What does a phone support agent do?
A phone support agent handles customer calls and answers questions, helping resolve problems with products, services, accounts, or billing. They may troubleshoot technical issues, explain company policies, or pass a case to a specialist when it needs further attention. They also record call details so the next person handling the case has the context they need.
What are phone support agents? A question you need never worry about in the thick of the still-being-written, ever-expanding book of A.I….
… is what you’re probably thinking.
But ask yourself and your team:
How many customers reached out to you last month? Last week?
Did you know that 66% of consumers in the US contacted a company in the past 12 months? (State of Customer Experience Report, 20260).
More than any other channel. Chat, email, and self-service are trailing in its wake.
Everyone’s swallowed the pill of transitioning to an all-digital, all-AIchannel. Yet what does the data say?
Here’s an honest take about phone support agents and what customers of any industry are preferring more when they try to communicate with companies.
In This Blog:
- ➤What does a phone support agent do?
- ➤What Is a Phone Support Agent?
- ➤What Are the Responsibilities of a Phone Support Agent?
- ➤What Skills Do Phone Support Agents Need?
- ➤Is Phone Support Better Than Live Chat or Email?
- ➤Will AI Replace Phone Support Agents?
- ➤How Do Phone Support Agents Affect Customer Retention?
- ➤Which Metrics Measure Phone Support Performance?
- ➤Why Do Phone Support Agents Quit?
- ➤How Much Do Phone Support Agents Cost?
- ➤Where Can You Find Vetted Remote Phone Support Agents?
- ➤FAQs
- ➤Customers Want To “Hear” Trustworthiness
What Is a Phone Support Agent?
Phone support agents are customer support specialists, also called customer service representatives, whose main tool and medium for communication is the phone or “voice.” Via calls, in short. Most of their day is inbound – they answer “inbound” calls from customers who have questions or feedback.
Some roles also involve making outbound calls or “outgoing calls” for routine customer follow-ups (order or appointment confirmations, follow-ups, etc.).
Agents often pull up the customer’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) record and look up answers in the knowledge base while they’re on the call.
For many customers, the agent is the only person from your company they will ever speak to. And that voice becomes the brand.
Other names for phone support specialists: call center agent, telephone customer service representative, call center representatives, remote customer service representative, and help desk agent. Closely related jobs that vary according to business type and industry.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics groups most of them under “customer service representatives” and notes that many work in call centers.
This is changing, though. More of these roles can now be done remotely, with work-from-home arrangements giving agents the option to handle calls from home.
What Are the Responsibilities of a Phone Support Agent?
As mentioned earlier, the details under “customer support specialist job description” change per business type (and size), per industry. These three are the main duties that are common throughout voice agents’ daily responsibilities:
The work changes with your industry, yet there are duties that are prevalent in most calls and require solid phone customer service skills.
Technical Support
Something went “wrong” is the order of the day in technical support calls. Name anything from software crashing or getting bugged up to a product that’s defective or isn’t working as advertised.
The agent talks them through the standard checks to find the most likely cause of the issue. If, after probing and going through the standard (per business) list of questions, the cause isn’t found, the agent escalates it to a technician or the appropriate technical team for specialised help.
If they work remotely and don’t have a physical office, the call is transferred to said technician or technical team.
The agent explains what happens next and who the next specialist to handle the concern will be.
Help Desk Support
Some calls are about access or getting access back into accounts and portals, or any particular system
Help desk agents handle these requests, including password resets and account lockouts. They need a working knowledge of the systems they support so they can guide callers through the steps and help customers “unlock” themselves out of the situation and restore account access.
Orders, Billing, and Policy Questions
Customers also call about late deliveries. They want to talk to someone about charges they don’t recognise.
The agent looks up the purchase in the CRM and checks company policy. They make sure the customer understands what it covers and how it applies to their case.
What about requests outside the rules or the usual queries? There’s a place for them, and they may require a manager’s approval. Same protocol when passing the request or call on to someone else: the agent tells the customer why and to whom.
Interesting stat that should give you pause on dashing towards replacing your customer support team with just AI:
Did You Know?
2026 Consumer CX Report: 35% of consumers say they often or always have to repeat themselves after escalating from AI to a human agent.
What Skills Do Phone Support Agents Need?
What the agent says. How the agent says it. Everything else? Out of sight, in as literal as that can be. Those two things can leave a hairline fracture in a customer relationship, or stitch together and rebuild one that might be on the fringes of disappearing altogether.
And these two main elements involve the following skills:
Modern agents today work with omnichannel platforms and AI assist tools, which help with typing speed and accuracy (higher standards for count now) so the conversation can happen simultaneously to note-taking and research.
Is Phone Support Better Than Live Chat or Email?
Live chat vs email vs phone is the argument, and we’ll get to the answer by first differentiating the roles. We’ll then expound more on what unfolds on the other end of the line in phone support.
Quick questions that don’t require further research and verification are right in the alley of live chat support agents.
