Call Center Employment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A call center schedules agents in staggered shifts to match call volume forecasts. Which function is responsible for this?
- Workforce management (Correct answer)
- Quality assurance
- Payroll processing
- Facilities maintenance
Correct answer: Workforce management
Workforce management forecasts call volume and builds schedules to match staffing to demand.
Question 2: Which US law prohibits a call center employer from refusing to hire a qualified candidate because of a disability?
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Correct answer)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
Correct answer: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities and requires reasonable accommodations.
Question 3: An agent is promoted from handling calls to coaching a team of 15 agents. What is their new role commonly called?
- Team leader or supervisor (Correct answer)
- Chief executive officer
- Field technician
- External auditor
Correct answer: Team leader or supervisor
Team leaders or supervisors coach and manage a group of agents, a typical first promotion step in call centers.
Question 4: What does 'shift differential' mean in call center compensation?
- A penalty for arriving late
- Extra pay for working evening, night, or weekend shifts (Correct answer)
- A bonus for perfect quality scores
- The gap between two agents' salaries
Correct answer: Extra pay for working evening, night, or weekend shifts
Shift differential is additional pay offered for working less desirable hours such as nights or weekends.
Question 5: Before extending a job offer, a call center runs a criminal background check on a candidate. Which US law governs how third-party background checks are used?
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) (Correct answer)
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act
- CAN-SPAM Act
- HITECH Act
Correct answer: Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
The FCRA regulates third-party background checks, requiring disclosure, consent, and adverse-action notices.
Question 6: A call center measures 'occupancy rate' for its agents. What does this metric describe?
- The percentage of desks filled in the building
- The share of logged-in time agents spend actively handling calls or call work (Correct answer)
- The number of agents who quit each month
- The average length of a customer call
Correct answer: The share of logged-in time agents spend actively handling calls or call work
Occupancy rate is the proportion of logged-in time an agent spends on calls and after-call work versus waiting idle.
Question 7: Which practice best helps a call center retain experienced agents?
- Eliminating breaks to boost productivity
- Offering clear career paths and recognition programs (Correct answer)
- Randomly changing schedules without notice
- Reducing training budgets
Correct answer: Offering clear career paths and recognition programs
Career development paths and recognition increase engagement and are proven retention drivers in call centers.
Call Center Employment 3
A call center schedules agents in staggered shifts to match call volume forecasts.
Which function is responsible for this?