6 Call Centre Myths, Busted

Lucy Phillips at EvaluAgent explains six call centre myths.

By 2027, the global market value of call centres has been estimated to reach $496 billion. In recent years, advances in technology and training have created more efficient workplaces where agents can provide exceptional customer service.

Multiple myths exist around call centres, with many people exposed to out-of-date stereotypes or simply being unaware of the developments that have occurred within the industry.

With such high numbers of customers still favouring phone calls over other methods of communication, it’s important to bust these myths and help customers understand the true value of call centres.

Here Are Common Myths and Interesting Facts About Call Centres:

1. No One Calls Customer Support Anymore

Did you know that 90% of customers cite an ‘immediate response’ as very important when they have a customer service question? If customers can’t find the answer to their question themselves, many of them will quickly turn to calling customer support to avoid wasting time.

Despite the ever-growing presence of chatbots and social media, it seems there’s simply no replacing the traditional customer support system. Speaking with a human can offer an extra level of reassurance with the presence of soft skills such as empathy and understanding.

Advances in technology have, however, helped contact centre agents to become even more efficient in dealing with calls, and 56% of call centres plan to invest in some level of AI in the future.

2. Agents Are Unproductive

With 13% of callers believing that no hold time is acceptable, agents are often working under high pressure with constant demands.

The myth that agents are unproductive simply doesn’t hold up – especially when their progress and call logs are reviewed and assessed on a regular basis.

Thanks to new technology and software, managers’ ability to monitor their call agents’ productivity remains consistent – whether they work from home or in a physical call centre location.

Most call centres also offer regular incentives and reward schemes to motivate agents to be as productive as possible and achieve the best results for both the company and the customers themselves.

3. Human Contact Centre Agents Will Be Replaced

With 65% of customers preferring to use voice calls to contact companies for help with customer service and other needs, it seems that contact centre agents are still very much in demand.

For building relationships, retaining loyalty, and making customers feel valued, human contact centre agents are viewed by many as irreplaceable – especially when a customer has been unsuccessful in finding a solution to their issue elsewhere.

There are some instances in which auto-QA may become a helpful tool in enabling call agents to do their jobs faster and more efficiently. Advances in technology may be helpful in enhancing user experience, generating informative scripts, and offering new insights for call centre quality assurance.

4. Being an Agent Requires Limited Skills

The type of skills required by a contact centre agent are diverse. Call centres can be fast paced, and agents will need to be skilled at working under pressure and multitasking.

With businesses losing approximately $75 billion per year due to poor customer service, it’s no longer an option for companies to use unskilled agents and provide poor levels of support.

Alongside being adept with different software packages and technologies, agents are also able to use their judgement to resolve conflicts and communicate effectively. Soft skills such as empathy and identifying emotions through tone of voice are also required on a day-to-day basis.

5. All Calls Are Scripted

Scripts have been used in call centres for many years to help create basic guidelines which contact centre agents can work from. Yet this does not mean that all calls are fully scripted, and most agents will have a level of autonomy handling conversations.

With 78% of customers claiming they’d be dissatisfied with agents who ‘sound like they’re reading from a script’, good call agents need to be able to personalise conversations and be prepared for unexpected diversions from familiar topics or issues.

6. Working in a Call Centre Is Easy

With the range of communication skills and the problem-solving mentality required when working in a call centre, the work is often far from easy.

There are very few ‘typical’ days in a call centre, and agents must be able to react to high volumes of calls at short notice or frustrated and angry customers demanding information and answers.

Call centre agents are often under extreme pressure and need to think and act fast to remedy situations and provide satisfactory results to customers with immediate effect.

Call centre agents are often seen as the ‘front line’ in terms of customer service, meaning that their work, although rewarding, can often be challenging.

This blog post has been re-published by kind permission of EvaluAgent – View the Original Article

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About EvaluAgent

EvaluAgent provide software and services that help contact centres engage and motivate their staff to deliver great customer experiences.

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Call Centre Helper is not responsible for the content of these guest blog posts. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of Call Centre Helper.

Author: EvaluAgent