The concept applies to most areas of life, but it carries a special message for small business. To feel certain that the product or service you’re offering is a “wow” experience is one of the most powerful goals a business can have. And the surest way to wow customers is by encouraging customer feedback through a thoughtful combo of skill and technology.

Getting customer feedback may sound straightforward: send out a nice email, pop up a 5-star rating box, and voila! you’ve got a review. But step into user shoes for a moment. Remember how often we take it for granted that a product intuitively grasps our needs or is stuffed to the brim with cool features. Or how many feedback requests we’ve ignored in the past month.

How do you avoid the trap of poorly optimized feedback, disinterested, or grumpy customers? What digital tools should you use, and which ones should you drop? We asked five global experts in small business to share insights accumulated through years of experience.

Let’s go!

1. Encourage customer feedback via different channels

Company info: OpsRamp | SaaS | California, USA

Any time when you struggle with a substantial amount of ignored customer feedback requests, it’s time to rethink your customer feedback strategy. The problem is most likely the communication approach, which is not convincing enough to your audience (even if it works for someone else).

Gerardo Rodriguez, Senior Technical Support Manager at OpsRamp, relates how a revamped feedback strategy impacted his company.  “Previously, our Customers had a very limited amount of ways they could deliver feedback to us. Once we started tracking how feedback was coming in, we noticed our engagement was quite low, so we decided to make changes to our processes.”

The changes implied a greater range of feedback channels and results were quick to show. “Since we’ve given our Customers multiple options for providing feedback and we follow up on it, it helps us make better decisions.”

“[Formerly], engagement on feedback inquiries was below 8% but is now at 34%,” Gerardo adds.

Tracking your active customer interaction channels is key to getting the most productive feedback. Channels to encourage customer feedback include: Customer Feedback Management (CFM) apps and services, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Case Management System (CMS) services, Phone, E-mail, Social Media, Google Reviews, web reviews, Chat, Surveys, and more.

2. Don’t leave customers second-guessing (and don’t do so yourself)

Company info: Edge Marketing | Digital Services | Gold Coast, AUS

A lot of failures in life are a result of second-guessing. Instead of plainly asking, we lose hours ruminating over what other people think and want. In a business environment, second-guessing is even more ridiculous and will always lead to poor ROI. If we turn the tables, though, the same applies to your clients. You should never leave customers wondering about the credibility of your business.

After encouraging feedback from customers, Sean Clancy, SEO Director at Edge Marketing in Australia, became aware of a customer service problem. “As we are an online agency, people expected us to be on Facebook messenger or emails all day every day. [The most surprising feedback] was us not being available 24/7.”

Thanks to timely feedback, Sean implemented digital tools that help users in different geographies feel equally heard and cared about.

“We did implement auto-responses on our FB and email systems to let people know our working hours and when they are likely to receive a response if they contact us outside of those days and times.”

For an online business, where 30%-50% of sales go to the business that responds first, such a simple tweak in customer experience made a lot of impact.

Learn more: 5 Customer support tools that work while you sleep

3. AI is good; people are better

Company info: MightyCall | SaaS | California, USA

In marketing and sales, businesses use a lot of automation tools to facilitate processes. But like every digital tool, automation can become a wall between you and your clients when used as a replacement for human connection.

Anna Miranchuk, our own award-winning Product Manager at MightyCall, explains the importance of picking up the phone and finding a personal approach to every client. “We use several successful feedback channels. Some, like our live support, e-mail, and feedback forms, are always available. When launching new functionality, we always include a feedback request right in the new interface.”

If you’re a growing business, getting live feedback over the phone shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“It’s usually thoughtful, rather than spontaneous communication that gives the best results,” Anna underlined. 

Here are the essential components Anna mentions as critical to successful customer feedback over the phone:

• Select your target audience prior to the phone call
• Share the subject of your conversation in advance
• Allow the customer to schedule the date/time by themselves
• Map out the goal of the conversation, why you wish to talk to this person in particular, and jot down important questions
• Always be flexible and get a feel of the person you’re talking to, adapting your questions as you go. Often it’s the unexpected turns that lead to the deepest insights!

4. Get customer feedback  across to the right people

Company info: English Blinds | E-Commerce; Retail  | England, UK

Being in retail and online businesses at the same time is a tough double act. For such companies (or any growing business), gathering successful feedback from many channels is only half the deal. The critical part is getting information across to the right people. Unfortunately, that is precisely the stage where many businesses stumble.

John Moss, CEO of English Blinds, shares a story where feedback could’ve easily been overlooked. Instead, it became a game-changing impulse for his business.

“We manufacture and retail window blinds and dressings and our showrooms are divided up into specifically themed sets,” John says. “One [set] was carpeted, prompting a comment on the feelings and associations generated by that new carpet smell. [It] was something of a revelation for us was when a customer commented on the…impact that [smells] have on the shopper experience and buyer journey.”

Sensory marketing is a popular “trick of the trade” in food industries (e.g. that fantastic freshly-baked bread smell in your local supermarket makes you eager to shop). Nevertheless, it’s easy to see how feedback like that could have been ignored in the home improvement sector. Instead, John’s team gave it due attention and passed the right info to the right people.

The resulting changes, John adds, were considerable.

“We built on this feedback to… produce an immersive shopper experience, and targeting multiple senses, particularly one with such a strong association with memory as smell. [It] became something of a game-changer for us.”

5. Use uplifting feedback to boost company values

Company info: Hollingsworth | Logistics | Michigan, USA

Feedback comes in many shapes and sizes. There’s positive, sunny feedback that makes your day brighter. There are angry social media trolls who project negative vibes to ruin your day. And then, there’s feedback that will leave you thinking because it’s not about some cool feature or service to implement, but your deeper company values.

This is something that Pat Donovan, Director of Operations at Hollingsworth, a logistics company catering to the whole of North America, encountered. “One client asked us to provide a waiting room because truck drivers are often exhausted and want to be comfortable,” Pat shares. Many a company would overlook a concern that wasn’t “top priority”. However, Hollingsworth saw it as an opportunity to invest in values.

“We know their concern is valid and want our clients to feel like family. [As a result] we revamped our waiting rooms and made them more interactive and friendly with snacks and drinks.”

The fact that the company noted this feedback expressed by one client speaks tons about its customer service and core values.

Why is customer feedback important?

• Adapting to customer needs: Understanding and responding to customer feedback is crucial for meeting their evolving expectations and enhancing their satisfaction.
• Business growth and innovation: Gathering insights from various sources can lead to innovative ideas, helping businesses stay ahead of the competition.
• Quality improvement: Regular feedback helps in identifying and fixing issues, leading to continuous improvement in products and services.
• Brand loyalty: Engaging with customers and valuing their opinions fosters a sense of community, enhancing brand loyalty and advocacy.
• Market relevance: Feedback keeps businesses aligned with market trends, ensuring they remain relevant and successful in a dynamic environment.

Time to start collecting feedback!

The journey of a small business is filled with challenges and opportunities. By embracing diverse perspectives, focusing on customer feedback, and staying adaptable, small businesses can carve a unique path to success. Balancing strategic planning with a passion for innovation allows them to grow and thrive in a competitive landscape, turning obstacles into stepping stones for achievement. In the world of small businesses, the right approach and dedication can transform aspirations into realities.

The post 5 Ways to Encourage Customer Feedback Like a Pro first appeared on MightyCall.

How will it help my business?

Discover how our SIP trunking solution can transform help your business:

1. High volume call handling: Call centers with high inbound and outbound call volumes benefit from SIP ability to handle multiple calls over a single trunk, enhancing call handling efficiency.
2. Dynamic call capacity scaling: In peak seasons or promotional periods, it allows call centers to quickly scale up their call capacity without the need for additional physical lines and scale down just as easily when demand decreases.
3. Enhanced call quality: Trunking can provide superior voice quality compared to traditional telephony, which is crucial for maintaining professional standards in customer interactions.
4. Disaster recovery and business continuity: In case of local disruptions or disasters, trunking ensures continuity of call center operations by enabling rapid rerouting of calls to alternate locations or remote agents.
5. Network and infrastructure consolidation: Trunking allows call centers to consolidate their voice and data networks, leading to reduced infrastructure complexity and maintenance costs.
6. Integration with existing call center technology: Call centers can integrate SIP with their existing VoIP-based systems and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of their operations.
7. Customized call routing and management: Trunking enables advanced call routing, such as IVR systems and queue management, which are essential for efficient call center operations.

If your company handles a large volume of calls, you can consider implementing SIP Trunking to help you keep it flowing.

The post Take a SIP of MightyCall’s New Trunking for Call Centers first appeared on MightyCall.

In this article we cover:

• What is call center management?;
• How does a call center work?;
• Call center roles and duties;
• Why is it important to manage a call center strategically?;
• How can MightyCall help with call center management?;
• Call center management problems and how to solve them;
• Best practices for effective call center management;
• Vital metrics to track for successful call center operations;
• Elevate your business through streamlined call center operations.

What is call center management?

Contact center management encompasses the strategic coordination and oversight of a facility dedicated to handling customer interactions. This includes attending to inquiries, managing complaints, or processing support requests. More than just supervising calls, it involves guiding and training personnel, optimizing operational processes for efficiency, rigorously analyzing performance metrics, implementing advanced technological tools, and ensuring the consistent delivery of top-notch customer service. It’s a delicate balance of administrative strategy and human resource development, all geared towards elevating customer satisfaction.

How does a call center work?

A call center is fundamentally a nexus of technology and human interaction, devised to enhance the relationship between businesses and their clientele. The journey typically starts with routing, wherein advanced technological systems sift through incoming calls or messages, channeling them to the ap test available agent. These agents, fortified with scripts and expansive databases, harness the power of CRM software to retrieve intricate client histories.

To ensure consistent service excellence, quality assurance mechanisms are employed. This might involve following the correct call center management tips and supervisors or specialized teams meticulously scrutinizing calls and interactions. Furthermore, to continually refine and adapt, feedback mechanisms are embedded, collating invaluable data to spotlight and rectify potential inadequacies. Call center agents training sessions are frequently held, keeping the agents updated with the latest product knowledge and soft skills. This intricate web of processes and systems, working synergistically, seeks not just to address customer queries but to transcend their expectations and manage call center agents, solidifying brand affinity and trust.

Call center roles and duties

Call center manager

In their senior role, managers oversee the entirety of operations. Their broad scope requires them to understand how to manage a call center and be attuned to both the big picture and the minute details.

• Strategic oversight. Develops and implements call center management strategic plans to improve productivity and customer satisfaction while continuously innovating to stay ahead of industry trends.
• Team leadership. Guides supervisors, fosters team cohesion, and ensures they have the necessary resources and tools.
• Budget management. Allocates funds judiciously to different departments, ensuring cost-effectiveness and ROI maximization. They also forecast financial needs and potential challenges.

Call center supervisor

They act as a bridge between the call center managers and the agents, ensuring daily tasks align with strategic goals and harmonizing the workflow.

• Performance monitoring. Reviews call recordings and metrics, always staying attuned to assess agent performance and potential bottlenecks.
• Feedback and training. Provides constructive feedback, organizes training sessions, and ensures the continuous professional development of agents.
• Conflict resolution. Addresses any issues between agents or with clients proactively, maintaining a conducive and positive working environment, and ensuring smooth contact center operations.

Call center agent

On the frontlines of the contact center, these individuals directly interact with customers, representing the brand’s voice and values.

• Customer Interaction. Addresses inquiries, complaints, or support requests from clients, always aiming to exceed expectations
• Data Input. Diligently updates customer information and logs interactions in CRM systems, ensuring data accuracy.
• Collaboration. Works closely with teammates, sharing knowledge and ensuring consistent and quality customer service, fostering a seamless customer experience and sometimes managing call center operations.

Why is it important to manage a call center strategically?

Data-driven decisions

Efficient process management integrates actionable insights from data analytics, allowing for more informed and precise decisions that can significantly impact the call center’s outcomes. Relying on data ensures that call center management strategies are not based on gut feelings but on objective, quantifiable information.

Reduced operational costs

An efficiently managed contact center can significantly bring down overall costs. This includes reducing the waste of resources, optimizing agent idle times, and streamlining processes to minimize overheads. Cost savings aren’t just about cutting corners; they’re about maximizing the utility of every penny spent.

Improved brand reputation

A single negative review can echo across platforms. Efficiently managing a call center helps address customer concerns proactively, thereby preserving and enhancing a brand’s reputation. A good experience can lead to positive word-of-mouth, boosting brand trustworthiness.

Agility in operations

The dynamics of customer service are continuously evolving. Running a call center needs to ensure agility and quick adaptation to changes, whether it’s a sudden spike in call volume or integrating new technology. Being agile not only reduces downtime but also ensures that you run the call center successfully and it is always at the forefront of delivering optimal service.

Enhanced security

Call centers often deal with sensitive customer data. Efficient management implies strong security protocols to protect this data. From ensuring that the technology used is secure to training agents and managers on call center management best practices, it minimizes the risks of breaches, ensuring customer trust is maintained.

• Intuitive call routing: With MightyCall’s dynamic routing system, there’s no more waiting. Customers are swiftly connected to the right agent, reducing wait times and increasing satisfaction.
• In-depth analytics: Get a bird’s-eye view of your operations. MightyCall’s analytics delve deep into call trends, agent performance metrics, and more, ensuring call center managers have all the data they need to make informed decisions.
• Enhanced communication tools: Features like voicemail-to-text and call recording are a successful call center strategy. They not only streamline communication but also serve as crucial tools for training and quality assurance.
• Customizable virtual receptionist: First impressions matter—this is the greatest tip for call center managers. With MightyCall’s virtual receptionist, every call starts on the right note, embodying professionalism and brand consistency.
• Training opportunities: Use recorded calls as learning materials when you manage a call center team. Pinpoint areas for improvement and celebrate exemplary customer service instances to set standards.
• Brand image enhancement: Reinforce your brand’s image of reliability and commitment to excellence, creating lasting positive impressions with every interaction in a contact center.

Call center management problems and how to solve them

High attrition rates

Agent turnover in call centers not only disrupts work but also significantly inflates recruitment and training costs. A high attrition rate indicates deeper organizational call center management challenges that can directly impact the customer experience. Maintaining a stable and experienced team is essential for achieving consistency in service quality and enhancing the overall brand reputation.

Why it happens:

• Stressful work environment: Handling difficult customers and high call volumes continuously can lead to burnout, causing agents to seek less stressful positions elsewhere in a different well-operated call center.
• Lack of growth opportunities: If agents feel their role lacks career progression or skill development opportunities, they may feel stifled and unmotivated.
• Inadequate compensation: Agents might move to competitors offering better salaries and benefits, especially if they feel their efforts are undervalued.

How to solve

• Offer competitive salaries and benefits: Recognize and reward your team’s hard work, ensuring they feel valued and appreciated in the contact center.
• Focus on professional development: Invest in continuous training and upskilling programs, allowing agents to grow and adapt to changing industry needs.
• Cultivate a positive work culture: Create an environment that prioritizes teamwork, employee well-being, recognition, and a good work-life balance.

Low customer satisfaction

Achieving high customer satisfaction is the lifeline of call centers and the best call center management experience. When customers feel undervalued or unheard, they not only switch their brand loyalty but also share their negative experiences, potentially harming the company’s image.

Why it happens:

• Long wait times: Prolonged waiting can frustrate customers, making them question the company’s efficiency.
• Incompetent agents: Encountering agents who lack the necessary knowledge or skill set can erode trust in the brand.
• Lack of problem resolution: Failure to address and resolve a customer’s issue during the initial interaction can lead to dissatisfaction with the contact center and a feeling of neglect.

How to solve:

• Provide comprehensive training: Equip agents with the necessary knowledge and tools to handle customer queries effectively.
• Establish efficient call routing: Utilize advanced technologies to swiftly connect customers with the most suitable agent.
• Collect continuous feedback: Establish mechanisms like surveys and reviews to understand customer sentiments and act on areas needing improvement in your call center strategy.

Inefficient resource utilization

Resource mismanagement in a call center doesn’t just lead to inflated operational costs; it also compromises service quality. Effective resource management ensures optimal performance, cost efficiency, and high service levels.

Why it happens:

• Misallocation of tasks: Assining tasks without considering agent expertise or strengths can hinder performance.
• Overstaffing or understaffing: Inaccurate staffing predictions can lead to unnecessary expenses or overwhelmed agents and call center managers.
• Technology gaps: Relying on outdated or non-integrated systems can cause operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

How to solve:

• Implement workforce optimization: Employ advanced tools to predict staffing needs based on historical call volumes and trends.
• Introduce skill-based task allocation: Match tasks to agents based on their strengths, experience, and expertise to boost efficiency.
• Get timely technological upgrades: Regularly update contact center systems and software, integrating the latest tools that streamline operations and improve service delivery.

Lack of quality assurance

Consistent high-quality service delivery is paramount in the call center operations industry. Without stringent quality assurance mechanisms, there can be a gradual decline in service standards, affecting customer trust and loyalty.

Why it happens:

• Infrequent training: Agents and managers may be unaware of new products, services, or protocols, leading to misinformation.
• Absence of performance metrics: Without KPIs, there’s no benchmark to gauge performance, leading to undetected inefficiencies.
• Missing feedback loops: Without systematic feedback, continuous improvement initiatives remain baseless and ineffective.

How to solve:

• Schedule periodic training: Conduct regular training sessions to ensure agents are updated with the latest information and skills.
• Implement KPIs: Establish and monitor key performance metrics that reflect both agent and call center performance.
• Bring forth feedback-driven improvements: Leverage customer and agent feedback to identify gaps and areas requiring attention and refinement.

Tech integration challenges

Keeping pace with the ever-evolving technological landscape is non-negotiable for modern call centers. Outdated or mismatched systems can introduce inefficiencies, compromise data integrity, and degrade the overall customer experience.

Why it happens:

• Financial constraints: The initial investment required for cutting-edge systems may be seen as prohibitive.
• Reluctance to adapt: Some centers may delay or resist technological upgrades due to apprehension about costs, potential disruptions, or change management challenges.
• Staff inertia: Existing employees may resist migrating to new platforms due to familiarity and comfort with older systems.

