 | We are very pleased to welcome Brian Stennett as our contributor this month. Brian has extensive experience of call centers in many different cultures around the world. As he reminds us, a telephone call is a telephone call. Whether it is inbound or outbound, there are still some basic rules to be followed. Brian is in demand as a consultant for best telephony practice across Asia and lectures and consults on the best use of both technology and staff. |
There are three basic measures that figure in all phone calls made to and from a call center. These are:
- Efficiency
all about numbers; the abandoned call rate, how many calls per agent hour and so on, - Quality
did the customer have a good experience? - Effectiveness
was each interaction maximized to the company’s and the customer’s benefit?
Consider the following inbound scenario:
You ring your bank. The call is answered immediately. Efficient!
You explain that you are applying for a mortgage, and need copies of your bank statements. The clerk clarifies your request and confirms that the statements will be at your branch later that day for you to pick up, or will be Fedexed to you if need be. Quality!
Hangs up!!!
Missed out on effectiveness. As a bank, they should have maximized the interaction by offering you a mortgage.
For outbound, the same rules apply! Remember…
- Efficient system
- Quality interaction
- Effective transaction
 | “Of course our rates are best. But go for the sympathy reaction. Tell them that you will lose your job if you don’t sell at least two mortgages a day.” |