Top 10 ways to improve customer service within your contact centre in 2023

Companies increasingly view contact centres as essential to the customer service mix. Here are ten ways to improve your customer service with them: -

1. Use cloud-based contact centre software

Cloud-based software enables you to offer omnichannel support, integrate with CRM and service management platforms, and leverage advanced features such as chatbots, voice recognition, and self-service portals.

2. Train your agents well

Training your agents improves customers’ experience as they are the main point of contact with your company. Having the right skills, knowledge, and attitude to provide excellent service and resolve issues boost service quality.

3. Give your agents power and autonomy

Agents should be able to make decisions and take actions in the best interest of the customer. Don’t lock them into a script. Trust their judgement.

4. Monitor and measure contact centre performance

Make sure you use tools to capture key metrics, such as: -

• Customer satisfaction
• First contact resolution
• Average handle time
• Service level
• Agent productivity

Collect this data using various methods, including quality assurance reviews, customer feedback, and sophisticated analytics tools. Discover your strengths and weaknesses and act based on your findings.

5. Optimise contact centre processes

Invest in streamlining your workflows. Learn how to set up live chat on your website to offer customers and agents more communication tools. Eliminate unnecessary redundancies, duplicated processes, and bottlenecks. Use AI systems for rote tasks, such as data entry verification, routing, and follow-up. Don’t allocate human resources to these activities.

6. Build out your contact centre technology

Ensure that contact centre technology enables agents to deliver a high-quality experience to customers. Let customers reach you easily and conveniently via platforms of their choice. (Click4Assistance Messenger integrates with large chat platforms, with more in the pipeline).

Also, ensure you upgrade network security, hardware, and software. Use advanced technologies to gain greater service capabilities and customer insights, such as sentiment analysis.

7. Personalise customer service interactions

Speak to customers as individuals to make them feel valued. Use their names and acknowledge their history with your firm. Don’t go through a scripted conversation that sounds generic – as if they are only just joining. Use analytical tools to tailor interactions with clients based on previously gathered data.

8. Engage customers across multiple channels

Customers want to contact you through their preferred channel, not the one you choose. Many customers are unwilling to engage with firms through website chat but will happily do so through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

When engaging customers across multiple channels, put tools in place to ensure a consistent experience. Omnichannel software can unify all channels into a single platform.

9. Create a positive working environment

Life as a customer service agent can be challenging. Therefore, seek ways to motivate, engage and support the agents working for your organisation.

10. Listen to agent and customer feedback

Lastly, ensure you act on feedback from customers and agents. They are your best source of information on improving your services.