Most of your customers still prefer dropping an email to get in touch with you due to the ease of using this medium of communication. You can leverage this medium to boost the customer service and hence the customer satisfaction level and hence inflate your business’s profits. Read on to know how.
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1. Consider agent priorities:
According to a research, agents who have worked in the contact center for more than six months have these top three priorities namely:
i) salary
ii) progression
iii) nice environment
On the other hand, the top three priorities for those who have been in the role for less than six months are as follows:
i) nice environment
ii) salary
iii) company culture
Therefore, incentive planning needs to be done on the basis of these priorities in order to lower agent attrition levels in customer support centers. This further helps you can gain the most out of the rewards that are offered. Apart from this, customer support managers also need to focus on the salaries of jobs which require similar skills to the agent role. Also, they need to make sure that the rates of pay that you offer are competitive.
2. Consider benchmarking against good agent skills:
The act of benchmarking the skills of new agents against their well-skilled counterparts will help benefit the quality of calls and provide the required guidance. In order to reduce agent attrition, benchmark advisors against their colleagues instead of alongside metric based targets. Further, suggest them what to pick up from them in call quality monitoring sessions.
3. Monitor customer-centric metrics:
As a matter of fact, the most effective call center agents are typically the ones that make a personalized connection with their callers and derive the most satisfaction from their job. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor customer-centric metrics such as contact quality, customer satisfaction, and first contact resolution. Thereafter, measures need to be taken to enhance them. Also, the contact center managers need to ensure that quantitative metrics such as average handle time or calls per hour are not overvalued. This will help increase customer satisfaction and curb agent attrition.
1. Cross-channel analytics
Customers today, have been provided with multiple channels through which they expect to be able to reach and interact with call center agents. The data flowing in from each of these channels contains valuable insights. This call center analytics enables organizations to identify and evaluate the data so gauged and choose the best channels for interaction with customers. Cross-channel analytics provides a way to determine what channels any of their customers are using at a given moment, and tailor their service options accordingly. Agents can provide a personalized and exceptional customer interaction if they have the required information at their fingertips.
2. Self-service analytics:
This is yet another call center analytics that enables the users to access and analyze corporate data even if they are not trained as a data scientist and do not have any working experience with business intelligence and data mining. Self-service analytics helps to do so through the use of tools that simplify the ease of understanding. It further enables organizations to solve the problems and needs of a large number of businesses that too without the need for data professionals. Self-service requires minimal human involvement and helps cater a larger number of customers efficiently.
3. Performance analytics:
Performance analytics exempts the dependency of call center managers on daily reports and roll ups so as to know how well things are going. It basically offers online reporting and dashboard views of critical performance data, both real-time and historical, in context. This call center analytics enables the organizations to gauge and update relevant information and insights. Based on this information and insights, it further enables the organizations to take pro-active steps to ensure the best possible service to their customers. Thus, it actually helps enhance the customer experience to a large extent.
1. IVR analytics
IVR analytics is a highly effective end-to-end call assessment solution that is a part of customer experience strategy. As a matter of fact, the customers who are greeted by linear thinking IVR systems instead of human voices already assume that their self-service experience is going to be less than favorable. Conducting IVR data analysis helps produce valuable insights that answer many important questions. With insights to these questions, organizations can improve their IVR systems, make them more clear, efficient and user-friendly in responding to callers. Thus, IVR analytics contributes to the success and profitability of companies of all sizes by helping to reduce costs, increase and enhance self-service options, improve first contact resolution, and boost customer satisfaction by providing an exceptional customer experience.
2. Predictive analytics:
Predictive analytics consists of a number of statistical techniques from predictive modeling, machine learning, and data mining that analyze current and historical facts to make predictions about future or otherwise unknown events. Using in-depth review of past performance in call volume, service level, handle time, and customer satisfaction, the predictive analysis makes it possible to apply past solutions to upcoming problems. This information can also be used in training to boost call agent effectiveness and enhance the customer experience. Predictive analytics help organizations determine which operational changes would be the most effective at improving the call center’s overall performance. As an added bonus, it also reduces handle time and operational costs by providing more effective communication.
