Posts Tagged ‘customer service’

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Happy Employees Provide Great Customer Service

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

In light of today’s economic setting, it’s more important for companies to have happy and productive employees. Your business is only as successful as its staff; therefore, it is of utmost importance that you develop a positive work culture in your business.

 

Happy employees are any business’ best asset. However, keeping them happy in any economy is hard work. If the workplace is stressful, employee production goes down. Happy employees are satisfied and feel a sense of accomplishment in their work. They like themselves and what they do, and find satisfaction from their work. The best employees prefer to work for companies that provide the type of exceptional value that creates customer loyalty, thus, creating loyalty has become the toughest test for leadership in Philippine call center. Great customer service depends on the people providing that service. They have to be willing to serve well. They have to be inspired to go beyond what is their responsibility, in other words, they have to be treated well.  When workers feel that they are a dynamic and essential part of the team, they are more productive and willing to go the extra mile for customers and co-workers. A positive work environment is critical no matter how many employees you have. Therefore, give praise openly, set goals appropriate to the work, and always take your employees’ needs seriously. It is management that fosters the work atmosphere so they are responsible for conducting things in a way that helps raise people’s spirits.

 

A company will have strong customer service if it has strong leadership, and the commitment that this leadership conveys. When you have a happy and productive workforce that is eager to contribute, your company can weather any storm.


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Posted in BPO, Call Center Articles, Inbound Call Center | 1 Comment »




Inbound Call Center : Understanding Customer Engagement

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

In this newly social online world, it can’t be denied that it’s the age of smarter consumers wherein customers are really challenging. They incorporate new technologies into their daily lives and their philosophy is they want to be served, listened to, known and empowered. They see consumption as far beyond a transaction with a more experiential view and seek through this experience to fulfill their needs.

 

All this has had a significant impact on how brands are now positioning themselves, and how they re approaching their customers. In this period of intense competition and fleeting customer loyalty, the ownership of the relationship is now with the customer.  Companies need to strengthen customer relationships and optimize business outcomes by proactively engaging customers with the ideal customer service through any channel the customer favors. Interaction is an important factor. Every interaction with your company creates a lasting impression on the customer that’s why social media is providing an empowering platform for customers to very publicly discuss your company’s product and brand. In achieving your business goals, you also need to optimize your resources including inbound call center agents, business process outsourcing, back-office and automated systems. Legacy infrastructure and disparate hardware and application systems must be integrated to empower every employee responsible for customer service, sales, and support.   Another is every customer interaction incorporates an underlying customer process to ensure that the back office achieves similar efficiencies as its contact center counterparts.  Performance management and analytics will also increasingly play an important role in helping business executives determine customer engagement effectiveness and guide the decision-making process.

 

Customer engagement involves developing and fostering a sense of trust, emotional commitment and an ongoing involvement with your company. Your brand is not just viewed therefore as a functional benefit to be purchased for a price rather its a relationship partner in your customers life.


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Posted in Business Process Outsourcing, Call Center Articles, Inbound Call Center, Outbound Call Center, Philippine Telemarketing | No Comments »




Call Center in the Philippines: Building Strong Relationships at Work

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Every Philippine call center is a relationship business. The quality and impact of your work, and the profitability of your business, depend upon relationships — with customers, co-workers, and competitors; with suppliers, distributors, and support services; with direct reports, senior managers, and boards. Being customer service and telemarketing agents is so tedious that in most cases, stress eventually takes its toll on them. That’s why it often affects an employee’s productivity and relationships at work. However, the way you manage key relationships with even the most difficult people will determine your level of success. Building strong relationships with others heightens your ability to gain support for your work and manage barriers that will inevitably come up along the way. There is also a personal benefit with effective relationships in that they can make you feel more engaged with your work which can lead to greater job fulfillment.

 

When you take the time to understand another’s’ feelings and positions you can create strength in relationships, both parties allow each other to communicate without being judged. Effective relationships require parties to openly express their feelings and positions on all matters pertinent on the level of the relationship. Respect is the key to relationships, you can show respect just by listening to the other party and by trying sincerely to understand what is important to them, you can also look at their communication style and personality to better understand what makes them tick, a person can also show respect by reinforcing the person when they are doing something well or offer to help when they are needing some extra help.

 

Respect, communication and working toward a win-win situation are the very foundation for a great relationship. When parties fail to express whatever is on their mind or their feelings, it can get in the way of building an effective relationship.


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Importance of Self-Care in a Hectic World of Call Center

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Many Philippine call center transactions are doomed from the outset as the agents are just as stressed as the people calling to complain. If you have ever worked as a customer service representative, then you know that stress simply comes with the job. In addition to that, inbound call center agents usually encounter pressure from working schedules, company policies and procedures and quotas. Well, it is simply the nature of the business.

