capabilities, but humble and willing to learn more.
3. Describe a difficult experience at work and how you handled it.
Model answer: Once I had a difficult situation with a customer. He was

extremely upset and did not want to listen to me. He was yelling and
complaining, but I kept calm and soothed the customer. I was able to solve
his issue and he was so happy that he congratulated me on my great job.
What the interviewer is looking for: That you are able to deal with difficult
situations and customers. That you can handle the worst and take the best
out of it.
4. Describe yourself.
Model answer: I am a hardworking person. I tend to be very patient and enjoy

working together with a team. I am a fast learner and try to apply my
knowledge in everything I do. I have great people skills and many other skills
that will help me perform my job well.
What the interviewer is looking for: The interviewer is looking for you to
describe your abilities and your strengths. Since this is a job interview, try to
focus on great assets that will help you in your work experience.
5. Describe your best boss and your worst boss.

Call Center Manual
Model answer: I couldn’t say I have had a best and a worst boss. I have
learned many great things about them and have been able to compare and
grab best practices.
What the interviewer is looking for: The interviewer wants to see how loyal
you would be if you were to leave that company. The interviewer wants you
to be able to overcome good or bad feelings toward previous employers and
how well you can maintain a professional stand when it comes to talking about
your company.
6. Describe your career goals.
Model answer: Right now, I would like to grow professionally in a steady

company such as yours. Of course, we all start somewhere, but I expect to
create a career here.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see if that company can count on
you for a long time and how likely you are to leave the place in a short period
of time. Try to avoid mentioning that you would like to stay for a specific -and
more if it is short- period of time in that company.
7. Describe your work style.
Model answer: I am a team player. I like supporting my coworkers and every

member who depends on me. I like things being well done and giving my best
to make that a reality.
What the interviewer is looking for: Is to see how good you are to work with
more coworkers and depending on someone else’s work. To check if your
workstyle is timely, accurate and ideal.
8. Do you prefer to work alone or on a team?
Model answer: I consider that there are some moments in which you need
to work by yourself and some other moments in which you need to be part of
a team. I consider myself good with both of them.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see if you could work with more
members in the company and how dependent you are of someone else’s
tasks if you were to work alone.
9. Do you take work home with you?

Call Center Manual
This is a tricky question; be ready. Employers ask this question for a variety
of reasons. They might want to know that you are organized and can do all of
your work in the allotted time. They also might want to make sure you maintain
a decent work-life balance (which many employers believe will ultimately
make you a happier, and thus better, employee).
However, some employers want to assess just how dedicated to the job you
will be.
10. Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
Model answer: No, I haven’t. I am always eager to receive feedback and

guidance. I have never had issues with authority and wouldn’t like to.
What interviewers look for: To see if you are receptive and respect
authority.
11. How do you handle pressure / stress?
The interviewer does not want to hear that you never get stressed; after all,
everyone feels stress at one time or another at work. Instead, the employer
wants to see if you know how pressure affects you, and how you manage it.
To answer this question successfully, you want to provide specific examples

