The Making of a Good Call Center
If you own a business or play a significant role in your business’s day-to-day operations, chances are you either currently employ a call center or have considered it. If you’re in the middle of weighing your options in regards to which agency to choose, you have probably already been told more than a few times, “we have the one that’s right for you” or “we’re the best in the industry.” Everyone loves to promote their business, regardless of what industry it’s in, and the same can be said for call centers. But, in the end, how do you know if the offer is actually living up to their claims?
At one point in time, it would seem all call centers were the same. They were all viewed as low-cost channels for resolving customer concerns. “A room with a bunch of people sitting in front of a phone,” most would probably say. Now, they are seen as increasingly powerful service delivery mechanisms and generators of revenue. Because they have become viewed in this light and have such high importance, a business must have a quality resource at their disposal.
IT Solutions for Quality
Part of what makes a call center a quality contender has to do with its IT hardware and software solutions. If the center isn’t up to date on its technology, your business could lose ground with the competition. Information technology and connectivity play a vital role in the operations of any communication system. Whether considering communication with customers or internally with your business, technology is heavily relied upon to monitor these business operations and maintain all the data collected. Operations would cease to exist without IT. This is why a reliable organization always emphasizes quality IT software and hardware for data storage and protection.
Quality Assurance
Another critical aspect of a top-notch call center is accountability and quality assurance. To do quality work, you have to expect quality work from all the representatives within the call center. There must also be expectations in place. Client expectations and business delivery should always be aligned and accounted for in a tangible format. When a call center’s success is measurable – and perhaps incentives are in place for those who succeed – it is easier to ensure that operations are aligned and deliver what is required.
Call Center Statistics
Statistics aren’t just for the back of baseball cards. One critical piece of information your business needs to know when looking for a high-quality call center is how much volume it can take. Some of the most important statistics are calls answered, average ring time (under 20 seconds is best), average hold time to respond (under 30 seconds is best), and lost calls. Customers are all about quick and easy, which is especially true for customer service. When there is a missed call in a call center, it takes too long to answer a call, or customers are left on long holds, you can imagine how displeased those placing the calls are.
In Conclusion
There is much to consider when deciding whether a call center is good or not. The above subjects are just some of the many aspects that to consider. Customer satisfaction and the quality of the call center representatives employed are the other things to consider. Hiring a call center is not to be taken lightly, so be sure your business does its homework before making a final decision.
