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Strengthening call centre customer service

Regina Pazvakavambwa
By Regina Pazvakavambwa, ITWeb portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 30 Oct 2014
Optimising processes makes customer service easier for both the agent and the customer, says Mark King, senior VP Europe and Africa at Aspect Software.
Optimising processes makes customer service easier for both the agent and the customer, says Mark King, senior VP Europe and Africa at Aspect Software.

The customer service landscape is a complex and ever-evolving one in which the customer is always right, and pleasing them is becoming more and more difficult as technologies advance at a rapid pace, and markets see increased competition.

So says Mark King, senior VP Europe and Africa at Aspect Software, who notes if companies don't want to lose their customers, they must strengthen their customer service function.

King believes creating a seamless approach for customers to communicate with the organisation through all available channels should be at the forefront of any business's customer service agenda.

Consumers cannot be constrained to one method of contact - they often take different approaches, based on their query, says King. A customer may choose social media to contact a service provider or may prefer to phone the provider directly, adds King. What is important, though, is that all of this information is linked up seamlessly, he adds.

Also, companies must ensure their contact centres have strong workforce optimisation software and processes in place to manage the workforce effectively and efficiently, says King.

According to King, optimising the workforce will help a company improve productivity and reduce costs in both its front- and back-office environment. Blending the optimisation of the front and back office will ensure the highest quality of service, he adds.

"Many contact issues are because of inefficiencies within the back office, such as billing errors and internal mistakes. However, an optimised and integrated environment will ensure that these issues do not occur in the first instance. This in turn has a knock-on effect on the contact centre and the number of incoming queries."

King points out optimising processes makes customer service easier for both the agent and the customer. By analysing customer information, previous queries and voice analytics, agents are able to efficiently resolve enquiries and analyse common questions, says King.

He also says contact centres must implement a call avoidance strategy. A successful call avoidance strategy keeps the customer informed, and delivers information before the customer requests it, adds King.

Enhancing self-service facilities, such as online FAQs and knowledge bases, is also a useful tool to assist customers every step of the way and resolve common queries quickly, says King.

It is important to understand that in order to provide great service, call centre agents must view each customer as an individual, and cater to their specific needs. Call centres need to build a comprehensive database of customers and also understand the differences in preferences between sexes and age groups, concludes King.

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