Call centre operator
Answer people's questions and sort out their problems with friendly advice and information on the phone and by email.
Also known as: customer service agent, call centre agent

About the job
What it's like
You would answer people’s questions, give them advice and sort out their problems by phone and email.
You’d help customers with clear, friendly advice and information. Sometimes you’d help them complete a task such as pay a bill or buy a product which they may find confusing or difficult.
You’d probably speak with people on the phone or use email, text and instant messaging to chat with them. But you might also respond by post or fax.
You could work in a lot of different sectors.
If you work for a retail company, shop or mail order business, you would:
Deal with customer orders
Handle credit and debit card payments
Answer enquiries
Respond to complaints
If you work or a financial institution you’d advise people about the products and services. You’d also do telesales to sell the products and do market research.
If you worked on an information technology (IT) helpline you’d help customers fix their computer problems. You might talk them through the process.
You could also help the people who call advice lines for services like:
Counselling
Welfare and benefits advice
Legal information
Help with careers
You would usually access and update customers' records on computer databases.
With experience, you could mentor and train staff and check calls to ensure customers get a good service.

Hours

Environment
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Related industries
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Financial and professional services
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- call center experience
- broadband
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- empathising
- respecting
- cooperating
- verbal communication
- attention to detail
- positive attitude

Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Administration and Information Technology
English and Communication
Skills for Work: Retailing
Qualifications at SCQF levels 4 to 6 or relevant work-based experience and qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Customer Services (SVQ level 2/3).
Qualifications and experience that demonstrate administrative and IT skills, a good telephone manner and customer service skills will be helpful.
It is helpful to have relevant work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Contact Centre Operations (SVQ level 2/3) or be willing to work towards qualifications once in a job.
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