Seven Strategies for Reducing Call Center Costs While Improving Service
By: West Interactive
While the contact center is now widely viewed as a strategic asset to the company – the centerpiece for a customer-centric strategy – maintaining the delicate balance of cost versus service is still a formidable challenge. Charged with delivering high quality customer service, the reality of keeping operational costs in check means that every decision must be carefully weighed on the cost/quality scale.
How can contact centers reduce operating costs without negatively impacting the quality of customer service? Or better yet, how can they cut expenses and even improve service at the same time? The following seven strategies are being deployed by companies across industries with impressive results.
1. Integrate database services from across the enterprise
Bring together all relevant data from across the company for a 360° view of the customer. Not only does this enable the contact center to deliver the optimal response to customers’ needs, it can improve productivity, reduce average call length, and increase cross- and up-selling revenue.
2. Leverage unified communications
By taking advantage of the power of open systems to integrate data and voice management, companies can cut telecommunications costs while opening the door for an entirely new level of service. For instance, multichannel and multimedia capabilities available through IP technology can be utilized for greater responsiveness, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
3. Proactively connect with your customer
Proactive communication can reduce calls to the contact center while building a long-term relationship with the customer. One of the best ways to differentiate yourself is to focus on the end-user. Customers want to transact with you more effectively. Make the customer experience seamless by applying ease of use methods that deliver needed information with quality and speed. Delivering information ahead of customer requests will reduce inbound calls and enhance the customer experience.
4. Recognize, track, and learn customer needs
Make strategic use of customer service surveys for happier customers, greater revenue, and cost savings. Capturing and applying customer data in a real-time environment delivers more efficiency, reduced call time and increased first-call resolution. The customer also feels the information is personalized and you are ready to provide answers to their questions.
5. Create customer-centric self service and self help
Customers want to interact in the most effective way with your company. Employ customer-oriented self service to maximize satisfaction and reduce calls to live agents. Companies can experience reduced costs by improving the performance of its speech applications, while offering a more personalized self-service experience.
6. Create a true multi-channel experience
Take advantage of consumers' increasing willingness and preference for channels such as SMS or Web to deliver a competitive differentiation as well as to lower phone costs. Integrate all channels and ensure an excellent experience in all supported channels for a competitive differentiator.
7. Turn to hosted services
For economies of scale, hosted services offer access to best-of-breed technology while reducing upfront and ongoing infrastructure costs. Boost contact center performance while reducing IT maintenance costs.
At the heart of any of the above strategies is the focus on the customer experience. By looking for ways to help customers efficiently and conveniently interact with your company, you can also trim contact center operating costs while ensuring a satisfying customer experience.
