Course title: Call Centre Agent

Level: Beginner. No call centre experience needed.

Duration: Self-paced — about 4 hours of reading, practice and quizzes across 7 chapters.

Format: Text lessons, short videos, practice activities you do at home, a quiz after every chapter, a final assessment and a certificate of completion.

What you need: A phone or computer with internet. A computer or laptop helps for the typing practice, but it’s not required to complete the course.

Price: R199 once-off (online)

Certificate: PurpleGrowth certificate of completion, issued automatically when you finish all chapters and the final assessment

What this course gets you

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Explain how call centres work and the different types of jobs and campaigns

• Speak clearly and professionally on the phone, and really listen to customers

• Handle a full call from greeting to close, including verification, hold and transfer

• Use the systems, type faster and handle chat and email as well as calls

• Calm angry customers, say no politely and handle sales objections

• Understand call centre targets, quality scoring and the rules that protect customers

• Prepare for the call centre assessment day and interview, and get hired

Who this course is for

• Matriculants and school-leavers looking for a first job

• Anyone applying for call centre, contact centre, customer service or BPO jobs

• People in retail or hospitality who want to move into a contact centre

• Anyone who wants better customer service and phone skills

Further free resources

Free tools and sites you can use to keep learning and find work after the course. All free at the time of writing.

• JobAlertsZA — upload your CV once and JobAlertsZA applies to matching call centre and entry-level jobs for you every day — https://jobalertsza.com/

• SAYouth.mobi — free, zero-rated platform for young job seekers — https://sayouth.mobi/

• Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator — helps young people into entry-level jobs, including contact centre roles — https://www.harambee.co.za/

• YES (Youth Employment Service) — paid 12-month work experience opportunities for young people — https://www.yes4youth.co.za/

• Monkeytype — free online typing test and practice — https://monkeytype.com/

• Information Regulator — POPIA guidance on personal information — https://inforegulator.org.za/

• National Consumer Commission — consumer rights and the direct marketing opt-out rules — https://thencc.org.za/