Is your customer service team struggling to keep their head above the high tide of calls that come in? It’s a common upstream problem: annoyed customers waiting on hold for long stretches and burnt out agents trying to keep up with the demand. Customers start to doubt if they’ll ever get patched in (let alone the support they need).
It’s a stressful situation for everyone on the line (or still on hold). But there’s a better way. We’re here to share 6 practical tips that can help your support team with call reduction and improve customer satisfaction from ground zero. Let’s discover how to make your customer support experience smoother for everyone.
What is call reduction?
It’s not like it sounds – call reduction isn’t avoiding customers when they call in. Think of call reduction as a way to make your customer service team more efficient, not necessarily less reachable. What if you could optimize your support system to make it easier for customers to get the product information or troubleshooting help they need, whether it’s through self-service options, online resources, or more direct call routing (without the long holds)?
Benefits of call reduction
Call reduction is a win-win for both customers and businesses. By improving the customer experience and your support team’s call handling process, there are more than a handful of benefits:
For Customers:
- Enjoy faster issue resolution: When you reduce unnecessary calls, customers get the help they need at a quicker pace.
- Experience less frustration: Shorter hold times and easier access to information = happier customers.
- Feel empowered to help themselves: Customers feel more in control when they can find answers on their own or have smoother conversations with support agents.
For Businesses:
- Save on overhead costs: Reduced call volume means lower operating costs for your customer service department.
- Make workflows more efficient: Agents can focus on more complex issues and provide better service when they’re not overwhelmed by a flood of calls.
- Boost in employee engagement: Customers who get the support they need lead to employees who feel supported at work, boosting morale and reducing turnover.
- Leverage valuable insights: Analyzing call data can help you identify trends and improve your products or services.
- Earn a competitive edge: A well-oiled customer support system can give you a leg up over competitors who struggle with their own call volume.
1. Offer self-service options
For call reduction to work as planned, it’s essential to lean on self-service options. When callers can help themselves to a menu of solutions like these, it means more off your plate:
Full spectrum of FAQs: A well-organized and comprehensive FAQ section can connect the dots for common customer questions and concerns.
Rich knowledge bases: A more in-depth resource for customers to search for information can help reduce that influx of calls asking for the same info.
Easy access user forums: Customers can connect with each other and share solutions to common problems within the group.
Chatbots with troubleshooting skills: Provide instant answers to frequently asked questions and walk customers through simple troubleshooting steps.
These highly accessible and user-friendly methods help customers work out their own issues in a few clicks, reducing their need to join a 10-minute call with your support team.
2. Improve first-call resolution rates
Solving problems on the first try takes practice, but how does knowing your resolution rates help keep calls down to a manageable level? The first-call resolution rate (FCR) is a metric that measures the percentage of customer inquiries that are successfully resolved on the first point of contact. If you have a low percentage, it means you need to see what step in the resolution process is holding you back.
How can businesses give their FCR a boost?
- Proactive agent training: It may sound simple, but give your agents the knowledge, know-how, and tools they need to resolve customer issues. This may look like detailed product training, problem-solving techniques, and best practices.
- Access to more customer data: Agents need all the customer information they can get their hands on, including past conversations, account details, and purchase history.
- The power to make decisions: If your agents know what to do, give them more autonomy to resolve issues (without constant approval from higher-ups).
3. Invest in agent training and clear scripts
If your customers aren’t satisfied with their call center experience, maybe it’s time to go back to basic training. Agents who have a firm understanding of how to greet customers, capture information, and quickly serve up solutions on a call use their time (and the customers’) efficiently. While scripts can be a big help, agents should use them as a guidebook and customize them based on customer needs.
When agents get the tools and guidance they need, it shows and can help:
- Get a handle on transfers and escalations: When well-trained agents have access to clear scripts, they can handle more queries on their own, which phases out the need for frequent transfers or supervisor intervention.
- Noticeably improve first-call resolution: Well-trained agents with effective scripts are more likely to resolve customer issues on the first call, reducing call volume and improving customer satisfaction.
