Here’s a lesson in what NOT to do when it’s your busiest time of the year.
Don’t decide it’s OK to ignore 30% of your customers.
That’s what the IRS did this tax season, when millions of taxpayers needed their help.
The government agency – which gained some credibility in recent years as it ramped up service – said answering 70% of calls was its “acceptable” service level. Customers who got through had to wait about 12 minutes to talk to a rep.
In it’s defense to public, online and media criticism, the IRS claimed it was doing all it could with what it had.
To the agency’s credit, it tried these strategies to help phone-thwarted customers – and they’d work for almost any contact center:
- Enhance the website with more frequently asked questions and status updates, and
- Add more features to automated phone systems so customers don’t need to talk to an agent.
