Understanding the impact of call peaks
In the field of customer service, call peaks refer to an exceptionally large number of incoming calls. If not managed properly, this phenomenon can have serious repercussions on the customer experience and the productivity of your call center. Reduced customer satisfaction
The increase in the volume of incoming calls undeniably has an overall impact on the customer experience. Customers need their calls answered in less than five minutes. If they have to wait a long time for an agent on the other end of the line, they will lose patience.
Loss of productivity
When a contact center is faced with a peak in outbound calls, this also has an impact on its productivity. Without good queue management, the quality of its customer service can deteriorate.
How do you optimise inbound call handling?
To optimise inbound call handling, companies need to be proactive. They can apply methods based on data exploitation and analysis to deal with all situations.
Solutions for improving the quality of customer service in inbound calls
There are a number of solutions for improving call center service quality:
- Use of an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menu with an ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) system that redirects calls to the most qualified call center agents.
- Use of diversion tools (self-service applications, live chat, etc).
- Exploiting the flexibility of the cloud.
Using CRM to manage incoming calls effectively
Using CRM software provides your agents with a real-time overview of customer history. This enables them to deliver the information they are looking for quickly and save time.
Strategies for managing call peaks
Call center companies can also put strategies in place to prepare for call peaks throughout the year.
Strategic planning to cope with call peaks
Online planning is an ingenious way of proactively managing call peaks. In addition, you can offer your customers the option of making a telephone appointment or a call-back service.
Methods of forecasting and adjusting capacity
Drawing up quarterly forecasts enables you to anticipate the need for additional staff. These forecasts should be based on data that is useful for analysing its various hourly, daily, weekly and monthly rates.
Using technological solutions to optimise call management
There are a myriad of technological solutions available to improve the management of incoming calls and, above all, to relay telephone contacts. These include self-service tools, instant chat systems, etc.
The role of telephone advisers in managing call peaks
Call center agents are still the ones on the front line when peaks in activity occur. To avoid being overwhelmed, they need to be trained to be both reactive and proactive.
Essential skills and qualities of call center agents
Call center agents need to be cool-headed in order to manage queues. They must be professional, straightforward, empathetic and motivated to meet customers’ needs as effectively as possible.
Training and professional development for call center agents
To remain effective in busy times, agents need to be well trained. They must be able to follow their scripts to the letter and master the channels they are responsible for.
Effective strategic planning
Managing means planning. At the very least, it helps to limit unpleasant surprises. By taking the time to draw up a strategic plan, you can anticipate call overflows.
Steps to successful strategic planning
Beforehand, you need to take into account the seasonal nature of your business and define your customers’ profiles to anticipate when they are going to come flooding in. We can also carry out flow forecasts, train your call center agents and put crisis management solutions in place.
Collaboration between the various departments involved in call management
Collaboration with the company’s other departments (marketing, press, technical, accounting, etc.) ensures that you are kept up to date with the various actions taken in relation to customers.
Performance monitoring and evaluation for continuous improvement
To improve call center services, certain performance indicators or KPIs can help:
- Average Hand lingTime (AHT) to analyse the time it takes for an agent to respond to a customer and process their request.
- Average Response Time (ART) to measure the time spent by the customer contacting the company.
- Customer Effort Score (CES) measured by surveys.
Customer satisfaction management and loyalty
The only way to guarantee customer satisfaction and loyalty during “rush” periods is to provide them with a range of resources capable of meeting their needs.
Impact of call peaks on customer satisfaction
During call peaks, customers are sometimes faced with a long telephone hold or a long queue. If no action is taken, there is a risk of call abandonment and complaints. And unhappy customers mean a bad reputation!
Measures to maintain customer satisfaction during peak call periods
To ensure that customers are satisfied during periods of call overflow, a call center must train its staff to handle their requests effectively. It must adopt call management and diversion tools to offer a responsive service.