Because call center agents represent business entities, it is crucial for them to act with unparalleled professionalism.
They need to be courteous, empathetic, and they should always be willing to help their callers every.single.time. (And that’s just half of it, by the way.)
With how the call center industry has no shortage of career advancement opportunities for those who are performing well at their jobs, it is truly in the best interest of call center agents to perform their tasks to the best of their abilities.
However, even having said that, the fact remains that a good number of call center agents find it challenging to maintain their call quality and consistency.
With all the performance metrics that they need to keep tabs on, it’s no surprise why they’re struggling.
If you customer support team is struggling with the same thing -- maintaining their call quality and consistency -- then you need to share these tips with them.
1. Have them smile while taking calls.
A smile can go a long way into making a positive impact on the customer whether the interaction is face-to-face or over the phone.
While your customers can’t see your team smiling over the phone, they can tell just by the sound of your support team’s voice if they’re smiling or not.
In fact, even the smallest lilt in your team’s voice can create a positive connection with the caller.
Smiling is a way for your team to put their best foot forward in the conversation.
Have them do this, and chances are the rest of their conversation with their callers will be as pleasant as how they started it.
2. Always clarify customer issues and complaints.
There are times when customers aren’t as clear when communicating their issues with the products or service.
In such cases, it is your team’s responsibility as call center agents to ensure that they understand their customer’s concerns and that the customer knows that your team understands where they’re coming from.
To do this right, have your agents start by asking open-ended questions -- those starting with who, what, where, when and how -- to get relevant information from the customer.
With enough information, your support team can home in on the issue and then come up with the right resolution to the problem.
Once your team and their customers are on the same page, arriving at a resolution becomes much easier.
3. Keep your team’s cool under fire
It’s no secret that call center agents interact with frustrated callers on a regular basis.
If your call center agents want to go further in their career in the industry, they have to stay calm even when their customers are yelling at them over the phone.
The customers can get angry and frustrated for a plethora of reasons.
Just remind your team that the customers aren’t angry with them. They are just unhappy with the product or service that they paid for.
Responding in a similar manner will only escalate the situation.
That being said, if your team feels like yelling, have them take a deep breath and respond in a calm manner.
4. Remind your team to be good listeners
This tip might seem obvious, but active listening is a technique that is often overlooked.
Being a good listener goes beyond just paying attention, it also involves them, genuinely attempting to understand the concerns and feelings of their customer accurately.
By conveying empathy, the caller is made aware that he is understood and that his concerns are acknowledged.
Once that part is done, the communication between your agents and their customers are more likely to run smoothly.
5. Be a problem-solver
Call center agents are expected to resolve their callers’ issues and provide solutions. The customers expect them to be problem-solvers.
As such, your agents need to approach each call with every intention of coming up with workable solutions to every customer issue they encounter over the phone.
First, they have to make sure that they understand their customer’s issues with the product or service. They have to ask the right questions and then provide realistic solutions to the problem.
There are times when agents encounter unique customer issues that require a more nuanced approach.
In such cases, they should always be flexible and resourceful enough to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems.
What’s Next?
By following all of the tips mentioned above, your agents are delivering factors and conditions that reinforce customer satisfaction and loyalty.
It might be difficult at first to pull all of these off. But if you’ll encourage your agents constantly, they won’t have an issue with maintaining their call quality and consistency.
What are some of the struggles that your customer support team are facing when it comes to keeping up with their metrics?
Please share your ideas in the comments section below. Cheers!
Submit a comment