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What Frustrates Customers Most?

May 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

When calling in for customer service, we all have our own individual pet peeves.  For example, some people do not like being put on hold, while others may have trouble with voice recognition systems.  There are many possible things that can turn a consumer off and create a negative impression of the company.

Consumer Tipping Points, a recent benchmarking survey released by ClickFox, indicates the things that create the most frustration for people seeking customer service.

#1.  Having to speak with multiple agents and start over every time (42%):  It is bad enough having to explain your problem in the first place, but being forced to regurgitate the situation to numerous different agents is the single most frustrating thing, according to nearly half of all consumers surveyed.  This commonly happens when the initial agent does not have the ability to resolve the issue, and must escalate the case to a different support level.  Often, he or she will do a cold transfer, which is simply sending the caller on to another agent, essentially starting from scratch.  A more effective solution would be a warm transfer, where the initial agent outlines the problem to the next agent before connecting the caller.  This way, the new agent already has a good handle on the situation, and the caller does not have to repeat him or herself, thus avoiding a lot of unnecessary frustration.  An alternate solution would be to increase the level of training and expertise for front line customer service representatives.  This would give them the ability to solve more problems, thereby reducing the number of different support levels required, and lowering the overall number of transfers in general.

#2.  Being kept on hold for long periods of time or not getting the problem resolved on the first try (17%):  Time is valuable to everyone, and people have better things to do than be kept waiting on the phone.  A customer service call should function like an efficient fast-food drive-thru.  You drive up to the order station (place the call), order your food (explain the problem), pick your meal up at the window (the agent resolves the problem), and drive away (hang up).  Keeping the customer waiting for extended periods during any point of this process can be very annoying.  Also, a customer service representative who does not resolve the issue during the first call would be like a drive-thru attendant forgetting the French fries, forcing the person to go through the drive-thru all over again.

#3.  Rude or inexperienced representatives or difficulty navigating a website (13%):  This one is a no brainer.  Dealing with rude or unpleasant people is never enjoyable, and speaking with agents who do not know what they are doing is not much fun either.  This problem can be remedied by taking the time and effort to hire genuinely nice, friendly people, and by providing adequate training for customer service agents.  Getting the right people in place and getting them prepared for the job will also help cut back on employee turnover, which can be a huge problem in the call center industry.  The other part of this response, difficulty navigating a website, is also very important because visiting the company website is often one of the very first ways that people interact with a business.  Being turned off by an unattractive or convoluted web page may end up deterring many potential customers.  The most effective corporate websites have a clear and logical design, where relevant information is easy to find.

#4.  Frequent service interruptions, or not being understood by IVR/speech recognition applications (12%):  When you pay for something, you expect it to work.  After all, you are giving them your hard-earned money.  It is not unreasonable to expect consistent and reliable service.  However, when it does come time to contact the customer support center, it sometimes can be a chore simply to reach the right person.  A well-designed IVR menu that incorporates some speech recognition can be an effective way to direct callers to the appropriate departments, but a poorly designed system that results in having to constantly repeat answers or that sends callers to the wrong departments, can be hair-pullingly frustrating.

#5.  Long windows to wait for a service technician, and fee/price increases (6%):  Most people have busy schedules, and making someone wait around for an entire morning or afternoon for the repair-person to show up can be a huge hassle.  This is especially frustrating in cases where the technician is unable to make it, and the service appointment needs to be rescheduled for another day, thus wasting even more time for the customer.  The frustration associated with fee/price increases is self-explanatory.  People like to get good value for their money, and frequent cost jumps will urge them towards considering terminating the current service in favor of a competitor.

Understanding the most common sources of customer service frustration is extremely important for all contact centers, both outsourced and in house.  Only by knowing and measuring these key issues can steps be taken to fix the underlying problems, and deliver a better overall customer experience.

So, what do you think is the most frustrating thing about customer service?

 

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When (and when not) to take it personally in the customer service industry

April 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Call center work can be a tough racket sometimes.  Customer service agents often will have to deal with people who are irritable, angry, or downright mean.  In this line of work, it is important to have a thick skin and not take everything personally.  Here are a couple of examples of when it is appropriate to take something personally and when it is best to let it slide off your back.

