Contact Centre Operations

Welcome to the subject homepage for SVQs in Contact Centre Operations, you will find information relating to the structure of each award, assessment guidance and candidate portfolios (including the National Occupational Standards (NOS)). We hope that you find this information interesting and useful.

Please note that there is also a feedback form which gives you the opportunity to send us your comments and views on the standards, the qualification structures and the range of guidance currently available for the SVQs in Contact Centre Operations.

The SVQs in Contact Centre Operations are intended for people working in a wide variety of job roles within a contact centre.

These people may be working as contact centre operators, contact centre agents, team leaders etc. The skills and knowledge required for these occupations can be grouped into two sets:

Customer service skills covering the way in which operators/agents and team leaders relate to people and understand the organisation’s preferred approach to customers
Specific product and service knowledge and skills relating to what the organisation offers and how its delivery systems work.

The SVQs are designed to be assessed in the workplace. The types of workplace can be varied and while they can also vary in size, it is generally accepted that a contact centre will have a minimum of ten staff directly involved in the customer contact process.

Important information: As of 1 September 2016, all SVQs with an established SCQF level no longer include the SVQ level in their titles. Please note that our web pages and documents will gradually be updated over time as the SVQs are reviewed, so may still contain the existing titles. More information on SCQF levels can be found on our SCQF web page.

Revised SVQs in Contact Centre Operations

The National Occupational Standards and SVQ structures for Contact Centre awards have been revised. SQA offers the SVQ 2 in Contact Centre Operations at SCQF level 5 and the SVQ 3 in Contact Centre Operations at SCQF level 6. These awards were accredited on 14 March 2012 and will lapse on 31 March 2017.

SVQ 2 Contact Centre Operations at SCQF level 5 GF05 22
SVQ 3 Contact Centre Operations at SCQF level 6 GF06 23

More detail on the qualifications is shown in the sections below.

Use the tabs below to open each section individually. Alternatively you can show all hide all the sections.

Where can you take this course?

Qualification content and delivery tools

Information about the qualification(s)

National Occupational Standards

Unit information for this qualification is available on our Accredited Qualification Unit Search.

Candidates Recording Forms 2012 awards (including NOS and evidence requirements)

Candidate Recording Forms for 2012 awards

Candidate disclaimer for SVQ Portfolio (154 KB)
Candidate disclaimer for SVQ Portfolio (22 KB)

Candidate Guidance and Portfolio for SVQ 2 and SVQ 3 Contact Centre Operations (22 KB)

SVQ 2 Contact Centre Operations

Unit Code	Document
F9A0 04	IT Using the Internet 2 (39 KB)
	IT Using the Internet 2
F9A3 04	IT Using Email 1 (33 KB)
	IT Using Email 1
F9A4 04	IT Using Email 2 (33 KB)
	IT Using Email 2
F9A6 04	IT Using Collaborative Technologies 1 (38 KB)
	IT Using Collaborative Technologies 1
F9A7 04	IT Using Collaborative Technologies 2 (39 KB)
	IT Using Collaborative Technologies 2
F9AP 04	IT Bespoke Software 2 (34 KB)
	IT Bespoke Software 2 (45 KB)
F9D7 04	Word Processing Software 2 (94 KB)
	Word Processing Software
F99W 04	IT Communication Fundamentals 1 (36 KB)
	IT Communication Fundamentals 1
F99X 04	IT Communication Fundamentals 2 (35 KB)
	IT Communication Fundamentals 2
F99Y 04	IT Using the Internet 1 (37 KB)
	IT Using the Internet 1
F940 04	Give Customers a Positive Impression of Yourself and Your Organisation (30 KB)
	Give Customers a Positive Impression of Yourself and Your Organisation (30 KB)
F941 04	Resolve Customer Service Problems (28 KB)
	Resolve Customer Service Problems
F942 04	Promote Additional Services or Products to Customers (28 KB)
	Promote Additional Services or Products to Customers
F944 04	Maintain Customer Service Through Effective Handover (30 KB)
	Maintain Customer Service Through Effective Handover
FD3H 04	Develop Productive Working Relationships with Colleagues (43 KB)
	Develop Productive Working Relationships with Colleagues
FE1N 04	Follow the Rules to Deliver Customer Service (27 KB)
	Follow the Rules to Deliver Customer Service
FE2A 04	Deal with Incoming Telephone Calls From Customers (34 KB)
	Deal with Incoming Telephone Calls From Customers
FE2D 04	Deliver Customer Service to Difficult Customers (30 KB)
	Deliver Customer Service to Difficult Customers
FE2G 04	Process Customer Service Complaints (31 KB)
	Process Customer Service Complaints
FE2L 04	Support Customers Using Online Customer Service (29 KB)
	Support Customers Using Online Customer Service
FE2M 04	Buddy a Colleague to Develop their Customer Service Skills (34 KB)
	Buddy a Colleague to Develop their Customer Service Skills (34 KB)
FE2N 04	Develop Your Own Customer Service Skills Through Self-study (29 KB)
	Develop Your Own Customer Service Skills Through Self-study
FE20 04	Deal with Customers Using Bespoke Software (30 KB)
	Deal with Customers Using Bespoke Software
FE25 04	Process Information About Customers (29 KB)
	Process Information About Customers
FE36 04	Work with Others to Improve Customer Service (27 KB)
	Work with Others to Improve Customer Service
H11S 04	Use Systems and Technology During Customer Contact in a Contact Centre (42 KB)
	Use Systems and Technology During Customer Contact in a Contact Centre
H11T 04	Deliver Customer Service Through a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Deliver Customer Service Through a Contact Centre
H11V 04	Carry Out Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre (34 KB)
	Carry Out Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre
H11W 04	Communicate Information in Customer Contact Through a Contact Centre (30 KB)
	Communicate Information in Customer Contact Through a Contact Centre
H11X 04	Provide Support Through a Contact Centre for Specified Products and/or Services (32 KB)
	Provide Support Through a Contact Centre for Specified Products and/or Services
H11Y 04	Deal with Incidents Through a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Deal with Incidents Through a Contact Centre
H12P 04	Comply with Health and Safety Procedures in a Contact Centre (28 KB)
	Comply with Health and Safety Procedures in a Contact Centre
H12S 04	Improve Your Personal Effectiveness at Work in a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Improve Your Personal Effectiveness at Work in a Contact Centre
H120 04	Support Customers and Colleagues when Providing Contact Centre Services (33 KB)
	Support Customers and Colleagues when Providing Contact Centre Services
H121 04	Sell Products or Services Over the Telephone (40 KB)
	Sell Products or Services Over the Telephone
H122 04	Handle Objections and Close Sales (39 KB)
	Handle Objections and Close Sales
H123 04	Prioritise Information for Sales Planning (33 KB)
	Prioritise Information for Sales Planning
H124 04	Input and Access Data in Your Organisation's Information Systems (39 KB)
	Input and Access Data in Your Organisation's Information Systems (38 KB)

