Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing allows us to store documents and files and access them at any computer with an internet connection. Even though it has so many advantages, there are some things to be cautious about. Some people say there are no hitches to cloud computing, but there are numerous disadvantages.

Here are some of the main disadvantages of cloud computing:

Security and privacy issues

The biggest worries about cloud computing are privacy and security. Many users may not be happy passing over their information or data to a third party. It is even a greater concern to businesses that wish to keep their sensitive data on the cloud server. Even though venders ensure their servers are free from viral infection, it is still a concern since there are many users accessing the server every day. Storing data and information in the cloud makes your company open to external threats and hack attacks. We are aware that nothing on the internet is totally secure, there is always a possibility of external attack. So make sure you pick the right provider to keep your data secure.

Cost can be expensive

Even though cloud computing is cheaper than traditional desktop software, the fact that it is new to the market and has to be researched and improved time and again makes it more expensive. Vendors have to develop or buy certain software that will operate the cloud and fix any unforeseen problem that might occur. This makes the cloud computing very expensive. Also cloud computing costs are changing every day. 

Tech issues can still occur

Although you can access data and information on the cloud anytime and from anywhere, there are some times when the system can have technical issues. You should always know that technology is prone to outages and several technical problems. Even the very best cloud service provider runs into trouble. Cloud computing also makes your company dependent on internet connection. When it is offline, it means you are also offline. If your business suffers from slow internet speed, cloud computing may not be suitable for you.

Dependency on provider

Another disadvantage of cloud computing is loss of control or dependency. This means you will be tied to another company for long time and it is not easy to migrate to another cloud service provider. You also have little or no understanding in cloud service provider procedures especially when it comes to disaster recovery, backup and renovation.

The Fundamentals of Call Center Workforce Management

Call centers face several workforce management challenges including managing service levels, forecasting calls, and scheduling staff. Workforce management is a process that involves using precise staffing figures each hour to enhance service while reducing costs. It is considered one of the most significant planning and administration functions in a call center. This process is handled by a call center supervisor or manager. 

A call center has to track each employee’s daily performance and service. This makes it possible to determine the impact that each individual is making to the call center when it comes to attaining daily service goals. The call centers have to know the exact number of people who are needed to attain service goals. The workforce has to match the workload. If a call center is overstaffed, profitability is likely to reduce because of higher costs. On the other hand, if there are very few agents, customers will stop using the services and handling times are likely to go up

Call centers have to deal with complex contacts, increased customer expectations, new channels, and a need for improved agent skills during workforce management. This makes it necessary for them to do things right. On the upside, it is possible to learn about scheduling and forecasting to boost a call center’s performance. 

A call center has to clarify its values for its schedules to work appropriately. It is important to determine what will happen when workload forecasts are either high or low. The call centers management has to identify ways to ensure service levels are consistent. It may be necessary to seek backup from the rest of the departments or find external business partners to ensure customer needs are well met. 

To come up with workable schedules, call centers have to model a variety of scenarios. They have to come up with tests schedules that test different variables. A call center has to experiment with various alternatives to make better decisions in terms of training required, shift swapping, and agent group structures. Experimentation allows call centers to make necessary changes to come up with good schedules. It may take time to get a workable schedule but the results will be worth it. During scheduling, a call center supervisor or manager has to determine the right shift span, days off and days on, and start and stop options. 

Call centers will continue to face many challenges when it comes to meeting their customers’ demands, scheduling, and forecasting in order to handle their workload effectively. But they can take advantage of the latest forecasting and scheduling technology to simplify this process. 

The Benefits of a Cloud-Based Contact Center

Today, contact centers play an integral role in fostering long term customer relationships as they are the focal point of all customer connections. This has prompted a number of organizations to focus on cloud based contact centers or the conventional on-premise contact centers. However, many companies are adopting the cloud based contact center for customer support and connection because of the many benefits it offers. The following are some of the numerous benefits of a cloud-based contact center:

Fast deployment and integration with the existing infrastructure 

For the complete deployment or use of an on-premise contact center or system, there must be infrastructural changes including hardware and software changes, telephony changes, upgrade or installation. This requires a huge capital investment as well as time. On the other hand, cloud based contact center takes a very short time to deploy and it is easy to set up. This is because the services are offered by online service providers. The only equipment that is needed is a computer and an internet connection. 

