The Perfect Customer Service Agent is a Mix of Product/Service Knowledge, Experience and Consistency.
Product/Service Knowledge Call Centre
When dealing with a customer query it is so much easier for the customer service agent that has a good understanding of the product/service they are representing. It shows a level of professionalism that is not only relevant it’s a must in the sector! Customer service is just that, it’s the service where you provide answers and/or solutions to customer issues and this process is optimised when your agents know the product/service well. In a modern day contact centre it is no longer acceptable to be slaves to a script, it is required that your customer care agents feel and act as though they are actually a part of the company that provide said product/service.
Experience in Customer Care
In a contact centre your agents can be thrown the odd curve ball and having an experienced workforce allows for effective solutions to these unique issues. Obviously there will always be new staff joining the team but when you have experienced team leaders to guide new agents it’s a major plus. A call centre with a reduced attrition rate helps you to retain experienced staff and create a quality task force. Training agents regularly is a good idea; it refreshes their knowledge which aids in their lifelong learning and motivation. Experience in the field allows your customer service agents to have a more conversational flow to their calls and they will be more aware of vital aspects such as active listening and average handling times.
Consistency
On an average day a typical contact centre customer service agent can handle anywhere from 100 to 150 calls. It comes down to 3 main areas, quality, quantity and time keeping. Your customer service agents should provide quality service on each call. This is with regards to accurate data storage and first time solution delivery. Your call centre should have targets concerning the quantity of calls they expect an agent to handle per hour. This links back to experience, knowledgeable agents can balance quality and quantity to great effect. The average handling time (AHT) is the key to time keeping and it is a good idea to have a reliable line leader that monitors agent log in and log out times. Encourage your agents to treat every call as if it was the first of the day. Agents should keep in mind that it might not be their first call of the day but it is the first time that the customer is talking to them! A customer service worker that can put themselves in their caller’ shoes will always provide excellent service.
Conclusion
The title may be misleading, you will never be absolutely perfect, of course not. The trick is to instill a few core values into your agents, like having good product knowledge, being consistent and gaining experience. When these three aspects come together they act as a catalyst for quality service.
