Call centre managers have a lot on their plates. Like all managers, they have employees they’re responsible for, and the business of running a call centre efficiently so that customers get excellent service can be complicated too.
Call centre managers must forecast inbound calls and plan for outbound sales calls, ensuring that they have sufficient trained personnel on hand. And, since no customer wants to be left on hold, queue management matters. The agents who deal with customers represent the business, so training them to handle calls professionally requires attention to detail.
At the same time, call centre managers are working in an unpredictable environment. For example, a new product launch can lead to a flood of inbound calls that exceeds forecast levels, or several employees may need time off work at once, leaving them understaffed. With customers evaluating the business’s service levels and professionalism based on call centre experiences, call centre managers have an important responsibility. The results they achieve will impact the entire business.
The intelligence that comes from your call centre is vital too. Call centres are constantly gathering very important data that should be used to guide business strategies. So, apart from managing their call centres, managers must ensure that high-quality data is gathered and analysed so that meaningful information can be communicated to decision-makers.
Call Centre Management Systems
With so much information to process, it’s no surprise that high-tech call centre management systems are a must-have. Of course, voice over internet protocol systems have long ago replaced the old-fashioned PABX, allowing for easy onboarding of new users and access to a scalable range of telephone numbers. They also integrate well with other technologies, making the task of call centre management a whole lot easier in the process.
Automatic Call Distribution
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is an essential system to implement in call centres receiving inbound calls. It allocates calls to agents based on preset parameters. Time-based routing will connect calls to agents that are on duty during specific time slots. Skills-based routing transfers calls to agents with the necessary skills to handle the call, or the system simply shares calls out between agents based on who is available.
Interactive Voice Response
To achieve skills-based routing, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology guides customers through a series of questions that help the system route calls effectively. There have been attempts to use IVR to field routine calls, but this has only led to consensus on the fact that most people hate talking to bots.
Call Queuing Systems
Call queuing systems allocate customers to queues when no agents are available. Just like you, most customers hate being placed in a queue. But if there are no agents available, there’s no real alternative. There is, however, a refinement that reduces customers’ ire at being left on hold. The system can offer a callback from an agent when the customer’s turn comes up.
Call Recording Systems and Real Time Call Monitoring
Call recording systems aren’t a new feature, but they are an essential component of call centre management systems. For example, if a customer complains about the service received, it’s possible to listen to the interaction and determine what went wrong. You can also use recorded calls for training purposes, showing agents-in-training how to deal with specific scenarios.
Real time call monitoring systems can be very helpful too. They not only allow managers to listen in and evaluate call centre agents’ performance, but provide a way to help out with difficult calls. A “whisper” feature allows the supervisor or manager to advise agents without the customer being aware of the interaction.
Reporting and Analytics Software and CRM Systems
Reporting and analytics software and customer relationship management software with computer telephony integration have particularly important functions to fulfil. They help call centre managers track performance metrics, are used to gather and interpret information, and allow agents to trigger workflows and reminders so that they meet their commitments to clients.
Integration with the CRM system also means that agents can see customer-related information that helps them solve problems more effectively. For example, it shows whether the customer has previously reached out and allows call centre agents to resume the conversation. In sales, it may show which products a customer previously bought, helping agents frame their sales pitches in context.
Call Centre Management Tips and Best Practices
With call centre management systems handling many of the basic tasks that would otherwise occupy call centre managers, they’re free to focus on implementing best practices. These include providing continuous training for agents and developing a set of rewards or recognitions for performance excellence.
Although systems will gather quantitative performance information, managers will be needed for qualitative assessments, for example, scheduling random calls for evaluation purposes. Of course, it would be impossible to monitor all calls, but automated systems can help with interpretation of customer sentiment, successful call resolution figures, and so on. Automated customer satisfaction surveys also offer insights that can indicate the need for action on the part of the call centre manager.
Listening to agents will help call centre managers determine their work-related needs. For example, they may have issues that can be addressed by providing better equipment or they may feel that access to further training or more detailed information will better equip them to help callers.
Be alert for employee burnout. Call centre work can be exhausting, and overtired agents can’t deliver the enthusiastic customer service you’re striving for. Dips in work performance, absenteeism, and high staff turnover are all signs that your call centre agents may be overloaded.
Finally, call centre managers must know what results they should be working towards. In consultation with top management, compile a service level agreement. It tells you and your staff what standards you are trying to uphold. For instance, you need to know what hold times are allowable and what average call resolution times you are aiming for.
Call Centre Metrics for Performance Management
Knowing how well your call centre works, and which agents may need further training, is a matter of consulting performance-based metrics. These include:
- Average call handling time: Taking longer to handle calls? Find out why. Are customer issues more complex than they were before? Are there ways to reduce call handling time without rushing customers?
- Call transfer rate: When agents must frequently transfer calls, call routing systems may be at fault.
- Call abandonment rate: Customers who end calls before speaking to an agent are likely waiting too long. Offering callbacks via your queueing system may help.
- First contact resolution rate (FCR): A high figure indicates that customers are getting solutions on their very first call. A low FCR calls for further investigation.
- Customer satisfaction rate (CSAT): How satisfied are customers after talking to your agents? Ask them to give a numerical score. Check averages for your industry and look for ways to improve results. If the source of low customer satisfaction falls outside your department, communicate its cause to the relevant people.
- Cost per call: What does it cost to run your call centre? How many calls does it handle? Simply divide the first figure by the second to see your cost per call. This metric helps your organisation strategise for reduced call centre costs, balancing the measures you implement against your customer service goals.
Scalability, Service, Performance and Reduced Costs With RSVP
Call centre management faces some tough challenges. Costs should be minimised, employees must be trained, customers must be satisfied, reports must be accurate, and even “simple” questions like how many agents to have on duty can be far more complex than they seem. With many businesses serving clients across time zones, it can be a 24-hour, non-stop marathon.
RSVP offers a high-road solution. As one of the oldest call centres in the UK, we have all the call centre management experience you might need and more. Since we are a specialised customer service business, we’re already equipped with all the tech tools and software it takes to run a professional call centre. We’re proud of our team too. They’re highly-trained professional communicators and they’re at your disposal, and at your customers’ service.
To help you with a cost-effective and scalable call centre solution, all we need is information about your business, its goals, and its customers. From outbound sales calls that convert to handling customer complaints with grace and ease, it’s the results we’ll achieve that will matter most to you. And yes, all of this can cost you less than an in-house call centre while still delivering better results across all your key metrics.
Wondering how to manage a call centre? We have the easiest and the very best answer. Talk to us about our call centre outsourcing service. We’ll take it from there.