Outbound Call Center Featured Article

CALL CENTER: TAKE THE EXTRA STEP FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

By TMCnet Special Guest
Steve Cramer

Imagine that every single person in your business feels like they are personally accountable for the satisfaction of every customer. Imagine how hard every employee would work in that case. Now visualize that there is a way that you can track not only the service calls but the service tech that handled the call, right to the last detail.

Monitoring Your Calls in the Call Center

Envision a system of monitoring customer satisfaction via the call center. What aspect of the call that was not handled properly? Or at what point did the call take a turn for the worse? Maybe the service call was fine, but the customer service rep did not follow up or follow company protocol. Where did it all go wrong to end in an unsatisfied customer, or loss of a sale. Maybe the service technician was knowledgeable and polite but unable to complete the service as planned? Having the ability to monitor calls allows companies to perfect their strategies for improved customer retention and satisfaction. There are several steps to improving customer service from your call center’s standpoint. Each aspect should be fully realized and integrated with the other steps.

Post Service Call Center Contact

No matter why a customer has initiated contact with your business, you should make sure that there is a follow-up call, thanking them for their patronage. From order, to reorder, complaint, question or concern, every call in, should equal a return call out.

Outbound Call Center Messages

The post-service call can come with the use of automated messages that not only thank the customer for their patronage but directly offer follow-up steps and suggestions for their continued satisfaction. For instance, an automated message directed toward a recent complaint should:

Thank the customer for their continued loyalty

Apologize for the complaint/dissatisfaction

Provide steps to take if the problem was not properly resolved with initial contact

This message should be brief and to the point while remaining cordial and congenial, a daunting task for an automated voice, but doable and necessary.

Request Customer Feedback in Your Call Center

Every call should be monitored for satisfaction, not only of that particular contact but of the business in general. This includes asking customers to participate in a survey. To be fully effective, a survey of any kind must be:

Confirmable

Randomly generated

Brief in duration

Direct and to the point

Each customer who agrees to the survey should be told exactly what the data is being used for, for the sake of informed consent and no one should feel obligated to do so. Opting in or out of the survey should only be at the very end of the phone call itself and not before the matter at hand is completely taken care of. At no point should a survey be commenced before service has been performed.

Tracking Service Calls

Every service call has a mission: to satisfy the customer. If the customers are complaining about service or the surveys and other statistics are showing unsatisfactory marks, an improvement in the way service calls are handled may be necessary. Customer feedback is quite possibly the single most valuable information received during its existence. Any ability to capture this feedback should not be overlooked.

Tracking Service Techs

Lousy techs give lousy service, no matter how proficient they actually are. Rude, surly or disinterested service techs can cost a business thousands of dollars and a reputation that is not easily forgotten. Tracking the individual service calls and getting a handle on how well your customer service team handles your most valuable assets – customers, is essential to the growth and sustainment of your business. 

Steven has applied his award winning expertise (JD Powers and National Quality Review) to the achievement of revenue objectives. These skills reflect his leadership and comprehensive understanding of Accounts Receivable Management, Customer Service, Billing, Sales, and Operations. His leadership in domestic and international (Verizon (News - Alert) International) operations increased productivity through streamlined process and procedures.