How to solve:

• Hold frequent tech assessments: Carry out regular technology audits, ensuring systems are current, compatible, and meet operational needs.
• Train and support: Whenever new systems are introduced, ensure comprehensive training sessions are provided by your call center administration, easing the transition for staff.
• Embrace user-centric solutions: Opt for platforms that prioritize user experience and functionality, like MightyCall, ensuring a smoother integration and adoption process.

Best practices for effective call center management

Effective management is a delicate balance between people, processes, and technology. Implementing best practices can make a world of difference in productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Here are ten practices to consider:

1. Regular training and upskilling

Ensure that your agents receive continuous training to keep them updated with the latest product knowledge, technology tools, and soft skills. A well-trained agent is more likely to handle calls competently and improve the overall customer experience.

2. Implement performance metrics

Utilize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor and evaluate agent performance. Common metrics include Average Handle Time (AHT), First Call Resolution (FCR), and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). By understanding these metrics, call center managers can identify areas for improvement and ensure consistency in service quality.

3. Adopt advanced technology tools

From CRM systems to AI-driven chatbots, leverage technology to automate mundane tasks, offer multi-channel support, and provide agents with a 360-degree view of the customer, enhancing the quality and speed of service.

4. Encourage open communication

Foster an environment where agents can freely communicate their concerns, suggestions, or feedback. Regular team meetings, feedback sessions, and one-on-one discussions can offer invaluable insights into improving operations.

5. Focus on employee well-being

A happy employee tends to be more productive and customer-centric. Offering competitive compensation, flexible work schedules, and creating a positive work environment can go a long way toward reducing attrition and improving performance.

6. Embrace workforce management tools

These tools can help in forecasting call volumes, scheduling shifts, and ensuring that the call center is neither understaffed nor overstaffed. Efficient workforce management contributes to reduced wait times and better customer service.

7. Set clear expectations

Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and targets for every agent. When employees know what’s expected of them, they’re more likely to perform to the best of their abilities.

8. Foster a customer-centric culture

Every decision and strategy should prioritize the customer. Regularly collecting feedback, understanding pain points, and making necessary adjustments will ensure that the call center consistently meets and exceeds customer expectations.

9. Use data for strategic decisions

Call centers generate a wealth of data every day. Analyzing this data can provide insights into customer behavior, preferences, and common issues. Utilizing these insights can guide strategy, tailor training programs, and improve overall operations.

10. Continuous process improvement

The call center industry is dynamic. It’s essential to remain agile and open to changes. Regularly review and update processes, be open to new technologies, and adapt to the ever-evolving customer service landscape.

Vital metrics to track for successful call center operations

1. First Call Resolution (FCR)

FCR is a foundational call center metric, assessing both agent efficiency and the customer experience. By analyzing the percentage of calls conclusively addressed during the initial interaction, without necessitating further follow-ups, it offers insights into the effectiveness of agent training and the depth of their knowledge. A commendable FCR typically corresponds with positive customer sentiments and cost-efficiencies, making it a primary focal point for operations striving for effective call center management.

2. Average Handle Time (AHT)

AHT grants insights into both agent efficiency and the potential for customer frustration. By measuring the cumulative time an agent dedicates to each call, including talk durations and subsequent administrative tasks, it becomes a barometer for process efficiency. An optimal AHT, which neither rushes nor prolongs interactions unduly, is achieved through periodic training and refined operational guidelines.

 3. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS stands as an important indicator for measuring the overall customer experience and potential for future referrals. Mastering this call center operations indicator is pivotal. By soliciting feedback on customers’ likelihood to recommend the company, NPS becomes a reflection of service quality, product satisfaction, and overall company reputation. Continuously aiming for a higher NPS drives forward-thinking strategies and customer-centric initiatives.

4. Abandonment Rate

Highlighting potential operational bottlenecks, the Call Abandonment Rate is a direct measure of customer patience and system efficiency. When callers hang up before interacting with an agent, it could suggest issues like extended wait times or technical hiccups. A meticulous review of factors contributing to a high abandonment rate is imperative for enhancing customer retention and loyalty and implementing effective call center management.

5. Occupancy Rate

This metric paints a vivid picture of agent activity versus downtime. By analyzing the balance between active call handling and idle durations, it offers a snapshot of resource utilization and workload distribution. Striving for an ideal occupancy rate ensures agents remain energetically engaged without facing burnout, promoting both efficiency and job satisfaction for your call center management.

6. Service Level

Service level acts as a performance yardstick for call center responsiveness when you manage a call center. By quantifying the fraction of calls addressed within stipulated benchmarks, it underscores the center’s ability to provide timely assistance. A steadfast commitment to maintaining or surpassing the desired service level solidifies a brand’s reputation for being customer-centric and reliable.

7. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

As an immediate pulse-check on customer sentiment, CSAT delves into reactions post-interaction. Through succinct feedback forms or surveys, CSAT offers an unfiltered view of how interactions align with customer expectations. Consistent high scores in this metric amplify the importance of cultivating positive customer experiences and fostering long-lasting relationships for your contact center management strategy.

8. Agent Attrition Rate

A critical call center metric of workplace culture, job satisfaction, and operational stability, this metric casts a light on challenges that may not always be visible upfront. By meticulously tracking the turnover of agents within specified periods, it can reveal deeper concerns around compensation structures, avenues for professional growth, training adequacy, team dynamics, and even the broader organizational culture. Furthermore, understanding attrition can help in assessing the long-term viability of the call center’s operational strategies and contact center management. Addressing the root causes of high attrition is essential, not only to maintain operational consistency but also to ensure a motivated, loyal, and productive workforce. A holistic approach to reducing attrition fosters a more cohesive and efficient work environment.

Elevate your business through streamlined call center operations

By tracking vital metrics, understanding roles and responsibilities, and adhering to best call center management practices, businesses can ensure optimal efficiency and enhanced customer satisfaction. Call centers aren’t just about handling calls; they’re about building lasting relationships and driving business growth. Embracing effective call center management tools, like MightyCall, can further amplify these results. Taking the step to invest in your center can be the differentiator your business needs to stand out and flourish.

The post Call Center Management: Tips & Strategies for Successful Operations first appeared on MightyCall.

What is an average handle time (AHT)?

Average Handle Time (AHT) is a metric that measures the average duration it takes for a call center agent to handle a customer interaction from start to finish. It includes the time spent interacting with the customer as well as any related after-call work or wrap-up tasks.

Why average handle time is important in call centers?

• Operational efficiency: AHT directly impacts call center efficiency by influencing agent productivity and resource allocation.
• Cost-effectiveness: Lower AHT allows call centers to handle more customer interactions within a given time frame, reducing overall operational costs.
• Customer satisfaction: Efficient and prompt handling of customer inquiries contributes to a positive customer experience and higher satisfaction levels.
• Workforce optimization: Monitoring Average Handle Time helps identify training needs, process improvements, and opportunities for optimizing workforce management.

What is a good AHT?

The definition of a “good” AHT varies based on the specific industry, call center objectives, and types of interactions handled. However, in general, a good Average Handle Time is one that strikes a balance between efficiency and quality of service, ensuring timely resolutions without compromising customer satisfaction.

How to calculate average handle time

1. Start the timer when the call begins.
2. Include the total talk time with the customer, including hold time, transfers, and any after-call work.
3. Stop the timer when the call is completed or when the agent finishes all necessary tasks related to the interaction.
4. Divide the total handle time by the number of interactions to calculate the average.

Industry standard of average handling time

Industry standards for Average Handle Time can vary significantly across different sectors and call center types. It is essential to compare AHT within your industry and consider factors like call complexity, customer expectations, and service level agreements (SLAs).

How to reduce average handle time in call center

The more calls you make, the more clients and customers can be reached, and the more sales you can make. Here are some tips for making more connections:

1. Streamline processes: Identify and eliminate unnecessary steps in call handling procedures to reduce handle time.
2. Agent training and knowledge: Provide comprehensive training to agents, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge needed to handle customer inquiries efficiently.
3. Implement call center technology: Adopt tools like automated workflows, knowledge bases, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems to streamline processes and provide agents with quick access to relevant information.
4. Prioritize issue resolution: Train agents to focus on first call resolution and empower them to make decisions that expedite issue resolution.
5. Monitor and optimize call scripts: Review call scripts regularly to ensure they are concise, effective, and guide agents toward efficient interactions.

Use AHT to improve the customer experience

By optimizing Average Handle Time, call centers can enhance the customer experience by providing quicker resolutions, reducing hold times, and minimizing the need for customers to be transferred between agents or departments. Efficient handling of customer interactions positively impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The post Average Handle Time (AHT): What Is It & How to Improve It first appeared on MightyCall.

• What is a Call Center?
• How do Call Centers Work?
• Call Center and Contact Center: What is the Difference?
• Types of Call Centers
• Roles You Need for a Call Center Team
• Call Center Technology and Equipment Needed
• What Businesses Use Call Center Customer Service Mostly?
• Maximize Your Call Center’s Customer Service

What is a Call Center?

A call center refers to a centralized department or facility that handles a large volume of incoming and outgoing customer calls. Its primary purpose is to provide customer support, resolve inquiries, handle complaints, and offer product/service information. Call centers can be internal to a company or outsourced to specialized service providers.

