The festive season is a time most customers look forward to all year. However, for the contact centre industry, it can be a time of great pressure with customer outreach increasing significantly in this period.
This is particularly apparent in the retail and utility sectors – two of the most heavily relied upon in the build up to Christmas. In the retail sector, call volumes rise considerably as customer purchases (and problems) soar, whilst over in the utilities sector foreboding headlines on rising gas prices, amongst news of collapsed firms, create customer anxiety which has a knock-on effect on contact centre traffic.
However, there are several steps organisations can take to ensure that the customer’s journey through the contact centre remains smooth, thus improving the customer experience, and the life of an agent at the frontline of the business remains stress free.
1 – Position empathy at the heart of the customer experience
Irrespective of the problem – whether it’s shortages of products or lack of services – the contact centre must first and foremost put the customer at ease. Aside from the problem at hand, customers may have additional stresses and pressures that may not be initially obvious to agents, especially over channels such as text and email where the agent is unable to read a customer’s body language or tone of voice. Therefore, having an empathetic approach (as standard) is key.
Contact centres should invest in staff training on a regular basis or take the opportunity of the Christmas period to introduce “refresher” training to make sure all agents are on the same page regarding expectations. Role-playing for a range of conversations is a great way to equip and empower staff who may be unsure of how best to deal with anxious customers with relatable experience. Helping agents to understand how and when to use empathetic language will be a key asset to the contact centre at Christmas.
2 – Streamline telephony traffic into the contact centre
In addition to the language and tone used on calls, there are many solutions available that can speed up processes and limit the time customers spend waiting for their call to be answered by agents who are busy with the increased volume of calls. Contact centres can identify and verify customers while they wait, recognising the phone number being used by the customer, as well as looking up account numbers and security details by linking to external systems. IVRs can also be used to provide relevant information that may solve their query without an agent.
Tools can also be used to automatically call back customers instead of them waiting on hold for an agent for an indefinite amount of time. IPI’s Call Me manages the entire call-back process end-to-end, including re-tries, automatically allocating resources to the right customers at the right time. Call-me won’t completely reduce traffic into the contact centre, but it will enable your team to better manage call volumes at peak times.
3 – Introduce alternative channels
For customers less keen on phoning the contact centre, who prefer to be in control of their own information; contact centres can improve the customer experience by also look at introducing self-service, as well as additional channels.
Chatbots and FAQ pages – AI-enabled chatbots can help customers to self-serve via the website and find information from a pre-prepared knowledge bank, perhaps even sending them a link to an FAQ page with answers to commonly asked questions like delivery times and where to find manuals.
Text / Messaging – providing an SMS or messaging option over a social media platform such as WhatsApp, will enable customers to reach out to their favourite brands in seconds. Messaging is perfect for customers on-the-go who don’t have the time to commit to a call.
Video – in some cases, having a video option where customers can speak face-to-face with an agent will add a more reassuring personal touch. Video also allows agents to fully gauge the customer’s mindset by being able to see and read their body language.
4 – Don’t lose sight of the well-being of your agents
Your agents are the heart of your contact centre and as such, they must be looked after – particularly in busier times. It is easy to lose sight of what is important in the bid to reach targets or improve CSAT ratings. However, the wellbeing of your agents is paramount. After all, these are the people who smooth out your customers’ journeys every day and keep them returning to your brand.
Ensure your agents have good managers to listen to them and to take on board feedback. Look at introducing mindfulness practices into the workplace that will bring a level of calm to a stressful period. Think about how you can make the life of your agents better and enable them to do their job well, free from unnecessary stress. Also, consider how you can reward them for a job well done. Praise and recognition go a long way.
The contact centre as the hub of operations
Retail and utilities are important sectors all year-round, but in the build-up to Christmas, a customer’s reliance on both can elevates their position even more so. As the face and voice of brands, contact centres – and their agents – are at the heart of their respective sectors. It is therefore essential that the right steps are taken to ensure that the customer experience remains smooth and agents are looked after – particularly in this period of heightened activity.
Craig is Head of Solution Consulting at IPI. With over two decades of experience in the dynamic world of contact centres, he’s seen the industry evolve, and evolved with it. Craig’s journey began with hands-on operational roles, focusing on technology, resource planning, and leadership.
Throughout his career, Craig had the privilege of collaborating with global brands, empowering them to harness cutting-edge technology and streamline their operations. Today, Craig leads Solution Consulting at IP Integration, where we leverage our extensive industry experience to help clients deliver exceptional customer experiences.
