Starting a new business is a very
challenging task, especially when it is strongly connected with customer
service. Initiating a new business requires an investment of time, energy, and
lots of money. So it is important for a business owner to be wise enough when
making concrete decisions regarding anything related to it. Regardless of
whether you want to start on a small level or industry level, there are
strategies and tips you should always keep in mind to make your idea stand out
in the market. Here, in this feature, we will guide you through a few tips that
you must consider to make your call center successful.
Gone are the days when the call
center was just about a few personnels taking calls and giving core information
to the customers. Now, with so many call centers out there, the competition is
fierce, and it is important for a business to provide something unique to the
audience. Similarly, as a business owner, you also need to work hard to make
the agents happy. If they are gratified, the productivity level of work will
increase. With much advancement in technology, the dynamics of call centers
have changed drastically. Here are a few tips you must consider to make your
call center successful:
1. Set Target For Achievement
No business can be successful unless
the business owner doesn’t define the targets that need to be achieved. They
say, “You get what you reward and vice versa. As a business owner, if you want
your call center to thrive, it is a must for you to set targets and try to
achieve them on time. It is important to note; we don’t mean to talk about the
mission and vision here. To be successful, a business has to achieve several
targets. Unless your agents don’t know the reason behind them being in the
company, they won't be able to work with high levels of motivation. For
instance, if you have plans to open communication for 25 new cities, you must
set goals for your agents to learn a few new accents within 14 days. Everyone
who succeeds should be rewarded by the company. So now, when they will have a
target to achieve, they will work even harder, not just to please the future
clients but also to maintain healthy communication with the existing ones.
2. Empower Agents
The best way to improve the
productivity level of the employees is to empower them. Let them give their
take on a new business decision. Not to forget, humans are the most valuable
resource of an organization. Even if you have the most advanced tech equipment
at the workplace but lack the support from agents, your dream to reach
skyrocketing heights of success will never transition into reality. Most
businessmen in today’s time are requested to adopt a democratic
style of leadership and allow their employees to participate in the
decision-making process. Allow them to make important decisions for work when
you or the senior managers are not around. Especially if you have a few agents
who have been working for the last few years, it is better to make them feel
valuable by giving them the power to give their suggestions for the betterment
of the business.
3. Make the Best use of External Sources
Research shows that the agents of
call centers need help from external experts to solve a few problems with the
customers. So if you’re investing in external sources, make sure to get the
most out of them. External sources can cost a lot of money, and especially when
you’re beginning a new business, it is important to restrain the budget. Make
these new people a part of your customer service mission. This way, the quality
of the client calls won't be confined to the walls of the workplace. Secondly,
with much advancement in technology, it is easy for business owners to move
around in the world without getting chained to the workplace for taking
important client phone calls. You will be surprised to know, a lot of
businesses have apps that can easily connect agents with clients regardless of
the geography.
4. Improve Relationships with Customers
How often do you wish a retained
customer on his/her birthday? It might not seem important, but there are many
other companies that take care of their clients to a great extent. So if you
think there is no need, a prospective caller might turn towards a more caring
call center. Secondly, there are many other ways to improve relationships with
customers, such as by enquiring feedback, allowing them to give suggestions for
improvement, and empowering them by working on what they have requested. Not to
forget, the best way to improve customer service is to talk politely. Don’t
worry if your call center is not equipped with
enough human resources to devote extra time to engage the customers for company
improvement. You can outsource professional services that can help in
interacting with your customers in the best way possible.
5. Create a Flexible Working Environment
If an agent is unable to come to work
because of a personal family issue, there is no need to deduct his/her wage.
Technology has enabled businesses to thrive in the most challenging
environments around the globe. Get a customized app for your business that can
help in connecting agents with customers from any part of the globe.
Furthermore, if an agent is sick, yet wants to work from home, allow him/her to
use the business app to take client calls anytime. Hadn't it been for business
apps, a lot of companies would have lost several customers by now. Carving
flexible working environments is a strong key to success. Unless you don't
develop a creative workspace for agents, they won't be able to work to their
fullest. Keep in mind, taking hundreds of phone calls a day is a hectic job, so
it is your responsibility as a business owner to make sure agents are
comfortable at work. Introduce creative activities at work and try to engage
the agents in minor office decisions.
6. Segment Customers According to Demographics
The easiest way to improve work
productivity is to segment the customers according to geography. Even if you
have the best working professionals in your call center, you cannot expect them
to handle all kinds of clients in an 8-hour shift. Thanks to modern calling
services such as VOIP, it is easy to segment customers according to their
location and divide work. For instance, if your call center operates in 25
cities and you have a staff of over 50 agents. You can easily dedicate two
agents to manage one city and handle customers. Furthermore, if you have a
diversified workforce, you can ask agents about their area of expertise. This
will not only reduce the time it takes for an agent to get along with the
accent of a prospective customer but will also improve productivity at the
workplace.
7. Re-Examine Past Performances
The best way to prepare for a better
future is to learn from the past. Every business owner makes several mistakes
during the start of the project, so you are nobody different. Wise are the
people who examine their past and learn from mistakes. Sit with your team and
evaluate the past year's performance. Take out all the positive points and mark
them as your strengths. Chuck out the mistakes and mark them as weaknesses.
Once you’re done with doing this, start working on your strengths and try to
eradicate the weaknesses as soon as possible. Keep in mind, it is important to
work on the previous mistakes if you want to achieve skyrocketing success for
your business.
8. Use High Tech Equipment
If you want to keep up with the
current times, it is important to use high tech equipment at the workplace.
This means you should have a fast internet connection, high tech phones, and
everything that is needed to make sure the workflow is running smoothly. You
cannot expect to get the desired results unless you don’t practice working with
the best equipment in town. Make sure, all working agents have a stable phone
connection and a customized business app installed on their phones. This way,
they will easily be able to connect with everyone without worrying about the
location. With technology enabling businesses to stay online all the time,
customers expect a reply from the company whenever they have a query. Using
high tech equipment in today’s time is not an option but the need of the hour,
thankfully, technology allows businesses to thrive by expanding globally.
9. Don’t Be Afraid of Failure
As a new business owner, you should
have the audacity to survive failure. Not to forget, there is no guarantee of a
new business idea becoming successful if you don’t have hands-on experience on
it before. The call center is a thriving business option, but one that takes
time to mature. So now that you have decided to work on all the tips mentioned
above, it is important to be patient and work hard to make your call center
successful. You will face difficulties in the beginning, but as your agents
continue to interact with several customers online, they will eventually learn
about dealing with different people.