How do Call Centers Work?

The call center working process consist of several parts:

• Dialing the Call Center: The caller initiates contact by dialing the designated phone number of the call center. This can be a dedicated line or a general customer support number.
• IVR (Interactive Voice Response): Upon connecting to the call center, the caller may encounter an Interactive Voice Response system. The IVR prompts the caller to select options using their keypad or provide voice inputs to navigate through the menu and direct their call to the appropriate department or service.
• Queueing and Waiting: If all agents are currently busy, the caller may be placed in a queue and informed about their position in line. They may hear hold music or periodic announcements about estimated wait times.
• Agent Assignment: Once an agent becomes available, the caller’s call is routed to an appropriate agent based on various factors like skills, availability, or departmental specialization.
• Agent Interaction: The caller is connected to the assigned agent who greets them and verifies their identity if necessary. The agent listens to the caller’s query or concern and engages in a conversation to provide assistance, support, or information.
• Issue Resolution or Service Provision: The agent works with the caller to address their query, resolve any issues, or provide the requested service. They may ask relevant questions, provide instructions, or access customer information from a CRM system to personalize the interaction.
• Call Conclusion: Once the caller’s query or issue is resolved, the agent ensures that the caller is satisfied with the provided solution or service. They may also summarize the call, provide additional information if needed, and ask if there is anything else they can assist with.
• Call Logging and Disposition: After the call, the agent logs relevant details, including call duration, nature of the inquiry, and any actions taken, into the call center’s system for future reference and reporting purposes.

It’s important to note that the specific steps and processes can vary depending on the call center’s setup, the nature of the business, and the capabilities of their call center software and systems.

Call Center and Contact Center: What is the Difference?

While the terms “call center” and “contact center” are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle distinction between them. A call center primarily focuses on handling voice-based interactions, such as phone calls. On the other hand, a contact center incorporates multiple communication channels, including phone calls, email, chat, social media, and more, to provide a broader range of customer engagement options.

Types of Call Centers

Call centers can be classified based on call types and their relationship to the organization.

By call type

• Inbound Call Centers: Primarily receive incoming calls from customers seeking assistance, support, or information.
• Outbound Call Centers: Primarily make outgoing calls to customers for various purposes, such as sales, telemarketing, surveys, or collections.
• Blended Call Centers: Handle both inbound and outbound calls, providing a versatile approach to customer interactions.

By organization type

• In-house Call Centers: Operated and managed directly by the organization itself, utilizing its own resources and personnel.
• Outsourced Call Centers: Partnering with specialized service providers to handle customer interactions on behalf of the organization.
• Offshore Call Centers: Outsourced call centers located in a different country from the organization’s base of operations.
• Virtual Call Centers: Agents work remotely, often from home, using cloud-based technologies to connect with customers.

Roles You Need for a Call Center Team

A successful call center requires a well-rounded team comprising various roles, including:

• Call Center Agents: Responsible for handling customer interactions, resolving issues, and providing support.
• Team Leaders: Supervise and support a team of agents, ensuring efficient call handling, adherence to protocols, and performance management.
• Call Center Managers: Oversee the overall call center operations, including strategy development, resource management, and goal attainment.
• Quality Assurance Analysts: Monitor and evaluate calls for quality control, identifying areas of improvement and providing feedback to agents.
• Training Specialists: Design and deliver training programs to equip agents with the necessary skills and knowledge for effective customer interactions.

Call Center Technology and Equipment Needed

To ensure smooth and efficient call center operations, the following technology and equipment are typically required:

• Automatic Call Distributor (ACD): Manages incoming calls and distributes them to available agents.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Automated call handling by allowing callers to navigate through menu options using a keypad or voice input.
• Computer Telephony Integration (CTI): Integrates phone systems with computer systems to provide a seamless workflow and access to customer information.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Stores and manages customer data, interactions, and provides a unified view for agents.
• Headsets and Telephony Devices: High-quality headsets or telephony devices with noise-cancellation features for clear communication.
• Call Recording Systems: Capture and store call recordings for quality assurance, training, and compliance purposes.
• Reporting and Analytics Tools: Software that provides insights into call center performance metrics, allowing monitoring and optimization.

What Businesses Use Call Center Customer Service Mostly?

A high level of customer service in a call center is a critical aspect of various industries. Here are some of them:

1. E-commerce and Retail: Call centers assist customers with order inquiries, product information, returns, and complaints.
2. Telecommunications: Provide technical support, billing assistance, and service activation for phone, internet, or cable TV subscribers.
3. Banking and Financial Services: Handle account inquiries, transactions, credit card support, fraud prevention, and dispute resolution.
4. Healthcare: Assist patients with appointment scheduling, insurance queries, and general medical information.
5. Travel and Hospitality: Support travelers with booking, reservation changes, travel information, and customer assistance during their trips.

Maximize Your Call Center’s Customer Service

Call centers are crucial components of many businesses, serving as their frontline for customer support and engagement. Understanding their functions, types, roles, and required technology enables organizations to optimize their customer service operations. By embracing effective call center practices, businesses can provide exceptional customer experiences, foster customer loyalty, and drive their overall success.

The post What is a Call Center and How Does It Work? first appeared on MightyCall.

This article will feature the fundamentals of what call center coaching is, some tips on training agents and examples on how MightyCall’s capabilities can improve customer facing experiences and team performance.

Table of contents:

• What is call center coaching?
• 10 tips to train a successful call center agent
• How MightyCall can help
• Why is Call Center Coaching important?

What is call center coaching?

Call center coaching is the process of training, guiding, and mentoring call center agents to improve their communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall performance. This form of coaching aims to enhance agents’ customer service skills, enabling them to provide a better experience to callers and contribute positively to the company’s reputation and bottom line.

Coaching is typically conducted by experienced team leaders or supervisors who possess in-depth knowledge of call center operations, industry best practices, and the company’s policies and procedures. Effective coaching involves identifying performance gaps, setting clear objectives, and providing constructive feedback to help agents grow and excel in their roles.

10 tips to train a successful call center agent

Training a successful call center agent involves a combination of theoretical learning, practical exercises, and ongoing coaching. Here are some steps to follow:

Provide comprehensive onboarding
Begin with a thorough onboarding process that covers the company’s mission, values, and culture, as well as an introduction to the call center’s software, systems, and tools.

Develop product and service knowledge
Ensure agents have a strong understanding of the products and services they will be discussing with customers, including their features, benefits, and potential issues. You can do this by organizing weekly product training sessions for your employees.

Focus on problem-solving
Help agents develop strong problem-solving skills by teaching them to identify issues, ask the right questions, and provide appropriate solutions.

Practice with role-playing exercises
Use role-playing scenarios to give agents hands-on experience in dealing with various customer situations and challenges.

Use real-life examples
Share examples of successful calls and customer interactions to help agents understand what excellence looks like.

Monitor and evaluate performance
Regularly assess agents’ performance through call monitoring, customer feedback, and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as First-Call Resolution (FCR), Average Handle Time (AHT) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to identify areas for improvement.

Set clear expectations
Establish clear expectations regarding performance standards, KPIs, and desired behaviors. If you keep track of your call center’s progress, share goals and implement new strategies, this way your agents will be kept informed and aware of what’s expected from them.

Offer continuous coaching
Provide ongoing coaching to reinforce learning, address performance gaps, and support agents in their professional development.

Provide constructive feedback
Offer specific, actionable feedback on agents’ performance, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.

Foster a supportive environment
Create a positive, supportive atmosphere where agents feel comfortable discussing their challenges and seeking help.

How MightyCall can help

Call monitoring is a valuable technique for contact centers to enhance agent performance. MightyCall has a wide range of call monitoring methods that can be used to help agents improve, they include:

• Call Listening, where supervisors listen to live calls and provide feedback later
• Call Barging, where supervisors join ongoing calls to assist agents
• Call Recording, which involves reviewing recorded calls at a later time
• Call Whispering allows supervisors to communicate with agents during calls without the customer’s knowledge
• Call Intercept involves supervisors taking over the conversation directly with the customer after disconnecting the agent.

A supervisor can mix the methods depending on the situation. Employing Call Monitoring methods helps contact centers optimize agent performance and deliver exceptional customer service.

Why is call center coaching important?

• Ensures consistent, high-quality customer interactions that reflect positively on the company’s image.
• Improves agents’ communication and problem-solving skills, leading to better customer experiences.
• Boosts agent performance: Helps agents meet and exceed KPIs and other performance metrics.
• Supports professional growth and development, contributing to higher job satisfaction and retention.
• Streamlines call center operations by identifying performance gaps and implementing targeted coaching strategies.
• Helps agents stay up-to-date with evolving industry trends, technologies, and best practices.

MightyCall provides comprehensive contact center solutions that help supervisors to train agents efficiently. With the advanced call center features and analytics, MightyCall equips you with the resources to develop top-performing agents.

Take a look inside the service by requesting your free demo or starting a free trial today.

The post Call Center Coaching: a Guide on How to Help Agents Thrive first appeared on MightyCall.

• the lack of the “human element” in the shopping experience,
• no one there to answer specific questions about the product,
• no physical interaction with the product.

