Here are 21 ways to fine tune your contact centre processes.
1. Have at least one FAQ issue published right next to your phone number
Make sure that at least one really relevant FAQ issue is published right next to your phone number on your website.
Also make sure that the issue can be changed quickly based on direct input from agents.
With thanks to Fredrik
2. Review FAQs on a monthly basis
We review our FAQs on a monthly basis in order to address the top questions received by the call centre.
With thanks to Joey
3. Invite your board to visit your contact centre floor
Work hard to get your board fully engaged in what you are doing.
Invite them to visit your contact centre floor and listen in, and see what restraints you are working under.
With thanks to Glen
4. Recognise your successors and give them the power to change things
Recognise your successors and give them power to change things they are working close to. For example, the process, customers and agents.
They know and recognise the needs and the problems very fast and are able to give the best ideas. The management team should implement the ideas afterwards.
With thanks to Polly
5. Encourage patience, good manners and courtesy
We simply encourage our agents to act with patience, good manners and courtesy when dealing with callers.
With thanks to Michael
6. Thank your support areas and your management team
Don’t forget to thank your support areas and your management team.
Often the focus is on the direct customer contact, and senior management forget the other cogs in the machine.
With thanks to Heather
7. Eliminate internal red tape to accomplish a client goal
Eliminate internal red tape to accomplish a client goal.
With thanks to Joey
8. Get your managers to cook and deliver food to your agents
For our group, food works well as a motivator. We gave this tactic a boost by having the management team personally cook and deliver food to the agents and support staff.
Nothing fancy… just a breakfast of pancakes or a grilled lunch.
The agents have frequently asked for it to be repeated!
With thanks to Mike
9. Empathise with your client’s predicament
We focus very greatly on providing a personalised sort of service by empathising with our client’s predicament.
This is important as they phone us regularly and know our agents.
With thanks to Michael
10. Project focus groups give advisors some ownership
Project focus groups help to get advisors involved, and also gives them some ownership.
With thanks to Emma
11. Recognise the value of your advisors
Recognise the value of your advisors.
They are not just switchboard operators – they have a wealth of knowledge and skills.
With thanks to Christina
12. Management get a pie in the face if goals are met
Our management team take a pie in the face if all call centre goals are met.
It’s quite fun and the representatives love it!
With thanks to Pam
13. Some of your customers will always prefer to talk to someone
Self-service can be powerful. But don’t discount the reality that some of your customers will always prefer to talk to someone, especially if they believe that interaction adds value to their experience with you.
Don’t neglect your customer culture.
With thanks to Jae
14. Inject energy with lots of personal attention from supervisors
The way we inject energy back into the call centre is with lots of personal attention from supervisors.
For example, coaching, team meetings, and walking around and talking to people.
With thanks to Jae
15. Let your customers know you have their best interests at heart
Always be pleasant to your customers, empathise with them and read back their frustrations.
If you can’t help them, send it up the line to someone so that the client feels that you have their best interests at heart.
With thanks to Michael
16. Convert your break room into a restaurant
We’ve converted our break room into a restaurant with a catered lunch.
Occasionally management serve as waiters and servers, seating associates at tables and taking orders. I put on my tux and served as the maitre’d!
With thanks to Jae
17. Have a circus-themed day
We had a circus-theme day where everyone was encouraged to dress up.
We had managers provide popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream.
This proved to be such fun that even our client’s senior management team attended.
With thanks to Mike
18. Listen to your customers
Listen to your customers.
Don’t just go through a tick sheet and mark the boxes.
With thanks to Gideon
19. A one-size-fits-all recognition programme is not effective
Recognition is most effective when it’s personalised.
A one-size-fits-all recognition programme is not as effective as customising it to the personality of the recipient.
With thanks to Jae
20. Make sure self-service options are visual and easy to find
When providing customers with self-service options, make sure they are very visual and easy to find.
Otherwise they will just end up ringing in to the call centre.
With thanks to Terri
21. Convey positive energy from the minute you step into the call centre
The single biggest impact I have ever had on anyone at the call centre was made by the energy I conveyed when I entered the office in the morning.
My boss is the same and that energy filters down throughout the company.
Practice kindness as a company policy and your agents will be more prepared to engage with their callers and deal with their problems.
This stands to improve overall customer experience as well!
With thanks to Michael
What steps have you taken to fine tune your contact centre?
Author: Megan Jones
Published On: 28th May 2014 - Last modified: 30th Oct 2017
Read more about - Hints and Tips, Motivation
No more AHT targets for advisors. Keep a track of it – yes. But individual targets – no. I’ve done this and guess what: AHT went down and NPS scores went up.