3. Call center desktop analytics:
Call center desktop analytics enables companies to capture inefficiencies, improve security, and explore potential coaching opportunities for phone agents. By viewing the phone agent’s activity during the call and capturing all activity on the agent’s desktop, a company can ensure that the agent is using their systems most effectively, and that the systems themselves are functioning properly. Using comprehensive desktop analytics, an analyst can find and remove redundant tasks that increase call handle time and frustrate both agents and customers alike. This would further help in providing exceptional customer service.
The term “Cross-media queuing” refers to a call center methodology in which all incoming messages, be it a phone call, an e-mail, fax, interactive voice response (IVR) message, website submission or an instant message, is routed in the same way. As per a resource, Intel provided a whitepaper which states that the cross-media queuing application needs five components. Cross-media queuing is achieved with the help of technology tools that help in creating a queue engine, media interaction modules, agent application modules, configuration and administration modules and a statistical and reporting module.
The specified components and their functions have been described in detail below:
1.A queue engine:
The cross-media queuing requires a queue engine to act as a central coordination point. A system manager configures business rules. This coordination point negotiates all interactions with customers based upon these business rules.
2. Media interaction modules:
Customer queries may be received through a number of channels. In order to accept incoming customer queries from media channels and send the queries to agent applications as directed by the queue engine, media interaction modules are needed.
3. Agent application modules:
Customer queries arrive every now and then at call center agents’ desktops. Therefore, in order to enable automatic management of these queries, agent application modules are needed. The modules could be built by the system developers. Agent application modules can even be modified to be integrated into specific desktop applications.
5. Configuration and administration modules:
Configuration and administration modules are the ones that system administrators can use to establish business rules for routing media configure and manage queuing features.
6. Statistics and reporting module:
This type of module is required for recording and reporting purpose in a cross-media queuing system. A statistics and reporting module records and reports upon the flow of communication. It also lets you measure the system’s performance and record it as well.
In call centers’ context, ITS stands for issue tracking system. It is also known as trouble ticket system, support ticket, request management or incident ticket system. An ITS is a computer software package that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization and is used in its customer support center. They are basically used to create, update, and resolve reported customer issues, or even issues reported by that organization’s other employees. As a matter of fact, support ticket should include vital information for the account involved and the issue encountered.
In most cases, an issue tracking system also contains a knowledge base containing information on each customer, resolutions to common problems, and other relevant data. An ITS is similar to a “bug tracker”, and often, a software company will sell both. In fact, some bug trackers are capable of being used as an issue tracking system, and vice versa. Consistent use of an issue or bug tracking system is considered one of the “hallmarks of a good software team” as it enhances the quality of customer service.
A ticket element, within an issue tracking system, refers to a running report on a particular problem, its status, and other relevant data. They almost always have a unique reference number, also known as a case, issue or call log number which is used to allow the user or help staff to quickly locate, add to or communicate the status of the user’s issue or request. Also, they are commonly created in a help desk or call center environment
As far as issues are concerned, they can have several aspects to them. An urgency value may be assigned to each issue in the system, based on the overall importance of that issue. Of all the issues, low or zero urgency issues are minor and should be resolved as time permits. Other details of issues include the customer experiencing the issue (whether external or internal), date of submission, detailed descriptions of the problem being experienced, attempted solutions or workarounds, and other such information.
Skills-based routing refers to a call-assignment strategy used in call centers to assign incoming calls to the most suitable agent, instead of simply choosing the next available agent. It can be considered as an advancement to the ACD systems found in most call centers. Call centers these days have become larger and have to deal with a wider variety of call types. Skills-based routing comes as a perfect solution to this problem. A successful skills-based routing strategy enables you to increase agent productivity by allowing agents to draw on their personal knowledge and experience base to answer questions faster. this further reduces call-handling time, increases the likelihood of first-call resolution and increases customer confidence and satisfaction.
A simple automatic call distributor (ACD) system might do nothing more than route calls to the next available agent irrespective of that agent’s expertise and skills. On the other hand, skills-based routing allows contact centers to designate agents as specialists in certain products or issues. Basically, skills-based routing is used to assess the skills needed for a particular call by the dialed telephone number and the calling number or caller’s identity, as well as choices made in any associated IVR system. Thereafter, this highly efficacious system attempts to match the call to a suitably trained agent. The basic idea behind the functioning of skills-based routing is that an agent with matching skills will be able to provide a better service and enhance the customer experience.
According to manufacturers skills- based routing provides the following benefits:
i) it improves customer service
ii) shortens call-handling time
iii) makes training shorter and easier
iv) increases agent utilization,
v) boosts productivity
vi) increases revenue growth
Thus, skills-based routing has become a major selling point, over the simpler ACD that it replaces efficaciously!
1. Helps organize and maintain client database appropriately:
Making use of a predictive dialing system can help organize and manage the client database and maintain all relevant records systematically. In other words the manual process of manually scribbling down the notes is replaced by an automated one. Also, it can rework the call structure based on the record of previous calls, so the fear of misplacing the data is eliminated as well. Predictive dialing provides you a separate list of numbers which were busy or had received no answers, so that, you can call these. In addition to this, it also mantains a do-not-disturb log so that the manager knows who doesn’t want to be called again. The entire process helps filter the other numbers which don’t have any potential of generating sales so that the agents can focus entirely on the productive ones.
2. Keeps the database updated:
The predictive dialing system helps ensure the database is always up to date. Relevant information about the customer and past call history are taken into consideration. Also, separate call-back lists are maintained along with the time of preferred calling. The predictive dialing system automatically places the call at the right time, puts an agent on the call and supports him on a real-time basis with the relevant and updated information required to handle the call and solve the queries.
3. Improves administration-workforce relationship:
Sice in this system, workload is assigned by an automated system, so, all the agents get an equal chance to improve. This makes the work challenging and hence, improves the efficiency of each agent working in a team. Also, it helps improves agent morale and makes it easier for them to fulfill sales targets. This further improves the professional relationship between the administration and the workforce.
4. Cost reduction
With this highly efficient system, there is no room for an expensive PBX setup or an operator who manually maintains the call log or routes calls to agents. Thus, it helps in cost reduction to a large extent.
1. Improves idle rate per agent:
Power dialing system refers to an automated telephone dialing system that connects prospects with agents more efficiently by allowing agents to focus on live connections instead of manual dialing. It makes use of a manually-configured calls-to-agent ratio based on which the system automatically dials the next contacts as soon as the agent becomes available. As a result, the agents do not have to waste their time managing list of telephone numbers and rectifying errors. They can simply focus on enhancing their interaction skills with frequent coaching and training sessions. Power dialing system ensures maximum engagement with the customers such that the agents are always connected to a live call hence improving the idle rate per agent and boosting customer satisfaction.
2. Eliminates time wastage:
Whenever a call is placed, there are a number of reasons for agent time wastage, some of them being uninterested parties, busy signals or empty households. Employing a power dialing system helps eliminate all these possibilities and ensures that the agents connect with the right prospect at the right time. It further eliminates unanswered calls, dropped numbers and automated answering machines. This is how time wastage is eliminated and unproductive calls are avoided.
3. Boosts sales:
Now, with all the advantages mentioned earlier, call centers can gain huge profits and long-term customer relationships. As mentioned earlier, power dialing system helps you eliminate time wastage, increase agent productivity, generate and nurture leads more efficiently, and also avoid missing opportunities. Collectively, all of these advantages lead to a bigger advantage i.e. boosted sales. With the help of power dialing system, call centers can witness their sales to get double or more. It further leads to improved ROI as it not only increases the quality of calls dialed but also the quality of customer interaction and hence, customer satisfaction.
Call scoring is a process that enables you to derive additional benefits from efforts to analyze recorded calls for information. This process can benefit customers, agents and company sales and marketing plans. It provides a systematic means to conduct these reviews and identify the weakest areas of agent performance. Moreover, it lets you know the steps necessary to improve the agent’s performance.