Anger – Customer service agents will have to deal with angry customers.  It simply comes with the territory.  No company is absolutely perfect, and when a mistake is made, people will naturally want to take out their frustration on the first person they talk to about it, which is usually the customer service agent.  It is important to realize that, although you as the agent will have to bear the brunt of this anger, it is really being directed at the company and not at you personally.  As a key representative and voice of the company, you will have to do your best to take ownership of the issue, diffuse the emotional situation, and resolve the problem.  However, in this type of case, you should never feel that you are personally responsible for the customer’s hardship.  If the caller speaks in an angry tone or makes a sarcastic comment, the best thing to do is to ignore it and focus on fixing the underlying issue.  Don’t take it personally!

Praise – Most people have felt under-appreciated at some time or other, and call center workers are no exception.  Dealing with upset customers can take its toll on anyone.  However, sometimes a caller will be so happy at getting his or her issue resolved that they will offer up a genuine compliment or some other form of praise in gratitude.  Something like, “Wow, you have been very helpful!” or “Thanks so much for fixing this problem – I really appreciate it!”  In this type of situation, you should definitely take it personally!  Remember that you and you alone solved the customer’s problem and brightened up his or her day.  Sure, you may have had help with a troubleshooting script or some other aid, but in the end, you are the person who had to listen to the customer, appropriately diagnose the problem, and provide an effective solution.  That’s not always an easy thing to do, especially over the phone, so a successful resolution to a problem is certainly something to be celebrated, and any compliments received by callers should be taken as personal reinforcement that you did a good job.

Let the insults roll off your back, but take the compliments to heart!  That is one of the most important keys to being a successful customer service agent.

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Building Loyalty Through Customer Service

March 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Keeping customers happy is more important than ever before.

The logic is pretty simple.  Receiving exceptional customer service makes people feel good about a company, which in turn makes them more likely to be loyal to that company in the future.

In fact, in many cases a good customer service team can be even more powerful for building loyalty than continually delivering a good product or service.  A study by Marketing Metrics indicated that if a company consistently delivered its product or service without any problems, customer loyalty would be approximately 60-70%; that is, existing customers would be about 60-70% likely to keep buying their current brand of product or staying with their current service provider if nothing else changed.  However, if instead the company screwed up somehow (I.e. service interruption, defective product, etc.) but fixed its mistake through excellent customer service (I.e. immediately acknowledging the problem and quickly resolving the issue to the customer’s satisfaction), customer loyalty levels increased up to 95%!

People don’t expect companies to be perfect, but they really admire the ones that care enough about their customers to admit their mistakes and provide superior service to fix problems.

But why is customer loyalty so important?

One big reason is that people are simply becoming less and less tolerant of poor service these days.  The Harris Interactive Customer Experience Impact Report indicates that 86% of consumers have quit doing business with a company because of a bad customer experience, which is up from 59% just four years ago.  This is important because losing customers is expensive!  It has been estimated that it costs about five times as much to acquire a brand new customer than it takes to retain an existing one.

The deterioration of a company’s reputation due to poor customer service is another important consideration.  According to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, a dissatisfied consumer will tell between 9 and 15 people about his or her experience.  Plus, with the proliferation of social media services such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+, this number can be even higher, causing more potential damage to a company’s brand.  This trend can also work in a company’s favor, however, as happy customers will generally tell 4 to 6 other people about their positive customer experiences.

The bottom line is that customer loyalty matters, especially in our modern economy where people have more choices than ever before.  People will not be shy about taking their business elsewhere, so companies must focus more and more on keeping their customers happy if they want to remain competitive.  Delivering great customer service is no longer the exception… it’s the rule.

Outsourcing your contact center operations to a highly qualified customer service provider like Tacamor can get you on the right track towards keeping your customers happy and building loyalty.  It might even save you money, too!  Request a quote today to find out how Tacamor can help your business.

Filed Under: blog post, call center planning, call centers, customer service, outsourcing, total cost of ownership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Words of Kindness

March 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the things that are most appreciated.

It doesn’t always take something major to make a person feel good.  Little things like holding a door open, helping someone pick up a dropped coin, or even a simple smile can make a person feel on top of the world.

