A single bad interaction with your organization’s call center team could not only risk your customer loyalty but also customer referrals and positive word of mouth. After all, consumers just want fast, efficient service, whether they're encountering a live customer service agent or the self-service option that's easier to use. Improving call center interactions is the key to providing a better customer experience.

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Here are 5 easy ways to improve your call center operations and enhance your customer experience:

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1. Optimize Your IVR System

Interactive voice response (IVR) systems are part of most call center phone systems. These are configured to best service the needs of the center and provide optimal performance. Regularly testing your IVR system for any routing glitches helps correct issues such as improper call routing or confusing dialer options. Tools like call flow diagrams can help troubleshoot complex customer call journeys. Systematic call flows ensure that complicated call scenarios are handled quickly, and your customers reach the correct agent or resource in a timely manner.

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Here are a few examples of how you can make optimal use of your IVR:

• Configure the IVR system so customers can speak to the right person immediately.
• Skill-based routing is an excellent option for cloud-based contact center platforms. It analyzes customer data from inbound calls and assigns them to the agents according to their expertise. This ensures faster resolution and reduces the need to transfer calls, significantly decreasing wait times.
• Consider configuring IVR settings so teams and call agents have separate queues.
• In case of extra-long wait times, give your customers the option to quit the queue if they desire and be called back.

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2. Use an Efficient Call Center Analytics Tool

Call center analytics refers to collecting and analyzing customer interaction data to gain valuable insights regarding the organization’s performance. By having access to customizable dashboards, teams can easily monitor customer engagement and agent performance analytics.

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Here are a few call center metrics that are instrumental in offering insight into your customer experience:

• Average Handling Time (AHT): This metric measures the duration of the call once the agent is connected to the customer. Reducing handling times helps in decreasing the wait times.
• Occupancy Rate: The time agents are available to take calls. It includes the time spent speaking with customers and also the time they spend waiting for calls. This metric helps understand how well the agents adhere to their schedules.
• Abandon Rate: An abandoned call is one where the caller hangs up before being connected to a live agent where they would normally get an opportunity to receive assistance and/or resolve their issue.

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Brightmetrics™ analytics and reporting tools help provide critical insights into key performance metrics like these with the help of the data collected by your phone system and contact center application. It enables you to measure, report, and improve the customer experience. In addition to historical analytics dashboards, real-time dashboards can also help you create summary reports and visualizations that are easy to understand and implement at the moment.

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3. Employ Chatbots for Web Chats and SMS

Having chatbot assistants reduces call wait times significantly and ensures that the support staff can use their time more efficiently. Modern chatbots can view past conversations, efficiently interact with customers, and frame updated and relevant responses. Chatbots can also often handle customer requests, such as changing passwords or verifying shipment statuses, without requiring an agent’s help. They can be used for web chat support, SMS support, and even during live conversations.

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As they gain an understanding of the customer’s intent, they can provide efficient solutions and improve the success rate of self-service interactions, ensuring your customers don’t have to wait in long queues.

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4. Enable Voice Blasting

Also known as voice broadcasting, this feature helps contact centers send pre-recorded messages to their customers in case of a service outage. You can message them regarding the outage and assure them you're working to resolve it as soon as possible, which reduces the number of calls and ensures that customers don't endlessly wait in queue.

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Here are some other instances where voice blasting can be implemented:

• Reminding customers of overdue payments
• Informing them about new promotions and discounts
• Asking for customer feedback on an interaction
• Announcing new products and services
• Sending best wishes to customers on special occasions and holidays

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5. Provide Exceptional Technology to Supervisors and Agents

Lack of the proper technology to support call center or contact center agents can drastically affect the customer experience. Basic reporting templates, unreliable scheduling forecasts, limited access to customer information, and inability to measure agent performance are all examples of how outdated or limited technology tools can hold teams back.

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Brightmetrics provides easy-to-use dashboard and reporting functionality that lets supervisors comfortably manage teams, know when their frontline staff needs support, and deliver excellent customer experiences. Empower both agents and supervisors with the right tools to better serve customers.

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Learn more about improving your call center customer experience with Brightmetrics here.

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