of how you have handled stress well in the past.
12. How long do you expect to work for this company?
Model answer: I haven’t really put too much though into it. If I could, I would
love to build a career path here. Learn and grow in this company. I think I
expect to work for this company for as long as you give me the opportunity to
do so.
What the interviewer is looking for: He wants to see how stable you are
and to see if they are able to count on you for a long time. The interviewer
wants to see that you have ambitions within the company and that you don’t
want to stay in the same place forever. Even if that is not your real goal, show
them that you want growth and they can rely on you for many years.
13. How much do you expect to get paid?
For this question, the best answer is not to provide an answer. If the salary is
a matter of public record, you can mention that you agree with that salary. If
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you are not quite sure, don’t provide an answer. Instead, throw a question
back: How much are you offering for this position?
14. Is there a type of work environment you prefer?
Model answer: I don’t really have a preferred work environment. I look for a
place in which I can trust my coworkers and they can trust me; a respectful
and warm place. I can adapt to any environment as long as values are there.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see how well you adapt to different
environments and different people. In the call center industry, changes are
constant and your employers need to be able to see how dynamic and open
to changes you are. Avoid mentioning that you dislike repetitive and sitting-
down type of jobs; a call center is not the most active job; therefore, the
interviewer might believe that you will not be fit for this industry.
15. Tell me why you want to work here.
Model answer: Because I have heard many great things about your
company. How well you treat your employees and how much you care about
them. I am sure I will love the environment you have created and I will be able
to grow with your company.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see if you know the company, what
you know about the company and how eager you are to work with them. He
wants to see also if they were your first option or if you are looking at other
options as well.
16. What are your goals for the future?
Employers want to be sure that you won't be moving on to another job right
away. New hires are expensive to bring on board and expensive to train.
This question is also a good way for them to determine if your career goals
are a good fit for the company.
17. What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
Model answer: Well, I liked many things about my previous job. I mostly liked
how much I learned and how much I was able to grow. I learned many things
the good experiences as well as with the hardest experiences.

Call Center Manual
When you're asked what you didn't like about your previous job, try not to be
too negative. You don't want the interviewer to think that you'll speak
negatively about this job or the company when you're ready to move on if you
get the position.
18. What is your greatest strength?
Model answer: I pride myself on my customer service skills and my ability to

resolve what could be difficult situations. I am also a very punctual and
responsible person.
What the interviewer is looking for: Are all the skills related to the position
you are pursuing. Try to be humble, too. But express all the skills and values
you have that will help you develop greatly in that position.
19. What is your greatest weakness?
Model answer: Well, as a human being, I of course have some areas or

opportunity, but I have been working on them. For example, since I was a
child, I was always late for school and any family reunion and I knew that not
being punctual could affect me in the future, so I always prepare myself a few
hours before any appointment so I can make sure I am always on time. It’s
just a matter of being consistent and knowing your weaknesses to work on
them.
The interviewer is looking for: Dangers and threats that might affect you in
your new position. Even though the question is about weaknesses, your
answer should always be framed around positive aspects of your skills and
abilities as an employee. Try to turn the negative into positive.
20. Why do you want this job?
Model answer: Well, simply because I want to be part of a good company. I

want to be part of this business as it grows and also grow in it myself.
Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects
of the company and position that appeal to you. Even if it's true, do not
mention salary, hours, or commute as the primary reasons you want the job.
21. Why did you quit your job?
Model answer: I resigned to focus on finding a job that is closer to home and
will use my skills and experience in a different capacity.
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What the interviewer is looking for: Honesty and also what terms you left
your previous company on. The interviewer wants to see how capable you
are to not leave the company in bad terms.
22. Why were you fired?
Model answer: After thinking about why I left, I realize I should have done
some things differently. That job was a learning experience and I think I'm
wiser now. I'd like the chance to prove that to you.
The best strategy is to keep your answer short and to the point. There is no
need to give a lengthy explanation or too many details of what transpired. It's
better to state the reason, then try to move the conversation forward to
another topic.
You'll need to tailor your response to fit your circumstances and how your
termination was handled. Also, if you're tempted to give a different reason
than being fired for leaving your job, know that your former employer may
disclose the reason for your termination during a reference check.
23. What do you know about this company?
Model answer: Well, I know that what you do is provide excellent customer
service and assist your clients. I have done some research and I encounter
fascinating that you have so many employees and you are growing so much.
What the interviewer is looking for: To make sure you are really interested
in the position and know what you’re getting yourself into. The interviewer
wants to know if you know what the company really does and how they do
things. Make sure you prepare yourself with at least some basic information
about the company.
24. Have you worked at a call center before?
Model answer: Well, I haven’t. However, I worked in retail and was able to
provide my customers with the best service. They were always very happy,
and I have been preparing for this for a long time already. I know with the
proper training I will do great.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see how prepared you are for this
industry and how your experience has been. The interviewer wants to see
that you are able to catch up with the requirements or see if your experience
is meaningful in their business.
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Relate any experience you have, with a call center requirement.
25. Do you have experience with customer service / tech support / sales?
Model answer: Not yet. But, I have been learning and practicing a lot. At the
end, I consider we apply customer service in everyday activities, which is key
in a call center. I think I can work on it very well.
What the interviewer is looking for: To see if you have experience in

