Improving the Quality of Call Monitoring

There is more to monitoring than finding problems and solving them. Call monitoring also involves identifying and showcasing positive messages. Today's contact centers are technologically sophisticated but sometimes a simple 'thank you' works better.

Gather data and use it properly

Every contact center should monitor call quality because it provides valuable insights into the performance of their advisors. By monitoring call quality, the contact center can set standards and provide required training.

Get the basics right

Small things like using appropriate phrases and greetings can make a big difference. Regular monitoring ensures that advisors get the small details right. Better still, by monitoring call quality regularly, the contact center can nip bad habits in the bud.

No need to install cutting edge technology

You don't necessarily have to invest in sophisticated monitoring tools. Simple manual checking may also provide valuable insights. Some monitoring is definitely better than having no monitoring at all.

Set realistic targets

When you achieve them, it will encourage you to set even higher targets.

Take your advisors into confidence

The contact center should be able to win the cooperation of employees from the early stage itself. When a contact center implements monitoring, many employees will assume that it is going to be critical. Consequently, they may resent it. On the other hand, if the existing monitoring system hasn't changed in several years, agents and advisors may start taking it for granted. Convince your employees that the goal of quality monitoring is not to kill their morale. Instead, it is a program designed to benefit both advisors and consumers.

Monitoring should be collaborative, not prescriptive.

This will encourage advisors to cooperate and accept the system. Advisors should know why the quality of their calls is important to the company. They will be able to deliver better performance if they know what the organization expects of them.

Provide feedback

Use a fair method to score and evaluate data obtained from the call monitoring process. Use the same standard all the time.

Once you have set milestones, you need to ensure that they are kept to. The contact center can deliver the feedback one-to-one or through group sessions. No matter what method is selected, individual members should be able to voice their opinions and concerns.

Provide skills training

This will definitely improve the performance of your advisors.

Have a competent team to assess quality

There should be a dedicated person to do the evaluation.  If the contact center is large, there should be a specialist team. You can't expect your supervisors to monitor quality. Their duty is to launch campaigns.

After identifying a person to handle monitoring, you should provide them with the resources, skills and training they need to efficiently carry out the appraisal. Call quality tends to improve when a monitoring system is implemented. That means, by investing more time and money into your monitoring, you can provide better service to your clients.

External benchmarking

You should also compare the performance of your contact center with your competition. If your contact center doesn't have a monitoring tool, you should consider outsourcing this to an external monitoring agency.

Reward best practice

You can improve the morale of your team by rewarding their work. For example, you can institute awards for advisors delivering exceptional performance.

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Some Basics of Cloud Telephony

Many people have heard about cloud computing and cloud telephony, but very few people understand what they are.

Cloud computing is all about accessing your data via the internet. You will have to pay a pre-determined recurring fee to use the service. When you use cloud computing services, you do not have to invest in expensive hardware or software. This makes these services cost effective and convenient.

What is cloud telephony?

Cloud telephony is another cloud based service. It uses voice over IP technology to deliver telephone calls over an internet connection.  Since cloud telephony runs on hardware owned and maintained by the service provider, businesses using this service do not have to invest in expensive conventional telephone equipment like PABXs. Of course, they have to pay a monthly subscription fee for using the service.

Great call handling features

VoIP is no longer about making free internet calls. Most cloud telephony service providers offer great call handling features including auto receptionist, call forwarding, music on hold, dial-by-name, parking, and screening. As a result cloud telephony allows SMEs to enjoy call handling capabilities that were formerly only available to large organizations. These call handling features also allow organizations to unify their physically separated staff.

Stay connected no matter where you are

Since calls are made over the internet, the physical location of employees does not matter. They can attend the calls no matter where they are. All calls are sent to a single landline number and then get routed to different employees. As a result, the caller gets the impression that all employees are in one place.

Cloud telephony services can deliver calls to cellphones. You may be running your small business almost exclusively from your mobile phone. This can give your callers the impression that your business does not have an office. When you use cloud telephony, you will get a landline number. Your mobile phones will then act as extensions of your landline number.

Cloud telephony also allows your staff to communicate better. They can, for example, call one another by dialing extensions. If they are at their computer, they can use the click-to-call feature. Cloud telephony also allows your employees to set up free conference calls.

Ease of use

Cloud telephony services can be easily set up. By contrast, if you use a traditional telephone system, you will need someone with consider technical skills to install it. This system will also need regular maintenance. Since cloud telephony uses equipment owned by the service provider, you do not have to purchase any costly equipment. In other words, when you use a cloud based service, you can reduce operating costs.

There is yet another problem with traditional telephone systems. As telecommunication technology is developing at a fast pace, these systems become outdated in months. By contrast, cloud service providers keep their equipment and technology at state-of-the-art level.

Huge savings

Since delivering phone calls over an internet connection is much more cost effective than leasing traditional phone lines, service providers can pass the savings on to their customers. In fact, an average customer who moves to cloud telephony can save up to 60% on line rentals and call costs. Better still, there is no compromise in call quality.

When you use cloud telephony, you will be able to provide better service to your customers. It also makes your staff more productive. There are obvious cost advantages, too.