July 15, 2015
In this age of instant, anonymous contact, some customers will still need to speak with a real person in real time. Unfortunately, very few of them call to compliment you on what a great job you’re doing. More often than not, they’re calling with a problem or complaint, and it’s in times like these that your contact center staff really earn their pay.
Still, not everyone who answers your phones is fully up to speed. That’s why it’s important to focus on a few key points and make sure everyone is on board with at least the basics.
In a recent blog post, Brian Olesen, Director of Enterprise Operations at inContact, a leading cloud contact center provider, highlighted four points he believes contact centers must prioritize to maintain strong customer relationships and keep customers coming back. His insights are worth sharing:
Be Human: While it may sound simplistic, it just makes good sense to treat your callers the way you’d like to be treated. “Too often, the customer experience fails to take into account the human aspect of the interaction,” Olesen notes. “Although we might think of customers as records with account numbers, it’s critical that you establish a human connection with the person on the other end of the line.”
Educate Your People: If your staff isn’t aware of new products or incentives, how can they possibly spread the word to customers? “They should be the first to know what’s been released so they can answer customer questions,” Olesen says. “In addition, all contact center employees and managers should receive training on customer service skills, how to maximize the customer experience, and how to handle angry or upset customers with poise and grace.”
Provide Access to Tools and Information: “It’s essential that agents have the right tools to do the best job they can,” Olesen emphasizes. “No one would dream of asking a mechanic to perform car maintenance without a wrench; so why do we deny our contact center employees access to the tools they need?” Again, it seems simple, but it’s amazing how many people overlook this critical step.
Implement an Employee Rotation Program: When an employee understands how each department in a company operates, they can better answer customer inquiries more quickly and efficiently—or refer them to someone who can. “A job-shadowing arrangement in which contact center employees can observe and learn from other teams can not only broaden the employee’s perspective but also improve retention, which is an ongoing challenge for contact centers,” Olesen says.
Be real, be smart, be prepared, and be mindful. These steps are easy to put into practice, and the rewards can be enormous.