 

That’s why it’s so important to take time to do nice things for yourself. Self-pampering is not about being selfish. It’s about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others. You need to make caring for yourself a priority, otherwise you will continue to put it off. Set an appointment with yourself every day, or at least once a week. Block the time out in your calendar and do not let anything interfere. As much as you do for others, you deserve this time for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time, even an hour or two will do. Here are some self-pampering ideas. Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant. Take a bubble bath by candle light. Spend time in nature. Get a manicure or pedicure. Have a massage. Listen to soothing music or nature sounds. Go window shopping. Relax with a cup of calming chamomile tea. Watch a comedy or read something funny. Go for a quiet stroll in the evening, or early morning. Buy yourself something new. Get a new hairdo. Visit a spa and have a facial. See a new movie. Dance. Take a nap. Curl up with a good book.

 

Keep in mind, there is nothing more important than your well-being. The better you feel the more you can do the things you need to do and the more you can live the life you want to live.


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Call Center Career: Understanding Job Interview

Monday, October 24th, 2011

If you notice, most jobs featured in a jobs listing website are positions for business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. Among these jobs are customer service assistants and Philippine call center agents which are in fact, high paying jobs. That’s why it’s very important for job seekers to understand and prepare for job interviews because this maybe the beginning of your career path. You might be one of hundreds of people who respond to a job opening. However, most of the people who respond won’t get interviewed. They’ll get screened out through a process of elimination by an individual or committee which will determine the final candidates. Typically, this is how you’ll be scored during interviews:

 

Good chemistry.  Can you “fit” into the organization? This can be shown by your grooming; if you communicate and listen well with co-workers, customers and management; if you have personal interests and beliefs consistent with the company’s goals and objectives; if you have leadership potential and has a positive and upbeat with a can-do attitude, follows directions and accepts criticism.

 

Competence and ability.  Can you do the job? This implies your technical skills; expertise or if you have the background and experience to do the job and education or if you have the required knowledge.

 

Willingness and enthusiasm. How willing are you to have that job? This signifies your ambition or if you have the desire to learn, grow and excel and your being motivated, energetic and team player.

 

It is also important to understand the employer’s perspective, to make a good impression and focus on what you can do for the company. Remember, your value is what makes an employer want to hire you.

 


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Inbound Call Center: Strengthening Customer Relationship

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Retaining customer is as important as obtaining new business. In Philippine call center, maintaining customers drives revenue and enhances your brand and position against your competition. By using strong strategies to build customer relationships, you can retain repeat business while creating new revenue streams with existing clients.

 

Communicate frequently. Every time you interact with a customer, in person or over the phone, initiate a quick discussion to gauge how they are feeling. And as you begin to build a relationship with a customer, consider doing a quick survey or comment card. This will easily demonstrate to customers, employees and competitors alike, that you intend to continually improve on your service.

 

Build two-way communication. When it comes to customer relations, “listening” can be every bit as important as “telling.” Use every tool and opportunity to create interaction, including asking for feedback through your web site and e-newsletters, sending customer surveys and providing online message boards or blogs. Customers instantly feel a rapport and a relationship with your company when they know that they’re heard.

 

Enhance your customer service. Customers often make choices between parity products and services based on the perceived customer experience. This is what they can expect to receive in the way of support from your inbound call center after a sale is closed. Top-flight customer service on all sales will help you build repeat business, create positive word-of-mouth and increase sales from new customers as a result.

 

Provide special. Customers remember your great customer service, and they also remember the great time they had at your annual customer appreciation gathering. Whenever possible, offer in-kind rewards that remind your customers of your company and its products or services, they help the client reduce his office supply costs and act as constant marketing tools for your company. Hold special events for clients such as golf outings, parties and family picnics that will allow the client to feel appreciated.


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Philippine Call Center: Delighted Customers

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

How does a delighted customer differ from the satisfied one? Let me give you an example. A customer went to a coffee shop and ordered for a cup of cappuccino. After few minutes, her coffee was served to her table. Definitely, she expected it to be hot. Then she was satisfied. The next day, she tried to get a coffee from a famous coffee shop in their town. When she got there, she was greeted with a warmth smile by the staff. She ordered her favorite coffee and was served to her after a few minutes. But this time, she was surprised because she got a piece of cookie along with the coffee and the server also offered her newspapers and magazines. From then on, she kept on coming back to that coffee shop.

 

Definitely, the customer was not just satisfied but was delighted. Satisfaction is based on fulfilling the expected while delight occurs from the unexpected. Companies need to go beyond simple satisfaction to retain customers and attract new ones. This can be done in many ways and everywhere, restaurant, hotel, store or even Philippines call center. For inbound call center, there is more opportunity in exceeding customers’ expectations.  You can do this by ‘going extra mile’ and truly care for your customers. In telemarketing, be flexible in your approach. Don’t just make a sale but offer solutions in the best interest of your customer. You also have to listen to your customers and know what’s important to them. If you received complaints, respond positively and quickly and thank them for their involvement. Use this complaint as a positive thing to help you grow and improve. Keep in touch with customers and check if the products or services are good.