Global access and delivery 

Cloud based solutions enable companies and clients to provide on-demand services and support to consumers that is accessible at anytime of the day and in any part of the world. This is made possible by the increased proliferation of mobile devices and online services that is increasing the demand for customer support.

Cost-effectiveness

Cloud-hosted contact centers do not require upfront expenditure to set up or deploy. Basically, these are services offered on a pay as you go payment model. This means that companies pay for services they need. This is cost effective in the sense that the information technology expense or spending will be reduced compared to an on-premise contact center which is a better return on investment in the long run.

Personalized customer service 

Cloud based contact centers allow companies and business to pick and select particular services to guarantee a more personalized user experience. The applications can be customized to suit customer demographics including geographical location, language as well as profile. Cloud computing also allows integration of other applications for example billing software, business reporting, purchase order management, analytics, just to mention but a few. 

In summary, from the above benefits, it is clear to suggest that cloud based contact centers can actually enable enterprises and businesses to lower their operational costs, deliver quality services and increase their efficiency.  

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The Importance of Call Center Phone Etiquette

Running and managing a call center is among the most challenging aspects in the world of business. Call center agents are required to not only provide customer support but also take orders, deal with customer complaints, etc. With so much to work on, sticky situations are almost inevitable.

Running a call center can also turn out to be one of the most rewarding tasks in a business. The manner in which situations are handled when they arise can mean the difference between the retention of loyal customers and losing customers. Good customer service begins the very moment a call center agent receives a call. If you are wondering how to gain more business through your call center, you may want to start by looking at your agents’ phone etiquette.

Training

The most important thing that managers sometimes overlook is the great need for training. Whether your call center is being handled by one or two people or by a large team of agents, training is the key for overall success. It is advisable for small and large business owners to ensure that every person who responds to customer queries and concerns on the phone has been trained. Basically, any person who answers the business lines should have undergone training. It is up to the business managers and owners to ensure that employees apply company phone policies and best practices. 

Here are some of the things that should be observed to improve phone etiquette:

 

Consistency

 

When it comes to consistency, it means making sure that everyone answers the phone consistently. If a call is an in-bound call, it is important to indirectly let the customer confirm that they got the phone number right. Most importantly, the agent’s hello should be brief. Employees should be trained to mention the company name first followed by their names. This simple introduction should be enough. 

Don’t interrupt the customer

No one loves being interrupted, especially when they are expressing dissatisfaction of a service. In this regard, never interrupt a customer who is complaining. Business managers and owners should ensure that this is achieved regardless of how difficult it might be. Employees should be trained to listen to the entire problem regardless of how long it takes. This is particularly more emphasized if the employee handling the call intends to hand of the call to another member of the call center. It leaves the customer feeling well taken care of.

Knowledge of how to use the phone system

Ensure that every employee with permission to respond to business calls knows how to use the phone system. Does everyone know how to make use of the hold button? One of the worst things your employees could ever do is to the put phone to their chest with the intentions of muffling the mouthpiece for them to speak amongst themselves. Customers might hear things you really do not want them to hear. In such instances, the hold button is your best friend. 

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Essential Call Center Management Skills

Call center management is a discipline that incorporates a wide array of skills that blend well to create a successful and effective call center. However, gaining such skills requires a lot of dedication, among other essential factors.

Call center management entails a responsibility and role-playing on the individual assigned to handle this important activity. You should have several skills to incorporate into your leadership approach to enable a successful transition from a poorly run call center to a successful one.

Start by setting goals

Goal setting is one of the most important skills in any management position. Start by enlightening your call center employees about the importance of working towards particular goals. Make them aware of the benefits that the department stands to gain when the goals are followed to the letter. Ensure that your approach is as focused as possible and once they get this concept, they will work proactively by setting their own goals in a bid to realize the bigger goal. Work with them towards those goals and work out on what is to be achieved.

Lead by example

Be a role model to your employees. Creating your own goals and then sharing them with your employees will help them identify with you much better.

Always focus on continued improvement

Goal setting isn’t the only way to improve. You should be constantly devising other methods of further ways to potentially improve the call center. Since the employees are your greatest asset in the call center, you can also focus on their improvement. You can engage them in training courses to acquire more skills that will benefit them and the company. Such improvement will go a long way in increasing the efficiency of the call center.

Avail yourself at all times

Always try to be available for the employees whenever they require any form of assistance. Work out a plan out of your busy schedule to attend to all their needs.

