Customers dislike contact centers when these mistakes are made.
You may think you’re doing everything right because it’s protocol – and may even be based on what customers said they like. But its the things that contact centers often follow so rigidly that customers hate, says Tom Rieger, author of Breaking the Fear Barrier.
Here’s what to avoid:
- Being a slave to the process. Sure, you run an efficient operation if Problem A is handled one way, Problem B another way and Question C is answered just like this. But customers need an emotional bond more than an efficient process. So it’s OK to have a toolbox of scripted plans, but agents need to have some level of empowerment to adapt to individual situations.
- Trying to do too much. Customers are busy. They don’t want to be bogged down by everything an agent “must” do to make it a call they’ll be graded well for completing (perhaps an up-sell or cross-sell). Let agents do what customers ask them to do. Then they can ask customers if they have time to hear about something else.
- Too much automation. Customers expect automated responses (they even prefer it sometimes). Still, when their issues are urgent, they want fast access to personal help. Avoid hiding your contact numbers on your website or delaying access to agents in a large phone tree.
- Relying too much on surveys. Unfortunately, customers often say one thing and act differently. That’s why acting on what they say in numeric surveys alone can result in doing things they don’t really like. Look at the numbers, then use common sense and agent feedback to decide what needs to be improved.
