Posted by on December, 5 2019 8:29 pm
When it comes to customer service, a personalized touch is something that consumers appreciate. However, an automated call center may struggle to provide this. Technology may seem counter-intuitive to human interaction and experiences, but it doesn’t have to be.
How can you provide a believably human and personalized experience for your consumers when they call your automated call center? Here are some tips for making customer service more authentic and humanizing your center regardless of technology:
One thing that your automated call center can’t do for itself and for your agents is to create genuine relationships with callers. However, the technology and automated processes that your center offers your agents can be used to make this process simpler.
Use your software to call up details about your consumer that help you provide more personalized service. Send automated reminders, greetings, and more. Use the technology you are already utilizing in your center to provide more personalized service and better experiences for your consumers. They are more likely to continue to patronize your business - and to rate their experiences with your agents highly.
One of the biggest complaints most people have when it comes to call centers is that they hate wasting their time by calling them. Your center doesn’t have to play into that negative stereotype, though; you can provide great service promptly and with respect to their time.
Offer sincere apologies for consumers who have to wait. Remind them that you appreciate their patience, as well. Do your best to get straight to the reason that they’re calling, whether it is a question that needs an answer or a concern or complaint that must be addressed. Though your processes may be automated, personalized interactions are not. No matter why your customer is calling, they will appreciate feeling like their time is valuable to you.
You cannot expect your agents to provide excellent customer service without adequate preparation. The best way to prepare them for the task is by offering comprehensive and consistent training.
Call center agent training doesn’t end shortly after hiring your staff. It should continue well into their tenure with your company - and never cease! Offering your agents plenty of opportunities for training and professional development will mean that they improve constantly and that the customer service that they offer will be better all the time.
All that training won’t amount to much if you aren’t checking for consistency in your automated call center. One of the best and most effective ways to do this is by making use of call monitoring solutions. This allows management team members to keep a proverbial eye on agents and to monitor their performance for quality. This will improve customer service and experience by holding agents accountable for their work and will also provide opportunities for feedback and professional development.
One of the things that automation makes easier is communication between staff members. However, many callers can end up feeling left out, since they are privy to the same level of communication that your agents have with one another and their management team members in the automated call center.
One thing you can do to personalize their experience and more than more comfortable is to provide constant communication yourself. When you are on the line with your caller, offer updates on what’s going on regarding the resolution of their problem and what you are currently doing to address their concern. They will appreciate knowing what is happening - and it will also help to eliminate dead air time.
No matter how good your agents are at responding to calls quickly - and no matter how great your call distribution software is - there will be times when your callers have to wait for an answer. Likewise, there will always be holds or transfers that become necessary in the call center environment, even if your staff is highly trained and quick to answer the phones. What can be done to improve customer experience in spite of all this?
Offer your callers incentives for holding. When possible, mention available discounts or specials as a service to your customer for holding. Expedite shipping or offer free items as an addition to an existing order. Whatever you can do to make waiting easier on your customer, they will appreciate your efforts.
Social media is an important part of the customer service strategy of any modern contact center. This includes the automated call center. Just because you’re automating many of your processes and services doesn’t mean you don’t still need to put in the manual effort to be present on social media and other platforms.
By offering a strong social media presence, you show your consumers that you are available. You also meet them where they are by utilizing the same platforms they are using daily, making your company and staff seem more relatable and more human.
Perhaps the best indicator of the level of service you are currently providing to customers is by requesting and analyzing their feedback. There is no better source of information about the customer experience than the customer themselves. Offer incentives - such as discounts, promotions, or just a simple thank you - to encourage consumers to give you their feedback.
When you’re ready to outfit your contact center with the kind of technology that will make automated service a breeze - and also facilitate personalized service for every caller - contact the industry experts at ChaseData. We have everything you need to prepare your automated call center for very human success. Give us a call today to learn more!