The fact that Call Center employees have no interaction with customers in person does not mean that they aren’t having a basic understanding of protocol when dealing with customers. I’ve seen numerous instances in which the basic requirements of customer service are disregarded in Call Centers, only to the dismay of the customer calling them.
Working with the largest Call Center to improve employee satisfaction and engagement We discovered seven fundamentals that are essential to creating and maintaining a culture that is based on quality service. These aren’t in any in any particular order, since they are equally crucial in achieving excellence and creating an unbeatable, satisfying customer experience.
#1 Annual Training:
As time passes, employees are prone to becoming complacent regarding their work abilities. To prevent this from happening, plan an annual training that will provide essential topics like Telephone Etiquette and Employee Empowerment Resolution of Customer Problems Technical Skills Training Professional Presence and Business Etiquette as well as Diversity Awareness and teambuilding skills. Remember that you don’t need hire external trainers to conduct these training sessions. Most of the time, outstanding subject matter experts work within the organization and with a bit of training and practice can lead enjoyable mini-training sessions for your employees.
#2 Formalized Scripts:
The goal of the script is to guarantee uniformity or consistency in the manner employees answer the phone or respond to customers who are unhappy or transfer calls to different departments, and then end the call. Alongside the script, it should allow some flexibility to ensure that the person always appears genuine.
#3 Telephone Etiquette Standards:
They help clarify the manner in which incoming calls should be handled (ex. We answer every call within three rings, and we do so with a smile) How to put the call on hold, move calls and even take messages; how to end calls in a proper manner; and what to do to follow-up with customers (meaning by what time calls should to be answered). Telephone Etiquette Standards shouldn’t replace formal scripts, but rather complement them . They could even be integrated into one document for training purposes or as an aid.
#4 Grooming & Appearance Standards:
Simply because Call Center employees have no interaction with customers in person doesn’t suggest that their professional image isn’t important. Even if the workplace is casual and business-like, dressing and grooming standards must be clearly defined so that there’s no room for mistaken interpretation. Many studies have proved that when we’re professionally dressed, our professional appearance and delivery significantly improves.
#5 Empowerment & Problem Resolution Process:
Establish a procedure in place to address problems with customers that everyone can use and inform employees in what ways they are competent to solve a problem prior to it being transferred to management. Instruct employees in the basics which are tolisten with the customer, do not interrupt, and show that you care. Ask what they would like to have to have the issue resolved (if it would be appropriate to your business) and then COMMIT to an answer that is an win-win for both the customer as well as the business Follow-up with the client to ensure that the issue was solved to their satisfaction. Document the event within the system to ensure that any person dealing with this client to come into contact with them in the near future are informed.
#6 Ongoing Communication:
Meetings with staff regularly are essential to keep everyone up-to-date, focused and engaged. At the very least, team meetings should be scheduled for quarterly, however, monthly briefings are more efficient. Do not worry over not having sufficient information to go over each month. If there is nothing new to discuss, use the opportunity to reward top performers or to ask for suggestions from employees regarding topics for training and meetings. If employees are kept informed about company-related issues and feel that their voices are acknowledged and taken into account They are driven to deliver excellent service on a daily basis.
#7 Reward & Recognition:
Call Center employees are constantly under intense pressure and scrutiny to handle the influx of calls, cut down on talk time and use the correct script and ensure that the customer is taken care of. This being said their importance and contribution to the company shouldn’t be ignored. Be sure to recognize and reward high-performing employees, as well as helping others and coaching them to help them reach the company’s goals and objectives. In particular, during times of tightening the belts on your finances, even small gestures of kindness will go a long way. Don’t forget about the importance of recognizing your outstanding performance at every chance you have.
The seven essentials to creating a culture that is exceptional in call centers isn’t necessarily comprehensive, my goal is that they spark the creative sparks in you when you consider the best ways you can approach customer service with your staff.
