call-volume

Why Call Center Call-Backs Are More Important Than You Think [Infographic]

By Nicolina Savelli on October 19, 2016

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Why Call Center Call-Backs Are More Important Than You Think It’s not rocket science: When your support line is busier than usual (or just can’t handle regular call volume), call-backs provide a safety net for both agents and customers. They have also been proven to reduce cost-per-call, lower abandon rates and improve the customer experience. Yet many call centers still hesitate to deploy this helpful solution.

This could be in part due to system requirements, poor cost analysis, or rigid management. We get it; is the hype really worth the price? Well, here are a few questions you should ask yourself: Do you suffer from high abandon rates (10%+)? Do you have high agent attrition? Are your customer satisfaction levels low over the phone? Do you have regular agent absenteeism that disrupts call flow? If this sounds like you, it’s time to reconsider how you think about call-backs. Continue reading →

Is there #VoiceShrinkage in the Contact Center?

By Shai Berger on June 7, 2016

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Is there #VoiceShrinkage in the Contact Center? Here’s a simple question: Are contact centers handling more or fewer calls compared to one year ago? How about five years ago?

It seems reasonable to expect that the rise of non-voice channels (self-service, email, chat, social media, etc.) would lead to a decrease in plain old phone calls. Thus the prevailing philosophy is that companies should focus more effort on the new channels, and less on voice. Respected industry analysis firm Dimension Data went so far as to declare a “growing irrelevance of the telephony-centric model” in its latest report.

But the data is actually not conclusive. How can we reconcile that with the philosophy above? Continue reading →

[eBook] Mastering #CX in the Contact Center: 7 Tips to Follow

By Nicolina Savelli on May 26, 2016

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Picture this: Rows upon rows of cubicles, bright fluorescent lights flickering on the ceilings, a host of customer service agents answering calls robotically from frustrated customers. That’s what we normally envision when we think of the contact center. We see it as a cost center rather than a service center.

Now, let’s paint a different picture; one where the call center is used to harness the customer experience and build lasting relationships. Seem impossible? It’s not! Using these seven tips, we can creatively transform your customer service vision and turn your contact center into a haven for great customer experiences. Continue reading →

How to Provide Acceptable Hold Times During Peak Season

By Daniela Puzzo on November 19, 2015

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How to Provide Acceptable Hold Times During Peak Season Let’s get straight to the point – If you want a successful contact center, excellent customer service must be at the heart of it.

An abandoned call is just the opposite of that. Whether customers are staring at their watches in a checkout line or tapping their fingers while on hold, the time they spend waiting diminishes the experience.

Period.

Customers expect to receive service quickly and efficiently. It’s no secret that they hate waiting on hold, which is why they choose to hang-up instead. I’m certain you’re asking the question:

Couldn’t they have stuck it out just a little longer to get the answer they needed?

The answer is no.

60% of customers will abandon a call after just one minute of waiting on hold. The world is moving at a rapid pace and your contact center needs to keep up. (Don’t worry, I won’t be pointing the finger throughout the entire blog, I actually have a solution for you – yay!)

Continue reading →

7 Signs Your Call Center Needs a Call-Back Solution

By Shai Berger on September 22, 2015

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Although the concept of replacing hold-time with a call-back has been around for decades, changes in the industry have sparked renewed interest in recent years.

The first change is that consumers have a lower tolerance for waiting on hold, and are vocal about this on social media channels. This has put increased pressure on call centers to avoid public shame. Another change is that adding call-backs used to require expensive, equipment-based solutions. Thus many call centers were priced-out or scared by the long deployment time. Today, call-backs are within reach of most companies either as part of their existing contact center platform or as a cloud-based service (like Fonolo) that works on top of legacy call center platforms.

Interested in knowing if call-backs are the right solution for your contact center? Here are 7 signs you should look out for. Continue reading →

Improving the Customer Experience in Your Credit Union

By Daniela Puzzo on August 20, 2015

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Maintaining and improving the customer experience is important for most, if not all organizations. However for credit unions – known for providing best-in-class customer service – this is a real priority. In fact, the 2015 Temkin Experience Ratings which ranks customer experience (based on a survey of 10,000 consumers) placed credit unions in the 8th spot out of 293 companies across 20 industries. Credit unions as a group have earned the highest ranking in the banking sector over the past four years! Continue reading →

4 Hidden Causes of Poor Customer Service

By Jason Bigue on March 11, 2015

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4 Hidden Causes of Poor Customer Service The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but so is the contact center. Many companies talk a big game when it comes to providing outstanding customer service, but few actually achieve it. The question is: Why?

Certainly, no organization sets out to overpromise and underdeliver to its customers. Rather, poor service is the sum of all the policies and decisions along the way that negatively affect the service outcome, despite anyone’s best intentions.

Here are 4 hidden causes of poor customer service, and what you can do about them. Continue reading →

How Web Self-Service Benefits Contact Centers

By Lindsey Patterson on February 19, 2015

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How Web Self-Service Benefits Contact Centers Did you know that 83% of online customers require some degree of customer support to complete a purchase? This has encouraged companies to utilize web self-service to improve their customer service offerings (it also saves on operating costs).

Web self-service gives customers (and employees) the opportunity to access information instantaneously, without having to contact a live agent. This means that support is accessible and readily available at all times, and information can be attained immediately without the hassle of waiting on hold or for an email response. In fact, 60% of consumers use web self-service to find answers to their questions.

Here are a few reasons why web self-service strongly benefits call centers. Continue reading →

Whitepaper: 5 Amazing Reasons to Add Virtual Queuing to Your Contact Center

By Shai Berger on January 15, 2015

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Virtual queuing is a powerful technology that can benefit your call center in many ways. Although virtual queuing has been in existence for decades, many people aren’t familiar with the term. Quite simply, it means holding a caller’s place in line – “virtually” – so that they can remain in the queue without actually having to stay on the phone. Most commonly, this is done by collecting the caller’s phone number and then calling them back when an agent is free. So, in short, virtual queuing means “replacing hold-time with a call-back”.

Here are 5 amazing benefits your call center can realize by using virtual queuing.

Continue reading →

4 Takeaways from Our Last Google Hangout with Call Center Leaders

By Daniela Puzzo on April 22, 2014

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Last week, Fonolo hosted yet another Google Hangout to discuss the state of customer service from the perspective of call center leaders. This fabulous panel of frontline experts shared their comments and stories on four topics: social media, call volume spikes, agent culture and mobile. To save you some time, we’ve extracted video snippets from each topic.

Let’s take a quick look at the panelist introductions: Ashutosh Anil Leader & Strategy Consultant – Customer Experience, Chris Bright CEO at Customer Voodoo, Scott McIntyre Chief Instigator at Infinite Green Consulting, and Shai Berger CEO and Co-founder at Fonolo.

Continue reading →