whatever skills they need for their company. And, if you don’t, if you show
willingness to learn what is required.
When it comes to interviewing, practice makes perfect, and knowing the rules ahead
of time is a great start. So be prepared, be confident, be yourself, and you’ll shine.
Good luck!

Call Center Manual
Activities to practice:
Activity 1: Make pairs and interview each other. Prepare 5 questions and ask them,
then provide feedback in the following way.
1. Your answer to question No. 3 was really good because________.

2. You could work on the answer to question No. 5 because_______.
Activity 2.
Needs to
Hired Not hired Comments
improve
Posture /
Gestures
Fluency
English
Voice
Projection
Attitude /
Energy
Activity 2. Look at the video and evaluate the girl at the interview. Discuss which
areas of opportunity this girl had and which her strong areas are.
Types of Interviewers
1. Your best friend
What to expect: Too much of everything.
You walk in the door and the handshake is a little too enthusiastic. The smile is too
wide. The conversation is too personal. It's all just too much.
This interviewer treats you like a best friend, which is nice, but this style is unnerving
because you want to be relaxed without forgetting that you are still on an interview.

Call Center Manual
What to do: Take this approach as a cue that you can be a little less rigid in the
interview because the best friend doesn't want an uptight employee.
Just remind yourself that the interviewer can be more casual than you because he
isn't the one being interviewed for the job.
Show the interviewer that you're relaxed, but stay professional and don't act like
you're actually good friends -- stories about wild parties and your personal life don't
belong in the conversation.
Most of the interviewers in a call center might seem like this type, but remember: be
calm but be professional.
2. The interrogator
What to expect: Question after question after question.
The interrogator doesn't come to the interview ready for conversation. He has a list
of questions to fire off and you had better be ready to answer them.
Don't expect to receive a lot of helpful feedback to gauge how you're doing. Just
expect more questions.
What to do: Watch episodes of "Law & Order" to prepare.
You're going to feel defensive the entire time and might walk away from the interview
feeling as if you did something wrong. Once you realize that your interviewer is going
to hit you with many questions, just focus on answering them and don't obsess over
reading his reaction.
You can try to initiate conversation with a few of your answers, but don't be surprised
if those efforts fail. This interviewer wants to hear your answers and see how you
handle yourself, so staying calm is the best approach you can take.
3. The one who has better things to do
What to expect: An interviewer checking her e-mail, looking at you but not paying
any attention to what you say.
Some people are forced to participate in the interview process even if they have no
interest in doing it, so don't take it personally.

Call Center Manual
What to do: Answer the questions and be friendly.
Try to hold conversations with this distracted interviewer and hope you can win her
over -- hey, it can't hurt to have someone who likes you. But this interviewer either
made up her mind before she walked into the room or doesn't intend to give much
feedback about you, so do your best but don't take her disinterest personally.
4. The inappropriate one
What to expect: Cold sweats because you don't know what to do or say.
Every once in a while you will encounter an interviewer who doesn't understand
limits. You might hear an inappropriate joke, a personal story that should be reserved
for a therapist or a question that delves too deeply into your life.
This interviewer probably isn't trying to be inappropriate; he just has no concept of

