Unsatisfied customers, high abandonment rates, and long wait times oh my! These are just some of the common call center challenges that outsourced contact centers overcome daily, but how?
Let’s find out.
What’s an Outsourced Call Center?
An outsourced call center is a third-party service provider that manages your customer service needs, such as inquiries and complaints. Call center agents can also help customers with sales, technical support, account management, and other customer service needs. Agents are typically available 24/7 to ensure customers have access to the help they need when they need it. Outsourced call centers are also scalable, meaning you can add more services or staff as needed to meet your demands.
Common Call Center Challenges
Helping You Improve the Customer Journey
Long wait times can lead to a negative experience for customers. To reduce the amount of time customers spend waiting for assistance, call center agents use a robust knowledge base that contains detailed answers to common customer questions, allowing them to quickly resolve customer issues.
Low First Call Resolution (FCR) Scores
FCR scores are an important call center performance metric that helps agents track how long it takes for customers to get their questions answered. As customers issues become more complex, it is important to make sure that calls are routed correctly so that customers are getting the help they need without having to speak to multiple agents. With the right call routing setup, agents can quickly and accurately direct calls to the correct people, leading to faster resolutions and happier customers.
High Call Abandonment Rates
The call abandonment rate is the percentage of callers who hang up before connecting with a call center agent. If outsourced call centers notice abandonment rates increasing, agents take a look at the call queue to determine how long customers have to wait before their call is answered. If the wait time is too long, contact centers use automated solutions, such as messages, to keep customers informed about their position in the queue.
High Agent Attrition
The call center industry typically has a high turnover. With the long hours and demanding targets, it is no surprise that many agents quit without notice, leaving the rest of the team to pick up the slack. To break the cycle, many contact centers are implementing AI-based platforms to offload some of the inbound traffic. In addition, utilizing workforce optimization (WFO) software can support agent performance across channels and give agents the tools they need to learn and improve. By using a combination of AI-based technology and WFO software, outsourced call centers help reduce stress on agents and lower operating costs.
Language Barriers
It is no secret that language barriers can create a significant challenge for businesses that need to communicate with their customers. Bilingual call centers help solve this common call center challenge by providing customer service in multiple languages. The representatives can quickly place orders, answer questions thoroughly regarding a product or service in the customers preferred language, and efficiently process payments and returns.
Technology Issues
Call centers experience a huge influx of calls on busy days, making it easy for phone lines to get jammed or for existing business systems to be unable to handle the load. IT challenges can result in employee and customer irritation, wasted time, and a significant dip in company productivity overall. To overcome this, outsourced call centers use reliable, efficient customer service software that integrates with other systems. That way, communication systems like Slack and Microsoft Teams, CRM software, social tools, and other internal systems can all work together to keep the center connected, organized, and functioning. To ensure continued reliability and productivity, call center platforms are also scalable to allow for more users and calls in times of growth” without technical difficulties.
Absenteeism and Unreliability
In 2021, the “Great Resignation” has left many call centers struggling to keep up with demand as staff call out or leave more frequently than ever before. Call centers combat absenteeism and unreliability by having strong policies in place and being flexible about employee schedules. One solution that some call centers are exploring is to allow employees to work from home to reduce the stress of the work environment while still providing quality customer service. By setting up remote call center employees, you can ensure that they have the same access to resources and support as in-office workers.
Productivity
In today’s customer service industry, the success of a call center relies heavily on the productivity of its agents. With a large staff and potential for remote work, it can be difficult to track agent productivity, let alone motivate them to give their best performance. One way call centers keep agents motivated is by establishing clear key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs help contact centers track agent productivity and create incentives to reach performance goals. Outsourced call centers also use remote agent management tools to ensure agents are staying on task and completing their work efficiently.
Any business that requires customer service representatives to provide assistance and support needs to hire a call center.
Consider Call Center Outsourcing With an Experienced Partner
At ListenTrust, our team of professionals understands the unique challenges that each business may face. We create customized solutions to ensure our clients reach their goals. Whether you are looking for an experienced team to answer customer inquiries, take orders, process returns, or handle technical issues, ListenTrust is the perfect outsourced call center partner for your business. With our comprehensive suite of services, our team of bilingual agents can help you find the right solution for your specific needs. From advanced reporting and analytics tools to high-level customer service and sales support, we have the resources to help your business become more efficient and effective. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you overcome call center challenges.