Call Centres Improving Effectiveness

1. Take advantage of mobile phones
This might sound like a given but there are call centres which don’t use mobile technology to their advantage (believe it or not!). Around 90% of a call centre’s target market will use mobile phones, and most mobile phone users use smart phones. There’s a great deal that can be done to tap into the technology on a customer’s smartphone and use it to your advantage. For example, an app can be created to represent your business and help clients navigate your calls, or you can use text messages to initiate a ‘call back’ feature. While these services will undoubtedly cost money to set up, the customer satisfaction and net result will most certainly be worth it.
2. Get on board with social media
The effect social media can have on a business’ reputation is well documented. Everyone knows that a bit of bad publicity on Twitter or Facebook can all but ruin a company, so it’s important to keep on top things and interact with your clients. This doesn’t just apply to social media platforms though. If someone visits your site, your call centre representatives should be able to interact with them straight away via a “web chat” type setup, or that visitor should have the option to share things on your page almost instantly. There’s so much potential in social media that many businesses are still figuring out how to best make use of it, and call centres are no different. Call centres are centres of communication – they should have social media tools integrated seamlessly into their operation. Not only to increase their level of influence and have a hand in shaping their brand, but also to give clients and customers the chance to interact positively with the business, making your call centre more accessible and multi-functional.
3. Reduce fixed costs
How do you reduce fixed costs on a call centre operation? The answer is simpler than you might think. Base your call centre agents at home! Not only will this serve to boost morale among a lot of your employees, but you won’t have to worry about paying for air conditioning, heating or electricity while your business is in operation. Equip your “home agents” with their own landlines or give them a company mobile phone on which to take calls. It’s still perfectly possible to measure their progress, measure the calls which are coming in and even record calls through network integration.