The same is true for customers.  Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and a kind remark here and there by a customer service agent can go a long way towards building a stronger relationship between a company and its customers.

Of course, delivering quick and effective customer service is usually the best way to keep callers happy, but a random word of kindness can be the icing on the cake that really strengthens the bond with the caller, and makes him or her feel special and appreciated.

There are many different things you can say to customers to make them feel good.  Some possibilities could be:

“I notice that you have been a customer of ours for ____ years.  I would just like to thank you for your business.  We really appreciate it!”

This indicates that the company does not take the customer’s business for granted, making him or her feel valued.

“I see that you also called us last month about another issue.  How did that go?  Did everything get resolved okay?”

This comment demonstrates a level of caring and concern on behalf of the company for its customers, and a commitment to high quality service.

“You have been one of the nicest callers I’ve had all day.  It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with you.”

This type of comment singles out the person in a good way, making him or her feel special compared to everyone else.

“I see that you’re on the __________ plan.  That’s a great choice.  I love that plan because _______________________.”

This statement indicates that the caller made a good decision, making him or her feel smart about that choice.  A personal endorsement by the agent also helps to further promote the company’s offerings.

In each case, these types of remarks help to build upon the overall customer service experience for a caller.  Sometimes it doesn’t take much to delight a person, and little statements like these can help to create (and maintain) customer loyalty, which should be a primary goal for any business.

Tacamor customer service agents can increase customer loyalty for your company.  Get in touch today to find out what we can do for you!

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The Different Types of Contact Centers

February 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Not all contact centers are the same.  Just as there are different kinds of animals stalking through the jungle and different types of vehicles on the road, there are many different types of contact centers out there.

The most obvious distinction among contact centers is inbound vs. outbound.  Inbound centers are designed to accept calls (or e-mails, web chats, etc.) from customers.  People get in touch with an inbound contact center for things like customer service, technical support, ordering a product/service, or obtaining information.  Outbound contact centers, however, focus on proactively making contact with existing or prospective customers, usually for the purpose of making sales or generating leads.  An outbound contact center would be involved in activities such as telemarketing or administering surveys.

Many contact centers are dual-purpose, with the ability to offer both inbound and outbound services, while others are solely dedicated to performing one type of service.  Some call centers are very specific in what they can offer, while others are more general.  A narrowly focused contact center may specialize only in administering surveys for the health care industry, for example, while a multi-purpose center might offer everything from telemarketing to high-end technical support for digital devices.

Some call centers, such as Tacamor, choose to specialize in a certain area (I.e. inbound customer care services) but are flexible enough to offer additional outbound services to clients if required, such as callbacks, survey administration, appointment confirmations, etc.  Under this type of model, a contact center is able to offer a wide variety of services, thus expanding its potential market for obtaining new clients, while still retaining the core competencies necessary to be a true expert in its domain.

The level of technology is another differentiating factor for many contact centers.  Some contact centers operate using the simplest technological infrastructure possible.  As a result, although this may result in lower operating costs, the services these bare bones centers are able to provide are often lacking.  For example, a call center with a primitive technological setup may have the capability of accepting inbound calls only, and be unable to provide support via e-mail, web chat, social media, or other channels.  Additionally, without a solid Contact Management System in place, it may be impossible for a contact center to deliver complicated reports on key performance indicators such as Average Handle Time, Abandon Rate, Service Level, etc., which are demanded by many clients these days.

Finally, the way that agents are assigned tasks can differ from center to center.  Some contact centers use a dedicated-agent system, whereby workers are assigned to a single client account only.  This type of model is advantageous in the sense that by only working on one account, the agent becomes a true expert for that client.  Other contact centers use a pooled environment, where agents may receive or make calls on behalf of several different clients.  These contact centers tend to be more flexible regarding the volume and type of work they are able to perform.  However, quality may suffer if agents are spread too thin and assigned to too many different accounts.

The type of contact center a company needs really depends on its particular business requirements.  While there are many different contact centers out there to choose from, not all of them will be suitable for every company.  Knowing exactly what you need in a contact center is the first step towards finding the right partner and establishing a profitable and lasting outsourcing relationship.

 

Tacamor is a primarily inbound contact center offering high quality customer service, tier 1 technical support, and other contact center services.  Are we the right contact center for you?  Request a quote today to find out!

