On some level, you know this. You are often a customer yourself. But being able to serve customers directly can be hard for you and your team. Time spent servicing customers is time spent away from marketing, creating products and services, and more. Furthermore, pausing your daily to-do list to answer a phone or email promptly takes you out of the zone and interrupts productivity.
If this sounds like your day, you may need a call center.
Benefits Of A Call Center
Did you know that a whopping 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company because of poor customer service? Almost as many (76%) say that a company’s level of service is the true test of how much they care about their customers.
In a world where people expect instant, 24/7 service and a quarter or more of customers will trash your brand on social media due to a poor experience, answering that phone promptly could mean the difference between repeat business and a PR nightmare.
With a call center, you can make sure that call gets answered fast, every single time – without it interrupting your day.
Deciding On Services
Your call center team can do a lot more than just answer the phone. They can also field and answer queries via email or social media, depending on your business. They can handle topics such as:
- Helping customers place orders
- Troubleshooting issues with your products or website
- Registration for events
- Dispatching urgent or complex issues to the appropriate person
- Take messages
- Make outgoing calls to get customer feedback or inquire about interest in additional products and services
- And more
Make a list of all the tasks you want your call center to take off your plate, then set the team up for success.
Setting Up A Call Center
When you hear the words call center, you likely picture a cavernous room filled with head-set-clad workers separated by cubicles. Your call center doesn’t have to be that. In fact, you can set up a call center in a single room in your home, store, or office. What you will need is the right equipment, a quiet, out-of-the-way space, and the right personnel.
Equipment
Ergonomic chairs and desks are critical for any employee who sits at a desk all day. Call center operators need headsets as well, so they can type or write down orders and notes while speaking. Multi-line phones are critical for handling several calls at once.
Peace and Quiet
There’s nothing more frustrating for a call center representative than trying to work through a customer’s issue over the sounds of buzzing machinery, their coworkers laughing in the breakroom, or a crying baby. There’s no faster way to make your company seem unprofessional, either. Instead, make sure your call center is away from noise, even if your office is a home office.
Personnel
One of the most important questions about setting up a call center is how many representatives to hire. The answer depends both on how many calls you expect to receive, as well as how long an average call lasts. These answers will be different for every business. Are most of your calls straight-forward orders, or technical troubleshooting issues?
Just as important is who to hire. Remember, these people will be on the front lines of customer service. They will need to deal with upset customers professionally and compassionately, understand your products and services, and have a pleasant-sounding voice. Depending on the specific tasks your call center handles, they may also need sales or technical skills.
Want the benefits of a call center without the effort or expense of setting one up? cThru Media offers a remote call service that can take calls off your plate so you can get back to business. Contact us today to learn more.
