In 1909 Harry Gordon, the founder of Selfridges in London, popularised the phrase – “The customer is always right” – nowadays, it’s a phrase we’re all familiar with, especially in customer service roles. At the time, its use ensured customer confidence of being treated fairly and receiving the best possible customer service. It is a phrase that is still relevant today, but it now implies that service providers are responsible for “customer satisfaction” instead of guaranteeing perfect service. By taking the customer seriously, customer service representatives can make customers feel heard and form positive customer experiences that enhance customer satisfaction. Call centre customer satisfaction is a critical success indicator used to measure the success of services and products to know how well an organisation is engaging with their customers.
Call Centre customer experience (CX) is the overarching perception of your business that the customer gains from their interaction with all platforms of your business. Customer experience is the main factor in any organisation’s Customer Satisfaction score. It starts with the first point of contact, incorporates any interaction with an agent, and finishes once a solution is determined, and the service is delivered.
Anyone who’s worked in the call centre space will know there are few alternatives to having well-trained and attentive service providers for creating positive CX and customer satisfaction.
Here are a few ways to ensure a positive Customer Experience:
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Be a good listener.
Be attentive and try to avoid being robotic. People like speaking to a person who is moulding their response and utilising their expertise to give the most relevant information possible. So be an active listener at all times, never passive.
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Solve the customer’s problems.
It’s rare to get a call where no issue needs resolving, so executing this request efficiently and promptly is of the utmost importance.
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Stay positive.
The caller is often going to be frustrated. Long wait times or a series of inter-department transfers only exacerbate this feeling. Therefore, when conversing, keep a professional tone (for example, no giggling!) and be sure to lead the call in a positive way – which the caller will reciprocate.
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Record and analyse customer feedback.
When feedback is received, always make a record and submit this information to the team. All data is valuable data. We can take this further by creating methodologies for gathering customer feedback that doesn’t lead the customer towards positive or negative outcomes. Instead, allow the caller to sculpt their responses and set time aside to work through this information.
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Take on agent feedback in processes.
Agent feedback is valuable information as they execute the strategies daily. Analysing processes with the help of agent feedback creates better methods and minimises adverse customer call outcomes. Agents are often a contact centre’s best asset in developing better strategies, so utilise them and give agents credit for highlighting potential improvements.
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Analyse wait times and surge staff accordingly.
The number one reason for customer dissatisfaction is long wait times. But there is an easy way around this which requires a bit of workforce planning. Suitably surging staffing lines through trend analysis can help mitigate this issue’s worst.
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Go above and beyond.
At the core of a good Contact Centre is always exceptional customer service. Take that extra minute to do a warm transfer call and introduce the caller to the relevant service to ensure they get the support they require. These steps do not go unnoticed.
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Contact Centre Infrastructure (CCI).
Organisations need adequate technological and non-technological infrastructure to provide agents with the tools to execute high-quality solutions for every customer.
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Create a positive work environment.
Ensuring employees are happy, well-rested, and enjoy their work with opportunities for progression and improvement is an easy way to ensure that agents and the wider team reflect their positivity in their calls.
Customer service has never been more critical. 84% of companies that work to improve their call centre customer satisfaction report an increase in revenue! In the U.S., customers will pay 17% more to buy from a company with a reputation for good service. Investing in your team and infrastructure ensures that customer experience and satisfaction are always at the forefront of your business planning. And finally, remember Harry’s wise words – “The customer is always right!”.