If you’re a call center manager, meeting your Service Level Agreement (SLA) is your biggest challenge. The pandemic may have exposed some significant flaws in your operations; fixing them quickly and cost-effectively is crucial, but for the uninitiated, service level is nothing more than the number of incoming calls that are answered within seconds of receiving the call.
Needless to say, a high bounce rate means fewer sales and more repeat calls – a double whammy when it comes to conversion and customer satisfaction.
You could say the obvious solution is to get more agents on the phones. However, this is only part of the equation. Accurately forecasting the total volume of calls is as important as deciding how many agents are needed to service them. This calls for ongoing observation and reporting, with more focus on-call management and queue management. Now, the root of the issue may lie in the fact that you use many programs for each work.
Compelling reasons why you need integrated call center solutions
Here are five reasons why you should invest in integrated call center solutions to reduce your dependency on multiple programs :
1. Complete Omnichannel Experience:
Over the years, “call centers” have continuously evolved into “contact centers” to keep up with changing customer expectations. After all, modern consumers prefer communicating with firms over a more extensive range of channels, such as chat, email & social media.
However, a true omnichannel experience is only possible if customers can easily switch between multiple platforms, such as social media, email, call, etc., without repeating previous interactions.
An integrated call center solution can direct customers to the right team and ensure that agents can access historical communication data across all channels. This can significantly improve response times, average handling times, and first contact resolution rates.
2. Usefulness for both Managers and Agents:
As you roll out new processes, you need to be able to quickly add new IVR options and dedicated queues for ticket management. In the digital age, manual ticketing can affect resolution time and increase your workload. However, an integrated call center solution can automate and streamline repetitive tasks such as ticketing based on customizable rules.
A fully integrated call center system makes changing agents between queues faster by enabling real-time visibility into different workflows.
For example, an integrated dashboard allows you to view the number of agents available versus those already on the call. In addition, it helps you manage call routing efficiently. In turn, agents can avoid putting customers in another queue and help them more efficiently.
3. Team Collaboration:
Since the pandemic’s start, call centers worldwide have switched to remote work. However, agents frequently cannot assist in fulfilling unique customer requirements since their coworkers orsuperiors are no longer physically present. An integrated call center solution may be advantageous in this situation.
With built-in instant messaging tools, agents can easily connect with their teammates or supervisors, even if they are miles apart. The result: better resolution and less waiting time. This option can be helpful for escalations or collaborative resolutions.
Conclusion
In a post-pandemic environment, customers increasingly judge brands by the speed and accuracy of their response. To fulfill these expectations, automation offers several benefits. Regarding the consumer experience, however, trained and hospitable agents are incomparable.
Contaque’s proven expertise in customer support management can help you cost-effectively navigate future challenges.
