What to prepare for as a call centre manager
Running a call centre can be one of the most intense management roles.
There are numerous different challenges you may face.
Add in the fact that you’re often not considered a “likeable” business and it gets even harder.
That’s why we’ve written this piece on the top challenges call centre managers face.
Hopefully this list helps you know what to expect and prepare accordingly.
That should set you on your way to managing a happy and profitable business.
Call volumes and wait times
Receiving a high volume of calls at once can be challenging. You don’t want customers waiting for too long to speak to an agent. Nor do you want your agents overworked by endless calls.
To ensure customer satisfaction as well as avoiding fried employees, there are several changes you can make.
Offering alternative support channels can be considered as a preventative measure. If a customer can get the answer they are looking for without having to call in the first place, you will lower your call volume.
Analytics and smart tools can also help. Predicting your peak times and adjusting your schedule accordingly can ensure you have the right staffing levels for the call volumes you receive.
Findmyshift’s dedicated call centre rotas are the perfect way to flexibly schedule staff for busy periods and trim down during quieter times.
Intelligent routing solutions can also help manage calls, directing them evenly between agents while keeping wait times low.
Workplace tension
It is to be expected that working in a call centre can get emotional at times. Your employees will often be dealing with customers who are upset in some way, whether they have a complaint or an issue that needs dealing with.
While it’s important for delivering a high level of service that your agents remain calm throughout their calls, the impact of dealing with frustrated and angry callers again and again can take its toll.
That can lead to a build-up of tension in your call centre if employees struggle to process their emotions or don’t have the time and space to decompress after difficult calls.
Providing employees with proper training to deal with difficult or emotional customers is a great first step. You can also work to build a positive and supportive atmosphere where agents can open up about calls.
Employee turnover
Inevitably, as well as you look after them, some employees will still leave. Attrition and turnover are natural parts of any business, and call centres have to deal with higher than average levels thanks to the stressful and repetitive nature of the job.
Even though it is part of the job, you should be looking for ways to reduce turnover where possible. The cost of replacing employees can vary widely, but has been estimated at anywhere from 20% to 300% of their annual salary. Those costs seriously add up!
Taking steps to minimise the contributing factors early, rather than waiting for employees to become disengaged, can work wonders for your retainment.
If you are able to vary the type of calls agents handle, for instance, you can add more variety into their days and reduce boredom.
Giving employees benefits like remote working options, as well as rewards and recognition, can go a long way in retaining your best staff members.
Tech trouble
If your call centre is still running any sort of legacy system or software, it’s likely costing you more money than you think. Any tech that’s still throwing up glitches or downtime is definitely hindering your business.
Even when you are up and running, if you aren’t actively empowering your agents to solve customer problems more effectively, you could stand to improve your offering.
Investing in reliable call centre technology will allow you to scale your operations, deliver great service all the time, and capture statistics for further analysis and improvements.
Information silos
One final thing that often stops agents from delivering the highest level of customer service is a lack of information and access. They may know how to solve a customer’s issues but not have the capacity or information to do so.
No customer wants to be told that they need to be transferred, only to have to explain their problems all over again. New tech solutions give agents all the information they need at their fingertips.
They can see a caller’s details, history, and any notes so that they can make fast and informed decisions. Give your agents more power to serve customers and you’ll be amazed by the results.
We hope these tips help you to transform your call centre and stay on top of your game. Good luck!