Controlling phone calls; getting your average handle time down, known as AHT, comes down to emotional intelligence. You must understand your customer’s experience and relay that understanding to them. Knowing how they feel and how […]
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Tag: Call Center
This is How to Move Calls to Closure
In a series of events, people remember the first thing, and the last thing, more than anything else. That’s why the way you open a call, and the way you end a call, is so meaningful.
Your call closing must do two things.
You need to share any next steps with your customer; and then, you need to end with a fond farewell. In this article, you’ll learn how to assertively bring calls to closure, and end with a fond farewell.
1. Start the call closure process by giving the customer any next steps.
Sharing next steps lets the customer know the call is almost over, and, this helps you to close the call quickly.
If you have next steps, just, share them. “Alright, Deon. I have processed your return. We’ll go ahead and ship the blue Nike Elite socks, and you should have those within 4-7 business days. You can check the status of your return by logging into our website.”
2. And, then you need to end with a fond farewell.
After you’ve shared any next steps, you move right into the final closure. End with the same energy and friendliness you had when you started the call. Nice farewells include:
These Are the Interview Questions You Need to be Asking Customer Service Representatives
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The information contained on this site is meant as general information only. It should not be used as a substitute for legal or professional advice.
There was a time when customer service departments/jobs were solely reactive. The job was to answer questions and resolve problems. But increased competition and higher expectations from customers have led companies to require customer service professionals to take on a more proactive role.
Customer service representatives are spokespeople and even sales people in addition to problem solvers. Customer service professionals have significant influence on customer loyalty and purchasing habits. Therefore, the hiring, selection and performance of customer service professionals are of extreme importance to the overall success of organizations. We have prepared a selection of interview questions to equip you to hire capable, right-fit employees for the critical customer service role.
The following questions are designed to elicit specific examples of the core competencies of successful consumer affairs professionals. All questions are open-ended and call for the candidate to offer an illustration of their performance in each of the core areas. You should take detailed notes on the responses during the interview so you can go back and review in greater detail.
I’m going to share with you 7 categories of great interview questions. Consider setting the meeting up like this: “I’m going to ask you some questions and what I’m looking for is specific examples that illustrate how you have responded to specific situations in the past. I’ll be taking notes as you talk, but you keep going. Feel free to take your time and think about responses before answering the questions.”
1. Customer Service
Clearly, any candidate for a consumer affairs position must have a customer service mindset. This includes anticipating customers’ needs, thoroughly answering questions, having a positive attitude and understanding that the client is the reason you are in business.
- What does giving “excellent service” mean to you?
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty to serve a customer.
- What do you like most about being in customer service?
- What do you think is likely to be the difference between success and mediocrity in this position?
What Aikido Masters Know About Handling Difficult People That You Don’t
I’m sitting at my desk reading feedback from my recent Verbal Aikido workshop. The workshop was: “What Aikido Master Know About Handling Difficult People That You Don’t” As you know, much of what I teach is focused […]
How to Forecast Call Volume In a Small Call Center Like A Pro….Without Spending a Dime On Software
I’m working with a small call center in a large city-county library system. One of my main focuses for this library system is to improve the overall efficiency of the call center and to drastically improve the customer experience that is delivered through the call center. One of my recommendations for improvement in this contact center is for my client to begin using a tool to help the library forecast call volume and to use this projection data to better schedule for coverage.
What is a good target for call abandonment for a large call center?
Myra’s answer to What is a good target for call abandonment for a large call center? Call abandonment is extremely tough to forecast and truly, there is no industry standard for acceptable levels of […]
When calibrating for quality call monitoring, do you suggest calibrating scores only or also the coaching?
Q. My team meets weekly for a 60-minute calibration and we focus solely on the scores on the monitoring form. But it has occurred to us that we may not be consistent on the comments […]
Call Center Technology & Software
Here you’ll find a comprehensive list of the critical and cutting-edge technology call centers, small and large, must have. Call Center Technology & Software Telephone network Data network/Internet Automatic call distribution (ACD) IVR – Interactive […]
How do I quickly give my agents good phone and customer service skills training?
Q. My agents are good at what they do. They know our products and policy up and down, but I am concerned about the level of customer service we provide over the phone. Can you share some telephone customer service tips I can use to train in a short segment (like a staff meeting)?
Myra’s answer to How do I quickly give my agents good phone and customer service skills training?
The Top 10 Things That Matter to Contact Center Representatives
What matters most to call center agents? According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the top 10 things that matter are: 1. Good wages 2. Job security 3. Promotion and growth in the company 4. […]