Ways and Means to Improve CRM in the Call Center
March 28, 2014
By Lavanya Rathnam, TMCnet Contributing Writer
The customer is king, and satisfying them is the most fundamental reason for the existence of any company. To achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction, it is important for every company to have good CRM practices, which are more important for call center industries than for any other industry because the employees interface with clients extensively. For this reason, call center companies should craft the right CRM policies and implement them well. Some of the areas of focus are discussed below.
Training Employees to be Courteous:
Employees are the most important asset for the company, so they should be trained well to put their skills and knowledge to best use. They should be given proper training in communication and etiquette to improve the quality of the call. Employees should learn to be professional and courteous throughout the conversation. It’s important to pronounce the customer's name right as it is the first step to make an impression. Also, some measure of honesty is essential to build trust between the company and the employee. If there are problems that the call center agent cannot solve, it is better to accept it and transfer the call to the right agent.
Motivating Call Center Agents:
Talking to customers all day long can be stressful and challenging. This is why customer agents need constant support and motivation from the company. While financial incentives are a good way to keep them going, it is also essential to recognize their efforts from time to time with words and gestures. Such small rewards go a long way in improving CRM within the company. According to Jack Peterson of BizCommunity.com, providing the right CRM tools to employees is also a way of empowering them, as it helps to make their job a lot easier.
Measurement and Analysis:
Customer satisfaction should be measured constantly to know if the employees and the company as a whole are on track. Key Attitudinal Indicators (KAI) are a good way to know how a customer feels after each call. Feedback and surveys also provide an insight into customer satisfaction levels.
Customer satisfaction is the core of any call center business, and that’s why it’s important for the company to stay on top of its CRM practices.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson