In the quality of customer relations, the management of telephone calls plays an essential role. Faced with a frustrated or dissatisfied customer, or one who is waiting for a precise and rapid response, the telephone greeting must be handled with care. In this respect, being able to manage a large flow of calls, or regulate call peaks, is one of the main keys. The really good news is that we propose several solutions to definitively relieve the congestion of switchboards and we share them here...
1. Directing calls to the right place at the right time
For a customer service department, it is possible to break down a caller's needs into different scenarios. Knowing these scenarios allows you to direct calls efficiently. If we add to this the integration of business tools with the telephone greeting solution, we are sure to hit the mark! The customer is recognized, the intermediate steps before speaking to an advisor are quick and relevant... The right contact person is therefore easily assigned to the customer. And if an unforeseen situation arises, the 100% web-based tools can instantly activate alternative scenarios.
- Good news #1 : the customer feels recognized and considered, he is more relaxed because he does not have to be sent from department to department repeating himself.
- Good news #2: the advisor's task is made easier because the need is identified, the quality of the response increases and the processing time per customer decreases.
2. Capitalise on its knowledge of the customer
When thetelephone reception solution is linked to the company's CRM solution, it is a mine of valuable information for the exchange with the customer. It is thus possible to visualize at a glance the history of requests, the customer's file or the files being processed. This set of information contributes to a complete and precise knowledge of the customer... You might as well take advantage of it! In addition, it also facilitates the transmission of information, particularly between the sales and support teams.
- Good news #3: the customer limits his explanation time and his need is quickly understood.
- Good news #4: with centralized access to customer information, advisors can easily gain perspective on the situation and work efficiently.
3. Automate to be more available
Not all customer requests require the involvement of an advisor. By automating responses to certain recurring requests (follow-up of a file, requests for general information, etc.), the customer gains autonomy in their search for information. Automating your telephone reception can be done according to criteria specific to each activity: a 100% web solution is a solution that adapts. Automation also makes it possible to offer automatic callback in the event of overload. The customer does not have to wait in line unnecessarily and an advisor calls him back as soon as he is available again.
- Good news #5: by anticipating frequent questions, the customer finds a quick and concise answer with peace of mind.
- Good news #6: the time available to advisers is freed up to respond effectively to more specific requests.
4. Analyze to better anticipate
Depending on the situation, some call peaks may seem perfectly random. On the other hand, a large proportion of them are, in fact, recurrent. This can be a recurrence depending on the time of year, commercial highlights or even certain times of the day. Accessing and analysing call statistics provides a better understanding of the needs of support teams. Analysing means being able to anticipate. Being able to anticipate is an asset to avoid letting the standards overflow. In short, it's time to focus on statistics and dashboards!
- Good news #7: for the customer, who may be expecting an even more arduous journey than usual, the anticipation is transparent: he or she will be even more satisfied!
- Good news #8: with sufficient resources, support teams can absorb even larger call flows more easily.
All of the above tips can be used to implement solutions to better manage and channel peak calls. These solutions are all the more relevant as they do not only respond to the primary need to pick up the phone for each call. They make it possible to smooth the entire process for customers who choose the telephone as a means of contact. Solutions such as Contact Experience. These solutions, such as the new call centre, are a win-win situation: increased customer satisfaction and optimised productivity for advisers!