SVQ 3 Contact Centre Operations

Unit Code	Document
DR67 04	Manage Your Own Resources and Professional Development (45 KB)
	Manage Your Own Resources and Professional Development (55 KB)
F2H2 04	Lead Meetings (43 KB)
	Lead Meetings (281 KB)
F9A0 04	IT Using the Internet 2 (39 KB)
	IT Using the Internet 2 (40 KB)
F9A4 04	IT Using Email 2 (33 KB)
	IT Using Email 2 (33 KB)
F9A7 04	IT Using Collaborative Technologies 2 (39 KB)
	IT Using Collaborative Technologies 2 (39 KB)
F9AR 04	Bespoke Software 3 (76 KB)
	Bespoke Software 3 (45 KB) (45 KB)
F99W 04	IT Communication Fundamentals 1 (36 KB)
	IT Communication Fundamentals 1 (34 KB)
F944 04	Maintain Customer Service Through Effective Handover (30 KB)
	Maintain Customer Service Through Effective Handover (31 KB)
FD3H 04	Develop Productive Working Relationships with Colleagues (43 KB)
	Develop Productive Working Relationships with Colleagues (47 KB)
FE2G 04	Process Customer Service Complaints (31 KB)
	Process Customer Service Complaints (32 KB)
FE2L 04	Support Customers Using Online Customer Service (29 KB)
	Support Customers Using Online Customer Service (31 KB)
FE2M 04	Buddy a Colleague to Develop their Customer Service Skills (34 KB)
	Buddy a Colleague to Develop their Customer Service Skills (34 KB)
FE2N 04	Develop Your Own Customer Service Skills Through Self-study (29 KB)
	Develop Your Own Customer Service Skills Through Self-study (31 KB)
FE2Y 04	Build a Customer Service Knowledge Set (29 KB)
	Build a Customer Service Knowledge Set (31 KB)
FE3A 04	Lead a Team to Improve Customer Service (30 KB)
	Lead a Team to Improve Customer Service (32 KB)
FE3C 04	Gather, Analyse and Interpret Customer Feedback (34 KB)
	Gather, Analyse and Interpret Customer Feedback (34 KB)
FE3D 04	Monitor the Quality of Customer Service Transactions (30 KB)
	Monitor the Quality of Customer Service Transactions (34 KB)
FE3G 04	Champion Customer Service (30 KB)
	Champion Customer Service (32 KB)
FE3P 04	Handle Referred Customer Complaints (28 KB)
	Handle Referred Customer Complaints (32 KB)
FE20 04	Deal with Customers Using Bespoke Software (30 KB)
	Deal with Customers Using Bespoke Software (32 KB)
FE31 04	Organise the Delivery of Reliable Customer Service (31 KB)
	Organise the Delivery of Reliable Customer Service (33 KB)
FE36 04	Work with Others to Improve Customer Service (27 KB)
	Work with Others to Improve Customer Service (31 KB)
FM4J 04	Provide Leadership for Your Team (44 KB)
	Provide Leadership for Your Team (47 KB)
FM4L 04	Promote Equality of Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion in Your Area of Responsibility (43 KB)
	Promote Equality of Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion in Your Area of Responsibility (48 KB)
FM4N 04	Encourage Innovation in Your Team (41 KB)
	Encourage Innovation in Your Team (45 KB)
FM52 04	Allocate and Check Work in Your Team (49 KB)
	Allocate and Check Work in Your Team (48 KB)
FM55 04	Reduce and Manage Conflict in Your Team (39 KB)
	Reduce and Manage Conflict in Your Team (44 KB)
FM62 04	Manage the Delivery of Customer Service in Your Area of Responsibility (44 KB)
	Manage the Delivery of Customer Service in Your Area of Responsibility (47 KB)
FM63 04	Prepare Sales Proposals and Deliver Sales Presentations (39 KB)
	Prepare Sales Propolsals and Deliver Sales Presentations (41 KB)
FM64 04	Sell Products/Services to Customers (36 KB)
	Sell Products/Services to Customers (38 KB)
H11V 04	Carry Out Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre (34 KB)
	Carry Out Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre (34 KB)
H11Y 04	Deal with Incidents Through a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Deal with Incidents Through a Contact Centre (28 KB)