Filed Under: blog post, call center planning, call center technology, call centers, customer service, general, insurance call centers, nearshore call center, order-taking, outsourcing, technical support, total cost of ownership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Let’s Talk Technology! (What is Speech Analytics?)

February 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

When you call in to a customer service line with a certain issue, have you ever wondered how many other people are also calling in about the exact same thing?  If a large number of people are phoning in about the same type of issue, then there might be a major problem with the company’s product or service that needs to be immediately addressed.

Do you think companies would like to keep tabs on exactly why most people are calling for customer service?  You better believe it!  This information can be very valuable, allowing businesses to improve their offerings and also quickly address any specific problems or issues before they have a chance to cause serious reputational damage to the company’s brand.

One high-tech way that contact centers can monitor customer interactions is through Speech Analytics.  In a nutshell, speech analytics is the process of searching through a large volume of recorded calls and finding certain keywords or phrases that can help to determine the root causes of problems.

Your word processing program probably has a function that searches through an entire document and highlights all instances of a certain word or phrase (I.e. the “find” function).  Speech analytics works in a similar way, except instead of searching through text, it searches through voice recordings.  Also, instead of simply presenting certain words or phrases, it also performs some level of analysis of the data.  This could include categorizing the information to determine basic trends, or performing a complex root cause analysis to help solve major problems.  The level of analysis that can be performed depends on the sophistication of the particular speech analytics software.

So, why are contact centers interested in speech analytics?  Well, this type of thing can easily be used to help improve agent performance.  By discovering which particular issues are taking up most of the agents’ time, the contact center can introduce targeted training sessions to more effectively deal with these specific problems.  Also, on a more individual level, call data can be used to identify which specific agents may need some extra personal training to improve certain skills.  For instance, if the speech analytics system consistently detects abnormally large periods of silence on a particular agent’s calls, then maybe that agent needs training or practice on how to keep conversations flowing naturally.

In addition to improving agent performance, important problems relating to products or services may be identified through the use of speech analytics.  For example, the system may pick up on major issues such as a product defect or a bug in a software program, which may not otherwise have been noticed.  The sooner problems like this are identified and reported, the sooner a company can go about designing and implementing a solution, so having an automated speech analytics system that is constantly on the lookout for potential problems can be a great advantage.

In order to work effectively, a speech analytics system requires state of the art software with excellent voice recognition capabilities.  It also needs to be able to intelligently categorize information according to certain criteria.  The concept has actually been around for a long time – government security agencies have been using speech analytics systems to screen conversations for security threats for decades.  However, it is only recently that speech analytics systems have become more widespread in the commercial world and within contact centers.  As the technology continues to improve, speech analytics systems will become even more sophisticated and will take on an increasingly greater role in contact center operations throughout the world.

Filed Under: blog post, call center planning, call center technology, call center training, call centers, customer service, outsourcing, technical support Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is the customer always right? Really?

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

'Wrong Way' photo (c) 2006, Dallas - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/The customer is always right.

It’s a lovely thought… if you’re a customer. Of course, no one is actually, truly, always right. Customers — along with some politicians, children, and Charlie Sheen — may think they’re always right, but frankly, life is just not that simple. There are times when even a customer will be wrong about something.

In many cases, the best approach will be to treat the customer as if they were indeed right. Offering a discount when a customer doesn’t technically quite qualify can be a lot less expensive than losing a long-time customer for good.

In other cases though the mistake or misinformation may be so significant that there is just no way you can let it go uncorrected:

“I’m truly sorry, but no, the Buy One Get One Free special that we had last year is no longer being offered, and unfortunately it never applied to every single item in the store.”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid the Kids Eat Free special only applies when someone else buys a meal.”

Whether right or, well, wrong, though, every customer deserves the same respect and dignity they would get if they were indeed right. And if you do need to tell a customer that this time he or she is not right, stop first to ask a few key questions: [Read more...]

Filed Under: blog post, call center training, call centers, customer service, general Tagged With: , , ,

How can you calm an angry customer?

November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

'Cheer Up' photo (c) 2009, signal the police - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/In our last post, we asked, “Have you kissed a customer today?”  It’s a great way to let someone know you appreciate the privilege of working with them, especially when things are going well and you’re both feeling the love.

