A new call centre operator’s first week: a day-by-day training and start plan
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Don’t put a new operator on the line on day one. A one-week plan works well: day 1, the product and recordings of good calls; day 2, the script and role play; day 3, listening next to an experienced operator; day 4, simple calls with a mentor alongside; day 5, the full line and a check. Give the operator a one-page cheat sheet: prices, addresses, hours, the transfer rule and what to say instead of “I don’t know”.
Why not put them on the line on day one
Someone who doesn’t know the prices quotes the wrong one or keeps the caller waiting. And the caller forms their first opinion of the company from exactly that call. It’s hard on the operator too: after three or four tough calls on the first day, they may simply quit. A week of preparation pays off for months.
The plan, day by day
| Day | What they do | End-of-day check |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Learns the company, services and prices, listens to 15–20 recordings of good calls, gets their logins | Can they name the five main services with prices |
| Day 2 | Reads the script, role play with the mentor: a simple question, an angry customer, a question with no answer | Says the greeting and close without notes |
| Day 3 | Listens next to an experienced operator on a second earpiece, fills in the CRM themselves | Are the cards filled in correctly |
| Day 4 | Takes simple calls alone with the mentor next to them, passes hard ones to the mentor | Listen to 5 of the day’s recordings together |
| Day 5 | Full line, mentor nearby | A 10-question test and the scorecard |
The one-page cheat sheet
Nobody memorises everything in the first week. Keep one page in front of the operator:
- The greeting: “Assalomu alaykum, Nurli Optics, Aziza speaking.”
- Language: answer in the language the caller speaks. The greeting is written out in Uzbek and Russian.
- The 10 most-asked services and their prices.
- Addresses, landmarks, opening hours, delivery terms.
- Who to transfer to, for example: a large order to a manager, a complaint to the supervisor.
- Instead of “I don’t know”: “Let me check and call you back in 15 minutes.”
- Never: invent a price, promise a discount on your own, argue with the caller.
Role play: the operator doesn’t know the answer
On day two the mentor plays the customer. The most useful drill is a question the operator can’t answer:
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Nurli Optics, Aziza speaking.
Caller: Hello. Do you fit contact lenses? How much is it?
Sado: Yes, we do. To give you the exact price, let me check with our doctor. May I have your name?
Caller: Jasur.
Sado: Jasur, can I call you back on this number? I’ll have it in 15 minutes.
Caller: Yes, this number.
Sado: Done, I’ve noted it. I’ll call you in 15 minutes.
Then swap roles: the operator plays the customer and invents hard questions. Those questions go onto the cheat sheet.
The end-of-week check
- A 10-question spoken test: prices, addresses, hours, who to transfer to.
- Listen to 5 of the week’s recordings with the scorecard: how to score call recordings.
- Ask the operator which question was hard. Add the answer to the cheat sheet.
- Set one goal for week two, for example: agree a next step in every call.
So you don’t retrain every new person
When an operator leaves, everything starts again with the new person: another week, more of the mentor’s time. An AI operator is set up once, together with our team: script, questions, prices, hours. When a price changes, the fact is updated once and it’s right from the next call.
People take the hard conversations: the AI operator transfers them to a staff member’s phone by the company’s rule. To compare costs: AI operator vs call centre and what a call centre costs.
Questions
When does a new operator start working alone?
With this plan, they take simple calls alone by the end of the first week. Handling complaints and hard questions takes a few more weeks with the mentor.
How many calls should a new operator take in week one?
For example, 10–15 simple calls on day 4 and half the usual target on day 5. The full target starts in week two. Rush it and the newcomer’s mistakes land on your customers.
Who should be the mentor?
An operator who has worked for the company for at least a few months and scores well on recordings. Cut their call target that week and pay extra for mentoring.
Should the cheat sheet be on paper?
A shared document is better: when a price changes, everyone sees it at once. Paper copies go out of date fast.