A lot of people can get frustrated with call centers. Sometimes the hold music is bad, sometimes the connection is a little spotty… but one thing that people really hate is being told what to do. That’s why giving your callers options can be a huge boon to your business. While they can’t have free rein over the whole system, here are some call routing options they would really appreciate:
Recurring callers love to feel special. One way to make sure they’re getting the attention they deserve (or expect) is to allow callers to reach agents that have helped them with their problems previously. Especially if you’re using a CRM that tells your agents the name and past experiences of the caller, you can make them feel very special and much happier about their experience.
Often times, the problem that your client is facing has been dealt with dozens, if not hundreds of times. In fact, while they’re waiting in the call queue, that same problem may be what the big holdup is. If you’re looking for something more productive than hold music, use this time to remind your callers that many of their issues have solutions on the Support page of your website. This will free up time for your agents, keep your callers occupied, and often solve the problem without even needing to pick up the phone.
Depending on the size of your call center, the ability for your callers to segment themselves can be useful for callers and agents alike. By running multiple phone numbers for different areas of expertise in your organization, your clients get the specialized help they need. At the same time, the ability to call different numbers for different problems presents them with a choice. This way they won’t get tied up in a massive queue when their problem can easily be solved by someone else.
In order to keep your callers happy, it’s important to limit the amount of time they spend waiting. With automated call-backs, a caller can hang up and wait for you to call them. Thus, if they have better things to do than listen to your hold music (and no offense, but who doesn’t?), they have the option to go on with the rest of their day.