Purpose vs. Function: Why CSRs should know the difference

OABPO Blog Team Published on August 4, 2014

male-call-center-agent-working-diligently-with-purpose-philippine-call-center-Open-Access-BPO

Every Philippine call center (or perhaps every company there is) orients its newly hired customer service representatives (CSRs) about their function. It’s a part of the process of transitioning the recent hires into fully functional assets of the company. Even during the interview or recruitment stage, CSR hopefuls are given an overview about the duties they will carry out once hired. Technically, an employee’s functionsโ€”the specific tasks and expectations given to himโ€”are what his official job description contains, so it’s of the essence to put those duties in mind. However, there is something more than his functions that a CSR must know by heart. It is his purpose.

The difference between function and purpose

It s easy to spot a CSR who knows and accomplishes his functions: he’s productive and able to meet the quotas given to him while passing the set metrics. His every transaction with a caller starts and ends according to the ideal call you envisioned your customer service unit to conduct.

female-call-center-agent-working-diligently-with-purpose--Open-Access-BPO

Like him, CSRs who know their purpose do the same: they meet quotas and metrics while making every call pleasant for the customers at the other end of the line. But what makes them different from those who work only to fulfill their function is that they’re able to drive customer satisfaction outside the usual ways stipulated with the role of a CSR.

In a manner of speaking, function-driven CSRs simply do what is told and expected of them: answer product-related questions and process requests. If they understand their purpose, however, they empathize with the customer and listen for cues in order to determine what could appease the customer’s issue.

When you’re upset because of a late delivery and say that the product you’re waiting for is for your daughter’s graduation, the CSR who knows that his purpose is to give satisfaction will apologize, explain the problem, tell the time when the delivery will arrive, and then make up for the inconvenience by adding a free gift on your family’s next big occasion, perhaps even on your daughter’s upcoming birthday.

The gist

Making people under your customer service unit understand their function enables them to carry out their roles according to your standards, which benefits your internal operations. But if they understand their purpose of making people happy with your products and services, your CSRs will do more than what is necessary to provide that happiness and satisfaction. And in turn, they simultaneously impress the customers while giving the customers a positive impression of your brand.

How can you reinforce purpose in your CSRs? Tune in for the second part of where we’ll share leadership tips for purpose-driven customer service.

Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 3 hours ago
It's easy to focus on tech skills and language when hiring #CustomerSupport staff.
But are we missing those other qualities that truly make a #CustomerExperience exceptional?

What hidden talents separate a good agent from a great one?

๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ #๐—ช๐—ผ๐˜„๐—–๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ #๐—•๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜†๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐˜†: https://buff.ly/QGNxaJG

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Our recruitment, training, and quality assurance best practices have helped transform our partners' #BrandExperience.

Contact us right now for heightened #CustomerExperience that sets your brand apart:
https://buff.ly/Y50WgZe

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerExperience #CSat
#OutsourcingCX #CustomerService #CallCenters
#CustomerCentric #HappyCustomer
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—•๐—ฃ๐—ข ๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—œ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—˜๐—ป๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—บ ๐——๐˜†๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€

Open Access BPO Manila recently hosted ๐ˆ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ ๐๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ ๐‹๐š๐› on March 28th, bringing new experiences to its workforce.

This engaging session provided a hands-on experience designed to cultivate collaboration, creative problem-solving, and stronger communication skills among team members. By exploring the fundamentals of improvisation in a supportive environment, participants enhanced their adaptability and teamwork abilities โ€“ qualities crucial for effective partnerships and workplace harmony.

This initiative underscores Open Access BPO's commitment to fostering a dynamic and people-centric work culture, ultimately benefiting our partners through more cohesive and innovative service delivery.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
Open Access BPO 3 days ago
Ready to elevate your brand? Open Access BPO empowers you to unlock new opportunities and achieve scalable growth.

From customer support to back-office solutions, we're your partner in expansion.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
Open Access BPO 9 days ago
Call center managers are responsible for keeping operations running smoothly.
This means they also have to take note of the usual issues they need to keep at bay.

๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐Ÿฐ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ #๐—–๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—บ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: https://buff.ly/CCAZeNL

---------
Our industry expertise and the skilled workforce enable us to create exceptional experiences for your customers.

Call us today and let's start building the best team for your brand:
https://buff.ly/zQqgKkw

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerSupport #CX #CSat
#CustomerSatisfaction #outsourcing
Open Access BPO 10 days ago
The Holy Week is a time to renew our faith and find peace in reflection.

If youโ€™re traveling to be with family or friends or venturing on a pilgrimage, do so with patience and caution.

Let's extend care not just to our loved ones but also to everyone we share the road with. May your journey be safe, and may this season bring you clarity and renewal.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#OABPOholidays #HolyWeek
#MahalNaAraw #HolyWeek2025
Open Access BPO 10 days ago
Given the substantial complexities of staff and project management, it is understandable that numerous team leaders underachieve or fail upon assuming this role.

๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ #๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ฆ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐˜€ among your #CustomerService team leaders: https://buff.ly/9BhNb6G

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Invest in your leaders, elevate your #CustomerSatisfaction.

For a #LeadershipDevelopment program that ensures high-quality #CustomerExperience and drives tangible business results: https://buff.ly/cAnQNot

#WeSpeakYourLanguage