Continually coach your employees

Your guidance should always be part of your approach. Give praise where it’s due and offer constructive criticism where there is need. Always aim to encourage them to improve.

Have a firm belief in your employees’ success

After coaching and encouraging them, have faith in them to deliver. Help them to have confidence that they can get the job done. Show them that they have your dedication to their success, and you will get a team that is fully dedicated to do the job.

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How to Retain Call Center Employees

It’s a fact that one of the main challenges that a business faces is the ability to retain quality call center employees. This is not surprising considering that they have to deal with demanding calls and the monotony of taking calls for hours up on end. Now, many call centers are attempting to stop the high turnover of employees in order to save money and time.

Here are some tips to retain great call center employees for your contact center:

Invest in your employees

In order to be successful, your call center employees should have the proper training they need to excel. While most are probably not going to make a career out of calling customers, employees still need an adequate amount of support for career advancement. Offer training and coaching programs as well as mentoring programs.

Offer praise and incentives

Everyone likes compliments! Your employees deserve to be told that they are doing a great job and that you appreciate their hard work. Offer contests and incentives with cool prizes to keep them motivated to continue their dedicated work in the call center. They have to work long hours with a virtual smile on their face, but it can be easier when there are incentives involved to show that they are appreciated by management.

Consult your team

Communication is key in the employee-manager relationship, so ask everyone their opinion when it comes to improving the contact center workplace. Don’t just ask for the sake of asking; act upon their suggestions. Make them feel valued.

Accommodating schedules

Consider giving your employees the option to telecommute. This will be effective in keeping your costs low and reducing agent turnover. Give them the opportunity to make their own schedules if you can as long as you can still maintain service capabilities.

Staff turnover is inevitable at times, but you can do whatever you can to keep your employees happy and productive. It’s a win-win for everyone!

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Contact Center Upgrades

Many companies have recently been looking for ways to upgrade the infrastructure and communication capabilities of their contact centers. These upgrades include moving into a multichannel system, moving into the cloud, and improving the overall infrastructure of the contact center.

Although multichannel contact centers have been feasible for at least a decade, there are few of them around lately. According to experts, this needs to change because the need is getting bigger and bigger due to the growth of mobile devices that feature voice and text-based communications from any device at any time.

Companies have a responsibility to communicate with customers through traditional platforms as well as text and chat. Unfortunately, many contact centers are not set up to accommodate multichannel users as they should. Their technology is simply not up to par.

Contact center managers should attempt to understand the needs of their customers by looking at unstructured data and speech analytics. According to an article on TechTarget, companies should “assess the end-to-end experience from the customer's point of view, starting with the customer's initial entry point of communication and moving through the Web experience to phone calls, emails and chat. The next step is assessing whether the company can deliver that seamless experience and identifying gaps in the infrastructure.”

Companies have plenty of options when it comes to call center upgrades, but they need to make sure they have a solid upgrade strategy that will ultimately improve the quality of customer care.

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How to Motivate Your Call Center Reps

Working in a call center can be challenging at times. It’s no secret that call centers have a high turnover of reps. While the working conditions may be good, many times call center reps are underappreciated and underpaid. One of the best ways to keep your reps and lower the turnover rate is to keep your employees happy.

Your call center employees are an important link in the customer/company interaction chain. You are trusting them with your customers—your most valuable asset. Failing to have faith in your reps will result in many of them leaving.

Here are some ways to motivate your call center reps and create better working relationships:

Raise their pay. Call center representatives are professionals, and should be paid as such. Let’s face it: No company wants to pay more. But unless you want to continuously hire new workers and deal with a high turnover rate, you need to offer a competitive rate.

Provide refresher training. Employees that have been employed with the company for a while will greatly benefit from refresher training.

Allow shift trading. When call center employees are able to swap shifts to meet their needs, everyone is happy. It’s a small change that creates a nice balance.

Create an off-site program. Reps who wish to work from home can do so through remote communication. Employees who excel can have this perk, and this will motivate others to excel as well.

Give benefits to part-timers. Part-time employees are just as important as full-time ones, so treat them as if they are as valuable by offering the same benefits.

Create an advancement system. Let your call center representatives know that they can be rewarded with better pay and more responsibility if they succeed and add value to the company.

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Tips for Agents to Communicate Better

In a call center, communication is king. It’s a fact that effective communication will lead to a more productive and satisfied staff of agents. It sounds easy enough, but there are actually quite a few mishaps that can occur in an attempt to communicate to clients and customers. If your agents know how to better handle these situations, they can serve callers faster and with more confidence.