H12A 04	Communicate Information to Customers in Different but Familiar Contexts Through a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Communicate Information to Customers in Different but Familiar Contexts Trhough a Contact Centre (32 KB)
H12B 04	Contribute to Performance Management in a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Contribute to Performance Management in a Contact Centre (34 KB)
H12C 04	Contribute to Resource Plan Development in Contact Centre Operations (32 KB)
	Contribute to Resource Plan Development in Contact Centre Operations (34 KB)
H12D 04	Manage Incidents Referred to in a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Manage Incidents Referred to in a Contatct Centre (29 KB)
H12E 04	Manage Customer Service Delivery in a Contact Centre (32 KB)
	Manage Customer Service Delivery in a Contact Centre (35 KB)
H12F 04	Monitor and Oversee Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre (32 KB)
	Monitor and Oversee Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre (44 KB)
H12G 04	Co-ordinate Customer Communication Processes in a Contact Centre (30 KB)
	Co-ordinate Customer Communication Processes in a Contact Centre (33 KB)
H12H 04	Review and Maintain Customer Support Operations in a Contact Centre (31 KB)
	Review and Maintain Customer Support Operations in a Contact Centre (34 KB)
H12J 04	Lead a Sales Team (40 KB)
	Lead a Sales Team (49 KB)
H12K 04	Contribute to the Development of New Products and Services (39 KB)
	Contribute to the Development of New Products and Services (40 KB)
H12P 04	Comply with Health and Safety Procedures in a Contact Centre (28 KB)
	Comply with Health and Safety Procedures in a Contact Centre (41 KB)
H120 04	Support Customers and Colleagues when Providing Contact Centre Services (33 KB)
	Support Cusotmers and Colleagues when Providing Contact Centre Services (35 KB)
H122 04	Handle Objections and Close Sales (39 KB)
	Handle Objections and Close Sales (39 KB)
H125 04	Seek Opportunites to Develop Your Own Personal Effectiveness at Work in a Contact Centre (32 KB)
	Seek Opportunities to Develop Your Own Personal Effectiveness at Work in a Contact Centre (48 KB)
H126 04	Monitor Health and Safety Procedures in a Contact Centre (33 KB)
	Monitor Health and Safety Procedures in a Contact Centre (33 KB)
H127 04	Support Team Use of Contact Centre Systems and Technology (32 KB)
	Support Team Use of Contact Centre Systems and Technology (31 KB)
H128 04	Supervise Customer Service Activities in a Contact Centre Team (31 KB)
	Supervise Customer Service Activities in a Contact Centre Team (33 KB)
H129 04	Lead Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre Team (33 KB)
	Lead Direct Sales Activities in a Contact Centre Team (49 KB)

Information about delivery, assessment, quality assurance and support material

Assessment strategy

Assessment Strategy for 2005 awards

Assessment Strategy for NVQs/SVQs for Contact Centres (209 KB)

Assessment Strategy for 2012 awards

Assessment Strategy for NVQs/SVQs for Contact Centres (92 KB)

Assessor's guidelines

Assessor Guidelines for 2005 awards

Assessor Guidelines for 2012 awards

Assessor's Guidelines - Contact Centre Operations at Levels 2 and 3 (371 KB)

Candidate Guidance and Portfolio

Guidance for candidates starting an SVQ (626 KB)
Candidate Portfolio A4 Cover (118 KB)
Candidate blank recording forms (616 KB)

SVQ Structures

SVQ 2 Contact Centre Operations SCQF level 5 (34 KB)
SVQ 3 Contact Centre Operations SCQF level 6 (92 KB)

Feeback Form

SQA would welcome your views, comments or feedback on the standards, qualification structures and guidance for SVQs in Contact Centre Operations. Please find below a form for your feedback:

Feedback Form (34 KB)

Please send your feedback to: elaine.snell@sqa.org.uk