Paving your way towards your business success should always include providing your customers with the best customer service.
Having the right tools and software is essential in keeping it up and running. Further, this critical part of your organization is more than just offering customer services via inbound & outbound calling.
Call center functions
A call center’s main function is to provide people with good customer service and support through inbound & outbound calls. One of the important functions of a call center is its customer service availability for up to twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week.
Call centers can be a part of a business division or a third-party service provider that represents the company. In most cases, small businesses tend to outsource their call centers to local service providers. Some companies also opt to outsource their call center as it enables them to save more on their overhead costs and infrastructure.
In general, call centers have two types, inbound and outbound calls. With inbound calls, call center agents handle incoming calls from customers that need support, to report certain issues, or ask questions. Inbound agents usually have required call quotas they have to reach each day.
Outbound calls on the other hand is when agents perform outgoing calls to reach out to customers and possible leads. Sales agents typically do outbound calls for telesales and offer the company’s products and services. Other companies also run outbound calls for surveys, market research, collect bill payments, and more.
Five essential tools for your inbound & outbound calling
You would need the following essential tools to start running company’s own call center department:
Call routing
Call routing helps you easily connect your customers to the right people or department. In some cases customers will be the one to select which department they wish to speak to after listening to a set of options. While other companies have integrated call routing within their software.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a feature that enables callers to interact with an automated system before speaking to your agents. This feature helps your customers to resolve their own issues with IVR’s given set of options. An IVR also provides basic information to your agents with regards to the callers concerns.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Integration
A CRM tool allows you to record and maintain your customers information and call logs. It makes it easier for agents to provide the right support as they already have the specific information about the customer who is calling.
Reporting
Reporting helps managers measure your call center metrics, instead of managers having to track and listen to your agents’ live calls. This tool can determine what specific issues do customers usually report about. It can also identify which areas do your support agents need to work on, as well as pinpoint areas for training opportunities.
Escalation management
Your call center software should also include a feature that will allow your agents to manage your escalated calls that need urgent attention. Quick tip for escalated calls is that your agents should also be able to de-escalate customer issues by offering vouchers, refunds, or discounts. This can also be done through your software and in that single specific call.
