The most stressful time for a call center is dealing with a high volume of calls, especially when they can’t accommodate every call.
The most stressful time for a call center is dealing with a high volume of calls, even when they can’t accommodate all of the calls over a sustained period. This is usually defined as about a 10% or more increase in how many calls the call center regularly receives.
It may be a seasonal issue or part of the nature of the business, but either way, it can put a lot of strain on your business. However, there are ways to address high call center volume. Here’s how to improve the customer experience and manage high call center volume.
Diagnose the Problem
Don’t rush into spending more money than you need to by investing in more infrastructure if you’re not certain of why you’re experiencing high call center volume. Before you do that, figure out what’s causing the problem. Are customers confused about the product or service? Are you understaffed or undertrained? Do customers know about other ways to contact you? Analyze your call data and see if there is a common trend among your customers, which might shed some light on the issue. You can act accordingly from there.
Offer Callback Options
No one likes being on hold. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but you can offer your customers callback options at other times. If your agent needs to do a little more digging to give the best and most personalized service, offer to call the customer back at a later time. This way, they’re free to do whatever they want to do instead of being tethered to their phone.
Shift Your Agents
If you’re noticing a specific pattern where you’re getting calls at a certain time of day, then work your agent schedule around it. If you notice calls pick up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, find some extra help or prioritize your most experienced team members so they can get through calls quicker. When bringing on new hands to help, schedule training time when you know your call center will be slow.
Add More Support Channels
Utilize additional contact channels to free up your call center agents. Depending on your business and needs, that might look like live chat, chatbots, social media, or emails. That can help offer some relief to your agents as those other methods are less intensive. Just make sure all of your teams are communicating so they can problem solve together.
Offer Self-Service Knowledge
If your customers are seeking knowledge, why not make it as easy as possible to access it? Some customers may not even enjoy using the phone. Instead, they can look at FAQs or even a forum where customers can share knowledge.
Experience the Benefits of Call Center Services from TeleRep
Whether you need help with an inbound call center or an outbound call center, TeleRep is here to help. If you still have more questions, our trained professionals are ready to answer them. We know how important customer feedback is to you and your business, so let them know that you care with an answering service. To learn how TeleRep can help you today, visit us online or give us a call at 1-800-638-2000. To keep up with our work and to see what we have been up to, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.