Here are some tips to help your agents communicate to customers more effectively:

Listen to the caller. Many agents may be so eager to serve the caller that they begin to answer before the caller has even finished talking. It’s best to wait until the caller has finished stating their question or concern before jumping in to remedy the problem. It’s easy for agents to get sidetracked with their own concerns about the call while they should be listening to the caller instead. Be present so that you can let the customer communicate their concerns. Failure to do so can result in callers feeling unimportant.

Speak slowly. Remember that callers are hearing the agent for the first time, and they may not always be clear on what you are saying. They should slow down and speak slowly. It is natural to tend to speed up after repetitive calls, but advise your agents to mindfully slow down and treat every call as if it’s the first one of the day.

Breathe. An agent’s breathing can affect a call. For instance, if they are sighing, they can come off as annoyed. If they hold their breath, it can mean they are tense. And we all know what yawning means! Teach your agents to be aware of their breathing during a call, and to take deep breathes in between calls.

Stay present. Make sure your agents know that when they stay on the phone, they should be present in that moment. While it’s easy to space out at their desks, agents should take breaks when they are feeling sluggish. Teaching them to stay in the moment will help their focus, even on trying days.

What about agents who work from home? As a call center manager, you can use video and chat in order to monitor their communication abilities in real-time. In order to do this effectively, you must communicate to your agents the importance of staying engaged and focused during customer calls.

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A Quick Guide to Call Centers

Almost everyone has heard of the term call center; however, very few people understand how a call center works. Here is a quick guide to call centers and how they work:

Business Model

Every call center should have a business model. It helps the call center to identify its goals and missions. Here are the basic components of a business model.

Mission

The mission states how the call center will help the company achieve its goals. It also specifies what the company expects from the call center.

Business goals

They include both short term and midterm goals that the call center wants to achieve. They also define what the organization wants from the call center.

Performance drivers

These are the processes, behaviors and tools which help the call center to meet the expectations of the company. Performance drivers are usually measurable.

Tech Tools

In order to run a call center you need several technical tools. Have you heard the terms IVR, VoIP, CRM and ACD? These are some of the tools and technology that modern call centers use to carry out their operation. There are several others, too. Here is a list of them.

·         Telephone network

·         Automatic call distributor system

·         Data network/Internet

·         Predictive dialer

·         Interactive voice response system

·         Web applications like email and online chat

·         Computer workstations

·         Local area network (LAN)

·         CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems like scripting, customer analytics and billing tools.

·         Computer-telephony integration software and hardware

·         Knowledge base

·         Workforce management software

·         Agent performance dashboard

·         Data warehouse

·         Call-recording equipment

·         VoIP communications technology

The call center team

The call center may have the most sophisticated tools in the world. It still needs efficient people to bring it to life.

The call center employs many people and they have several different roles to perform. For example, in every call center, there are agents, supervisors, business analysts and managers. Here is a quick overview of their roles.

Roles of call center employees

Senior manager

The senior manager is responsible for establishing the vision and mission of the call center. The annual goals for the call center are set by the senior manager.

Call center manager

The call center manager works with the senior manager and formulates polices which help the call center accomplish its goals.

The call center manager also identifies the performance drivers that have a direct or indirect impact on the business goals of the call center. S/he is also entrusted with the duty of assigning key roles to other employees. Other duties of the call center manager include creating a culture which supports the call center mission.

Resource analyst            

The job of a resource analyst is to predict customer demand and identify the resources necessary to meet it.

Reporting analyst           

The reporting analyst is the person who provides statistical feedback on key performance drivers and business goals. They also have a responsibility to conduct analysis and identify ways to improve the performance and results of the call center.

Network analyst

They recommend the tools required to improve performance. They also have a responsibility to ensure that these tools work properly.

Agent performance team includes the recruiter, team leader, trainer, and quality analyst.

The agents are the people who handle customer contacts. The recruiter recruits agents. The trainer imparts the required training. The team leader shows the agents how they should perform. The quality analyst gives feedback.

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What Makes the Telephone the Most Effective Channel?

Some people believe that the traditional telephone is the most effective medium to provide customer support.

These days, the customer can communicate with the contact center through many channels. The telephone is just one among them. So what makes the telephone so special?