It’s difficult to see these problems being fully resolved on a large scale in the near future, but concerning you, the individual, there’s a simple solution from one of the most important items you have: your phone.

Here is what this article covers:

• The 7 ways to build rapport over the phone to nurture better customer relationships
• Final look at Building Rapport With Customers Over the Phone Your Way

Your Phone as a Business Resource

Your website doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, do your shop’s heavy-lifting on its own. Funneling shoppers to call your business is a quick and constructive way to tackle two of the three problems mentioned above.

Speaking to a real person removes the anonymity of the shopping experience, thus providing that ‘human element’ we crave; likewise, talking to a (hopefully) knowledgeable employee can help people get a proper grasp on the product and why they should purchase it. Most people shop ‘emotionally,’ and it’s much easier to tap into that when you get a chance to speak to them rather than hope your website engages them.

Our anxiety-induced society has tried to shift away from talking on the phone in favor of the convenience of texting and online shopping, but the problems that have crept up due to that change can usually be remedied with a good old-fashioned phone call.

Convincing people to call is the first part. Funneling website visitors to your number should be subtle and convenient for them.

• Design choices matter. Your number should be front and center on your site without being an eyesore;
• The impact of customer service is real. FAQ pages are awkward—too short and it’s a waste of space, too long and nobody reads it. If people have any questions about the product/service you offer, encourage them to call; split the basic and more nuanced questions, with the basic stuff on the FAQ page and your number there for the rest.
• If you have a rewards program, encourage people to call when they ‘cash in’, so to speak. The same idea works for customizable or special products (if you offer them)—take custom orders over the phone to satisfy the customer and guarantee the details are right. This is positive reinforcement 101: customers get rewarded for calling and will trust you more.

Once your business fosters its phone’s capabilities, you have a more direct chance of interacting with customers than if you only had a website; that means a better chance at forming lasting customer relationships that every business, especially small business, values.

7 Ways to Build Rapport Over the Phone to Nurture Better Customer Relationships

1. Make calling part of your return policy

Around 30% of online purchases are returned. This is just a fundamental reality of ecommerce. But even if something is returned, you have an opportunity to gain knowledge, trust, and maybe some purchases down the road if you handle things well.

Making people call during the process of returning something shouldn’t be a machination to nag them though—don’t pester them or try to sell something else.

The most appropriate way to do this constructively is to strongly recommend the customer call to confirm they’ve physically shipped the product back to you. Then, you can find out what was wrong, what they’re looking for, and find a solution together rather than them leaving for good after getting their money back. (On another note, that is a good way to discourage scammers, who may have a harder time lying to people on the phone than in writing.)

2. Engage your customers

Talk to your customers every chance you get; it’s important for them to realize it’s human beings on the other end of their purchase who are doing their best to make everyone happy. There is so much valuable information to gain just from a casual chat with your customers.

3. Make your response times ultra-quick

The speed at which problems are solved or inquiries handled are the backbone of customer service. Having to wait or call a company multiple times is not going to help put your customers in a cheery mood. Picking up the phone immediately gives the impression that your company is on the ball.

With a well-organized phone system that uses call routing, it doesn’t matter how many employees you have either; calls will be sent automatically to the proper place, either following predetermined call routing rules or skipping over employees that are busy.

4. Integrate your social media to your phone

Word of mouth is paramount for ecommerce, especially when advertising budgets are strapped or nonexistent. Integrating your business’s social media accounts to send updates to your phone is a great way to ensure you don’t miss anything.

Knowing what’s happening on social media at all times will help your company strategize and better target future customers.

5. Get a multi-level IVR

Having a multi-level IVR will provide your customers with the necessary basic information and lead them to the right operator or department. If the call happens to be placed outside of your business hours, an auto-attendant will record the message, and your operators will respond as soon as the day starts. This system will increase your customer retention rate and improve your reputation on the market. MightyCall will be able to help you with all of the above, and it will simplify your job with many other features like call forwarding or MMS and text messages.

6. Analyze your operators’ work

If you want to know how to build rapport with clients, you will want to analyze your operators’ work first. Listen to a few conversations and look at the operator statistics to see if there is an abnormal amount of unanswered or dropped calls. Ensure that the people in charge of answering the calls are well-trained, positive, and knowledgeable.

7. Be yourself!

Brand loyalty is real, but quality is not the only factor behind it. A brand’s image is gigantic in attracting and keeping customers; for small online businesses, those branding opportunities rest in who you and your staff are as people, so make sure to be yourself! Whether it’s in custom greetings or a phone call itself, inject some personality into every customer interaction.

It’s okay to be informal — every year businesses of every shape and in every industry are becoming more casual, so don’t be afraid to let your customers know who you are and what you and your products stand for.

Building Rapport With Customers Over the Phone Your Way

The tips above are about building rapport over the phone. Building a strong and personal relationship with your customers will make them feel welcome and increase the likelihood of them coming to your operators for help rather than quietly switching over to your competitor’s service. It will also make it more likely for them to recommend your service to others.

There is no universal way to build rapport over the phone, since each company is different and targets its own audience. You can, however, ensure your communication quality is on a professional level with MightyCall, as well as develop a few strategies based on the tips in this article and build your own communication system.

The post 7 Ways to Build Rapport Over the Phone to Strengthen Customer Relationships first appeared on MightyCall.

Though the basics — such as polite language, smiles, and a calm attitude — are the raw part of telephone etiquette in customer service, there’s a lot more to a positive calling experience. Today, we’ll be exploring some game-changing aspects like the impression your business makes before you even pick up the phone to answer a call, methods for active listening, the technology that ensures your business gets the best reputation in town, and more.

Looking at proper telephone etiquette from several angles will help your team navigate the world of business communication with deeper peace of mind, greater resilience, and a growing bunch of smiling clients.

Navigate:

• Phone etiquette before you pick up the telephone
• Preparing your mobile phone for talking business from home
• Phone scripts: dos and don’ts
• Taking notes during important calls
• Being kind is your responsibility
• Delegating follow up tasks with digital tools

1. Telephone etiquette starts before you pick up the phone

Everyone who’s on the business end of the phone deals with a fair amount of incoming calls: callers ask about hours, services, pricing, stock, issues, you name it. And to make handling those calls easier, you’ve probably got a business phone system in place with auto greetings or a voice menu.

Unfortunately, all-purpose voice greetings do little to improve on phone etiquette. If your automated messages are generic (“Hi, and thanks for calling”) or long-winded (“Press 10 for order information or stay on the line”), you’ve got a problem with phone etiquette even though you haven’t said a word yet. And that problem is costing your business thousands of lost leads per year.

How personal are your automated greetings?

Step outside your shoes for a moment and imagine you’re a customer. Now, have a detailed listen of your current greetings, voicemail, and voice menu (if applicable). As you listen, ask yourself these questions:

• Do these messages reflect my company, or can they be just as well applied to X down the street?
• Do I have a voice menu? Is it professional, informative, and brief?
• How many seconds does it take to speak to a human?
• If I could make one guess about this company just from its voice greetings, what adjective would I use? (e.g. fun, creative, intelligent, professional, etc.) If the answer is an adjective that’s definitely “not you” or plain “none”, something’s got to change.

Given some personalized attention to, voicemail, greetings, and auto-attendants can transform into a powerful lead-generating tool for your business. Need help? Here’s how to create business voice greetings for impeccable phone etiquette.

2. Prepare your mobile phone for talking business from home

With so many businesses unexpectedly working from home in the midst of the pandemic and its aftermath, routing business calls to mobile phones has become essential. Many phone companies, like MightyCall, allow you to port in an existing business number, so you can keep your number but make and receive business calls on any mobile device like a smartphone, iPad, tablet, or laptop.

In the absence of office phones, this is super convenient, but it also means it’s also vital to differentiate between business calls and regular calls on personal devices. Sure, you’ve got your clients’ contacts saved, but what about new contacts and leads? How do you know if it’s a potential client calling, a new friend or date, or perhaps, an annoying robocall?

Caller ID

A simple way to be prepared for every call is having a business phone system with Caller ID in place. Nope, this isn’t the regular caller ID you’re used to seeing. This is a very special feature that makes it plain whether that caller is dialing your business phone number that routes to your cell phone, or your cell number (the one on your SIM card). This information lets you respond to the call accordingly (e.g. official tone, down to earth, or just skip the call altogether)

This is how Caller ID from MightyCall looks like:

3. Personalized phone scripts: dos and don’ts

Calling a lead/customer or answering an incoming business call, you should sound confident, polite, and respectful of the other person’s time. To facilitate this, many customer service phone scripts are readily available online, promising a novice to become a customer service pro in no time. Problematically though, these scripts are filled with standardized phrases bound to act as a hang-up trigger to real customers.

That said, we’ve got nothing against personalized phone call scripts, especially if you’re new to making customer calls or are feeling nervous otherwise. It’s absolutely OK to jot down a custom call script before making that important call, as long as each one is made for the person and occasion — not copied from the internet!

Here are several phone etiquette rules to remember when jotting down a script.

