One of the prime methods to increase customer satisfaction depends on the application of resourceful methods, that would benefit not only customers but also prove profitable to your enterprise, by cutting down the traffic of inbound and outbound calls.
Here’s a list of varied means one could implement to achieve a premium level of customer care efficiency:
1. Establish Multiple Routes of Contact
The first approach of reducing call volume is to create alternate channels through which communication can be established. E-mails and instant messaging with agents are one of the most optimal and easiest methods for interaction, followed by Automated SMS/mails. Additionally, you can also inquire into the customer’s view on their preferred mode of contact.
2. Invest in Educating your Agents
One of the foremost requirements for handling client requests and grievances should be the use of tactful, quick and able agents for interactions. To achieve this, you must invest in developing the skillsets of your agents periodically, updating their knowledge in terms of fastest and most efficient ways of troubleshooting. The capability of your agents would be in turn proportional to a higher satisfaction rate amongst customers.
3. First Call Resolution
In tandem with the above point, agents must commit to solve customer related issues in the first contact. Customers who are forced to call again not only add to the number of incoming calls but also pose a threat to satisfaction levels, as inconvenience may lead to the reduction of said levels.
4. Study Collected Service Data
Another good investment in terms of reducing call volume is to study the features and nuances of customer calls. An increased awareness about certain aspects of calls directed such as call time, nature of issue, nature of resolution, method of resolution, amount of time on hold etc, would help create alternate avenues which you may adapt accordingly for increasing adequacy.
5. Introducing Self-Service Call Options
One method to reduce outbound calls is to introduce automated/agent generated self-resolving options to clients. After surveying your customer call data, choose those occurrences that are menial and can be dealt with through self-serving call options, thus reducing redundancy. One must, however, employ this under controlled circumstances, as doing so liberally and exclusively may result in a drop of customer satisfaction, since these types of calls could be regarded as inadequate or irritable, to resolve every issue.
6. Compartmentalize
Investing in the creation of varied sub-departments to where the different nature of calls could be directed to, would be vastly beneficial in cutting down call volume. Moreover one must also ensure that the contact and customer care center does not operate as the in extenso service centre, specialising in two disparate centers would be advantageous.
7. Quality
Poor quality and issues arising during customer interactions may act as a giant deterrent to customer satisfaction and result in repeat callers. Weak connections may even lead to slowing down our agents’ response, providing abilities and services. Fortunately, this can easily be fixed by routinely monitoring and, if necessary, upgrading your broadband/service connections.
8. Predicting Traffic
Reviewing customer contact data would also help in estimating troughs and crests in inbound call volume. Gauging this right variable would result in an almost accurate sense of staffing in numbers of required agents to handle the call volume accordingly.
9. Outsource
Outsourcing contact centers in face of copious inbound traffic may help in reducing the pressure on agents. Contact centers are growing increasingly adept in the field of contact and interactions. One could customise the methods in which the facility treats the customers, from directing calls to respective departments to troubleshooting minor/accessible aspects themselves.
10. Regulate Transfers
Monitoring the number of in-transfers while dealing with clients can prove as an effective tool to decrease unnecessary complexities.
Hopefully, incorporating and adapting these metrics in your approach(while taking into account other non-customer related components)would certainly increase your contact apparatus’s competence.