boundaries.
What to do: Stay in your comfort zone.
Just because this interviewer is ready to cry on your shoulder, don't feel pressured
into doing the same. Answer what you want to answer and try to steer the
conversation back to pertinent topics, such as the job requirements or your
qualifications.
The interviewer probably won't realize how off track he is and will follow your lead.
Of course, if you think the questions cross a line, then you should try switching the
topic or express how uncomfortable you feel.
5. The rule follower
What to expect: Every interviewing tip you've ever been told.
Just like some students never imagine skipping a day of school or not doing
homework, some interviewers can't imagine going outside of traditional business
interviewing protocol.
Boring questions and a stoic demeanor are this interviewer's best friend.
What to do: Be the best interviewee you can be.
Do you know what your biggest weakness is? Do you know how to give the perfect
handshake? Do you plan on wearing a conservative shirt under your jacket? You
had better, because these by-the-book practices will earn you high marks.

Call Center Manual
6. The joker
What to expect: A comedy routine.
Some interviewers have such a good sense of humor that they can't shut it off even
when they need to. You'll answer a question and you'll receive a sarcastic comment
or a funny joke. This approach isn't bad, but it can confuse you because you're not
sure if the interview has even begun.
What to do: After a few minutes, you'll realize that your interviewer is a joker.
If this personality bugs you, you probably won't like working for the company. If it
doesn't bother you too much, then try to play along.
Joke back and show that you have a personality. For some interviewers, your
résumé proved your qualification; the interview is their chance to see if you fit in with
the gang.
7. The weirdo
What to expect: Strange behavior.
We all know odd people, but we often forget that these odd people hold day jobs.
And some of them are bosses or hiring managers who conduct interviews.
Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised when we're interviewed by a peculiar person

who has macaroni art hanging in her office or who asks, "Who is your favorite
member of the A-Team?"
What to do: Just go with it.
Unless the weird factor transitions into creepy or offensive, you should just answer
the questions and ignore oddities.
If the questions and rapport are professional, but the interviewer is working on her
origami, stay focused on the interview. She probably has no idea she's doing
anything strange and is paying attention to you.
8. The no-nonsense one
What to expect: Tough love.
This interviewer doesn't believe in sparing your feelings. He's honest and will waste
neither his nor your time.

Call Center Manual
What to do: Brace yourself.
This interviewer will say that he's not sure you're qualified or that he fears you won't
fit in with everyone. Prove him wrong with evidence that you are perfect for the job.
He won't respect someone who cowers, so be just as firm with him.
9. The blank slate
What to expect: No feedback.
The blank slate is an interviewer whose face remains unchanged for the duration of
the meeting. You won't see any hint that the interview is going well or badly.
What to do: Don't try to break the interviewer's façade.
If you spend the interview looking for clues that you said the right or wrong thing,
you'll be miserable.
Answer the questions, be yourself and stay composed. Your instinct will be to think
that you're bombing, but you never know with the blank slate, so don't let yourself
analyze the situation too much.
10. The mafia
What to expect: An intimidating group.
Every group interview is an ordeal. The interviewers might be lovely, horrible or a

mix, but you still have several sets of eyes staring at you.
What to do: Try to relax.
That seems like impossible advice, but it's the best approach. When you have
multiple interviewers, you will see several types of interviewers, so you can't try to
please everyone.
Try to be yourself and find the interviewers that seem the most responsive to you.
When you see someone nodding in agreement or maintaining eye contact, you'll feel
more at ease and the nerves will begin to disappear.
Activity 3. Practice for your own interviews. Use the previous ones. Switch pairs
and go deep into character. This will prepare you to be ready for very different
interviewer types.

Call Center Manual
Mock Calls
1. Apartment Complex
Link for the first 7 calls: http://www.specialtyansweringservice.net/listen-call-center-sample-calls-
examples-typical-call-flows/
Key vocabulary:
ceiling page maintenance man call back number drip leak
Agent: Good evening, Valley View apartments.

