The Contact Center Blog

Get the Best ROI from Your Call Center – Build a Relationship

In order to ensure that you have the largest ROI possible from your contact center, there are two main things that need to be taken into consideration.  First, ensure that the choice to outsource is not a ‘quick-fix’, but rather a long-term investment and commitment.  The cost of start-up fees, the research done on the outsourced companies, and the trust you are placing in the successful company does not fit well with anything other than a long-term commitment.  Even if your need to outsource is project-based, if you plan on going back to the outsourcer in the future you can build a relationship with the company and get more for your money.

Also, it is important to make sure that the company you outsource to is the right fit for you, your company, and your needs.  Does your culture align with theirs?  What about their approach to customer service, training, quality, values and beliefs?

Do not be afraid to ask questions, ask for references, and an official proposal.  Remember that you are interviewing this company for your business – they should have all the answers ready to give you.

 

New report shows 68% of consumers hang up if they have trouble hearing an agent

Last week I was reading my industry news emails and came across a bulletin from Contact Center World, titled "Call Center Frustrations May Cause Consumers to Shop Elsewhere".  While I automatically thought - "well, yeah!" I still clicked through to see what proof this article contained, and am happy I did.

The first line catches the readers eye - 68% of consumers hang up if they have trouble hearing an agent.  This includes a bad connection, poor voice quality, faulty speech recognition software, an agent mumbling on the phone or having an accent that is thick and difficult to understand.

The report, as pointed out in the Contact Center World article, is based on a survey of 3,925 consumers in the United States, U.K, Germany and France, and makes a good point about the investment a call center needs to make in their services.

Call centers are in business to serve people.  So it astounds me when some companies don't properly invest their time and resources in technology and people that work for them.

When you look to hire an outsourced call center, there are many things to consider to ensure proper fit.  However at the forefront of your questions should be an inquiry into the technology used, and people hired to work on your project.  Does the technology meet industry standards?  Are agents accent-neutral and easy to understand?

Customer call you for help, so don't leave them unsatisfied!  An inbound call center is your opportunity to really impress your customer base with exceptional customer service and quality - so take it!