US Contact Center Industry Generates 16,000 Jobs

It’s a great time for the US call center industry because business certainly is booming. According to Jobs4america, a little over 16,000 new call center jobs were created in the United States during this year’s third quarter.

 

Specifically, between the months of July and September, 16,080 contact center jobs became open. The Chairman of Jobs4america Matt Zemon remarked, “The American Contact Center Industry continues to show strong growth. We also commend all the organizations that are choosing to outsource to BPOs with a strong U.S. presence including Chime Solutions, Teletech and Liberty-Source.”

 

Factors contributing to the recent boom in call center jobs in the US include President Obama’s healthcare law and the rising cost of contact center labor overseas. Jobs4america.com reports that at least five million people in the United States work in call centers, and a great deal of them are based from home.

 

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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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The Role of the Contact Center Team Leader

A call center’s team leader is a critical part of the business’ success. They play a significant role in boosting team’s morale and encouraging success and diversity. In this article, we’ll highlight the role of the call center team leader as well as the attributes that he/she should possess for the success of a call center.

What is a call center team leader responsible for?

A team leader actively enforces the goals of the operation, policies and procedures, implements plans in the organization’s training and development programs, handles escalations, supports agents, monitors the cue, and works in conjunction with the administration. 

A team leader in a call center is the one responsible for managing team of agents  to ensure that they are performing towards achieving their targets They review their performance and provide coaching and training. Team leaders meet with the manager on a regular basis to not only give feedback but also to receive instructions or actions. They are the one responsible for keeping agents informed of what is happening in the call center that may have an impact on them. At times, team leaders are involved in the recruitment of new agents to work on specific projects for the call center. 

Attributes that a call center team leader should possess

·         Management skills-A team leader should demonstrate the ability to manage the call center agents and other operations.

·         Coaching skills-They should be skilled in delivering instructive, collaborative, supportive, and motivational coaching sessions that boost open communications. He/she should be able to diagnose performance issues and be able to develop effective action plans to address the main cause of the issue. 

·         Analytical skills- Team leaders should be able to identify business trends and opportunities as well as underlying threats, and be able to provide effective suggestions for developments.

·         Goal- focused skills-A team leader should consistently meet all established goals and accomplish tasks in a commendable manner and timely basis.

·         Prioritization- A team leader needs to demonstrate the ability to prioritize issues based on urgency and scope of impact. He/she should be capable of effectively managing multiple projects.

·         Motivation skills- They should know how to create a strong sense of job satisfaction and keep all call center agents motivated, by effectively communicating, recognizing, and rewarding good performance. He should be able to identify effective ways of developing and enhancing agent’s skills.

·         Ownership/initiative- Being a team leader in a call center, one needs to volunteer and participate or lead new initiatives. He should take ownership of tasks and make sure they are completed.

·         Communication skills- Effective communication is one of the crucial skills that every team leader, regardless of the industry should possess. He should be able to professionally communicate to subordinates, peers, agents, as well as senor level management. 

·         Personnel skills- As a team leader, one should show the ability to maintain confidentiality and address sensitive issues appropriately, in accordance with HR procedures. He should prove to handle difficult issues with total professionalism, and a well-documented plan for resolution.

If a team leader possesses all the above attributes, a call center can move to greater heights.

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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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