How to handle call volume efficiently with call center software?
The ramifications of a company having an unusually high call volume without suitable call center telephony solutions in place can be challenging.
High call volume can present a substantial challenge to contact centers struggling to address consumer inquiries, ranging from lower customer satisfaction ratings to an overall impact on the customer experience.
There are, however, simple techniques to ensure that a call center provides good customer service when inbound calls are higher than typical.
Call center managers and agents have a variety of options at their disposal to keep call queues manageable, whether it’s being able to detect a permanent change in consumer behavior or taking proactive actions to minimize the number of incoming calls through deflection.
What does it mean to have a high call volume?
When the amount of phone calls received by a contact center comes in bursts that are much larger than the projected volume, it is referred to as high call volume.
It’s vital to remember that a surge in calls must last for a long time to be considered high call volume, which might be two to three weeks, depending on your industry.
On average, a 10% increase over regular call volume is the industry standard for high call traffic. However, depending on available resources, that amount for small and medium-sized firms can be much higher.
How to deal with a high call volume?
Dealing with high call volume isn’t always as straightforward as increasing the workforce and moving on. Budget and logistical constraints can make adding additional customer support challenging, especially during a crisis.
On the other hand, some basic strategies can help to mitigate — and in some cases, eliminate — these bothersome phone call spikes.
Several Tried-And-True Solutions to Handling Excessive Call Volume.
Forecast
Consider quarterly forecasting to make informed decisions about expanding your customer support team. Follow this up by creating data-driven predictions using call center training solutions that allow your agents to drill down daily, weekly, and monthly call rates.
Businesses can quickly pivot to guarantee that their consumers receive the assistance they require during unusual times by relying on forecasting.
Leveraging an analytics platform that provides historical and real-time data is one of the most powerful tools for developing reliable forecasting.
Self-Service
Self-service using call center software like a chatbot, IVR, and ACD is one of the most efficient tools at a call center manager’s disposal.
A business can eliminate the need for customers to call in the first place by generating easily accessible and accurate content in a help center — most commonly produced by agents themselves. This tool is also in line with what customers desire in the first place: the ability to help themselves.
Equip Agents With Tools To Succeed
Support managers should also consider making the most of their current staffing. Giving agents improved workflow tools, such as an omnichannel ticketing system, is one of the most effective ways to accomplish so. This software allows agents to see previous customer conversations, settling inquiries faster and more efficiently.
Keep The Caller Informed
While self-service, chat, and workflow tools — all aspects of contact center software — can assist support personnel handle or even eliminating excessive call volume, a company may still receive more calls than it can handle at times.
If that’s the case, tell your customers right away:
- Inform the wait time
- Offer help through other channels
Conclusion
Managers must prepare their teams to gracefully handle unanticipated high contact volumes with forecasts in hand and an array of deflections tools — a call center software package that includes self-service, live chat, and workflow apps.
You can set yourself up to manage the expected — and the unexpected — by addressing the challenge of high call volume with proven, data-driven methods.
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