Contact center call scoring can be regarded as a useful training and management tool. Scorecard is an essential element in the entire process. Using this scorecard and setting contact center standards, you can improve your contact center performance. Call scoring can be done by determining whether:
i) the customer was met with a friendly greeting or not
ii) he/ she was asked their name and was it used during the call
iii) the agent keeps a positive attitude across all customer contacts
The very first step in the call scoring process is to determine what elements are important in each customer engagement. This is followed by a process of knowing how each effort should be scored against these pre-determined criteria. As a matter of fact, most of the scorecard elements are fairly standard and are derived from dividing a call into segments. Moreover, the calls can be scored on a 1-10 scale, or 9 in the form of A-F letter grades.
A basic open-middle-close format is employed in many companies. This approach focuses on determining:
i) how the customer is greeted
ii) how the problem or question is resolved
iii) how the call ends
iv) whether the agent was able to answer all questions
v) whether the agent was friendly when the caller was hostile
vi) if any upsell opportunities were missed
Once the scoring has been done, the results can be shared with each agent. Additional training can also be scheduled in cases where the agent performance falls below the expected level.
As we mentioned in an earlier post, speech analytics refers to the process of analyzing recorded calls to gather customer information to improve communication and future interaction. The information cumulated using speech analytics can be used to discover information relating to strategy, product, process, operational issues and contact center agent performance. Moreover, it can be leveraged to identify areas in which contact center agents may need additional training or coaching, and can automatically monitor the customer service provided on calls. Easing out a number of processes at the call center, speech analytics provides a number of benefits.
1. Helps manage operational and performance issues:
Speech analytics can be used by call center managers to monitor customers and call center agents simultaneously. They can actually keep an eye on their performance in order to make sure regulatory requirements are met. Moreover, this highly efficacious technology can be used for coaching call center agents. Well trained agents are efficient enough to resolve customer queries which further improves first call resolution and reduces call volume. In other words, operational and performance issues that occur throughout the enterprise can be tracked and managed, hence, resulting in improved service quality.
2. Provides valuable insights regarding marketplace:
Not only call centers but the entire enterprise can benefit from speech analytics. As an example, sales organizations can leverage the power of this amazing technology to identify up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. The tools engaged in this process can actually be used to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Sales managers can utilize the data gathered using speech analytics to learn about how a particular up-sell or cross-sell impacted a customer’s level of satisfaction. They can also determine how different customer demographics respond to the offers, using this technology. This does not end here! Personalized up-sell and cross-sell opportunities that meet a customer’s specific needs can also be created using this wonderful technology.
Blended universal queue, more appropriately known as the universal queue (UQ) refers to an advanced concept in contact center design. As per this concept, multiple communications channels (such as telephone, fax, and email) are integrated into a single queue to standardize processing and handling. In other words, the universal queue is essentially a combination of email, chat and other data enabling universal queuing along with call blending.
Importance:
1. Universal queue system provides a single unified workflow which integrates all the various trouble tickets, CRM cases, mobile, social and traditional channels into a singular entity so as to eliminate improper handling of customer issues.
2. This highly efficacious system allows the customers to opt for a communication channel of their choice. Thus, people who do not wish to talk over a phone call can use email or another such channel of communication while the ones who are comfortable with calls can directly talk to the agents for query resolution.
3. Blended universal queue system provides improved cross-channel flexibility. This further results in an enhanced user experience leading to a higher customer satisfaction.
4. As far as the business agents are concerned, they can leverage the universal queue to gather valuable insights and information available across the various channels. This may help them manage their customer care workload more effectively.
5. The universal queue system helps in increasing the productivity of an organization by providing the facility of optimizing work patterns of its employees according to the operational requirements of the center.
6. It facilitates a smooth delegation of work among the agents according to the customer priority, availability, and their individual skills. Moreover, this technology is capable of identifying as to which of the channels need precedence over the rest of them, based on the individual priority.
An abandoned call refers to a call or any other type of contact proposed to a call center but ends before any communication takes place. Call abandonment rate better known as “Abandon Rate” further refers to the percentage of inbound phone calls made to a call center or service desk that are abandoned by the customer before speaking to an agent.