Email, on the other hand, is for those who may not have the time to hop on a chat or call and want detailed information. And not necessarily right this moment. Or often the “now” is important, but such customers are willing to wait for the answer or reply, and have their own written record.
Now, about this article’s role focus: voice work, human voice work,
Voice work, human voice work, is so much more integral to Customer Experience (CX). For complex or urgent problems, customers say yes to voice customer service.
Cogito asked 1,000 US adults about complicated issues specifically. They also said yes.
Did You Know?
Among respondents’ top three ways of reaching customer service, 69% said that a live phone agent is right up there, along with email at 54% and live chat at 46%.
17% goes to chat on a website or app.
Here’s A Summary Of Where Each Of The Three Channels Fit:
- Phone: urgent, emotional, or technical problems and account disputes
- Live chat: quick status checks and short “how do I” questions
- Email: requests that need attachments or a paper trail
Not to pit one against the other, text channels have strengths and advantages of their own, as summarized above.
Few customers use only one channel. Verint found that 95% use more than one, so your phone line has to coordinate with the others.
Will AI Replace Phone Support Agents?
No, AI shouldn’t fully replace a business’s phone support team. Verint’s State of Customer Experience 2026 report found that 61% prefer a human agent over AI service. Up five points from the prior year.
The same preference jumped up 18% among demographics you’d think are less averse to artificial intelligence – 18 to 34-year-olds.
87% of 3,566 customers surveyed by Gartner said that they immediately choose the option to speak to a human specialist when a company uses generative AI.
According to Gladly and Wakefield Research, 69% of the customers who prefer humans said they would switch to self-service if it fully resolved their problem.
Here’s what you and other business owners should really think about:
40% of customers who can’t reach a human give up or buy elsewhere. (Gladly and Wakefield Research)
AI in the Workplace and In Your Team
Every other business and industry did a full AI adoption and let go of their human specialist. You’d think this generalization were true, what with the BLS projects employment of customer service representatives reporting to fall 5% between 2024 and 2034.
Yet it also expects about 341,700 openings a year as people leave the occupation.
Those same businesses are rehiring for the same, or in other cases, augmented, human positions.
How Do Phone Support Agents Affect Customer Retention?
It’s about that first call or “first call resolution.” There’s data telling us that when it comes to first call resolution, the call center average is 70%. In other words, about 30 of every 100 callers have to phone again about the same problem.
Average inquiries take 1.4 calls to resolve.
And it’s in that’s usually the call that makes for a relationship dealbreaker. Customer relationships, that is.
You can have all the marketing knick-knacks and pay for all the ads, but if customers aren’t satisfied with how you communicate with them, once they hang up, they hang up for good.
Brand Damage From Callbacks
The good news is that it’s measurable, thoughthat’s where the “good” part of it ends.
Each time a customer has to call back, satisfaction drops by around 15% on SQM’s top box measure. In the same research, every 1% gain in first call resolution comes with a 1% gain in customer satisfaction.
Can you imagine (if you’re not already experiencing it) the havoc cause should AI takeover phone support? No human to make judgment calls and spontaneous decisions based on vocal cues.
How Much Callbacks Cost
Callbacks due to unresolved or poorly resolved issues during the first call cost $2,730 a month. Not counting customers who reach the end of their patience and abandon the attempt.
$2,730, with the average cost of a call at $9.10.
That’s not all you lose, of course.
Verint’s survey reveals this: customers were equally likely to stay or leave after a single good or bad experience. If they get answers in circles through AI’s templated answers, you can bet they’ll take their business elsewhere.
Direct Channel
Have questions? Drop our team a line anytime.
Which Metrics Measure Phone Support Performance?
These numbers cover most of what you need:
- First Call Resolution (FCR): the share of issues solved on the first call. SQM’s research points to it as the single metric with the biggest influence on satisfaction
- Average Handle Time (AHT): talk time, hold time, and the notes an agent writes after the call. Chasing a low AHT alone pushes agents to rush, so read it next to FCR
- Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): a short survey sent after the call
- Call quality scores: supervisors or speech analytics software review recordings (catching tone, accuracy, and compliance)
Use all four metrics in coaching sessions, and pay attention to mistakes that keep cropping up across different agents. The written procedure may be unclear, or leave out a step people need.
Speech analytics can help supervisors find calls that have obvious and less obvious signals that can be used to improve prompts and responses.
It can be anything from long pauses to a caller’s voice rising and getting sharper as the conversation lengthens.
One more thing to do:
CSAT surveys should always be directly after the call. Customers can still remember what went on in the conversation, and the submission, when evaluated, will be useful.
Why Do Phone Support Agents Quit?
Why don’t phone support agents stay long with a company?
31% of agents say they’re likely to leave a call center or SMB within six months. (Verint’s 2026 State of Agent Experience report)
14 months is the average tenure based on compiled industry data. Every two years, HR personnel need to make splashes in the talent pool again and reboot the hiring process.
