Recently we had to use the services of one company to make a clarification with respect to its tariffs. The first three calls the number provided on the corporate website, was held exactly on the same scenario. First, communication with the robot and a long walk on the menu, and after the selection — endless flight in space music and advertisements about the company’s services. To get through to a live person and get the right information managed in the fourth times, but “the lady on the phone” confused two similar named services and named is not the rate. But, fortunately, examples of normal service — when and dials quickly, and communication is useful, is also missing. So what makes the appeal to the operator in “the call at the rail”?
“Today” took up the question and found out that if you do not want to wait long for the answer — try to call on Wednesday, in the afternoon, and before the call is to clearly formulate your questions so as not to take time away from other callers.
Bad management of the company is visible on the informal work of the call center
To EXPAND. “If the company has an internal call center, relatively speaking, for two operators
it is already the third call will wait in queue”, — says the head of the sales Department of the company “Bell House” Julia Grushovenko.
But the most simple, at first glance, the solution is to increase the number of operators does not solve the problem. Even if enough of them and the connection is established immediately, it does not guarantee satisfaction with the outcome of the call. “Often people who call on the line, have high expectations, — says the Manager of the company “Kantar” Sergey Malkov. Operator call center simply has no ability to solve all problems.” What the operator can help on the spot, this is a General query about the company. For example, the time offices, terms of services, prices, loyalty program”.
Well, if the company had thought to inform their customers to call. For example, the site of one of the companies can read: “using the voice menu you can learn about current electricity tariffs. When connected with the operator, you can specify information about your account, about the lack of electricity and heat, to find the addresses and working hours of service centres, to inform on the fact of theft of electricity and irregularities in electro – and heat supply”.
But then, what is the fate of your complaints and appeals to the hot line depends on the level of management. “The operator sends your question to the competent employees. There are failures, says Grushovenko. — If the company does not have the correct software, all dispatched by the paper — handling slow or even lost. If the employee did not accept the appeal in the case for a couple of months — the information goes to the user”. So if in a month or three on your appeal did not react — you will have to call again, but better to be personally in the company to resolve the problem, and complain of lost circulation.
WHEN IT IS BETTER NOT TO CALL
Well-organized call center adapts to the intensity of phone calls and predicts its change. But for many hot lines is an impossible task. So if you don’t want to hang, remember: more calls on the hot line comes in the morning, roughly 10:00 to 12:00, and evening after 15:00. The most stressful day of all surveyed operators to call on Monday: full of strength and energy people are starting to call to solve issues that have accumulated over the weekend.
But, of course, it all depends on your problem, and thus the call center. For example, in working with logistics, the number of calls increases sharply at the end of the month. And the utility better not call the 10 and 20 day of each month, of course, if your question is not related to payments: in this period the number of calls exceeds the limit. Julia Grushovenko also cites the transition to another time often refuse to work loyalty cards, etc., which leads to a flurry of calls, for example, from customers of filling stations. So it was autumn, and repeated now.
UPS. “There are, of course, force majeure technical failure of mobile communication, the Internet, or fell popular site. All calling from the same room,” says Grushovenko. And you years not calling the hotline of a company, in a force majeure situation hang in the same stream of angry customers. In this case, take your time: all the “nerves” in the first 5-10 minutes after the crash/the fall of the site, etc. Then calling is easier.
STAFF
To find staff to work on the hotline is not as easy as it seems. People should be able to quickly, beautifully and clearly Express information, own the Ukrainian and Russian languages, know PC at least for the average user. And most importantly — the operator must be located to the other party. Add to this a good physical and psychological endurance, what is called stress: many operators have to deal with angry customers, listen to a lot of unpleasant in the company’s address and your personally on the high tones and often generously seasoned with obscene vocabulary.
STANDARDS. “There is a set of rules of communication that should be mastered by operators. They are trained to respond adequately to the requests of customers, to behave in different situations. In particular, to calm the emotionally overwrought client, “neutralize” the conflict situation, to turn the conversation in a constructive direction,” says Julia, Grushovenko.
“And now imagine a young man or woman with, as they say, gab, tough nervous system and high performance, possessing practical skills of communication psychology, is able to easily extinguish the conflict and to establish contact with a complete stranger. Yes, do not forget to have a good ability to learn — lists Sergei Malkov. — What do you think how long a professional if it has any ambitions to remain in the position of the average operator of a call center?”
It turns out that many companies are not only unable to organize the work of the hotline, but are not willing to pay quite a lot or create some conditions that they had to work good operators. Although they try. “We have a whole Department that monitors the quality of service — gives the example of Grushovenko. — Monitored compliance with standards, proper provision of information. Tapped a certain part of the calls (the interns — all calls)”.
TRAINING. Therefore, the client should prepare for the conversation, if you do not want to waste their time and to address constructively the issue, not just take out your emotions on the first comer. To do this, clearly specify all the questions and write their paragraphs on paper (paper and pen, incidentally, is also better to keep close).
When you call, fix with whom you communicate. The operator is not obliged to give their personal data of the type names, but you can find his number in the system (he should report at your request). By the way, you should not give your personal information: either passport number or identification code.