Types of abandoned calls:
Calculating abandon rate:
The mathematical formula to calculate abandon rate is as follows:
Abandonment rate % = [Number of Calls offered – Number of Calls handled] / [Number of Calls offered] * 100
There exists a revised formula for the above calculation which excludes shortly abandoned calls ( occurring due to various reasons):
Abandonment rate % = [Number of Calls offered – Number of calls abandoned in 5 seconds – Number of Calls handled] / [Number of Calls offered – Number of calls abandoned in 5 seconds] * 100
Common mistakes regarding abandon rate calculation:
i) Excluding short abandoned calls:
Generally, calls that abandoned in the first 5 seconds are excluded due to two reasons:
ii) Failure to measure calls abandoned in the IVR:
The correct procedure of calculation is measuring the abandon rate from the telephone network side of the system and not the agent queue. But unaware of this fact, many people fail to measure calls being abandoned in the IVR. The reason being that they had chosen to only start the statistics from the moment that people left the IVR and joined the queue proper.
iii) Counting transferred calls as two different ones:
This is yet another mistake that people often make. It is not a correct method of abandon rate calculation if you count transferred calls as calls that have been handled twice.
1. Leverage the power of your smile:
Callers would appreciate calm and friendly demeanor. Donning a pleasant expression automatically helps your voice convey friendliness and openness. On the other, staying straight-faced, on the other hand, immediately removes that kindness from your voice. Therefore, try greeting a pretend client as you would on the phone i.e. out loud, first with a smile and afterwards without. This would help you deal with a difficult customer and please him/ her. Moreover you would not be subjected to hear hear more of a strain indicating that you do not really want to be talking to this person right now !
2. Understand that nothing is meant to be taken personally:
There are many instances where while dealing with a difficult customer, business owners or customer support agents take it personally. It needs to be understood that customer is being difficult due to past experiences with other companies. It is a fact that customers who have had bad prior experiences with other companies are often hyper-sensitive and read into things too much and often end up becoming difficult over the smallest things. Whenever any such case is encountered, it is important to calmly and clearly put the situation into perspective for the customer and assure them that their queries will be resolved in the shortest possible time span. This will lead to the customer being calmer and more cooperative.
3. Business owners and customers desire the same thing:
A pleasant, happy and speedy transaction is what both business owners and customers desire. Therefore, while dealing with a difficult customer, business owners can resolve any disputes by letting the customer know they are willing to fully work with them to make them happy. Letting the customer know they are there to help will lead to the customer becoming less difficult and easier to work with.
1. Let your customer’s know that you care:
In order to deal with a difficult customer, numerous of strategies can be employed. It becomes crucial to show concern for the customer’s feelings. Your voice communicates your attitude when handling customers on call. People respond more to how you say something than what you say, so, try to be as polite as possible. Your words should be convincing enough to make your customers realize that you care.
2. Let your client vent:
Never try to interject with a solution or even interrupt with clarifying questions when your client is bursting out. In most cases, clients are looking to release their frustration. Since it is a part of the job, so, it cannot be ignored but a clever tactic can be your savior. You can mute your end and let the client vent. As a matter of fact, giving the client full rein over the conversation for the first few minutes helps him or her get out those frustrations, blow off some steam, and eventually, be able to focus on getting to a resolution.
3. Exclude the blame game:
Instead of blaming others or your company, use indirect approach or “I” statements when trying to clarify. In order to explain what went wrong, use either the indirect approach i.e. asking relevant questions before refunding or “I” statements like “I need additional information.” as much as possible. Never acknowledge that you or your company is to blame as it could lead to lawsuits.
4. Use caller’s name in the conversation:
Interjecting the caller’s name into the conversation is yet another strategy to deal with unfavorable situations and a difficult customer. Addressing your client with the given scripts without using his/ her name sounds a lot more formal and much less sincere. Once you use a name, you are suddenly speaking with a real person who has a legitimate reason behind his or her frustration.
5. Go above and beyond to solve customer problems:
Try leaving no stone unturned in solving your customer’s issues. Never avoid solving their problems even if solving the customer’s problem isn’t among your job duties. Try to get all the facts you can, and then tell the customer how you can help. This would further help you tackle a difficult customer as well.
