Agents that are truly multi-skilled are a gift to any contact centre as they offer the flexibility of being allocated to departments depending on incoming contact volumes. However, being able to accurately predict where they will be needed when is essential to making the most of them. Continue reading
Whether you manage an inbound or outbound contact centre, there will be times when you need to defuse tense situations, be it because a customer has called you about an issue or because you are trying to sell them something.
Here are a few tips to handle objections positively. Continue reading
For many contact centres, Average Handling Time (AHT) is still an essential Key Performance Indicator (KPI). It affects the number of staff and the system capacity you need.
In the past, it was often thought that a low AHT was what to strive for but, over time, companies have recognised that it was too simplistic an approach to measure efficiency and that they had to take into consideration other factors such as First-Contact Resolution (FCR) rates. Continue reading
Predictive diallers can hugely improve the performance of a contact centre, as it eliminates unproductive time by always having a call ready for the next available agent. However, it will all depend on the quality of the dialler chosen. Continue reading
We regularly discuss the ways to handle complaints and dissatisfied customers, simply because customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of any business. Complaints should always be seen as an opportunity to put things right as, for each disgruntled person who gives you a piece of their mind, there are many more that don’t but just go straight to your competitors. Continue reading
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems can make call handling much faster but, if not designed properly, they can be a huge source of frustration for customers and can leave them with an unfavourable perception of your company. Continue reading
Over the last few decades, the contact centre industry has seen many waves of restructuring. Many industrialised countries first saw their contact centres re-locate where labour costs were lower, to see them come back after customers complained about the quality of service. Continue reading
How to Deal with Online Negative Reviews
Social media have provided businesses, both ecommerce and brick-and-mortar ones, with a fantastic way to engage with customers. However, they are all two-way communication channels and negative reviews form dissatisfied customers will also be accessible by everybody, which can do you harm. Continue reading
In the 1920s, Danish mathematician Erlang created the eponymous formula. A pioneer in queuing theory, his work is still the foundation of any network analysis and switchboard staffing. Continue reading
Analysing a contact centre data is crucial to monitor its performance and highlight areas that need improvement. However, with the amount of collected raw data available, it is easy to lose track of what is really significant. Here are our tips not to lose focus. Continue reading