Dos of phone etiquette

• State purpose of call — to avoid being taken for spam, state the purpose of your call within the first few seconds, right after the greeting and business name.
• Ask questions — whether you’re calling to notify about service changes, gathering feedback, or taking to an incoming call, questions create rapport and a human connection between you and the caller.
• Get confirmation — always confirm important details of the call by restating them and asking if that is correct, or if the information has been understood.
• Explain follow-up plans — if applicable, let your caller know when you’ll be following up or what you’ll do to take care of the problem. Just like in the dentist’s chair, knowing what comes next brings peace of mind.

Don’ts of phone etiquette

• Talk in long monologues and corporate phrasing — just think of the last time you got a call like that. How did it make you feel?
• Use generic words and phrases — replace generic customer service words like “good”, “glad”, “apologies” etc. with emotionally positive synonyms. I don’t know about you, but to my ears, “have an awesome day” generates sunny vibes, while “have a nice day” just feels … grey.
• Season the conversation with inappropriate humor — salt and pepper are vital (as mentioned above), but moderation and politeness are still key
• Go on hold without notification — always notify the person on the other end of the line how long they should stay on the line and the reason for the wait.

4. Taking notes during important calls ensures best phone etiquette

Proper phone etiquette involves active listening and making customers feel that you’re hearing them.

69% of consumers want sales and other customer service representives to “listen to my needs”, a HubSpot survey reveals.

As we said above, being a good listener, asking questions, and confirming your caller’s words are important in bringing across your care and concern for the person and matter at hand. Yet anyone who’s conducted a business conversation knows how often we forget the questions that come into mind while the other person is busy explaining something. When that happens, it doesn’t mean you’re forgetful, it just means you weren’t prepared for the conversation.

A simple and effective solution is taking notes. While you don’t need this for regular calls, manual note-taking is essential for any important calls you plan to follow up on. A regular notepad and pen are your best helpers during the call while right after, you may use digital tools (read on just below) to delegate tasks.

A note on call recording

Call recording is an effective practice for managers and employees. It allows to monitor customer service, take note of problems, remember information without keeping (or losing) it in writing, and even resolve disputes.

To legally record phone calls, you will need to know the laws in your particular state/country and usually gain legal consent from the other party, for example, through an automated message. Find the answers to all your questions about call recording apps and laws here.

5. Being extra kind and patient is your responsibility, not your option

As customer service memes all over the internet stand witness to, a cool head may the toughest part of the phone etiquette conversation. Even if you’re not in sales though, a business gets all sorts of callers– frustrated, annoyed, angry, and the worst kinds, those who don’t know what they want. And while we can’t influence the circumstances influencing the people on the other end of the phone (or set their minds straight), proper phone etiquette does imply being at the steering wheel of the conversation.

The problem with emotional customers is that emotions make people stray from the point and lose the thread of the conversation. If your customers are getting emotional (either positive or negative) and straying far from the point, politely but firmly bring them back to the main topic of the conversation. Remember that customer service etiquette isn’t about tolerating rude behavior, but about steering the conversation towards the best resolution for both parties.

6. Delegate follow up tasks with digital tools

With so many things to do around your business, it’s easy to forget a follow-up call or task in the midst of a full schedule. To keep yourself up to date, it’s best to use the notes taken during the call and transfer those onto digital tools shared with your team, as soon as possible.

Phone etiquette is simple with MightyCall’s Business Contact Book which comes with mini-CRM features. This basically means that you can save each new lead or contact to the contact book and add notes about the contact.

The notes can be anything to help you remember this contact, any information you’ve jotted down during the conversation, or a reminder for your team.

As soon as one team member adds a new contact and note, this info instantly pops up in the MightyCall contact books of all team members, visible in the MightyCall app on their mobile devices.

Another piece of cool technology to help with follow-up phone etiquette is Journal. Teams can use this unique feature to assign calling tasks to each other and view the task status in their MightyCall profile. It’s best to assign tasks right after each important call, since later you may forget or miss essential information. Use both Contact Book and Journal for maximum effectiveness.

Discover more

Have you picked your favorite phone etiquette strategy yet?

If that’s a yes, save and complement this guide with these phone call routing features to make your small business look bigger.

And check out our out-of-this-world fast, mobile, and budget-friendly phone system for small business. We’ll help your team talk anytime, anywhere, and about anything, at a stunning price.

The post Telephone Etiquette for Customer Service: 6 Golden Rules first appeared on MightyCall.

We all know it’s difficult to stay in touch. With family commitments and engagements, long-distance relationships, or even high school reunions–the infinite list of social obligations and stressors can take its toll on all of us. And when you’re a personal trainer or gym owner, it just goes without saying that every single day is a battle to stay connected with everyone equally.

Each day, a gym owner or trainer receives multiple inquiries regarding their services. Questions about scheduling and pricing questions, the location of the gym and directions on how to get there, questions from clients discussing their specific goals, and lastly, questions from clients seeking answers to everyday activities. Which meal is better post-workout? Which regiment should I follow this week? They’re endless.

It’s Hard Keeping In Touch With Clients

In fact, gym owners and trainers spend more of their day communicating with prospective and current clients through phone and/or email than they do training clients in person. Beyond the daily communication, their phones and email inboxes double in capacity when there is an upcoming event and/or seminar from potential attendees. So the tools that benefit communication and customer service for gym owners and trainers are essential.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was some kind of tool that enabled you to stay in constant contact with all of your clients at once without sounding too automated? It reminds me of those old sitcoms where some guy tries to be on two dates at once, and it always crashes and burns. But that’s reality. We can’t be in two places at once, and we can’t be talking to two people at once. It’s just not possible.

But the good news is that there is the technology for not just gym owners and personal trainers, but all kinds of business owners that can make it feel like you’re having constant contact with not just two people at once, but everyone at once. With the advent of the telegraph, communication became possible across hundreds of miles–and now, with the advent of new tools, communication is possible across hundreds of people.

How VoIP Can Keep You In Touch With Clients

One such tool is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), which utilizes the internet and broadband to make phone calls rather than telephone lines. MightyCall is a system that uses VoIP to set up these systems for small businesses (and would work well for gym owners and/or trainers). They offer a variety of helpful services such as:

• Greetings
• Call recording
• Voicemail
• Contact book
• Texting

VoIP systems give gym owners and trainers the opportunity to convert prospective members into paying clients much more easily. Imagine someone starts out with a free trial or set of classes at your gym. Instead of making sure to follow up with them on the same day, you are now able to have them simply check a box or give them your phone number. Then, they are automatically enrolled in a personalized greeting that makes it feel like a more personal touch. And as personal trainers, how often do we hear that it’s the personal touch that keeps people coming back again and again?

With everything being done through one outlet, it is easier for the trainer to manage communication and answer frequently asked questions. In today’s world, where texting is the preferred mode of contact, MightyCall’s system has the ability to text as well. As prospective clients skim around websites of potential gyms to visit, gym owners and trainers want to be assured that prospective clients know exactly how to purchase services and how to attend their first class or else the chances of them actually coming in will quickly decline.

After all, in this day and age, if purchasing something isn’t simple, then it isn’t worth the time. If you have a jumbled website, an out of date POS system, or something that just gets in the way of making a purchase, then you might as well kiss that prospective client goodbye forever. But with MightyCall’s VOIP system, you can rest assured that contact is being made without you making the needless effort.

Nothing Beats a Personal Touch, But VoIP Helps

Of course, MightyCall isn’t a substitute for a personal touch. It’s intended to make the personal touch more personal. Think about it–when you’re trying to dial and text and communicate with an endless amount of prospective clients, you’re potentially taking away valuable personal time from current clients! I mean how much easier would it be if you were able to just send out weekly meal plans to everyone at once? You would save so much time and headache.

When converting a prospective client (lead) to a paying member, communication and customer service is key. According to data from customer experience platform Tenfold, most leads close after nine follow-ups, but 44% of the time, sales reps give up after one or two follow ups.

It’s clear that you need to stick with a potential member to get them signed up for your gym. You need to have a system in place to ensure there is a consistent follow up of at least ten-to-twelve follow up phone calls and emails from the moment they become a lead. Thankfully, MightyCall’s VoIP system can directly aid in the consistent follow-ups and communication.

It might seem annoying to get that many follow-up calls, but truth be told, almost no one is going to get that many. They’re either going to sign up with you, or tell you to buzz off when they get sick of the communication. But at the end of the day, it’s better to get a firm answer than no answer.

How VoIP Helps You Communicate With Employees

Beyond the communication and customer service of potential and existing clients, a gym owner would benefit from utilizing a VoIP system to track their employee’s communications as well. Now we’re not talking about big brother or micromanaging here. What we’re saying is that with VoIP services, you can make sure that your employees are freed up to actually work with clients instead of doing outreach.

It can be difficult to find a time that works well for all staff members to attend in-house meetings, however, with a VoIP system, you’ll be able to deliver constant communication and information to your gym trainers which will ultimately keep everyone up-to-date on all of the gym happenings.

A gym owner or trainer has to juggle finding new clients, converting leads into paying clients, and most importantly, keeping their current clients happy. The one constant among all three of those is communication and customer service. While some digital tools can be stressful to implement, VoIP systems are an easy, affordable, and efficient way to manage the daily communication struggles that all gym owners deal with from time to time.

What’s Best For Your Clients? Easy Communication

Look, at the end of the day, whatever kind of communication system you use to get in touch with your clients, everything aims at the same goal: easy communication. Your clients want you to get in touch with them in a way that’s convenient, fast, and simple. If it’s clunky or outdated, your more than likely going to be treated like a spam caller instead of someone they trust.

