Here at McGirvanmedia Audio Solutions, we believe the more we share, the more we have; and part of what we’re about is helping you grow yourself and your business. As such, Alan McGirvan and Alana Lowe sat down to share some knowledge that could apply to you and your business.
Alana has worked in the contact centre industry for nearly 20 years and is an expert on communicating with customers to provide an excellent customer service experience. She has worked for large call centres including Telstra, The Royal Bank of Scotland, QSuper and ATP Science.
Currently call centres everywhere are getting bombarded. Alana shared her top 3 tips to reduce caller wait times whilst also improving the caller’s experience:
- Setting realistic expectations: Let your callers know how long they will be waiting for.
- Utilising call back options: Creating an option for callers to request a call back.
- Redirecting callers to self-help options: Letting them know they can email or visit the website for more information or quicker assistance.
That’s where McGirvanmedia Audio Solutions can help with a well written message on hold and IVR production. We incorporate information from your business website, external communications (including social media and apps) that callers can utilise to make their customer experience better in our productions.
It’s crucial to train your frontline staff. When asked how she trains her staff to communicate better, she advises to “always have clear, concise, consistent communication. That means being able to lead your team by example and be clear with your expectations.” In addition to formal training, you should always have ongoing mentoring for the hands-on aspect of the job. “As a leader, it’s easy to give advice from a superior level but it’s far more important to sit with your team and work out the challenges faced on the front line.”
Some may ask “Is training a worthy investment?” What you need to ask instead is “What if I don’t train my staff and they stay.”
When asked what her advice for new employees is, Alana recommended that they “Soak up all the training from the start” and as an employer “invest in your employees upfront. There is no cookie-cutter solution for all contact centres.” By trailing different methods, Alana found side-by-side coaching to work effectively for her and her team.
By incorporating these top tips, you’ll be well on your way to providing an excellent customer service experience whilst also reducing caller wait times.
Watch the interview here:
Follow Alana on LinkedIn here to find out more about her leadership coaching and contact center expertise.
If you’d like to improve your caller’s experience, contact us and get started on your scripting today.
