Top 10 Strategies for an Immediate Hold on Call Volume

Get a hold of your call volume with these insider tips.

Call volume can be one of those unpredictable beasts in the contact centre. While there are certain times of the year when you can reasonably expect call volume to be higher-than-average, and prepare accordingly, such as around the holidays or surrounding a promotion, contact centres can also experience seemingly random spikes in volume, leaving agents unprepared and overwhelmed.

A word to the wise: it doesn’t have to be that way! To get a handle on call volume and provide a better customer experience, try these top 10 expert tips.

1. Use Analytics

With the help of the right analytics, you can gain an insider look into your contact centre’s areas for improvement and set realistic goals. For example, once you know what your average speed of service is, you can set a goal of answering each customer call within a set time to help you keep an eye on what matters.

2. Update FAQs

FAQs on your company’s website should be kept updated regularly and even customized to match the season or a promotion.

3. Embrace Alternate Channels

Alternate channels of communication, such as live chat or email, can drastically reduce call volume while catering to consumer’s preferences. It’s a win-win situation!

4. Help Your Customers with Video

Self-help videos are becoming increasingly popular as businesses realize that many consumers respond better to video than text alone. A self-help video on your website can help customers with basic needs fulfill their own queries.

5. Outsource

Outsourcing your overflow to a third-party service provider is an excellent method of improving the quality of your customer service while managing call volume. As their core business, reputable third-party providers have and continually invest in the latest technologies and resources available in the industry. According to a 2013 Global Contact Centre Survey by Deloitte, 62 percent of businesses consider the quality of customer service provided by contact centres to be a competitive differentiator. Third-party providers can help make sure that you’re competing in the game by performing simple to complex tasks or improving your overall service quality with expert management and around-the-clock response.

6. Offer a Call-back

A call-back option can improve customer satisfaction by demonstrating that you care about and respect your callers’ time. Let customers get back to their busy schedule without giving up their place in the queue. Remember to call back in a timely manner to keep customers happy.

7. Log Customers’ Preferred Method of Contact

Some customers may prefer a phone call, while others might feel that email better suits their needs. Make a point to ask customers about their preferred method of contact, logging the information in your CRM system or other database so that in the future, agents will know exactly how to communicate with each customer.

8. Use Self-Serve IVR

Interactive voice response can be immensely useful when it comes to managing basic, repeated inquiries. Why use up valuable agent handle time for simple tasks? Each customer with a simple need should be directed to an IVR specifically set up to handle the type of inquiry. Your agents —and customers — will thank you for it.

9. Communicate with Other Departments

Has your contact centre become the default for queries that apply to the entire organization rather than specifically to your department? Make sure to formally communicate with other departments in the company to clarify exactly the sorts of queries your contact centre deals with, and which ones it doesn’t.

10. Send a Message with SMS

The use of SMS in customer service is escalating as businesses and consumers alike realize how much time it can save and how convenient the method of communication is. When the number of mobile subscriptions nearly surpasses the number of people on the planet, you can bet that your consumer not only uses a mobile, but also carries it with them all the time. This makes SMS one of the most fail-safe way to contact your customers for simple tasks like confirming appointments.

In the end, your call volume is completely manageable, no matter how overwhelmed you might feel during unpredicted spikes. By making use of these strategies for handling call volume, you can improve the quality of customer service offered by your contact centre and help streamline the customer experience.

Ready to learn more about how you can manage call volume? Check out our free whitepaper.