Tag Archives: credit-union-call-center

How to Prepare Your Call Center For Spikes in Call Volume: Credit Unions

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How to Prepare Your Call Center for Seasonal Spikes: UtilitiesCredit unions’ commitment to serving their members is reflected in their healthy growth: these financial institutions now count more than 110 million people as members and hold deposits totaling $1.1 trillion. When a growing sector builds its reputation on customer service, customers themselves can feel the strain of growth when that reputation is no longer met or exceeded. The bottom line is that keeping customers happy during an expansion is no easy feat.

Credit union call centers face a unique set of challenges beyond brisk growth. Traditionally smaller in size, credit unions often lack the resources to implement “best-in-class” technologies, making it especially tricky to tackle surges in call volume that come from rapid growth. With 76% of customers viewing customer service as the real test of much a company values them, long wait times can leave brand new members (and existing ones) annoyed and frustrated.

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Are You Prepared for Unpredicted Spikes in Call Volume? [Webinar]

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Are You Prepared for Unpredicted Spikes in Call Volume [Webinar]After the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, calls to Air Canada’s customer service prompted a recording that said call volume had “temporarily exceeded the company’s capacity to answer or even place callers on hold.” While this was an extreme event, every call center faces the same problem at one time or another: Unpredictable spikes in call volume. These causes can be understood, even anticipated. However, as in the case of Air Canada, these peak periods can also come as a shock to the system.

While today’s tech-savvy consumers are using more non-voice channels to connect with businesses, the act of picking up the phone to quickly and verbally resolve an issue (complex or otherwise) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The problem is that when calls spike, hold times spike, too. The effect of this on the customer experience is significant: 60% of customers will abandon a call after just one minute of waiting on hold. A quick glance at onholdwith.com confirms how much hold times infuriate consumers. If you want to improve customer loyalty and keep your CSAT scores healthy, you’ll need to make sure you have the right safety nets in place.

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An Easy Approach to Managing Contact Center Peak Times [Slideshare]

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An Easy Approach to Managing Contact Center Peak TimesWe’re here today to talk to you about *cringe* peak times.

Peak times tend to be a touchy topic for call centers. Almost every center experiences them, and most don’t know how to handle the volume without adding more agents.

Every contact center is different, which means that peak times can take on various forms. Some experience the surge on certain days of the week (typically Mondays), others surge during specific times pf the day, and some only experience surges on holidays. It really comes down to the type of business your contact center is supporting; but, regardless of the variety of industries, the solution to the problem remains consistent – and it has nothing to do with workforce management (WFM).

 

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How to Successfully Handle Call Volume During Peak Times [Webinar]

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How to Successfully Handle Call Volume During Peak Times [Webinar]Every call center faces the problem of unpredictable spikes in call volume. Sometimes the causes are understood, even anticipated. However, in many cases these peak periods come as a shock to the system. The reality is that voice remains the most preferred channel for customers, but its popularity comes at a price: long hold times.

Unfortunately, the effect of this on the customer experience is significant: 60% of customers will abandon a call after just one minute of waiting on hold. If you want to improve customer loyalty and keep your CSAT scores healthy, you’ll need to make sure you have the right safety nets in place. Continue reading →

Catch Fonolo at the National Credit Union Call Center Conference

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Catch Fonolo at the National Credit Union Call Center ConferenceCredit unions must be competitive in order to stand out from those big mean banks; they must establish a truly unique offering to attract new membership. One way to successfully accomplish this is through the member experience. Since credit unions tend to serve local communities, it’s important for each member to feel appreciated by their financial institution. Therefore, customer service plays a significant role in the relationship members have with their credit union. For example, if your credit union suffers from long hold times, it’s unlikely your members will feel like you’re taking their needs seriously. Also, it’s nearly impossible to attract new members if they can’t even get a hold of you.

 

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An Easy Approach to Lowering Abandon Rates [Slideshare]

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An Easy Approach to Lowering Abandon RatesA poor customer experience is something no company can afford to take lightly. Especially since bad experiences are so costly: 62% of customers will actually consider switching to a competitor!

Unfortunately, it’s hard for contact centers to deliver a great experience after they’ve put a customer on hold. Most callers will lose patience quickly, resulting in an angry caller and a frustrated agent. But reducing the amount of time your customers stay on hold will not only satisfy your customers, and make your agents happier, it will also significantly reduce your abandon rates!

 

 

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How to Lower Abandon Rates and Improve the CX with One Solution [Webinar]

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[Webinar] How to Lower Abandon Rates and Improve the CX with One Solution Have you ever wondered why credit unions continue to rank the highest for customer satisfaction compared to other financial institutions? The reason for their continued success is simply because they work diligently on building a strong customer experience for their members. But when unpredictable events occur, even the best in the industry need a helping hand. Dealing with a spike in call volume or a shortage of agents can be detrimental to the call center experience. The result is typically a rise in hold time, an increase in abandonment, angry callers, and stressed out agents.

Fortunately, there’s an easy and affordable approach that call centers can take to protect themselves against these common scenarios. Continue reading →

The Must-Attend Credit Union Call Center Event!

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The Must-Attend Credit Union Call Center Event this Fall!It’s that time of the year again! That’s right folks, tradeshow season is upon us. What better way to start the action than by attending one of the best call center events for credit unions. The Credit Union Call Center Conference has been helping this space for the last 20 years! You can catch the event at Harrah’s Hotel in Las Vegas, from October 17-19.

With members’ needs constantly evolving, attendees will return to their organizations with practical tips, tools and inspiration to address the latest requests. This conference gives you a unique opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry and learn valuable leadership skills and best practices. Continue reading →