When your customers have problems, who do they turn to? Your support agents, of course. They’re the front line of your business, interacting with customers, day in and day out. For better or worse, your call center agents have the ability to influence the way your customers perceive your brand.
Here are three best practices every call center agent should keep in mind.
Be human!
When customers call you, it’s because they need your help. Whether it’s for the simplest of things (“shouldn’t batteries be included?”), or a more complicated transaction (“can I perform this surgery myself?”), the way you connect with them and your tone of voice has a tremendous impact. In fact, 52% of consumers stopped buying from a company after a bad customer service interaction, according to Zendesk.
So what’s the key to making a human connection? A little empathy goes a long way: show them you care, that their time is important to you, and be a great listener. Really take the time to understand their problem and treat them in the same manner you would like to be treated.
Remember, these days the impact of a single call can last a long time. When making buying decisions, 88% of customers have been influenced by customer service reviews!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
No matter how good your training is, sooner or later, you’ll be asked a question you’re unprepared for. When the time comes that you don’t know how to handle a customer request – don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Not only will the customer appreciate your effort to correctly solve their problem (69% attribute good customer service to being able to quickly resolve their problem), you’ll also build your knowledge base as well. And supervisors will recognize your efforts to improve, allowing you the chance for future promotion and special assignments.
After all, companies are always striving to keep their First Call Resolution rates as high as possible, with successful companies achieving better than 60%.
Share your experiences.
When you’re not on a call, listen to how other agents (especially the well-respected ones) communicate with customers.
Learning new methods to engage with customers will improve your productivity, positively impacting your ability to resolve calls in a quick and efficient manner.
Similarly, don’t be afraid to share your experiences and suggestions. The call center is a dynamic environment where things can change quickly. Demonstrating initiative and leadership is a great way to get noticed and promoted!
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