Yearly departures account for 20 to 30% in the first 90 days post-onboarding. This means you lose most of them in the first quarter alone.
Are Contact Centers and Teams Doing Something About It?
80% of them believe they’re doing something positive to curb the alarming early turnover. Then again, 4 out of 10 still report early attrition rates at over 50%. (ICMI survey).
How to keep phone customer service agents from quitting early:
Build confidence through proper support in what they do, and results will follow.
A few fixes that can be applied to any customer service team size:
- Shadowing before solo calls: New agents listen to live calls with an experienced colleague for the first week or two.
- Solid knowledge base (maintained and consistently updated): Agents learn faster and won’t make the mistake of following an SOP or giving out answers that are out of date.
- Coaching on recorded calls: Not to berate, but to help improve their skills. Review one good call and one difficult call per agent each month, and have a dialogue about both.
You’ll have noticed that these aren’t exactly groundbreaking tips. Just conventional, time-tested, timeless practices that have been forgotten in the age named “Digital.”
How Much Do Phone Support Agents Cost?
The BLS reports a median of $42,830 a year, or $20.59 an hour (customer service representatives as of May 2024). This is more of a general average, and technical support agents and other specialized phone support roles may be higher.
That’s pay or salary. But, like what we’ve basically harped on earlier, turnover will cost you more. In expenses and in headaches. And possibly morale.
Research in 2026 saw annual agent turnover at 40 to 45%. High-stress sectors? Higher, of course. Not a surprise. 60% in those cases, and 4 in 10 organizations have it at 50%. (ICMI survey)
How Much Does Call Center Agent Replacement Cost?
Around $20,000, counting recruiting, training, lost productivity, and onboarding. This is the general rate, but Insignia’s figure multiplies that by two and then some: $46,000.
Translating those to something more easily digestible:
A team of ten with a 40% turnover is four departures a year, or bout $80,000. (Verint)
But I only need a handful. Maybe one or two. Here:
- One phone agent departure: $20,000 a year
- Two phone agent departures: $40,000 a year
Keeping your agents long should be part of your budget, but not just. Never just. It should be part of your goals for growth.
They’re part of the human machine that builds and strengthens your brand. Think of the value behind the relationship-building aspect of what their skills bring.
Related Read: Here’s an industry take on why Human Customer Service and Phone Support are making a comeback.
Where Can You Find Vetted Remote Phone Support Agents?
Going through candidate lists and pools, then interviewing, testing, and onboarding agents on top of running your business takes more time than most owners have.
Even if you have HR personnel or an HR manager on your team, that’s lost productivity and a higher risk of losing potential customers as the hiring process drags on.
What are US businesses doing? They’re working with managed providers like Remote Staff. Our team has spent 18 years placing offshore call center specialists and phone support professionals with US SMEs and large companies, screening candidates for hands-on experience before you meet them.
That work’s on us, and we’re good at it. We sift through candidates not just based on their work experience and skill in handling both calls and nurturing customer relationships, but also on how they’ll fit in your team.
FAQs
What is the difference between a phone support agent and a call center agent?
Mostly the setting. “Call center agent” describes where someone works, and “phone support agent” describes what they do. A call center agent may also handle chat and email, and a phone support agent can work from a small office or from home. Employers use both titles interchangeably.
Do phone support agents make outbound calls?
Some do. Outbound duties include appointment reminders, payment follow ups, service check ins, and renewal calls. Many roles are inbound only, so state which one you need in the job post.
What qualifications do phone support agents need?
The BLS says customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma and receive on the job training. Employers screen for communication skills, CRM familiarity, and composure under pressure. Technical lines add product knowledge.
Is phone support worth it for a small business?
Customers say yes. Verint found that 66% phoned a company in the past twelve months, more than used any other channel, and 61% prefer a human to AI service. If your calls go to voicemail or to whoever happens to be free, that is the first fix to make.
What is a good first call resolution rate?
SQM puts the call center average at 70% and calls 70 to 75% a good rate. Every point above that lowers repeat calls and lifts satisfaction.
Extra Read: Here’s a guide on Customer Service Outsourcing.
Customers Want To “Hear” Trustworthiness
Phone support is still the channel customers reach for first; the agent on that call decides whether the problem gets fixed once or comes back.
The data points this way – that customers want a human available. Everyone wants their questions answered and concerns eased and resolved. But trustworthiness. An experience that tells them they can trust your brand, and continue to, is the real value here.
esolution drives satisfaction, and agent turnover is the expense that deserves the closest watch.
Build the team that supports your vision of customer relationship-nurturing through phone support. Request a Callback today.
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Vaune Everis Cura has always been a writer in the truest sense, drawn to the art both as a personal creative pursuit and as a profession. Her experience penning content across digital marketing spaces and collaborating with business owners and market shapers has broadened her craft to include strategic direction and SEO insight. Having spent years with the InterContinental Hotels Group before stepping boldly into freelancing, she understands that at the centre of it all are genuine, meaningful brand–customer relationships built on purposeful, human content.