In today’s era, quality customer service is a necessity when you are trying to stand out of the crowd. It helps you differentiate your competitors. Businesses with poor customer service risk losing revenues, profits and even going out of business. You need to know that dealing with difficult customers is a part of any business and it is inevitable that you will need to deal with a difficult customer from time to time. As a matter of fact, you can’t control anyone else’s behavior. All you have control over are your own actions. However, you can influence how customers respond to you to some extent. Here are some steps to handle such situations:
1.Listening is the key:
Understand that the customer desires to be listened. So, just tune in to the customer rather than looking for the nearest exit. Strive to acknowledge and understand the customer Let the person talk, and pay close attention to whatever he/ she says. You may even repeat or paraphrase some of what you hear.
2. Mirror your customers and connect accordingly:
In order to prepare yourself for handling difficult customers, you first need to mirror them. Some of your customers may have high technical knowledge and others may need high-level explanations. Some may need extra reassurance that things are going to be fine while others do not want to waste time unless you can offer a solution on the spot. Identifying and categorizing your customers accordingly can help you connect better with them. They will feel more like you truly understand what they want you to. Moreover, this will help them be more open to your assistance.
3. Never argue or show lack of interest:
Make it a point to never argue with customers when they are angry, displeased or complaining. When you allow a customer to push to an extent where you lose control of yourself, you lose control of the situation. Showing boredom, irritation, disdain or displeasure can make you lose a good customer.
4. Think before acting:
Dealing with difficult customers requires thinking before responding. Responding when angry can lead to nasty situations. Therefore, responses should exclude personal emotions and be given carefully.
By now, we are familiar with the automatic speech recognition technology. We have already discussed about its basics, working and benefits. Now, let’s take a look at its uses. Automatic call recognition can be used for the following purposes:
1. Handle high volumes of customer service enquiries:
Automatic speech recognition system is highly beneficial for businesses that have very high volumes of calls from repeat customers. It is useful in cases where calls occur in irregular peaks. The problem of high volumes of customer service queries can be solved by diverting the calls depending simply on their nature.
2. Identity authentication:
ASR technology proves to be highly useful where you need to authenticate someone’s identity on the phone without using personal data. Some advanced speech recognition systems provide an answer to this problem in the form of voice biometrics. The system allows you to create a voiceprint based on specific text such as ‘Name’ and ‘Account Number’. This information is then stored against the individual’s record, so that whenever they call again, they can simply say their name and if the voiceprint matches what they have stored, then the person is put straight through to a customer service representative. The benefit of this technique is that it takes less than 30 seconds and also bypasses the need for the individual to have to run through a series of tedious ID checks such as passwords, address details and more.
3. Put caller’s through the right department:
By applying speech recognition, you can allow callers to choose a ‘self-service’ route or alternatively ‘say’ what they want and be directed to the correct department or individual. This technique helps in in three ways:
i) It ascertains what the call is about
ii) It takes the customer through security checks or other parameters if required
iii) Lastly, it transfers the customer to the appropriate member of staff.
The details that the customer has already provided appear on the screen so that they do not have to repeat the information. In other words, it helps the customers to voice their needs in the most appropriate manner.
1. It encourages automated customer service:
Automated customer service means that customers are enabled to solve their own problems and obtain the required information without speaking with an agent. Therefore, IVR systems simplify the customer service by automating it.
2. It enables handling of large call volumes:
Companies are allowed to easily handle high call volumes with the help of IVR systems. By employing this technology, callers are automatically directed to the most appropriate agent or department or they have to wait in a queue when all agents are busy. Another solution for such instances is that the systems allow the caller the option of having an agent return their call rather than wait in a queue.
3. It helps keep customers happy:
Different customers have different preferences. For example, some would prefer to get the answers they need by interacting with a recording rather than speaking to a live person while others may insist on it. IVR systems let the customers have whatever they require, thus, keeping them happy.