 

Delighted customers will be more loyal and a business can create create customers for life.  The key for businesses is to determine the right customer experience for a great return.

 

 


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Improved Philippine BPO Industry through Quality and Technology

Monday, September 5th, 2011

BPO started with non-core processes and is now moving towards more critical applications. It has boomed with call centers in the Philippines and customer service processes, and now is happening with software development, Human Resources (HR), Finance and Accounting (F&A), training, payroll, and procurement. The trend is moving beyond the outsourcing of typical back-office functions into middle-office functions. BPO is catching up with industries like medical transcription, animation production, and even disaster recovery management systems. Moreover, it is not just India or the Philippines that are booming with BPO. Central & Eastern Europe’s markets are aggressively chasing near shore outsourcing from Europe.

 

Although outsourcing has been seen as a way to reduce overhead expenses, this point of view has changed with time, and the industry is now being seen as part of a larger strategic effort. Now, customers want most- enhanced productivity level and greater value for money. And while IT-BPO clients are interested in all the buzzwords–Web 2.0 communications channels like social media and blogs as well as emerging technologies like cloud computing, SaaS, virtual assistants, and the like–clients expect their services providers to lead and manage fundamental, meaningful, impactful service innovation for them that produces more than savings.  To both BPO service providers and customers, quality and technology are two equally important elements which need to be concerned carefully. In order to deliver a quality and stable service, the provider has a service methodology, the needed infrastructure, people, and skills, technology, and metrics capabilities. Among those requisites, the technological and communication advances is the fundamental factor leading to the wide spread adoption of BPO. The right technology enables the balance of personalization and standardization of the outsourced activities, creating the capacity to design processes that suit the needs of each client, while maintaining a standardization level that enables sustainable long term advantages for both the provider and clients.

 


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Inbound Call Center: Dealing with Angry Customers

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

In the customer service industry, handling irate customers is not an easy task; it requires resilience, patience and a lot of mental strength on the part of inbound call center agents.

 

Assume that the customer has the right to be angry. In an inbound call center, the customer may be angry because he or she made incorrect assumptions that led to improper expectations. Regardless of the circumstances, acknowledge the customer has the privilege to be irate. Listen carefully to how the anger is expressed so you can find the root cause of the emotion.

 

Listen to emotion without emotion. Listen to the emotion as well as the words. This will help you to identify the specific item or items that need primary attention. But do not respond with emotion. Remember that the customer anger is not directed at you personally, even if the customer language is directed at you.

 

Be patient. When the customer is at the peak of expressing anger, be patient and listen. Always remember that it’s not effective to interrupt them. Reiterate your compassion; acknowledge the customer right to be angry and the catalyst for the emotional distress. Takes quiet deep breaths and wait patiently for your turn to speak.

 

Solve the issue. Correct the issue for the specific customer and also look for long term corrective measures. It may be appropriate to reassure the customer that you will be available to assist in the event that another different problem should occur again.

 

Follow up. Demonstrating compassion and attentiveness after a problem has been resolved is a powerful message to show that you really do care about the individual customer. This follow-up after the anger has subsided and the corrective action has been demonstrated as effective may be enough to retain loyal customers and earn a few new ones.

 


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Posted in Call Center Articles, Inbound Call Center | 5 Comments »




Philippine BPO: A Strategic Business Planning

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Before, outsourcing was the preserve of the biggest companies. International companies set up dedicated services that enabled large businesses to have information technology, payroll and other “back-office” functions managed by teams of specialists. However, the internet age has given smaller businesses the opportunity to gain from the concept. Increasing numbers of growing businesses are avoiding employing full-time human resources managers by obtaining advice and services through the internet.  Business process outsourcing – the off-shoring of a lot of jobs from the developed countries to the developing world became the main issue of global businesses.

 

Clearly, from the vantage point of the developing countries, outsourcing was hailed as their way out of poverty, as a slew of outsourcing companies set up in their homelands signified the start of abundant opportunities, rising incomes, and secure futures. Outsourcing is increasingly viewed as a strategic planning and business outcomes tool. The beauty of outsourcing is you can outsource an entire function or only a part of it. Organizations use this as a strategic initiative to improve customer service quality and reduce costs. Increasing global proficiency in English, rising quality of education in the developed countries, significant improvements in telecommunications and information technology – all have contributed to making the phenomenon known as outsourcing possible.

 

The trend toward deriving broader business benefits from outsourcing stems from both increased maturity and experience with the process and, the spread of outsourcing beyond IT departments. While IT services continues to be the leading outsourced function, more companies are turning to outside sources for supply-chain operations, learning and training, human resources, accounting and financial services as well as customer relationship management.

 

 

 


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Posted in BPO, Business Process Outsourcing, Call Center Articles, Inbound Call Center, Outbound Call Center | 1 Comment »




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