The purpose of any call center is to provide a 100% satisfactory experience to the customer – or potential customer – who comes to your company. To meet expectations and increase positive return, it is essential to know the opinion regarding the service received, and implement improvements to turn weaknesses into strengths. Each call center is a world itself, with differences in structures, sizes and methodologies. Even so, it is true that there are some mistakes that are frequently repeated in a call center, and that eliminating them is essential to offer a high quality service.
Common mistakes in a call center and how to solve them
- Infinite waiting times
- Lack of empathy with the agent
- Agent attrition
- Lack of knowledge and strategy
- Inefficient bots
- Request repeated information
- Obsolete and complex technology
1. Infinite waiting times
The most common weak point of a call center is the time the customer has to wait for a response to their query. This is the condition that stands out the most when asking about possible improvements in customer service. Therefore, it is where the most emphasis should be put if you want to provide a positive experience for the user.
To reduce waiting times and improve agent workflow, it is essential to resort to artificial intelligence tools, such as the use of automated call distribution that functions as the first line of contact for customer calls.
In this way, a response is given without waiting, while at the same time the query is redirected to the specific department according to the need. In addition, this strategy also avoids passing the call to another agent if it is not strictly necessary, allowing the problem to be resolved quickly and efficiently.
2. Lack of empathy with the customer
The agent’s goal should always be customer satisfaction, whatever the situation is. On many occasions, the customer will go to the call center to report a problem, so their attitude will be angry and frustrated.
It is essential that the team is trained to face these situations. Working from active listening, empathy and serenity is essential to demonstrate a sincere intention to help. Therefore, time and effort must be invested in training agents to develop their soft skills, and convert their initial frustration into satisfaction.
3. Agent attrition
Another weak point to improve in a call center is burnout, which has a direct impact on its ability to adequately serve customers.
Dealing with angry customers, repetitive queries or high call volumes is a stressful scenario, generating higher employee resignation and turnover.
In addition, most call centers do not have a career path for their employees, so the lack of growth opportunities also contributes to a loss of motivation in the team.
To reverse this situation and improve the employee experience, it is very important, first of all, to be honest and clear about the functions to be performed and the real opportunities for growth in the company, so as not to generate false expectations.
It is also important to look for incentives that motivate the team, such as offering better salary conditions, flexible schedules, carrying out teambuilding activities, participating in decision-making or offering training to improve their skills.
4. Lack of knowledge and strategy
Another common errors in a call center is the lack of knowledge on the side of the customer service team about the product or service offered, as well as the lack of an internal strategy, which affects the coherence of the response.
Therefore, it is essential to train staff so that they know in depth all the elements related to the company. It is also vital that the call center has a clear strategy to unify processes and methodologies. In this sense, topics such as the following must be addressed:
- Planning a uniform and coherent speech with the company image.
- Distinction of the different areas of consultation
- Preparation of a roadmap that unifies processes for better resolution of incidents.
- Implementation of customer experience measurement tools.
Remember, having an expert contact center service and a marked work methodology is essential to improve interaction with the customer and generate value that allows us to continue increasing the client portfolio.
5. Inefficient bots
Bots that do not solve questions and lead nowhere are a nightmare for the user, and, consequently, an urgent error to correct. If the user is using a bot it is because he has a problem address and expects that from the company. Every second that your query goes unresolved increases their anger level.
Make sure your communication flows are well designed so that if the person cannot find the answer themselves, an agent can immediately take control and resolve as soon as possible.
6. Request repeated information
Access to each customer’s history is a must in the call center and contact center. The software used here is key.
You should prioritize a tool that allows you to consult the interaction history of each customer, regardless of the channel in which the communication began. This way your agents avoid starting from scratch and can see contact information, previous queries, status of a problem resolution, etc.
7. Obsolete and complex technology
Having obsolete tools that do not facilitate communication between the client and the agent is another of the most common weak points in a call center. It is important that companies stay at the forefront of technological changes and, therefore, that they invest in software designed exclusively to streamline processes in a simple, agile and automated way.
Minimize mistakes and provide the best customer service with ICR Evolution
At ICR Evolution we have a powerful omnichannel tool that will allow you to offer optimal service to your team while facilitating the generation and evaluation of processes for your company.
- Increase First Contact Resolution
- Reduces agent burn-out
- Advise your customers in a more complete and personalized way
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information or to answer any questions, we will be happy to help you improve the operation of your contact center. Request a demo now!