Customer: Hi, there’s a leak coming through my kitchen ceiling.
Agent: Oh, ok! Let me page our maintenance man. Um, may I have
your first name, please?
Customer: Sure, it’s Paul.
Agent: And your last name?
Customer: Grover, G-R-O-V-E-R.
Agent: Ok and your apartment number?
Customer: E-107
Agent: That’s E-107?
Customer: Yes.
Agent: Ok and a call back number.
Customer: (601)265-1714
Agent: And you said there is a leak coming through your kitchen
ceiling?
Customer: Yes, it’s a little bit more than a drip so if you can get someone
here as soon as possible.
Agent: No problem. I will page him right away and you’ll be hearing
from him shortly.
Customer: Thank you very much.
Agent: Your welcome, bye bye.
Customer: Bye.

Call Center Manual
2. E-commerce store
Key vocabulary:
scarf shipped item number darker Brighter
zip code in stock close by exchange make-up
Agent: Parker’s Scarfs, how may I help you?

Customer: I bought a scarf online for my wife and it turns out that they shipped the
wrong color.
Agent: Oh! I am so sorry sir.
Customer: I got it for her birthday which is tonight and now I am not 100% what I
need to do.
Agent: Ok, let me see if I can help you. Do you have the item number of the
Parker Scarf?
Customer: Um, I don’t think so. Uh, it is called a New Yorker, I think.
Agent: Uh, excellent ok. What color did you want the New Yorker in?
Customer: Blue. The one they shipped was light blue I wanted the darker one.
Agent: Did you want navy blue or royal blue?
Customer: What’s the difference there?
Agent: Uhm, the royal blue is a bit brighter.
Customer: That’s the one I want.
Agent: Ok, what zip code are you located in?
Customer: 19406
Agent: Ah, it appears that we do not, uh, I’m sorry that we do have that item in
stock at Karen’s Boutique at the Hunter Mall. Is that close by?
Customer: It is, it’s right by my office.
Agent: Ok, what is your name sir?
Customer: Charlie Johnson.
Agent: Charlie Johnson. Is that J-O-H-N-S-O-N?
Customer: Yes, maám.
Agent: Mr. Johnson do you have the Parker Scarf in light blue with you now?
Customer: I do, they shipped it to my office, it just came in not that long ago.
Agent: What I will do is make arrangements with Karen´s Boutique for you to
exchange the Parker Scarf at no additional cost. And in addition, I was
able to look up your order in our system and I am going to send out a
special gift to you to make up for the inconvenience.
Customer: Oh, excellent. Thank you so much.
Agent: You’re welcome and thank for calling Parker’s Scarfs and I hope your
wife enjoys her birthday gift.
Customer: Uh, thank you, thank you very much.
Agent: You’re very welcome.

Call Center Manual
3. Recall
Key vocabulary:
appliances purchase blender recall model
blades prepaid business days
shipping label
Agent: Stockton Appliances, this is Alex, how can I help you?

Customer: Hi, I recently purchased a blender from you guys and I just got an email
saying that there is a recall on the model because one of the blades are
defective. So I want to return it and get a different model.
Agent: Yes sir, I can definitely help you with that. What is your first and last
name?
Customer: Steve Simmons
Agent: Ok, can you spell that for me?
Customer: S-T-E-V-E , last name is Simmons S-I-M-M-O-N-S.
Agent: Ok, I have Steve, S-T-E-V-E, Simmons, S-I-M-M-O-N-S.
Customer: Correct.
Agent: Ok, can I also have your email address?
Customer: Sure, it’s stevesimmons, just like it is spelled, @gmail.com
Agent: Ok, I have stevesimmons, s-t-e-v-e-s-i-m-m-o-n-s@gmail.com
Customer: Yes!
Agent: Ok, great, I have located you in our system and you purchased the
model number 23087, which has been recalled. I am going to email you
a prepaid shipping label to send back the recalled blender and we will
be mailing you our latest model.
Customer: Oh, Thank you very much.
Agent:: No problem Mr. Simmons. Can I just have your mailing address?
Customer: Sure, 800 North Henderson Road. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and the
zip is 19406
Agent:: Ok, I have 800 North Henderson Road. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania,
19406
Customer: Correct and could you tell me how long it is going to take to get the new
blender?
Agent:: Sure, you can expect your new blender to arrive in about 4 – 6 business
days.
Customer: Oh, great! Thank you very much.
Agent:: No problem, is there anything else I can help you with today?
Customer: No, that is all I needed but thank you.
Agent:: Thank you, have a nice day.
Customer: You too! Bye bye.
Agent:: Bye.

