This is a guest post from Meghan Greene of The Marketing Zen & Kova Corp. Learn more about her and her company at the end of the post.
Your call center is the hub of your customer service operation, and to best appease your customers, you need to meet their expectations. In this technology driven decade, consumers have grown accustomed to getting results instantaneously. As a result, they place an extremely high value on their time. This attitude includes demanding fast, diligent and effective problem resolution when contacting your call center.
In order to run a call center efficiently and keep your customer happy at the same time, it is important to utilize the best workforce management software possible and learn what your customers want from you.
Fast Access
When customers call, they want to be connected with an agent as soon as possible. Nothing is worse than hearing, “All of our agents are busy right now. We will answer your call as soon as possible.” Waiting in the call queue for a significant period of time sets a negative tone for the conversation that will eventually follow.
Highly professional call center agents
Call center agents are the glue of the process, and how they interact with the callers defines the customer service experience. Some basic traits consumers expect is an agent who is helpful, polite, and patient.
Additionally, consumers value most someone with whom it is easy to communicate. They want the ability to get their message across in a clear and defined manner while getting an appropriate response back.
Remember, easy communication doesn’t necessarily mean the agent should follow a script verbatim because this can come across as robotic and disingenuous. However, call scripts do have great benefits when used properly.
The number one complaint about call centers is that the agents are unhelpful and rude; don’t let this negative stigma plague your center. Meet your customers’ expectations by employing friendly and helpful call center agents.
To be heard
To be efficient, most people find it best to tackle a problem head on, and that is the attention customers crave.
When customers contact a call center, they want to answer the general questions only once. They don’t want to be transferred to another department and be forced to answer the same set of questions repetitively. This is a hassle for the customer and it sends a message that their problem isn’t being taken seriously.
Sincerely listening to a customer proves that you value their business and that you are dedicated to assisting them.
A solution to their problem
When customers call, they expect their request to be handled in an efficient manner with the agents delivering a solution in a timely fashion. They don’t want their call to be shuffled around and transferred to multiple departments.
Sometimes agents act irrationally when their calls are being monitored because they feel pressured to achieve certain performance standards. As a result, they may be more inclined to offer a quick “band aid” fix instead of a permanent solution. A real, genuine, and timely solution to their problem is exactly why the customer is reaching out to your call center.
Customers have high expectations when calling, and it is the job of your call center to meet those expectations.
To ensure your call center rises to meet these challenges, evaluate if and how they’re meeting expectations.
- First, your customers should be connected with agents in a timely manner.
- Then check to see if the agents are operating with a cheery and helpful disposition. No customer wants to be ignored, so confirm that they are only being asked general information as few times as possible.
- Finally, offer a solid solution to the customer.
If all of these things are being done by your call center – congratulations! Be proud that your company is offering top-notch customer service, but remember that there is always room to improve.
Author Bio: Meghan Greene
Meghan is a vital part of the SEO and Content Development team at The Marketing Zen & Kova Corp. Meghan attends Elon University, double majoring in Marketing and International Business.
(Cover photo courtesy of StockSnap.io)