Delivering Jaw-Dropping Inbound Call Center Service

Most of us know delivering jaw-dropping inbound call center service contributes to massive growth and happy customers.

Facilitating this goal is the true test of a manager’s true prowess, particularly in light of a highly competitive call center market.

Today we’ll dig into how sophisticated inbound call center managers identify agent talent and use cloud-based inbound call center software to create a second-to-none service reputation.

The Skills That Build a Legendary Reputation

Companies that hire inbound call centers are looking for great value and market-specific solutions. But unbelievable customer service at the best possible price is still the most crucial need.

After all, a company’s service reputation can seal its fate for future customers.

So which agent skills are most important for managers to identify to facilitate the delivery of top-notch service that enhances a company’s brand?

Active Listening

The best inbound call center agents possess the ability to ease the most frustrated customer’s mind. They actively listen to customer’s problems and formulate potential solutions in the process.

Agents who actively listen also repeat back the issue to the customer to show understanding and seek clarity.

Then the agent can help the customer directly using their product and procedure knowledge – or they can connect the customer with a more specialized agent for a quick resolution.

Similarly, service-oriented agents are empathetic and know when and when not to place customers on hold. For example, they know placing angry customers on hold may exacerbate the situation, making a speedy and satisfying solution almost impossible.

Of course, there are many more skills the best inbound call center agents develop to give jaw-dropping service. Check them out in the link above.

How a Call Center’s Size Can Affect Its Customer Service

Large Scale Call Centers

Large scale call centers have more resources and a more extensive agent staff. Managers in this setting can identify agents who work serve guests best in particular roles.

Depending on their size, large call centers may even have dedicated teams for a particular area – think collections, sales, new account set up, retention, demanding customers, and more.

So how do these call centers make the most of their resources, boosting efficiency and service at the same time?

They use an Automatic Call Distribution system (ACD), powered by cloud-based technology, to almost instantly route incoming calls to the best agents available based on their skillsets, availability, and customer needs.

That way, customers never have to wait on hold. Plus, they get the agent they need to solve their precise issue quickly.

Small Scale Call Centers

In the small scale inbound call center setting, agents on staff are more likely to wear many hats when serving callers. It’s less likely these centers have dedicated teams, so managers make the most of what they have.

The more adaptable agents a small center is lucky to have, the happier customers are likely to be. Their problems are solved faster, and they don’t have to wait on hold for long periods.

Small centers can still use a cloud-based ACD system to improve their efficiency and service. And when a small staff is overwhelmed with calls, managers can use ACD to deploy the queued call back feature.

The queued call back feature gives customers the option to wait on hold or save their place in line while they go about their day. When it’s their turn, an agent calls the customer back. Now the agent is more present and better able to satisfy and delight the caller.  A win-win!

Master Policies and Procedures

As we mentioned above, inbound call center agents who know their products, policies, and procedures have a significant advantage in delivering the best service in the industry.

Why?

Because they are comfortable serving customers and talking to them naturally, they’ll then speak conversationally and already have multiple “pre-set” solutions in their minds, ready-to-use.

At the same time, these agents have the knowledge and experience to think on the fly, concocting creative solutions to difficult customer situations. All while maintaining legal compliance and not going “rogue.”

Customers sense when an agent is genuinely connecting with them. And they intuitively know when they’re going above and beyond.

The same thing applies when they hear an agent stumbling over a script and botching important disclosures.

Take agents to greater heights and smoother deliveries by a careful analysis of important calls:

• Verbal Agreements
• Commitments to Pay
• Sale Agreements
• Change of Address
• Changes to Existing Arrangements

TCN’s call recording software and overall platform lets you explore any of these situations with voice analysis tagging critical moments like disclosures or a quick look at the desktop activity they undertook as they helped customers.

Handling Low NPS Scores

Managers who actively develop agent skills and give them the freedom to serve, while utilizing the best cloud-based inbound call center software available are bound to strike Net Promoter Score (NPS) gold.

NPS is measured by gathering data from a variety of customer surveys along the customer journey. The higher a company’s score (10/10), the more likely it’s delivering an exceptional service experience.

But how do smart managers move forward when their call center’s NPS scores plummet?

They use the smartest tools available – cloud-based tools like Workforce Management (WFO).

WFO measures agent performance and engagement, analyzing many key performance indicators (KPIs) like average handle time (AHT), first call resolution (FCR) and more.

Capturing agent-customer conversations is also an essential feature of WFO. These tools empower managers to hold agents accountable and provide the necessary training they need to improve the customer experience.

In the same way, Speech Analytics enhances WFO’s features by zooming in even further on agent-caller interactions. Managers get not only fully searchable call transcriptions and recordings but also receive a detailed analysis of customer emotions, and more.

All these tools make identifying the root of flagging NPS scores much faster and easier.

Inbound Call Center Insights

Cloud-Based software provides so much useful data to inbound call center managers; Data that managers can use to better train and coach agents to deliver obsessed customer service.

Managers can also deploy this wealth of information to create more efficient and specialized schedules to support service goals.

But with more data comes potentially more confusion and uncertainty.

That’s why managers must first learn how to use these powerful tools to transform their center into the most effective operations executives have ever seen.

To support managers in their quest for call center excellence, TCN recently put together our “Big Data Call Center” report, which is chock full of practical tips.

It’s free to download and shows managers how to avoid drowning in big data – and instead use it to enhance the customer experience.

Download it today for free!