The Smartest

Who are these personas in the contact center, the figures we all recognize? Of course, personas are often used to give customers a face, but what if you turn it around? Not the customer as persona, but the contact centre employee. You just met the first one: The Smartest.

In addition, you also have The Namesake. "Yes Mrs. Bloem, no Mrs. Bloem." With a little bad luck, he or she throws in your first name... I always feel a little uncomfortable. Of course it's cool if someone knows who I am, but too often my name crosses the line and you fall through the I'm-net-in-training basket.

Then the one I can't handle myself. The one I have a terrible tendency to bother with during the conversation: The Script follower. You see someone sitting at the computer, their eyes are already moving towards the next step. This persona is also always happy if he or she can point me to the Bel-me-Not Register. Yes, the call is finished, another script completed!

My hair goes up when I get The Shearrow on the line. That's the cop blaming somebody else in the organization. "Yeah, then Sell it better." Or even worse, that he blames the system for the problem. Often this conversation ends in a "We'll call you back." Sure, but could it be a little more specific when?

Let me finish with persona number five: The Merry One. Who just feels like it. The voice springs along, you feel through the horn (okay, through the ether, but that sounds a little less) that this person is made for this profession. This employee answers with a smile. I always think of a very nice working environment. With a nice manager who gives compliments.

So if this column was a quiz and I was the jury? Then I'd be mega-prejudiced and finish with: "The Smartest Man is The Merriest. Thanks for reading it and see you next time."