What you need to know about Call Centre Jobs in Durban

Today the Job Mail team takes a closer look at not only Call Centre vacancies, but Call Centre Jobs in Durban as well. Today we tackle everything from why Durban is a great city to the different types of jobs found in Call Centres.

Why Call Centre Jobs in Durban?

Why are Call Centre jobs in Durban such a good idea? Well, the Job Mail team wanted to tackle this question in two sections, the first being why work in a Call Centre?

Call Centre jobs, especially entry level vacancies, give those with little to no experience a chance to enter the work force. If you have a love for people and sales alike, this is a great start to a career in sales and marketing.

Because in-job training is likely to be something hiring Call Centres offer, you have an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills while earning an income. Some Call Centre positions generally offer a basic salary plus commission, meaning that the harder you work and the better you are, the more you can potentially earn.

Whether you have tons of experience, or little to no experience, Call Centre jobs are perfect for individuals that are organised, love working with people, live to meet a target and have a comprehensive set of communication skills. If you love sales, building on client relationships, are highly motivated and love to lend a helping hand, a Call Centre might just be the place for you.

The second part of the question is why work in Durban?

BusinessDay reported in August of 2015 that job seekers are more likely to find employment in Durban than they are in Johannesburg or Cape Town. Based on the quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa, the unemployment rate in eThekwini was measured at 16.5%. This is lower than 22.6% unemployment measured in Cape Town and 26.2% measured in Johannesburg.

A city with a rich and vibrant history and culture, Durban has absolutely no short comings when it comes to art galleries, the literary arts, music, dance, film and the great outdoors. With a community that embraces various cultures and religions, eThekwini is the third largest city in South Africa. With more than 3 442 398 residents (according the 2011 Census), it strives to become Africa’s ‘most caring and liveable city’ by 2030.

Aside from statistics, Durban is a coastal city, bringing with it a different culture to that of cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg. Unique, fresh and developing, Durban is a stunning place to live, work and play.

Different Types of Call Centre Jobs

Call Centre vacancies, be it Call Centre jobs in Durban or anywhere else in South Africa, encompasses a number of different job descriptions. From a Telemarketer to Inbound Call Centre jobs, a Call Centre, depending on the type of industry and market it operates in, opens up opportunities for a wide range of professionals.

A Call Centre can deliver a number of services or perform a number of functions for a company. From Customer Support to Sales, the Call Centre and the jobs that go along with it, are set up in such a way as to handle large volumes of requests via telephone.

An Outbound Call Centre is the type of Call Centre where you will find Telemarketers. Set up for marketing and sales purposes (though not limited to these industries), these types of Call Centre Jobs will involve outbound calls which can involve everything from making a sale and raising funds for an organisation, to debt collection and even market research. These types of Call Centres can be found at companies like Junk Mail for example.

An Inbound Call Centre has the function of delivering customer support and information. These types of Call Centres are created to effectively handle incoming requests from various users and product consumers, offering product information as well as support. An example of this type of Call Centre might be something like a division in the Santam Call Centre you might contact when you have an insurance claim.

Do keep in mind that Call Centres are able to specialise in both In- and Outbound calls.

Telemarketer

Described as a type of sales professional, a Telemarketer sells over the phone, contacting people (and depending on the product you are selling even companies) in order to sell their product or service. These types of professionals are found in Call Centres across the world and involves, depending on the company you work for, both a basic salary as well as commission.

These types of individuals are cold calling geniuses, know the ins and outs of what they are selling and are very goal oriented.

Inbound Call Centre Jobs

Inbound Call Centre Jobs involve various skills and tasks. These professionals are involved in working with clients and client services as a whole as well. This job description does however not stop here. Inbound Call Centre Operators are also involved in sales and marketing.

These types of jobs require people that are confident in nature. These types of professionals will also have to exhibit excellent communication skills. Note that, because this is a job that applies to the inner workings and service or product specifications of a specific company, excelling in this type of profession within a company will require in-house training and experience.

Outbound Call Operator

Outbound Call Centre Operators or Agents are simply described as sales representatives and are in charge of promoting and selling their company’s products and services to both new and existing customers.

With growth and targets at the forefront, these types of Call Centre vacancies require individuals that are organised, have a stunning set of communication skills and professionals that are able to multitask. Building and maintaining customer relationships are just as important as the sales skills involved.

A Call Centre Agent

Depending on the type of company you work for, a Call Centre Agent will fulfil a number of tasks – from handling queries a customer might make on an account and dealing with complaints from customers, to helping out with technical support problems.

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Those Call Centre Agents involved in outbound calls will most likely be doing so in order to conduct market research or identify potential clients.

The Call Centre Manager

Taking charge of the Call Centre as whole, a Manager in this profession is tasked with managing the Call Centre’s staff. These duties will range to include everything from motivating and monitoring the staff, to managing the administrative side of the Call Centre.

A Call Centre Manager is also in charge of maintaining standards, customer service and training. These individuals have a head for business, are able to motivate people and ensure that the targets set are met.

Call Centre Training

Because you are working with company specific products, systems and services, on-the-job training is something you will undergo with most of these Call Centre jobs.

But, there are ways in which you can get a foot in the door and learn invaluable skills that will help you excel. South Africa is home to a number of training institutions, some of these institutions offering a range of training programmes.

INTEC College, for example, offers a range of training programmes that include everything from a Call Centre Agent Short Course to a professional certificate in Call Centre Management. UNISA offers a course in Customer Relationship Management Principles for Contact Centre Management and Damelin offers a Call Centre Management Diploma.

Before enrolling for a training programme, always ensure that it is the right programme for you and it carries all the needed accreditations.

Ready to find amazing Call Centre jobs in Durban? Register your CV on Job Mail today and start applying for Call Centre vacancies that will challenge and reward you.

Extra Reading

Read BusinessDay’s article titled Durban best city for work for more information on the statistics mentioned earlier in this post.