Call Center Manual
4. Limousine
Key vocabulary
pick-up time location settled senior prom town
whereabouts momentarily
Agent: Reese’s Limousine, this is Gina, may I help?

Customer: Yes, hi, I am waiting for my limo to show up, it’s about 30 minutes late already.
Agent: Oh, I´m so sorry about that. If you can give me, the pick-up time and location
we can get this settled for you.
Customer: My daughter is going to her senior prom, and they are already half an hour
late and I need to speak to someone.
Agent: I totally understand and we are truly sorry. I’ll have someone there as soon as
possible. What time was the pick-up?
Customer: 6 o’clock
Agent: Ok and the location?
Customer: 800 North Henderson Road.
Agent: 800 North Henderson Road?
Customer: Yes.
Agent: And the town and zip code, please?
Customer: King of Prussia, 19406
Agent: That’s King of Prussia, 19406?
Customer: Yes.
Agent: Ok and am I speaking with Ron?
Customer: Yes.
Agent: Ok, if you don’t mind staying on the line for just a moment, Drake is scheduled
as your driver. I am going to give him a call and I’ll find out his whereabouts.
Customer: Ok, this better not take long!
Agent: Just a minute please… Hello, Mr. Mendres?
Customer: Yes?
Agent: I spoke with Drake and he will be there in 5 minutes.
Customer: He was supposed to be half an hour ago. If he doesn’t show-up in five
minutes… oh my goodness.
Agent: He was stuck in traffic, but he is now on First Ave. on King of Prussia and will
be there momentarily.
Customer: All right.
Agent: Oh, I am so sorry about the delay.
Customer: Thanks for your help.
Agent: You’re welcome. Good-bye
Customer: Bye bye.

Call Center Manual
5. Plumbers
Key vocabulary
plumber sewer drain get a hold cost quote

backup flood garbage disposal patch
Agent: ABC Plumbing and Heating. This is Betty.

Customer: Hi Betty. I am having problems with my sewer drain.
Agent: Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that sir. Would you like me to get a
hold of the plumber for you?
Customer: Do you know how this is going to cost?
Agent: Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to quote prices but I can get
ahold of some who would be able to give you a better idea.
Customer: I’m getting a backup flood in the entire house.
Agent: Are you a client of ABC?
Customer: I did use them before to put in my garbage disposal but
nothing major like this.
Agent: Ok. Let me get name and number and I can patch you right
through to the plumber. Your name sir.
Customer: Mike Barry.
Agent: Would you spell your last name for me please?
Customer: B-A-R-R-Y
Agent: Ok, and your call back number?
Customer: (610) 265 1714
Agent: That’s (610) 265 1714?
Customer: Yes, will he call me right back?
Agent: Actually, Mr. Barry, I’m going to call him right now and patch
you directly through to the plumber. Could you stay on the
line for one moment?
Customer: Sure, awesome, thank you.
Agent: Ok, hold on.

Call Center Manual
6. Property Management
Key vocabulary:
complain neighbors newborn landlord Straighten out
Agent: Good evening, Kingston’s Apartments. This is Alex, how may I

