Overcoming in a Multitasking Environment

The call center is a multitasking environment. As a customer service representative, there are things that we do along with other tasks. Most of the time we are faced with the job of reading a script, encoding details, preparing a response, reading web applications, and thinking of solutions for the customer. Wow... Those are not easy done alone. What more if you do them together?

So how do you survive in a multitasking environment? How do you prepare yourself to do the job or jobs? What does it take to be effective in such a work?

Here are some tips to help you out in this fast-paced workplace:

1. Get enough sleep.
     It is important that your mind is well charged in preparation to work in a multitasking environment. You have to have an alert brain. Giving responses to callers is not that easy. Let alone you have to help them in their situations. With a sleepy head, you cannot think of accurate solutions for them. You may not be able to come up with proper assessments of the customer's situation. And of course, decision-making is impaired.

2. Always keep notes of what you do.
     It always pays to keep track of how you were able to help out a customer in a specific situation. Sometimes, those situations tend to happen to other people, too. It would be great to have a reference on how similar situations were solved. And, if there is a variation, keep track of it as a new obstacle that you overcame. Take specific notes on what the problem was, what caused it, how persistent it was, what solutions were tried, which one worked, and how effective that solution was. There are many things in life that we may encounter sporadically, such as rare terms like innocuous, vet tech, or sycophantic. But when we encounter such stuff, we must make sure we remember them for future use.

3. Keep your composure.
     It is imperative that a customer service agent works well under any kind of pressure. As a CSR, you get to be shouted it at, complained on, played around with, and worse, you get profanity. But these are not occupational hazards. There are regular scenarios in an unpredictable environment. You have to keep your calm, be patient, and let go of unfavorable situations. When you are multitasking, other than the usual activities, you must also keep pacifying yourself whenever you are faced with irritating customers.

Be ready for anything and anyone. A multitasking environment is difficult to deal with but not impossible to work on. Just smile!

by: Jonathan Daoana