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Call centre training teaches agents to answer calls professionally, ask the right questions, log and resolve customer queries, and stay calm with difficult or abusive callers. BOTI runs short call centre courses for South African teams, from agent skills to call centre management. You can browse the full range of sales, marketing and customer care courses to compare options.
This course at BOTI todayCall Centre Training (Unit Standards 114974 and 242829)
The current course runs at your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue. The course page has the up-to-date outline and group prices.
See the current courseGet a quote for your teamSee all Unit-Standard Short Courses
Learning on your own? Self-paced e-learning from R595 (excl. VAT) · Ask your employer to pay
For the individual skills behind good service, see BOTI’s guide to the customer service skills every team needs.
Improve Your Call Centre and Customer Service
Many organisations now handle most customer contact through a call or contact centre, so focused call centre training matters. A well-run call centre improves customer service and supports sales, because every call is a chance to solve a problem or keep a customer.
For a call centre to run effectively, agents need to be competent in:
- Dealing with confidential documents
- Improving customer service
- Finding telephone numbers
- Preparing documents and equipment
- Answering incoming calls professionally
- Telephone etiquette and dealing with abusive callers
- Dealing with incoming calls efficiently and politely
- Acknowledging callers
- Asking probing questions
- Capturing and logging customer queries
- Resolving customer queries
- Speaking clearly and confidently on the phone
- Listening properly
Call centre training modules
The competencies above fall into a few practical modules. Most call centre training courses work through them in this order, so that agents build from preparation to handling the harder calls.
1. Preparing for calls
Agents learn to set up their workstation, documents and equipment before the shift starts. They also learn how to find telephone numbers and reference information quickly, and how to handle confidential documents and customer information correctly.
2. Answering and managing incoming calls
This module covers a professional greeting, acknowledging the caller and following telephone etiquette. It also covers dealing with calls efficiently and politely, so that queues move without the caller feeling rushed.
3. Questioning and listening
Agents practise asking probing questions to get to the real reason for the call, and listening properly before offering a solution. Clear, well-paced speech is part of this module, because callers judge the organisation by how the agent sounds.
4. Capturing, logging and resolving queries
Every query needs to be recorded accurately so that it can be tracked, escalated and closed. Agents learn to capture the right details, log the query, resolve what they can on the first call and hand over the rest properly.
5. Difficult and abusive callers
Agents learn how to stay calm, set boundaries and steer an angry or abusive conversation back to a solution, and when to escalate. This module protects both the customer relationship and the agent’s wellbeing.
Benefits of Call Centre Training
Call centre training benefits both employees and the organisation as a whole. Here are five key benefits:
- Improved customer satisfaction: training gives employees the skills and knowledge to handle different customer interactions and provide good service, which leads to more satisfied customers.
- Increased customer loyalty: when service is consistently good, customers are more likely to stay with the organisation and keep using its products or services.
- Fewer customer complaints: well-trained agents are better equipped to resolve issues on the call, which reduces the number of complaints the organisation receives.
- Improved employee satisfaction: training builds confidence and job satisfaction, which lifts morale and creates a more positive working environment.
- Increased productivity: training helps agents work more efficiently, reducing the time taken to handle each enquiry.
Call centre training versus customer service courses
Call centre training focuses on telephone work: inbound calls, call handling, logging queries and keeping the queue moving. Customer service courses take a wider view. They cover service standards, complaint handling and customer relationships across every channel, including face to face and email.
Many teams combine the two. For example, agents might complete call centre training first and then a course on customer service excellence and complaint handling. Team leaders can follow with call centre management.
Online, in-house or at BOTI’s venue
BOTI delivers training in three ways: in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online with a facilitator. Live online training suits contact centre teams that work shifts or sit in different offices.
If your team is outside Johannesburg, for example in Durban, live online or in-house training avoids travel for the whole group. If you are weighing up a private group against open sessions, read BOTI’s guide to in-house versus public training.
Choosing the right course for your team
- Call Centre Training (Unit Standards 114974 and 242829): core agent skills, from answering calls to logging and resolving queries.
- Call Centre and Customer Service Training (2 days): combines telephone skills with wider customer service.
- Handling a Difficult Customer Course (1 day): staying calm and finding solutions with angry callers.
- telephone management techniques (1 day): telephone etiquette, voice and call control.
- Call Centre Management Course (1 day): for supervisors and team leaders who run the floor.
- Customer Service Excellence: Turning Complaints into Loyalty: a 3-hour online masterclass.
Frequently asked questions
What modules does call centre training cover?
A typical call centre training course covers preparing for calls, answering incoming calls professionally, telephone etiquette, asking probing questions, listening and speaking clearly, capturing and logging customer queries, resolving queries, and dealing with difficult or abusive callers.
Can I do call centre training online?
Yes. BOTI runs training live online with a facilitator, as well as in-house at your premises and at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg. Live online sessions suit agents who work shifts or sit in different locations.
Is there call centre training in Durban?
Teams in Durban and other centres can attend BOTI’s call centre training live online, or BOTI can deliver it in-house at your premises. Contact BOTI to discuss dates and group size for your location.
What is the difference between call centre training and customer service courses?
Call centre training focuses on telephone work: handling inbound calls, logging queries and managing calls efficiently. Customer service courses cover service standards and complaint handling across every channel, including face to face and email. Many teams combine the two.
Does call centre training include job placement?
BOTI is a training provider, so its call centre courses focus on building the skills agents need rather than placing delegates in jobs. Employers use the training to prepare new and existing agents for call centre work.
To train your agents, start with BOTI’s Call Centre Training (Unit Standards 114974 and 242829), or request a quote for your group. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected]. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online.
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