We’re all busy–personal trainers know this wll. But when you’re the owner of a small business, whether you’re a personal trainer or an entrepreneur, communication is critical. And with no marketing budget and no one to man the phones, you’re often on your own when it comes to staying in touch with clients.

VoIP systems are ideal for small business owners with few helping hands and plenty of multitasking to do. The basic features such as contact lists, call forwarding, and sync mean that you can organize your small business communication effectively and handle business calls anywhere.

With all these features and more at your fingertips, it truly has never been easier to get in touch with prospective clients, and keep in touch with current clients. With VoIP, you can get back to the things you actually love doing, like encouraging that client who is struggling with results, or celebrating with the one who sees his hard work paying off. Just remember, this is a people business, and people need to hear from you to know you care. Let VoIP make caring a little easier.

Author: Rebekah Miller

Rebekah Miller is a writer for Exercise.com and MS of Kinesiology. She is a personal trainer; certifications: CSCS, NASM- CPT, RYT-200, and Precision Nutrition. She also founded and runs a strength and conditioning facility in Florida.

The post Tools to Boost Customer Service for Gym Owners & Trainers first appeared on MightyCall.

35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first, research shows. For an online business, response time can make all the difference since your customers aren’t limited to one time-zone. After-hours customer support becomes a vital necessity since web/mobile visitors will rate customer experience based on response time, not a physical location.

Fortunately, with modern digital advancements, your business can continue to gain leads and engage customers even while you sleep. Here are the 5 must-have tools for after-hours customer engagement and support that are as budget-friendly as they are promising for business growth.

Business messaging

With Millenials and Gen Z making up a huge portion of the online business economy, their communication tool of choice — instant messaging, is becoming the go-to mode of business communication. Unlike its older siblings — SMS and texting, business messaging apps like WhatsApp Business, FB, and Instagram provide seamless customer experience even during after-hours. The reason is simple — unlike computers, these apps are always in our pockets, and it takes only a minute to answer.

For online business: Up to 70% of web traffic happens on mobile devices. As an online business, makes sure to place messaging icons upfront on your mobile site (not hidden in the nether regions of the page) and keep them clearly visible on key pages. This will spare users the annoyance of searching for contact info. Keep in mind that every second of their hesitation exponentially heightens your chance of losing a client.

For brick and mortar business: By actively promoting your Google my Business and social media presence (WhatsApp Business, FB pages, Instagram DM) you won’t just stand out among neighboring shops —  you’ll win over new clients. A good option is to spread the word about your online presence via creative stickers/posters inside the store. You may even designate a hashtag campaign and special “selfie spot” inside your cafe, flower shop, clothing store, etc. Because yes, social media isn’t just fast customer support  — it’s free advertising.

Tips and tricks: Use autoresponders to automate after-hours communication — but always do this tastefully. Never bombard your customers with auto-responses as a way to save time on personal communication.  Use an autoresponder tool only to send an introductory automated message. In this message, warmly thank the person for contacting you and let them know a time-frame when they can expect to hear from you. This will come in handy during after-hours. But always remember to answer all your customer inquiries scrupulously in person.

Find out more about using WhatsApp Business with your business phone number.

How much does it cost? From $0/month

VoIP phone system for business

An action as simple as consistently picking up the phone can grow revenue by up to 54%, studies show. Even so, for most business owners, the day is so full of tasks that many leads end up lost  — not due to thoughtlessness, but simply because of missing automation.

This is exactly where a VoIP phone system like MightyCall can save the day. Just like cloud messengers make your business chat mobile, fast, and customer friendly from any place, VoIP (which is another word for cloud telephony) does the same for your voice communication. VoIP is one of the most reliable business phone solutions and an alternative to costly and outdated landlines.

For online business: You can’t stay up all night to offer live support to online customers in different time zones. But a virtual phone system can automatically route after-hours calls to a different person or device. When you have two or more employees working from different time-zones, utilize this to distribute communication responsibilities between people depending on shifts. Alternatively, if you’re a solopreneur, check out the local store strategy described below.

For brick and mortar business: After-hours call routing is as handy for local stores as for e-commerce. Instead of routing calls to different employees, however, local retailers (or solopreneurs) may route them to a voice menu, custom voicemail, or an auto-attendant with pre-recorded information. For example, record essential info like store hours, location, and directions so customers don’t have to trouble you for those basics (use this during working hours as well as part of the voice menu). Customers won’t fail to appreciate the extra care and trustworthy vibes projected by your business.

Tips and tricks: MightyCall’s virtual phone system comes with Business Contact Book and mini-CRM. This feature lets you share a common business contact book with your whole team, sync it across all employee devices, and take notes on various customer calls to help any employee follow-up later. It also lets you save on CRM contact management since you can do that right in your business phone system (both the mobile app and web dashboard).

How much does it cost? MightyCall has three plans for businesses of all sizes, starting at $19.99/month. All plans are priced for unlimited users, are loaded with communication features, and come with a free 7-day trial.

AI ChatBot

Many entrepreneurs still consider chatbots kind of artificial and inhuman. Facts prove otherwise. Customer support chatbots have an over 75% satisfaction rate among consumers and reduce business costs by 80%, studies show. Chatbots literally never sleep which makes them the perfect assistant for anyone looking into your product/service after-hours. And sometimes, those chatbots do their job so well, users don’t even know they’re talking to a bot!

For online business: An online business can use chatbots to streamline many processes such as: automate general customer questions; instantly respond to online shopping queries; achieve 100% response rates; increase return on ad spending. Today, any small business can build a chatbot without help from IT personnel, load it with the right information, and connect it to one or several channels (web, social media).

For brick and mortar business: Does your local store have a social media or web presence?  If repeated FAQ-type messages about business hours and location are starting to bore you, get yourself a helper in the face of a FB messenger chatbot like Chatfuel. This will make your day more productive and your customer support up and running 24/7.

Tips and tricks: Start with automating your messaging on a single channel. This can be your website or a popular messaging platform like Facebook Messenger. Try the budget-friendly Chatfuel for Facebook Messenger or a multi-platform service like Botsify for comprehensive web, Facebook, and Slack messaging.

How much does it cost? Chatfuel for Facebook Messenger has three plans: Free ($0), Pro (15/month) and Premium (on request). Botsify starts at $50/month.

Blog and FAQ

While written information isn’t as necessary to customer service as messaging, email, and voice communication, the more time site visitors spend on your site, the more interest they show in your product. As a result, blog and FAQ sections are great and free ways to convert your leads into clients 24/7.

For online business: Create consistent blog content that’s relevant for your industry. Also, even if you have a blog, don’t forget about the FAQ section. First-time site visitors will have plenty of questions related to your service and it’s essential to not let them “off the hook”.  If they don’t find general answers on your website, they won’t bother asking via messengers or phone– those are the channels used by customers who know what they want and understand what you’re offering.

Tips and tricks: A useful FAQ section includes both the questions and unsung doubts a first-time visitor will have about your product/service. As an example, take a look at the FAQ section of Online Book Club. Understanding the fact that many freelancers are tricked into paying for scam services, the owner isn’t afraid to tackle uncomfortable questions like: “Is OnlineBookClub.org Legit?”’ with a comprehensive (and fun) response appropriate for the occasion. While this may not be necessary for your industry, being transparent with doubts your first-time visitors may be pondering (but not voicing) is usually a good idea.

How much does it cost? From $0/month

Final word

Managing a business is like playing a game of musical chairs: the client goes to the business that shows up first. The only way to guarantee yourself a place is by nurturing leads 24/7 and automating various channels such as web, phone, social media, and e-mail. This way your business, like NYC, just never sleeps.

The post 5 Customer Engagement & Support Tools That Work While You Sleep  first appeared on MightyCall.

But how can you do that?

Nowadays people, especially under 40, have become much more inclined to send a message rather than a call. People often have anxiety about calling their friends, let alone businesses; it’s time-consuming and uncomfortable for many. Phone phobia is real.

While you, or we, are certainly not likely to reverse a cultural trend, we have a few tips on how to get around it—so calling your business is pleasant instead of painful. If you can pull these subtle things off, your company’s phones will be sure to ring more than you’d ever hope for.

• Remind customers that you want their calls

Phone phobia makes people forget that businesses still need phone calls, and lots of them. The simplest thing to overcome that is to remind customers that you want their calls. If you welcome a call with open arms, there is no way for the customer to feel like their call is an inconvenience. You can communicate this desire on your website (with a click-to-call button, for example), in advertising, or simply when you pick up the phone with the right amount of cheerfulness.

• Make your number obvious

Design choices matter—your number should be front and center on your site and advertising material without being an eyesore.

• Promote your customer service

The impact of customer service is real: FAQ pages are awkward—too short and it’s a waste of space, too long and nobody reads it. If people have any questions about the product/service you offer, encourage them to call.

• Make people call you for returns

If you have a rewards program, encourage people to call when they ‘cash in,’ so to speak. The same idea works for customizable or special products (if you offer them)—take custom orders over the phone to satisfy the customer and guarantee the details are right. This is positive reinforcement 101—callers get something special from calling.

