It’s no surprise that poor call management can lead to lost sales and business opportunities. But what does poor call management actually mean?
Research has shed some light on this topic. Most of which is no surprise. For instance, customers are more likely to hang up if left on hold for too long or if they are transferred to multiple customer representatives. However, one finding in particular struck our attention. The leading cause for abandoned calls is not having a “human touchpoint.” It has been reported that 1 in 5 calls are lost when the call goes to voicemail or the customer is stuck in an IVR menu loop. Callers prefer to speak to human agents.
Best practices for managing calls
This leaves us with an important question: How do minimise our call abandonment rate?
We have collated some tips to optimise your retention rate:
- Ensure that calls are answered promptly. Try to answer as quickly as possible.
- Implement a business introduction while callers are waiting for an answer. This entails introducing your business and informing customers that they are on hold or waiting to be transferred to the next available agent.
- Avoid using automatic bots.
- Use a live answering service rather than an automatic voicemail.
- Utilise a short IVR menu to enhance efficiency, rather than long IVR menus.
The voice of your brand is very important. A clear procedure should be implemented as how calls should be handled. Having a standard introduction or script can help maintain consistency and demonstrate a level of professionalism. It may also be beneficial to establish a tracking or ticketing system for customer calls.
Each customer enquiry could be assigned to a specific staff member who can allocate time to work on resolving the matter. This ensures that customers receive a timely solution instead of being transferred to multiple staff members or being kept on hold while the issue is being resolved.
Technical Solutions to improve call handling efficiency
Closed-based phone systems are a staple feature of any business looking to streamline their communication. With hosted PBX phone systems and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology set up, you can gain access to an impressive range of internet and cloud-based features.
A PBX phone system offers more flexibility than traditional office systems. It’s great for hot-desking because staff can log in and out of connected phones regardless of where they’re sitting for the day.
A phone system provides other in-built features such as call recording, which can be used to monitor, track and measure the quality of your customer service. It can also be used to review your employee training processes. Reporting allows you to monitor who’s been in touch and when.
Some additional features include:
- PBX Phone System
- Call queuing & advanced call routing
- Hunt group & line hunting
- Call recording and analytics
Handling calls with a live answering service
For businesses with limited staff capacity, the easiest way answer all calls is to use a live answering service. Instead of diverting missed calls to an automated message bank, setting up a live answering service allows your clients to speak with a real human A live answering service is available 24/7 to offer customer support outside business hours. It ensures that your clients always have a point of call to your business, regardless of the time of day.
With 24/7 coverage – you will never miss a call. This means that your customer support process can extend far beyond the traditional 9am – 5pm trading hours. A 24-hour service demonstrates a high commitment to your customers and can create a strong brand name.
Get In Touch
When it comes to finding a service provider who matches this criterion, look no further than TMC’s 24-Hour Answering Service. With over 45 years’ experience in the industry, we know the ins and outs of providing a professional service on behalf of our clients. Call us at 1300 728 268 or visit tmc.net for more information.