4. It helps create a sense of professionalism:
In case of startups and smaller companies IVR technology can be used to make the company appear larger than it actually is. Moreover, IVR prompts can be configured so as to allow callers to talk to sales, support, marketing or technical support, etc. They will be routed to the person on your team assigned to answer all of the calls, regardless of the department they choose. In other words it helps create a sense of professionalism that can help impress the customers.
5. It reduces operational expenses:
IVR systems are very affordable as they replace a receptionist or a customer service agent who answers calls and directs calls to agents. This in return increases efficiency and reduces operational costs which further results in a huge ROI.
1. Inculcate short and pleasant customer greetings:
Visitors love being treated appropriately. Therefore, opening and closing greetings are critical to create a positive customer experience and also help in reducing average handle time. Whether automated or manual, it needs to be ensured that such greetings are short and pleasant. Instead of asking unnecessary questions, relevant questions should be asked such as “Hello Mr. ABC, how may I help you?”. Apart from reducing the average handle time, this would also instigate the customer to come directly to the point. Moreover, he/ she would definitely get impressed with the brand’s friendly attitude. Conversations can also be personalized by keeping the customer’s data up-to-date.
2. Ensure system efficiency:
Call center managers must ensure the system’s efficiency. In other words, every aspect of the system should be efficacious including the load time, number of window tabs that could be opened at one time etc. This is crucial because when system response time is slow, agents wait longer for their computer screens to refresh which adds unnecessary minutes to the overall call. Therefore, managers can take note of their system efficiency during the busiest hours of operation in order to employ strategies to reduce AHT. Moreover, the telephone lines should be up and running, with 100% voice clarity and multiple menu options such as mute/un-mute, record, etc.
3. Leverage knowledge repository:
The call center agents should be provided with necessary knowledge base so that they can quickly identify the relevant answers to some tough queries. Such that instead of thinking about the tough questions asked by the customers, the agents can quickly check the knowledge base to find the right answer, hence reducing the average hold time and eliminating customers’ dissatisfaction.
4. Make use of self service technologies:
Self service technologies such as the IVR technology helps in improving the efficiency of the customer support system. IVR collects basic customer information, presents answers to common queries such as address, hours of operations, and routes the calls to the right agent, which saves a considerable amount of time. Therefore, you need to make sure that your call center is equipped with an efficient call center software with features such as ACD, intelligent IVR system and skill-based routing. These self service technologies reduce the workload of the agents to a large extent.
Average handle time (AHT) refers to a call center metric that calculates the average duration of contact between a customer and an agent. It includes both hold time and talk time.
The formula for calculating AHT is:
Average Handling Time = (Total Talk Time + Total Hold Time + Total Wrap-up Time) /Number of Calls Handled
Therefore, a low AHT indicates good performance, while a high AHT signifies that call handling technique needs improvement. Here are some tips that can be considered in order to reduca the average handle time:
1. Set up regular training sessions for customer support agents:
Customer support agents should have a thorough knowledge of company’s products and services so that they are able to contribute efficiently towards conversions and are also able to resolve customers’ queries at the earliest. They should be trained at frequent intervals in order to help them reduce AHT. All the agents should be aware about the usage of the contact center software and tools such as CRM and chat to ensure that the call is answered in the lowest time possible leaving the customer satisfied. They should also know whom to contact in case of any doubt and from where to extract any relevant information.
2. Record all inbound and outbound calls:
Recording every inbound and outbound call makes it easier to assess the productivity of an agent and other issues that might affect his or her output. Moreover in cases where managers are not able to review calls in real time, they can always refer to the recorded version and get the desired insights. Apart from this, coaching the customer support agents with the help of call recordings is the best way to improve their performance. Making them listen good examples of calls wherein the customer’s problem was resolved and the handling time was less can help them learn the valuable tactics of reducing call handling time.
3. Automate agents’ manual tasks:
One of the best strategy to reduce AHT is tailoring agent’s workflow and processes in order to optimize their productivity. For this purpose managers should work hard so that inefficiencies can be spotted and eliminated thereafter. AHT can also be reduced by automating all their manual tasks which would minimize their busy time to a great extent.
