It’s the most wonderful time of the year,
With the kids jingle belling,
And everyone telling you to be of good cheer,
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
I have always been a fan of Santa Claus. It took a lot of effort for me to actually believe, that all those gifts were given to me by mum, and not him. But then, Christmas is not a festival, it’s a feeling. A feeling which waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
This season is special, it makes everyone merry! And if it is everyone we are talking about, why not walk an extra mile to make your customers happy, with innovative greetings and little packets of surprises? So, here are a few tips for the same.
- Get in the festive mode– Every call an agent attends, the caller should feel the festivity, the fun and excitement, of Christmas and New Years. But, at the same time that doesn’t mean to overdo anything. It also doesn’t mean that as an agent, you can compromise on providing them the best possible assistance.
- Change the ‘when in queue’ song– This is perhaps the most appropriate preparation, one can implement. All agents are expected to be bombarded with calls and queries, hence the customer ‘hold time’ and ‘the average time’ he would spend being in queue, while his call is being answered, is also expected to shoot up. So, instead of playing the same tone on repeat, play a Christmas carol. It will cheer up your customers for sure.
- Surprise them– It is often said, that customers don’t like surprises. Well, this time of the year, and so much happiness around the corner, we think that no customer would mind a pleasant surprise. This can be anything, ranging from a ‘Gesture of Goodwill’ to felicitating their simple requests, like if they request a callback on some query, or issue they are facing. Do it!
- Build a rapport– This is that time of the calendar when even the least interested customers would not mind a healthy, fun and perhaps a little informative conversation. This also means, it can be an opportunity for call center agents to build rapport and make your customers feel a bit relaxed and have a trust factor involved.
- Do your homework– The call flow would be humongous. The turret will keep-on ringing. Avoid instilling any false hopes, that the work pressure would be moderate to low. And, amidst all this, make sure that every customer is treated very graciously. A recent study conveyed that, over 62% of millennials prefer to call a customer service executive to speak directly about their concerns, over other channels.
- Miscellaneous acts of care and support– Besides being on your toes for all your customer’s queries, and treating them with the feeling that the customer is always right, there can be little gestures of help to bring a smile on their faces. ‘Call center support staff’, is like unsung heroes of a brand. They become the face and voice of the company. And, there cannot be a better occasion than this to truly show your support and care, for the customer.
- Last but not the least, don’t forget to say Merry Christmas! This doesn’t need any explanation.
This season also makes it fair to indulge a little and have a little fun, even while you are working. And, ‘Decorations’ are the most essential and obvious part of Christmas. Kitting out the office in tinsel, baubles and mistletoe and getting all agents to wear Santa hats gets them in a positive frame of mind and galvanizes the team. After all, all work and no play, makes everybody dull and the team sway!
A happy team is a productive one. It also gets the buzz going around the office that the Christmas party isn’t far away, to make them feel more energized and productive.
We hope these pointers were really helpful to plan a ‘Merry Christmas’, and make the most of it, even while working! Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!