Thanks to the easy availability of multiple contact channels, customers now want the freedom to decide how they should communicate with the contact center. They may even switch between channels. For example, they may start the communication with an email and then switch to phone or social media, or web chat to discuss the same issue. No matter what medium they choose to contact the call center, they expect nothing short of excellent customer service. This poses many challenges for the call center. This also calls for a system that allows the call center agents to see the customer's messages across all mediums in one place. They should also be able to see the caller's profile and history for effective handling of the problem.

While such systems are available at the moment, the cost can be prohibitive. And hence the organization should carefully decide how the agent should respond when customers communicate through multiple channels. A telephone call is still the most effective way to respond. More sophisticated systems may be available, but nothing can beat the telephone in terms of efficiency and affordability.

Email communications can be quite time consuming. Tweets are very public. Verifying the identity of someone who contacts you through the web chat can be difficult. Text messages should be linked to a CRM system. A telephone call, on the other hand, is quicker. This is the channel a customer will prefer if they expect an instant reply.

When the customer makes a call, they can get to the point faster. Now this gives rise to another question. Are your agents capable of handling these calls properly?

The call center agent may have access to a sophisticated system that gives complete details of the customer across all channels. However, if the agent is too busy and takes time to respond, the call center fails to win its objectives.

Research reveals that even in inbound contact centers, up to 40% of the calls are outbound. This is because the call center has to return the calls and respond to emails. One way of getting around this problem is to install an outbound dialer to field calls.

This system will ensure that important customer promises, for example the promise to call back, are not forgotten. Call backs can be automatically set up or by the call center agents. If there is an efficient dialer, the customer will not have to call the contact center to follow up.

Thanks to precision dialing technology, tweets, chats and emails can also be fed into the dialer to send a fast response to customers. It is also possible to blend SMS with outbound dialing campaigns.

Once you have the right system in place, the contact center will work more efficiently and seamlessly. This may also encourage the customer to stay around and appreciate the improvement.

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How Computer Telephony Can Benefit Your Call Center

The main focus of a company is delivering service and making sales. The key is to make it easy for customers to get in touch with a business’ services. Computer telephony—sometimes referred to as computer/telephone integration or CTI—is a technology that was created to enable better contact between companies and customers.

Computer telephony is not one piece of equipment; rather, it involves interlocking technologies and combining two streams of information through open and standards-based systems: data and voice. It’s used in all areas of business today, but it really shines in the call center. Computer telephony has the potential to improve the way your company interacts with customers.

Here are some other benefits that computer telephony can offer your contact center:

Make more sales. You can build customer loyalty when you have more information about the caller. You can appeal to them on their terms with information in the corporate database.

Improve customer service. With more information in the hands of the customer, they can sometimes even serve themselves, costing you less for labor.

Reduce your telecom usage costs. You can also have shorter call times and cut hold time as well.

You’ll have happier customers. More of the customers’ problems will be solved the first time around.

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How to be a Contact Center Agent

Want to be a contact center agent? This informative video will show you what skills you need to have for a rewarding career:

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Proactive Ways to Deal with Bad Customer Service

Bad customer service can happen when an organization lacks the resources or insight to handle unforeseen happenings. For example, if you are a courier company, bad weather can upset your consignment delivery plans. In this case, do not expect your consumers to understand your predicament. They will want the best service no matter what.

Customer care and its impact on brand reputation

Great customer service will build brand reputation and customer loyalty. It will also prevent negative reviews. Review sites like Trust Point and Review Center allow angry customers to give way to their frustration online. This can cause a great deal of damage to your reputation and credibility.

If people are happy with the service they received, they will probably not bother to leave a positive review. But if they are angry or upset, they will readily leave a negative review. This explains why your organization needs to provide excellent customer service all the time.

Bad customer service – a case study

An independent courier company recently learned this lesson the hard way. Due to bad weather, they couldn't deliver shipments on time, but the company didn't bother to inform customers beforehand. Consequently, thousands of angry customers took to the internet to voice their dissatisfaction with the service they received. People complained that the courier company's tracking system was not working properly and that they had not received their consignments even after waiting for weeks.

Many people felt that publishing a negative review online was the only way to invite attention to their problem because speaking to a customer care executive or receiving a reply via email was simply impossible - the company had no dedicated customer care team. In the end, the company's sales and marketing manager had to make personal calls to angry customers to ease the situation.