- Keep employees engaged and satisfied: Feeling prepared and motivated can encourage agents’ to bring their best selves to work and feel productive after a full day on the phone.
4. Intelligent call routing
Customers are not fans of being passed around to different departments, no closer to a solution than when they first called. So how can you automatically route calls to the agent who can help them the best? Intelligent call routing (ICR) can leverage and line up customer history and certain call topics to specific agent availability, getting the most qualified agents on the line first.
Ping-ponging with different agents who don’t know how to answer your questions is frustrating for callers and not the best use of your support teams’ time either. A tool like ICR uses advanced algorithms to screen incoming calls and directs customers to the right department from the first round.
Intelligently routing calls allows businesses to:
- Trim the excess off wait times: Customers are connected to the right agent faster, minimizing their time on hold (and the elevator music loop).
- Enhance issue resolution as a whole: Calls are handled by agents with the necessary knowledge and experience, leading to more efficient problem-solving.
- Dial down call volumes: Customers who get their issues resolved quickly and efficiently are less likely to call back, reducing overall call volume.
5. Proactive customer outreach
What’s the golden rule for handling a crisis? Plan for the best, prepare for the worst. But what if the best way to prevent those issues, whatever they may be, is to stay ahead of them? By proactively reaching out to customers with appointment reminders or order updates, you can mitigate potential issues before they get a chance to escalate into support calls.
Here are some effective proactive communication strategies:
- Targeted email campaigns to taste: Send personalized emails to customers based on their purchase history, demographics, or interests, like a tutorial on a new product feature or a personalized reminder that they need to renew their membership.
- SMS notifications that make sense: Use SMS to send quick and timely updates, such as shipping confirmations, appointment reminders, or alerts about important account information.
- Social media updates that touch on pain points: Share valuable content, answer customer questions, and address concerns on your social media channels.
6. Leverage AI
Don’t just keep AI tools in your back pocket, leverage them to help your support team with the simple things that can overcrowd the priority list. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are designed (and adaptable) to handle basic inquiries so your human agents can focus on complex problem resolution or customers needing more personalized support from a real person.
When your team doesn’t have the bandwidth, AI-powered tools can step in to:
- Provide instant responses: Customers can get immediate answers to common questions without having to continuously wait on hold.
- Handle routine tasks: Chatbots can seamlessly schedule appointments, reset passwords, and provide product information to those callers who need it now.
- Learn and improve: AI algorithms can learn from customer interactions, which helps them to better understand (and respond) to questions and concerns over time.
Putting these tips into practice
Call reduction is a process, not an endpoint. Take your time in implementing these practical tips and see what methods move the needle forward. From offering up self-service options and investing in agent training to letting AI lend a hand, there are many ways to transform your customer support and call handling processes.
Remember, the goal is not to eliminate calls – it’s about optimizing your customer call experience and providing a smoother experience for everyone involved.
Want to learn how Upfirst.ai can help with call reduction? Check out all our answering service solutions and be the first to try Upfirst.ai. We’re ready to answer your calls.
FAQs about practical tips for call reduction
Is call reduction relevant for small businesses?
Yes, even small businesses can benefit from call reduction strategies. By implementing effective techniques, small businesses can improve customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs, and free up their team to focus on other priorities.
How can small businesses with limited resources implement call reduction strategies?
It’s best to approach solutions in stages. Small businesses can start by creating a comprehensive FAQ section, implementing custom chatbots, or even retraining their employees with best practices top of mind.
How can we create an effective knowledge base that customers will actually use?
To create a user-friendly and useful knowledge base, make sure to organize information clearly using categories and subcategories. Use simple language and terms that are easy for customers to understand. Use support elements like videos, images, and even screenshots to connect the dots and keep customers engaged in learning.
How can we ensure our AI chatbots provide accurate and helpful information to customers?
To make the most out of your AI tools, feed it high-quality training data so it can understand (and respond) to customer inquiries accurately. Leave room for improvement and adjust as needed. Also, provide human backup so complex issues receive the personalized attention they deserve.