Assessment for Call Center Agents

Assessments for call center agents are essential for customer service leaders looking to balance AI and human support effectively. While AI plays a growing role in automating tasks and providing quick resolutions, human agents remain crucial in building trust and creating meaningful customer connections.

Striking the right balance between AI-powered tools and human interaction keeps your team efficient while preserving the personal touch customers appreciate. By using the right assessments, you can identify and select agents who will excel in this hybrid environment.

Finding the Right Agents for a Blended AI and Human Support Strategy

Growing your call center team is an exciting opportunity to bring fresh energy and new perspectives to your customer service strategy. You’re not just looking for skills but also personalities that reflect your brand and can adapt to a customer-first approach. The proper training can transform raw potential into high-performing agents, but it starts with selecting candidates with the right mindset, communication skills, and adaptability.

Below is a customizable Call Center Assessment Test that will help you evaluate whether a candidate has the qualities and skills to deliver exceptional service. As you assess potential agents, remember that great training can turn a promising candidate into an all-star.

Call Center Assessment Template and Questions

Creating a one-size-fits-all assessment for every company is nearly impossible, as each business has unique needs. Use this assessment as a foundation and customize it to fit your industry and brand. You can also include additional questions that reflect your specific customer service challenges.

Call Center Agent Assessment: Personality

Before diving into technical skills, assessing a candidate’s personality and communication style is essential. You need agents who are empathetic, great listeners, and effective communicators — qualities that are just as important as technical knowledge. Here are some questions to help you gauge if a candidate is an excellent cultural and personality fit for your team:

• What qualities do you have that make you a great call center representative?
• How do you stay motivated when handling frustrated or upset customers?
• What do you think is the most important quality when helping customers?
• Do you prefer more hands-on training before taking calls, or are you comfortable jumping right in?
• Tell me about the most challenging customer call you’ve handled. How did you resolve the issue, and what was the outcome?

Pro tip: Check out the top listening tips on how to listen to customers effectively.

Call Center Agent Assessment: Day-to-Day Operations

For candidates with previous call center experience, these questions will help you assess their operational skills. You’ll want to know how they manage calls, handle customer interactions, and use technology to support their work.

• How would you greet a customer when they call in?
• How many customer interactions do you typically handle per day?
• What call center platforms or software have you used?
• What is the first thing you do when a customer has a question?
• How do you decide whether to handle a call or route it to another department?
• Can you share an example of a successful upsell you made with a customer?
• How do you respond when you don’t know the answer to a customer’s question?
• What do you do if a customer accidentally hangs up or gets disconnected?

Pro tip: Gladly’s Task Management feature allows you to bring together cross-functional teams seamlessly. Whether it’s the warehouse or marketing team, creating tasks improves collaboration and helps agents resolve customer issues faster.

Call Center Agent Assessment: AI and Technology

• Have you ever worked with AI-powered tools (e.g., chatbots, automated responses) in a customer service environment? If so, how did you use them?
• How comfortable are you with using AI to assist in handling customer inquiries? What are your thoughts on balancing AI with human interaction?
• If AI suggested a solution for a customer issue but you thought a different approach would be better, how would you handle the situation?
• AI can help reduce response times and automate routine tasks. How do you see this improving your ability to focus on more complex or personalized customer needs?

Pro tip: Gladly’s AI-powered Answer Threads feature creates engaging, conversational responses for routine customer queries, freeing up agents for more complex tasks. It works on both chat and SMS platforms, generating natural, automated replies using the customer’s knowledge base.

Call Center Agent Assessment: Handling Upset or Frustrated Customers

Handling upset customers is a key aspect of call center work. The following questions will help you assess a candidate’s ability to remain calm and find solutions in difficult situations.

• How do you handle a customer who demands to speak with your manager?
• A customer is upset because their order is delayed. How would you manage the situation?
• Have you ever dealt with a customer who was unhappy with their purchase? How did you resolve the issue to improve their satisfaction?
• How have you handled a situation where a purchase didn’t arrive, or there was a shipping issue? What steps did you take to resolve it?

Pro tip: Minimize upset customer calls by tracking trending support topics with Gladly Insights. This allows your team to proactively address recurring issues before they become ongoing problems.

Call Center Assessments for Effective Agent Selection

Selecting the right call center agents is essential to delivering a customer service experience that stands out. The questions above give you a great starting point to assess how candidates will perform in real-life scenarios and under pressure. Once you’ve hired the right people, continue to support them with comprehensive training that equips them with the tools and knowledge to succeed.

Remember, while AI can handle repetitive tasks and streamline workflows, your agents bring the personal touch that builds customer loyalty. Use assessments to identify individuals who can thrive in both worlds — working alongside AI to offer personalized, human-driven support. Ready to see what radically personal customer service looks like? Book a demo with Gladly today.

For more insights on how to assess your call center agents’ capabilities, check out:

• The Hero Experience Report — A Tactical Guide
• Top AI and Automation Training Courses for Customer Service Teams
• The Top Customer Service Training Courses From Gladly

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