The courier company landed itself in a soup because it had not anticipated the problems. Worse still, it had never really understood the need to have a dedicated customer care division. The company did have a small team of agents, but they only catered to its clients who were mainly retailers. The end-user was nowhere in the picture. So when problems arose and people started complaining there was no one to listen to them.

An important lesson that all organizations should learn from this incident is that everyone who wears the company badge has a responsibility to provide customer service when the situation demands it.

Multi-channel contact

Ideally, your customer support should incorporate multi-channel contact. People should be able to contact you via multiple channels. If they can't reach your agent via telephone, they should be able to reach them via email.

Social media is also a great platform to provide customer service. In this particular example, the company made no attempt to contact its customers or the recipients of the shipments. Retailers promised their customers that their shipments would arrive on time, but when that didn't happen, people became furious. The company should have at least provided a phone number and an email address. This would have allowed customers to contact them. If they had proper workforce management, their existing customer care team would have engaged with people sooner. In addition, they could have recruited temporary staff to meet demand.

It is true that all organizations cannot have a full-fledged customer care division. Still, resolving issues quickly is imperative in this age of information explosion. Coming back to the courier company, an inability to take prompt action made them look like they just didn’t care about their customers. They are unlikely to regain their customers' confidence anytime soon.

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The Psychology of Customer Anger

Call centers must inevitably deal with angry customers from time to time. Let's face it, these situations can get ugly! Before you fly off the handle right back at the customer (which is a huge no-no), put yourself in the customer's place.

The key is to understand- really understand- the customer's point of view. After all, it's all about psychology! Check out this video on how to understand customer anger:

 

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How to Communicate with Customers Effectively

Call center agents can show off their phone skills using the helpful tips in this short and informative video:

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How to Deliver Great Customer Service

Organizations that provide great after sales service will have no difficulty retaining customers. This explains why every organization wants to deliver exceptional customer service.

Now the question is: How can an organization provide high quality customer care and keep its customers happy? Here are some tips:

Know how to deal with unsatisfied customers

You may be selling a great product or service; still, problems can occur. And when things go against their expectations, customers can become unhappy. You cannot deliver a great customer experience if you do not know how to deal with an unhappy customer. Make sure that your agents are aware of the happenings.

If there are recurring problems and your company is already taking measures to solve these problems, your agents should be aware of that. This way they can assure callers that your employees are working to resolve the issues.

By fixing recurring issues, companies can prevent future customers from facing the same problems. This will also improve customer satisfaction.

Let your agents know how they are performing

Run a few customer satisfaction surveys and share the outputs with your agents. Let them know that their hard work is being recognized. And if they ever go off the track, you should let them know that as well. When your agents realize that their performance is being rated, they will be motivated to work harder.

Develop your agent's Emotional Quotient (EQ) skills

Your agents are dealing with real people and not bots, and hence developing their EQ skills is important. This will help them deal with frustrated and angry customers better. Your agents should be able to empathize with the customer and see things from their perspective.

Good EQ skills are essential to build better rapport with the customer. You should also train them to ask the right questions that will help them get a complete picture.

Encourage your call center agents to own up

If there are problems, your agents should admit it and take responsibility. This gives callers the impression that they are talking to a person responsible for solving their problems.

If the agent merely passes the problem over to another agent, the customer will get frustrated.

Quality is as important as AHT

While monitoring the performance of your agents, you should definitely consider average handling time. If the agent takes too long to resolve a problem, it is not a positive sign. However, quality is equally important. The agent is not supposed to rush through the calls. They should show enough patience to hear what the customer has to say. This is necessary to ensure that problems are being resolved properly.

Put the customer first

Put the focus on the customer. Your goal must be to ensure their satisfaction. Forget about internal processes and do whatever you can to increase customer satisfaction.

Empower your agents

Appreciate your agents' hard work. Reward them. However, this doesn't mean that you should give them time off their work or the phone. Instead, give them an opportunity to work on individual projects that need not necessarily involve calls. This empowers your agents and gives them a better understanding of your business.

Ask your agents to notify recurring problems

Ask your agents if they notice any patterns or trends in the incoming calls. If there is a problem that affects several customers, your agents are usually the first people to know about it. By keeping in constant touch with them you can detect problems early and address them.

Keep your customers informed

Try to increase the number of one-call resolutions. This is not possible all the time, but that should be your goal. Keep the customer well-informed and up-to-date. They should know what is happening in the background. They should know what steps you are taking to solve their problem.

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