7 Effective Tips to Improve Call Center Agent Performance
The country is opening up, and improving call center performance is a top priority for business owners like you. You’re expecting business to pick up substantially and want your call center efficiency and productivity to be in top form. As providers of superior customer service for businesses throughout the country, we’ll show you how to improve service levels in a call center.
How to Improve Service Level in a Call Center
Are you wondering how to improve call center performance? Improving call center performance can yield dramatic results for your business and profit margin. When you address customers’ concerns and questions quickly and efficiently, it generates positive word-of-mouth experiences shared many times over. There’s no better marketing strategy than customer reviews and first-hand testimonials. Below, we’ll show you how to improve call center customer service and generate rave reviews:
- Implement best practices – For consistency in your customer service, a uniform workflow process for your call agents is a necessity. By implementing workflow best practices, everyone is on the same page. A guided approach empowers your call agents with best practices and subject matter expertise they can refer to when solving customer problems. It is especially helpful for call agents with minimal knowledge or training. A workflow process is how to improve call center customer service while maintaining uniformity.
- Continuous improvement – Maintaining an ongoing training schedule for both new and seasoned agents will ensure each individual receives the training they need to perform at their best. The idea is to guarantee that all call agents receive training for customer service, best practices, and specific challenges faced by the business. By taking this important step, every call agent is competent and knowledgeable.
- Skills-based routing – When you incorporate skills-based routing technology, you can take your call center to the next level. It is an excellent way to make the most of the skill sets your agents already possess. Since FCR, also known as first contact resolution, is an important metric that is usually closely monitored, skills-based routing technology can dramatically increase these results. If a customer is identified as new to your system, the call can be routed to an agent who is great with onboarding new customers. Routing calls can ensure that you meet the needs of first-time callers and leave a great first impression.
- Call monitoring and coaching – This feature is beneficial for new and inexperienced agents. When a higher-level agent or supervisor listens to live calls, they provide a sense of safety for call agents. If an agent is having a challenging time answering customer questions or concerns, the senior agent can give a few words of guidance.
- Inter-agent chat – An inter-agent chat gives call agents the ability to lean on senior agent and supervisor expertise when solving customer challenges. That chat can be made available on a one-on-one basis or one-to-many, like a chat room. Regardless of how you choose to organize your inter-agent chat, it will increase your call center efficiency and productivity. This feature gives call agents the chance to present real-time questions to the rest of the group without the customer knowing.
- Maintain agent-to-supervisor ratio – A favorable agent-to-supervisor ratio is essential whether you operate a small help desk or an office of several thousand agents. This ratio is determined by your call volume, agent location, services provided, and more. We recommend a solid benchmark starting point at a ratio of 25:1.
- Listen – Since call agents are the customers’ first point of contact, they are the first to know whether a best practice or workflow is working or not. By establishing a feedback loop for your agents to provide input and suggestions, you’ll be connected to what’s happening on the frontlines. Connectivity will allow you to quickly implement call agent ideas for improvement, increasing call center efficiency and productivity. When you know how to improve call center performance, you are better able to take action.
We Can Help Your Call Center Efficiency
Now that you are aware of how to improve service levels in a call center, it’s time to identify some tools you may need. At AnswerHero, we have everything you need to increase your call center efficiency and show you how to improve call center performance. To get started, here are some of the services we offer:
- Call routing – This service is perfect for small businesses that may be understaffed and unable to handle an influx of calls. Let us relieve some of the pressure with our well-trained staff.
- Services for startups – Did you just start a business? We know how challenging it can be to juggle everything at once. We help startups by handling the phone calls while you focus on growing your business!
- Bilingual call answering service – Service your Spanish-speaking customers appropriately with our bilingual call answering service. We can assist with translating, scheduling appointments, lead capture, taking messages, and after-hours calls!
- Message taking – Using a greeting of your choosing, our live operators will answer all of your calls and take detailed and accurate messages.
- And much more!
Give us a call today to see how we can help improve your call center!
