Customer relationship management systems are a great help for the agents and management of a call center. They have in a way revolutionized the way call centers can offer their services to the clients. But there is a lot more to customer relationship than gathering customer information and arranging them neatly in a system. Yes, the single view of the customers can help the agents win over their hearts but that is as much as it can do. If you want to maximize the impact of this system on your customer service then there are certain skills that you need to incorporate. Some of the call center experts feel that the true potential of CRM systems has never been explored. If all the best practices are followed CRM can prove to be a decisive difference between you and your competitors. Below are some tips for utilizing the CRM in the best possible way.
•Shift from Scripts: There are some processes which cannot move away from their pre-set scripts. There might be various reasons for the same such as security compliance and other needs. But as per the best practices it is wise not to have a script in place. They are quite obvious answers and the customers get more frustrated in place of getting some solace. It mars chance for the agents to create a rapport with the customers. And rapport building is always essential for any customer service. Pre-set scripts take your conversation to a direction that might not always be ideal for your customer. So, it is wise to train your agents thoroughly about the products, services, cultures and languages rather than having a script.
•Listen with Empathy: Customers are common people like you; they have their own set of problems in life. When a product or service is not doing what it should, they get irritated and call up the call center seeking a solution. Some might show their irritation while others will talk to you calmly. It is just their character. But no matter who calls up at the call center, he/she deserves the right to be heard with empathy. It is only after hearing to the customer’s comments that an agent can provide a solution. There are too many mechanical answers given to calls. It comes down to lack of listening or understanding of customer problems. This is not at all a wise practice and you will definitely lose customers if cold answers are given. Energetic and empathetic answers make the customers feel secured.
•Special Treatment: Who are the secret treasures of your business? They should be the old customers, the people who have been doing business with you over the years and they have never complained. More so they have always praised your services, overlooked the minor faults and have referred their mates to your service. They have given you a lot of things: revenue, fame and new customers. So, they deserve to be treated like VIP. The CRM as it is holds the names of such customers, why not set up a VIP connection for these revered customers? Why not get your most talented agent tackle their problems and keep them happy? It can be done easily in the modern era with the help of distinct numbers for the customers.
•Intelligent Call Routing: Call routing has become much more efficient than it was in the bygone days, but there are still certain loopholes. The name of business growth is to learn new things every day. Your CRM will contain plenty of useful data, one such data is a list of the top callers to your customer support services. These people might be the oldest customers or newbie who just like to stay in touch with the brand. It is essential that the opportunity is grabbed with both hands and these top callers are segregated from the rest of the normal callers. This would mean they can call to the customer support center and talk to an efficient agent any time. They do not have to wait in call queues. Many brands create a distance between themselves and frequent callers due to call queuing. Do not let that happen to your process.
•Open Line for Unresolved Problems: Again an area where the call centers need to improve. When a customer calls in with a basic question or problem the trained agents can give them viable answers but there are times when the question or problem is so complex that it has to be sent to the technical team. In such a scenario all the agents do is provide the callers with a ticket number or reference number for complain and move over to the next call. This means, next time the customer calls he/she has to again wait in the queue and then talk to the agent. This can be very frustrating for a customer who is as it is suffering due to the brand’s fault. Why not create an open line for such customers. Make a mention of their problems and its status in the customer relationship management system. It is a common behavior that a customer whose problem has not been met will keep calling in at the call center, so why offend him/her even further?
•Seek Help if Required: Perhaps “if required” is a term that should be omitted because most of the call centers do not understand the full range of options while purchasing a CRM system. They are stuck with only a certain basic functions. The greater good that CRM can do is never quite explored. You might be a great businessman, but this does not make you a geek. So, it never hurts to employ a consultant while and after purchasing the CRM system. This would help you make the most of this system. May be you can use it in a better way than what is mentioned in the article!
Customer relationship management is one of the most helpful technologies for a call center. Its prowess can be extended even further if the best practices are followed.
Courtesy - Alicia Gray
(Alicia Gray is an BPO and outsourcing industry analyst, and writes about technology. Currently working with one of the business process outsourcing (BPO) services provider)
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