help?
Customer: Hey yeah, I am in apartment 104 on the first floor. I am calling to
complain about my neighbors.
Agent: Ok, what seems to be the problem sir?
Customer: It’s more, I just put my newborn baby to sleep and they are being
loud again. I brought this to their attention several times but they
never, you know, never stop.
Agent: Ok, I’m very sorry about that. Just let me take down your contact
information and I’ll contact the landlord right away to get this all
straighten out.
Customer: Ok, my name is Jeff Matthews.
Agent: Ok Mr. Matthews, can you spell that for me?
Customer: My first name is Jeff, J-E-F-F. Last name is Matthews, M-A-T-T-H-E-
W-S.
Agent: Ok, Mr. Mathews. Call I have the best number you can be reached
at and also your apartment number again.
Customer: Sure, it’s (610) 265-1714 and I am in apartment 104 on the first
floor.
Agent: Ok, I have (610) 265-1714 and apartment 104.
Customer: Yes.
Agent: Alright Mr. Matthews I going to pass this information onto the
landlord right away and he will be contacting you shortly. Is there
anything else I can help you with today?
Customer: No, that’s all thank you.
Agent: Thank you very much, have a great night.

Call Center Manual
7. Security System Monitoring

Key vocabulary:
security installed discuss
Customer: Good afternoon, Mountain Security Services.

Agent: Oh, hi, I’m calling about getting an estimate on having a system
installed in my house.
Customer: Let me get your information and I´ll have a security specialists give
you a call and discuss your needs.
Agent: First, could I have your name sir?
Customer: It’s Brad Fagen.
Agent: Could you spell the last name, please?
Customer: F-A-G-E-N
Agent: And a number where you can be reached Brad.
Customer: (610) 265-1715
Agent: And could I get the address of where you would like the system
installed?
Customer: Sure, it’s 800 North Henderson Road in King of Prussia.
Agent: That’s Henderson – H-E-N-D-E-R-S-O-N?
Customer: Yes.
Agent: Yes. And would you spell the name of the city, please?
Customer: Sure, King, K-I-N-G, of, Prussia, P-R-U-S-S-I-A
Agent: And your zip code?
Customer: 19406
Agent: Thank you Mr. Fagen. A security specialist will be calling you
momentarily. Is there anything else I can do for you today?
Customer: No, I appreciate your help. Thank you.
Agent: Ok, thank you. Have a great day.
Customer: You too, good-bye.

Call Center Manual
8. Customer Incentive
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voiRlR5R6Ik
Vocabulary
client neighbor sign up lawn service customer appreciation program

voucher
Agent: Green Lawns this is Alex. Can I help you?

Customer: Hi Alex, this is Zac Jones. I’m a client of yours. I’d like to refer two
of my neighbors to sign up for your lawn services.
Agent: Sure! That’s great! Can I have their names and phone numbers
please Mr. Jones.
Customer: Sure, the first neighbor’s name is Larry Fields, F-I-E-L-D-S and his
telephone is (610) 265-1714.
Agent: Ok, great I have Larry Fields and I’m going spell it back to you, L-A-
R-R-Y--F-I-E-L-D-S at (610) 265-1714.
Customer: Correct and the other name of the second one, he’s Tom Bridges.
That’s spelled B-R-I-D-G-E-S and he has a very similar number, it’s
(610) 265-1715.
Agent: Ok, great I have Tom Bridges, T-O-M--B-R-I-D-G-E-S at (610) 265-
1715.
Customer: Correct. In my understanding, there is some sort of customer
appreciation program, where if I refer people to use your lawn
care I get something.
Agent: Yes, you’re correct. You receive one free month of lawn services
for each person you refer to us. So since you referred two people,
you’ll receive two free months of service once they sign up with
Green Lawn.
Customer: Oh great, excellent.
Agent: Sure and if your email is still zjones@gmail.com, just to send
confirmation of this conversation and, also, as soon as your
neighbors sign up with Green Lawn I can send your vouchers to
that email as well.
Customer: Oh excellent, yeah, that’s the right email.
Agent: All right great. I will be giving my managers your contact
information, oh your neighbor’s contact information right away.
Customer: Oh thank you so much
Agent: Great, have a nice day.
Customer: You too, thank you, bye bye.

Call Center Manual
9. Custom Home Builders

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZShdVWfC6Ag
Key vocabulary:
builders property estimate purchase land
Agent: Good afternoon, Elkin’s Builders.

Customer: Yea, hi, I’m calling to speak to someone about building a house on
a property I´m looking to purchase.
Agent: Oh, ok, great. Let me get your name. What is your first name
please?
Customer: Kenny.
Agent: And your last name?
Customer: Lindstron, L-I-N-D-S-T-R-O-N.
Agent: Thank you. May I have your call back number?
Customer: (610) 265-1715
Agent: That’s (610) 265-1715?
Customer: Yes.
Agent: And where is the property that you are looking for an estimate
on?
Customer: It’s in Westchester. I haven’t purchased the land yet. I’d like to
see if I can get an estimate or have them take a look at it before,
before I do.
Agent: Ok, no problem. Is there a good time to reach you at this number
or is that at any time?
Customer: That’s my cell phone, uh, if they could call me back today, that
would be great.
Agent: Ok, no problem. I’ll pass your message along and somebody
should be getting back to you this afternoon.
Customer: Great, thank you so much.
Agent: Your welcome and thank you for calling Elkins Builders.
Customer: Bye bye.
Agent: Bye.

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Call Center Manual

Call Center Manual

This is subject to copyright. 0

1.Telephone Numbers in the United

Calling the USA

This is subject to copyright. 1

State Area Code(s) State Area Code(s)

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Did you know?

 It is generally possible to make a collect call or reverse charge call from a

This is subject to copyright. 3

When a customer service representative provides or repeats a phone number he

Soft Skills Practice

Agent: Thank you for calling U-Talk Mobile. My name is

1. (907) 567-9832 6. (907) 567-9832

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2.Addresses in the United States

0 Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA), Maine (ME), New Hampshire (NH),

1 Delaware (DE), New York (NY), Pennsylvania (PA)

This is subject to copyright. 5

4 Indiana (IN), Kentucky (KY), Michigan (MI), Ohio (OH)

6 Illinois (IL), Kansas (KS), Missouri (MO), Nebraska (NE)

7 Arkansas (AR), Louisiana (LA), Oklahoma (OK), Texas (TX)

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Some things to consider about addresses in the United States.

Dr. Sheldon Cooper

Avenue – AVE Square – SQ

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Student A: Ask your partner for the missing information.

1.Name: Paul Walker 2. Name: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________ Address: 1615 North Lombard ST Apt. 12

3. Name: John Smith 4. Name: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________ Address: 3290 N. Brooklyn DR

Phone No.: _________________________ Phone No.: (415) 225-0101

Email address: jsmith@smith.com Email address: ______________________

This is subject to copyright. 8

Student B: Ask your partner for the missing information.

1. Name: ____________________________ 2. Name: Mildred Ruiz

Address: 3408 Sunset BLVD Apt.100 Address: ____________________________

3. Name: ___________________________ 4. Name: Kenneth Garner

Address: 19876 SE Okeechobee RD Address: ____________________________

Miami, FL 33156 ____________________________________

Phone No.: (305) 567-1690 Phone No.: ________________________

Email address: ______________________ Email address: kengr@saxton.org

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Soft Skills Practice

Instructions: Practice the following dialogue using the information below.

Agent: Thank you for calling U-Talk Mobile. My name is

1. (907) 567-9437 Jessica Patterson 1345 Place LN

2. (339) 270-7244 Tony Long 54232 S. Park AVE

3. (240) 258-1908 Vivian Russel 6423 Circle SQ

4. (361) 902-1050 Jane Griffin 1124 Cherry RD

5. (401) 625-7301 Amy Hayes 987 S Vermont AVE

6. (775) 669-3904 Summer Lee 6578 Big Bear VLG

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Numerical date formats

Speaking about dates

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The Days of the Week

The working week The weekend

The Months of the Year

January Jan. /dʒæn yuˌɛr i/

In figures In words Pronounce It

1st the first 1st

Call Center Student's Manual A2

Call Center Student's Manual A2

/ / _______