Call Center Management Featured Article
3 Tips: How Call Center Management Can Leverage the Voice of the Customer
Tips for success – they tend to grab our attention when we see them in a headline or a teaser in a social media post. We all want to succeed in our endeavors and do our best to learn the latest and greatest when it comes to driving the best results. The same is true for those in call center management. With so many balls in the air at any given time, it helps to have a bit of clear direction.
A recent post in Win the Customer offers some insight into how to take care of your customers so you can guarantee they will return time and again to purchase your products or services. And while it’s important for call center management to deliver the best service possible, the focus needs to be not just on those who are happy, but also those who may not be as satisfied as you think.
For that reason, the list included in the post doesn’t focus merely on attracting and retaining new customers. It takes a more sophisticated look at what customers demand today and why it’s important to develop a customer service strategy that has both depth and substance. It’s not just about how quickly an agent answers the phone or how efficient the design of your Interactive Voice Response (IVR); it’s about listening to the voice of the customer.
Understand the Customer
Companies tend to be a little self-absorbed when it comes to reaching out to the customer base. There is an ongoing belief that their product is the best in the market and why wouldn’t the customer want it? The problem with this approach is that it ignores the customer’s preferences and habits and quiets the voice of the customer. The customer is constantly providing you with information on what they want, what will make them happy. If you simply take this information and put it into practice, you’ll drive satisfaction.
Always be Improving
Have you ever met the employee who claims to have reached the pinnacle in his career? He’s done it all – received all the training, closed the biggest deal possible and knows the industry inside and out. In his mind, there is nothing else to learn. This is a common approach for call center management when training is proven effective. The problem with this belief is that it provides a false-sense of accomplishment. There is always room to learn, to improve. When constant improvement is a priority, satisfaction increases.
Practice Engagement
It’s not uncommon to believe that the outbound call is meant to provide information to the prospect and nothing more. This belief misses the opportunity for engagement. As mentioned earlier, customers will tell you everything you need to know, but you have to be willing to listen. This means engaging in conversation, asking the right questions and capturing the answers. Allow your agents to go off script and truly engage with the customer.
Each of these activities focus on leveraging the voice of the customer. In call center management, it’s essential that all agents are guided in this practice and understand the art of listening. In doing so, everyone wins.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi