The holidays bring cheer and goodwill, right? In theory, yes, but workers in call centers might have a different opinion. The holidays often bring high call volume, short-tempered customers, shipping delays and employee burnout. Bah, Humbug.
So how do you alleviate some of the problems your call center is experiencing with regards to holiday volume? There are a few things you can do – either this year or in the future – to smooth out the spikes.
Hire temporary help. It may be far too late to hire and train new agents from scratch, but check with local employment agencies to see if they have any experienced agents on the books. Some call centers have had luck with hiring customers who are experienced with your products and services in a temporary capacity.
Outsource some calls. If you’re concerned about quality, outsource to a U.S. based company, perhaps one that uses home-based agents. These outsourcers are skilled in scaling up personnel quickly to match your processes and systems.
Streamline your processes. What’s the biggest hold-up in your agent’s processes? Are they toggling between too many applications? Are they having to search many different databases for answers? Is the information provided to them up-to-date and easy to find? Are their scripts too long-winded? By ensuring your agents have the most updated information in the easiest possible format, you could shave minutes off each call.
Identify your biggest trouble spots. What are the majority of non-complicated calls into your call center about? Could answers to these questions be presented in a way that encourages customers to find their own resolution? Perhaps your return policy isn’t articulated well on your web site, or your IVR menu is outdated and long-winded, leading customers to “zero out” to an agent too soon. Maybe your app is confusing. Take the time to update the web site, ensure the app is functioning smoothly and redesign the IVR menu for maximum utility. This way, customers can find their own answers.
Proactively communicate with customers. Rather than waiting for customers to jam your call queues, be proactive. Sup an auto-reply email if your response times are running later than usual. Setting accurate expectations helps inspire patience and understanding from your customers. You may also want to consider using a callback system when call queues get long: customers can reserve their “place” in the call queue, and agents can call back when the call volume has lessened.
It may not seem fair, but the holidays are the first time many would-be customers will be exposed to your customer support. Whether it’s jolly or humbug will affect whether these would-be customers will remain or flee.