Running a call centre is expensive, and if you don’t set up your team and system effectively you can waste money quickly. Here are five more tips to help you keep your team running at optimum efficiency.
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Use screen popping
Even if you have the best voice termination software available, it will be wasted if it connects a customer to an agent who has no clue how to help them. Enable your staff to feel informed from the start of the conversation by using screen popping software to automatically bring up key information about the person calling.
Incentivise your workforce
You’ve established your KPIs and you know what you want your staff to achieve in terms of call handling times, email response levels and other targets. You’ve also set in place regular reporting schedules so you can see if these targets are being met. However, you still need to make your staff want to hit these targets. There are a number of ways to achieve this – consider incentive schemes, bonuses or activities that let them give something back – http://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/15799191.Clydebank_centre_staff_answer_call_to_help_homeless/.
Manage staff performance
It’s important to drill down into individual data when reviewing your team’s performance. Some staff will be leading the way and others will be falling behind. You need to reward your big hitters and provide encouragement and support for those not performing effectively. Consider mentoring programmes that will allow an underperformer to learn from one of your stars.
Let your customers sort things out themselves
It is far cheaper for customers to sort out issues themselves as much as possible. A survey recently calculated every face to face contact costs £15, postal enquiries cost £12, phone enquiries £5 and online interactions just 6p. Consider frontloading your website and telephone channels with information directing customers to relevant areas of the website where possible, and make sure that your website is capable of performing as many services as possible, from processing orders and refunds to setting up SMS settings. Companies like idtexpress can help you analyse your systems and identify areas that can benefit from automation. Having said that…
Keep it simple
Make sure your welcoming messages on telephones are short, simple sentences that make it easy for customers to choose the correct option. Also, always include a ‘repeat these options’ function.
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