Alas, not every day in customer service — or anywhere else for that matter — goes quite so well. On one of those bad days, you may feel like every customer is out to get you, and before you know it, your voice starts to pick up an edge that’s not there on your good days. Your customers can hear it even if you can’t. Now it’s spreading and they’re beginning to sound a bit edgier too.

The downward spiral is now well underway.

Have you every tried using a “kiss” to get a bad day back on track? Yep, you’ve probably guessed that we’re not talking about a “real” kiss here. But when you’re in the midst of a disconcerting conversation, a virtual customer service kiss may do a lot to pull things out of the spiral and moving on target again.

The next time a call is first beginning to spin out of control, what would happen if you tried inserting something like these into the discussion? [Read more...]

Filed Under: blog post, call center training, call centers, customer service Tagged With: , , , ,

Have you kissed a customer today?

November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

'Kiss statue at St Pancras' photo (c) 2007, David Sim - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/If you work in customer service, you already know that there’s something about caring for people all day long that can bring out the best and worst in people.

On a good day, it can feel great to know you’re solving problems, helping people, and forging part of a solid reputation for your company as a place that cares for its customers.

Granted, on a bad day, a customer service job can be one extremely demanding way to earn a living. But we’re going to leave that side of things for our next post. For now, let’s focus on the sunny side of customer care.

To make a good day even better, have you tried kissing a customer? Okay, well maybe not actually, really, you know, kissing them. But have you tried a virtual customer kiss?

Try sincerely offering a comment like one of the following during a conversation that’s going well. The effect can be magical for you and your customer! [Read more...]

Filed Under: blog post, call center training, call centers, customer service Tagged With: , , , ,

Do you care too much about what customers say?

November 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

'Hurt' photo (c) 2010, Nicu Buculei - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/No professional likes to make mistakes. However, as much as we work hard to make every day error-free, mistakes sometimes get out there, and can end up teaching us our best lessons in life. Some though can be costly… even deadly. And in a call center, few mistakes are as debilitating as taking customers’ complaints too personally.

It is of course great to empathize with callers, to feel their frustrations and share their disappointments. There is great value in  strategically listening to a caller’s complaints or objections; those words are signposts to help us understand what the real problem is, and how it can be fixed.

But sometimes, when the most caring agents start to get too attached to the people they serve, or maybe when they take such pride in their work that any unresolved complaint is seen as a personal failure, their empathy can turn to atrophy. [Read more...]

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Does it really matter if you smile on the phone?

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

'smile!' photo (c) 2006, seanbjack - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
Smile!

It’s probably the advice that’s been given more than any other by customer service and call center consultants, not to mention poets, songwriters, therapists, and mothers. But it still bears repeating, because lots of customers will tell you that salespeople and call center agents still don’t do it enough. Smile!

Why?

Your smile can reassure, and bring hope to a gloomy situation. It can turn customers into loyal friends, and let people know they’re welcome and valued. A smile can build someone’s confidence that you really can fix their problems. [Read more...]

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Give your call center a front-end alignment

October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

'Driving to the test' photo (c) 2009, Ben+Sam - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/Do you know where you’re going? Really? Whether you’re driving a car or a call center, you’re going to run into trouble sooner or later if your direction is even slightly different than you want it to be. That’s easy to understand on the highway; probably more than you want it to be. Just a few seconds of veering off course can have some pretty awful consequences. In a call center though, the outcome of poor direction can also be disastrous, but a lot harder to spot until you’ve hit a guardrail… or gone over a cliff.

The front tires in your car work best when they agree with each other, responding in tandem to the directions sent from the steering wheel down through a surprisingly intricate series of links and supports. When it works well, all those individual parts work so smoothly that you tend to think of it all as just one unit. You just tell the car to go one way or another, and it does.

However, if those front wheels lose their alignment, things start to go subtly wrong. The car will start to drift one way or another. The ride will get a whole lot bumpier. Those individual parts will start to show wear and tear long before they should. And before you know it, you’ll be replacing parts and spending money that you would much rather have spent some other way.

What happens when a call center loses its front-end alignment? [Read more...]

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