Your call center’s call flow management system has a significant bearing on whether clients will be happy with your services after the end of a call.
A call flow, by strict definition, is the roadmap that defines the path of an incoming call. Usually presented by a tree system, it’s a system that represents where the call is routed according to the customer’s specific needs.
That’s why it’s imperative that the necessary measures are taken to ensure that your call flow is structured in such a way that can address clients’ needs at the optimal level.
Here are the crucial elements that make up a winning call flow.
1. Efficient Call Handling
The first few minutes of an inbound call are critical for many reasons. For one, it sets the groundwork for the rest of the call flow. But if the customer is directed to the wrong person right from the get-go, chances are it’s going to get ugly.
You can remedy this by using inbound call control features from your provider. A good call control software uses programmable criteria such as:
- Geographic origin of the call
- Customer’s phone number
- Phone number the customer dials
- Time of day or day of the week the call is made
2. A Good Call Management Feedback System
A call center organization has to take a proactive approach to improving all areas of its operations, and to pull this off one has to implement a reliable feedback system.
The call management system your contact center uses presents excellent opportunities for spotting opportunities for improving customer service.
By checking on statistics provided by your system, you can spot patterns and trends which you can use to come up with effective solutions to irregularities found in the call flow.
3. Efficient Automated Attendant System
A sophisticated yet efficient automated attendant system is instrumental in maintaining a smooth call flow for all inbound calls.
Not only does the Automated Attendant assist customers to connect with the right department, but it also gives greater flexibility in how they can manage the call.
Better yet, it’s a boon to those who prefer to do things by themselves.
Using the standard touch-tone keypad, customers can find answers to basic questions and resolve non-complex issues by themselves.
When configured well, an automated attendant system can bolster call handling efficiency on many fronts.
4. Total time the customer is on the phone line
An automated attendant is as necessary as it is useful in maintaining a good call flow in inbound calls.
Listening to an automated voice for nearly half a minute every time, however, can take its toll on a customer’s patience. Most customers prefer to speak to a human being right away.
So make sure that you configure your automated attendant system in such a way that it takes less time for customers to go through options.
One excellent strategy is to configure the options according to the frequency of visits.
For example, you assign the number “1” option to customer service since it’s the department that most customers want to connect to.
Key Takeaway:
Take into account the four key elements mentioned above and your call center organization only one way to go but up.
There are no two ways about it: an efficient call flow translates to better customer service.
That’s because good call flow management gives customers better flexibility and a degree of control in managing their calls.
In short, it makes customers happy, which is always a good indicator that your customer service team is doing an excellent job.