When properly run, a call center can be a lucrative business. However, while this B2B business fulfills an essential need for a large number of businesses who need to outsource their customer service and order taking process, success isn’t always a given.
Many factors go into making a call center successful, with some playing a supportive role while others an essential role in determining how well a call center serves its clients and earns a recurring profit from its business.
While every call center is unique and goes about its business based on different management philosophies, here are five things that almost all successful call centers have in common:
1. The quality of the equipment.
When it comes to equipment, most call centers tend to invest in high-quality hardware, without which the business would not be able to handle the high volume of calls necessary for it to operate well. However, with so many choices available when it comes to software, it’s easy for the business owner to not be discriminating enough. This is an expensive mistake to make because the more robust the software, the more relevant features it offers, the easier it is for the business to manage its operations. When choosing software for their business, successful call centers use call center software that offers features that facilitate smart routing of inbound calls to the right agent for the job, a variety of dialing modes, and integration with top CRMs. In addition, it’s valuable to have software that provides both real-time and historical reports, as well as one that numerous channels for customers to communicate, such as web, mobile, email, or chat, among other options.
2. The efficacy of the workforce.
A call center that has a high effective workforce literally hums with the sound of human voices. Conversely, when there are not enough clients to keep everyone busy, the sound levels tend to be far lower.
The personnel in a call center can be divided into three groups: the call agents, the supervisors, and the manager.
The Agents
The most effective call center agents greet callers with enthusiasm, and if you were to listen in on their conversations would notice how well they are able to create rapport with people calling in to place an order or to complain about a customer service issue.
In short, the agents appear to be engaged and enjoying their work. They are not bored, unfocused, and grousing with their colleagues.
The Supervisors
Effective supervisors work alongside their agents, helping them resolve a variety of issues, researching information that the call center’s clients had not briefed them on, and providing hands-on training tips. Conversely, it’s not a good sign if supervisors appear inattentive, just walking around at random, and only pitch in after they notice an agent’s urgent hand gesture.
The Manager
In successful call centers, the manager is often on the sales floor, intervening on issues that negatively impact the center’s performance. Conversely, managers who spend much of their time in a cubicle, analyzing data are often out-of-touch with the practical issues on the floor that need to be noticed and remedied.
3. The training schedule.
Successful call centers have a continuous program of training. This can range from providing formal in-house training to a manager coaching supervisors, and supervisors, in turn, improving the sales skills of call agents.
4. The orderliness of the environment.
In an environment buzzing with the sound of human interaction, it only takes a little bit of disorganization to slip into widespread chaos. For this reason, it’s necessary for a call center to be kept neat, clean, and organized throughout the day. Masses of paper piling up, missing reports, scattered data sheets, and miscellaneous equipment lying around quickly creates a subtle impression of chaotic environment for everyone working in the office.
5. General morale
In a hectic environment, fatigue and petty conflicts can quickly ruin morale. For this reason, successful call centers work hard on improving their corporate culture. Unless there is a plan in place to help ensure high motivation, morale can quickly slip, resulting in a high level of absenteeism and turnover rate.
In the final analysis, a call center is a people business. Recognizing this, successful call centers work on creating a clean and ordered environment, provide their workers with the equipment they need to do their jobs well, and use a variety of management techniques to ensure that the various teams are properly trained and engaged with their work.
