The Problem: Low value-calls and increasing call center costs.
The Solution: ???
If you’ve been keeping up with PhoneMarketingInsider, you’re probably awaiting a message about the importance of call automation, since until now we’ve focused on cutting call center costs through cloud based phone systems. But this time the message is different. What if you have already automated many of the calls coming into your call center? Even if you plan to implement an automated business phone system, the first step is to diagnose the underlying issues and costs.
McKinsey Quarterly just released an interesting study on this topic, called “Are You Listening to your Call Center?”
What do you do when the call volumes and costs of your call center are on the rise? If you’re like many managers, you try to automate further. That’s sensible, since automated self-care menus and other applications let you handle higher call volumes and be stingier with staff. In addition, call lines unclog and customers stay relatively happy.
But wait. Those routine informational queries and requests that you’re trying to funnel into automated channels can hold valuable messages for senior managers. So-called low-value calls may be signaling more fundamental problems in areas such as customer record keeping, billing systems, or even product quality.
By charting out the types of low-value inquiries in the different departments, such as marketing, sales, service provisioning, billing, and postsales service, the company was able to identify the root causes of the inquiries, especially the most costly phone calls to handle. For example, some of the most costly “low-value inquiries” included requests to explain the charge on one’s bill or the steps for a product’s self installation. In both of these case, automation alone would not do the trick. The company needed to go back to the basics and rewrite their billing documentations and self-installation guides in a more user-friendly manner.
True, automated phone systems are vitally important for the success and efficiency of today’s call centers. But McKinsey Quarterly brings us a friendly reminder not to let the potential of automated calls cloud some of our fundamental organizational problems. The flip side is also true. Even if your new phone marketing system is not meeting your cost reduction expectations, keep looking at the big picture – the answer may relate to business issues beyond your phone automation.
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- Ifbyphone Releases New Virtual Call Center Service
- Price Haggling or Cutting Costs – Which Do You Prefer?
- Call Fire’s Cloud Call Center Goes International
