3rd Party Remote Call Monitoring Feature

One of the most harrowing experiences customers go through is waiting to get help over the phone. The problem is so bad that one commercial currently airing on TV pokes fun at the hold music a customer listens to on a tech support call.

When businesses set up IVRs for their call centers, they typically hope that such automation will improve efficiency, only to find out later the opposite was the case. By making a few changes, companies that rely on call centers can improve their customers’ overall experience and avoid losing them to competitors.

Menus that offer too many choices often leave customers confused, while too few options leaves them feeling confined and uncertain they can get their problem solved. Setting up a few simple options, while giving a fallback option to speak to a rep ensures that the routine problems can be solved and gives customers a place to go for not-so-routine issues.

Improving upon technical issues like inferior quality lines and IVRs reduces the need for customers to repeat themselves, whether they speak to a live or automated attendant.

Having the capacity to handle calls reduces hold times. It is often the case that a system that handled the demand well when it was first launched later became overwhelmed when the customer base grew. Such was the case with a school district before Verizon (News - Alert) upgraded their automated call center. The system helped deal with the spike in calls from parents at the beginning of the school year inquiring about bus information. It also efficiently routed calls to automated systems for handling routine questions. Call abandonment rates decreased and agents were freed up to handle more complex calls.

Another creative solution to long hold times and other aggravations is to ‘gamify’ the process. Companies could do this by rewarding customers based on the length of time spent on hold or for using online systems instead of speaking to a live attendant.

Businesses that rely on call centers to assist customers are at risk for losing these customers if their interaction with agents and automated systems is aggravating. Fortunately, the solution is usually not complex as a few simple changes and some extra care make a huge difference. It’s too easy for customers to walk. Making it impossible for them to want to walk will set the successful companies apart from the ones that will have ‘For Lease’ signs in their windows in a few months.