• Stick to the point

The most practical part of getting calls is to keep it short and to the point. Some banter is fine, and each customer will vary on how receptive they are to small talk, but you should aim to help the caller as quickly as possible. That way the experience feels constructive and the customer is likely to call again if they have problems or questions in the future.

Getting people on the phone is the first part. It isn’t easy to get people to overcome phone phobia but making the process quick and helpful is sure to get things going in the right direction.

More importantly, once you’re getting calls, you have a more direct chance of truly interacting with customers, meaning a better chance at forming lasting customer relationships that any business, especially a small business, values.

More good reading:

Top 10 Reasons to Place a Click-to-Call Widget on Your Website

What Can a Virtual Phone System Do for Your Online Shop?

The post How to encourage customers to call your store first appeared on MightyCall.

• why caller retention is a problem;
• how to cut the number of customers hanging-up;
• how to benefit from virtual phone number systems in terms of caller retention;
• what to consider when choosing music on hold;
• how to use on-hold time to your advantage.

6 Tips to make your callers hold the line

Customer interaction is essential to almost any owner of a small or medium business. Therefore, the main thrust of customer interaction should be a dedicated support team whose main goal is to provide an instant response to callers and to assist with callers’ requests.

To achieve this goal, a business owner is willing to establish sophisticated support models and hire professional phone support staff. With hard-working experts on the line everything should work marvelously. However sometimes revenue statistics show a lacking in the anticipated growth. In fact, analysts suggest the existence of growing customer dissatisfaction, and suddenly the company experiences loss of clientele. What could possibly have gone wrong?

Why caller retention is a problem

One of the possible culprits of the aforementioned situation is negligence of caller retention. While an average company allocates roughly 90% of its marketing budget on enticing people to make a call, only about 4% is spent on preventing people from abandoning their calls while awaiting a response.

Waiting on hold is considered unavoidable and, therefore, is widely neglected by businesses. Indeed, according to AT&T statistics, 7 out if 10 business calls are put on hold with an average time of 55 seconds (for companies with more than 2 lines).

Everyone waits, so what’s the big deal?

Well, the problem is that 30% of callers who hang up during their initial call will never call you back.

They would rather dial the next number on the list ― your competitor’s. Providing an instant response all the time is virtually impossible, so dealing with this problem is beyond our powers. Let’s just accept the loss, right?

Wrong!

While you can’t eliminate waiting altogether, you can at least minimize this time and make it more comfortable for callers. Improve user experience and reduce the loss of clientele due to premature hang-ups with the following six tips.

1. Minimize time on hold

A Google survey showed that 32% of callers expect to be answered at once, 27% are willing to wait for 1 minute, while 30% will wait for up to five minutes. Therefore, failure to pick up a phone within the first 5 minutes translates to about a 90% loss of calls. The faster you answer, the fewer callers you lose.

To speed up the response, its necessary to establish an efficient call management model.

Small and medium businesses obviously can’t afford an “industrial-sized” call center. Plus, it would mostly be useless except for the really busy hours. Outsourcing is a more feasible option, but outsourcers are notorious for their lack of commitment and personal touch. What’s more, it’s quite problematic to check the quality of the setup or to control them directly. An even better choice is a virtual phone number with a service like MightyCall.

Services like these have features including customizable forwarding, on-the-fly task assignment, and improved call management effectively reduce response times. Additionally, there will be no need to rebuild your existing telecom infrastructure or to inflate your support team. In terms of yield and cost-efficiency, quality usually wins over sheer quantity.

2. Keep callers busy

Make a simple observation of your own: while waiting for a bus at a stop, look at the people around you. You’ll surely notice that many of them fiddle with their phones or listen to devices. Those without gadgets will instinctively study the nearby adverts, banners and whatever readable material they can find ― even graffiti!

Why? Well, being occupied helps to fight boredom.

It’s pretty similar with waiting on hold. A Teleconnect Magazine research discovered that 93% of callers exposed to silence while calling perceived their on-hold time to be 2.5 times longer than the real figure. The North American Telecommunications Association found out that 55% of people put on “silent” hold hung up in less than 1 minute. When music was played, an average caller held the line for about 60 seconds longer, while playing informational messages during the pause prolonged this time threefold.

Furthermore, the majority of callers actually prefer messages to silence or radio recordings while business owners reported they got up to 20% more questions about services advertised in this manner.

Another option to consider is to treat your callers with a quick survey. Not only it will keep them busy, but you will benefit from useful feedback and statistics for free. Just don’t be too intrusive and make your polls really short.

3. Show that you care

There is one more reason to why companies avoid “silent” holds. Silence induces the feeling of being neglected, which ― naturally ― leads to annoyance and abandoning the call. On the other hand, music on hold assures the customer that his/her call is not ignored and the connection is intact.

Depending on the theme choice, music can relax, calm a caller down and improve his/her mood. Needless to say, it only works if callers are pleased with what they hear. That is partly why large call-centers prefer classical themes: they are universally recognized as good.

Another widely-used choice is muzak: light versions of familiar music usually played in trade centers. It is, however, often associated with bad taste.

A small/medium business owner has a far better alternative. With a comparatively narrow target audience it is possible to create a fairly precise “buyer persona”.

Study your typical customers: determine their gender, age, lifestyle, preferences, etc. to create a generalized image. This information will be useful for choosing a proper on-hold music and actually priceless for devising your general marketing policy.

Another thing to keep in mind is variety. People feel neglected if made to listen to a single looping track again and again. Ensure that you have different on hold themes for different forwarding levels (e.g. one for initial incoming call to receptionist, one for sales department, yet another for customer support and so on) and between different team members on the same level. If needed, use audio editors ― there are free easy-to-use programs like Audacity ― to crop your tracks or create a seamless sequence of recordings.

Don’t forget to normalize the volume!

Luckily, many virtual phone systems provide a way to manage your on-hold themes. For instance, MightyCall allows to upload your own music to all redirection levels through an intuitive flow-chart customization.

4. Consider adding on-hold messages

According to Western Communications, a major US-based communication company, providing useful information during hold pauses reduces the number of hang-ups by nearly half. A recent survey claims that up to 20% of clients amend their purchase decisions based on information heard while holding the line.

And yes, 76% of callers would prefer to hear something other than music while waiting for a response.

In case you have informational messages, pay attention to their variety: it’s always bad to subject your callers to monotonous repetition of the same info. Special packages, discounts, new products and services ― make this information useful and diverse. Of course, you should keep an eye on what you are playing: regularly remove outdated messages and substitute them with relevant ones. Nowadays getting a potential customer’s attention is a rare commodity, so why ignore it? Use it to your advantage ― it’s not that hard.

You can even offer discounts if your operator is unable to respond for, say, more than five minutes: if an incentive is big enough you can actually make the callers crave for additional waiting time.

5. Test everything!

Before making any permanent changes to your call management system, spare some time on testing. If you are using a virtual phone system, you can carry out a simple A/B experiment.

Just upload music theme A to one of your numbers and music theme B to another one. After some time you will be able to analyze the statistics of hang-ups, call backs and on hold times via integrated analytics tools.

Another important point to consider is sound quality. Even before a caller has a chance to reach your operator, he/she typically hears a voice menu or a greeting ― it’s like your company’s face. Therefore, no matter how good your on-hold fillers are, poor quality of communication lines can mess it up to the level of incomprehensible gurgling. If that’s the case, music won’t fulfill its role of calming and entertaining an annoyed caller. On the contrary, it will give birth to irritation and stimulate a prompt hang-up, thus severely affecting the image of your business.

Inability to establish a proper communication quality is actually one of the few cases when “silent” hold is more preferable. What is more, a track which is great on your hi-fi home sound system may actually sound gross when played through standard phone dynamic or laptop speakers, so again ― just check it out. More than once.

All in all, it is crucial that you ensure a high quality of sound transmission before attempting to introduce any on-hold fillers. Sound quality varies from provider to provider: choose your mobile service or virtual phone number system carefully.

6. Don’t make copyright owners angry

This point is not directly associated with retaining customer attention, but it can save you a lot of trouble in the future.

In terms of copyright legislation, music played on hold is regarded as having been broadcast.

Thus, playing a track from your rightfully-owned CD or a recording purchased via iTunes is not a good idea without obtaining a proper license ― which may turn out to be quite costly. Some music-on-hold service providers incorporate broadcast rights into their monthly rates, but some of them don’t ― look for an explicit statement. Occasionally, when dialing certain not-so-big companies, you can hear internet- or conventional-radio broadcast on hold.  Again, this is illegal without a proper license.

For those wishing to play music without having to think about copyright issues or paying anyone, there are thousands of royalty free tracks available for download on the internet. They are mainly classics, but you can come across something rather unexpected ― some famous bands are known to render their tracks free to listen and broadcast.

While all the tips mentioned above are extremely useful when dealing with the retention problem, the most convenient way to use them is through a professional virtual phone system. One of the best options to consider is MightyCall. Combining user-friendliness, versatility, excellent customer support and affordable rates makes for a balanced solution that can help small/medium businesses manage incoming calls from phones or website widgets with ease.

Photo by Gavin Whitner

The post Music on hold: 6 Tips to make your callers hold the line first appeared on MightyCall.