The phone is key to customer service

Following recent YouGov research which revealed that one in five people have been so frustrated by a call centre experience, that they have later admitted shame with the way they have spoken to an agent, Ian Turner shares his thoughts…

Excellence in customer service has been touted as the big differentiator in a struggling economy.  Despite the phone remaining the dominant communication channel when contacting a call centre, many companies fail to grasp, or at least demonstrate an appreciation of the potential to improve the customer service experience through this medium.

The call centre remains woefully under-funded, resulting in de-motivated, unproductive agents and disgruntled customers. Many customers face long queues, only to be misrouted to the wrong department and eventually reach their final destination in an agitated state. Sales reps often travel the length and breadth of the country, tirelessly knocking on doors for leads. However, a customer or prospect rings a call centre because they actively want to speak to that company. This is a luxury that should not be taken for granted. Every call is an opportunity for that company to sell its products or services.

Admittedly, call centre managers have a lot to contend with. Call volumes continue to grow in a sporadic fashion and call centre staff attrition is extremely high. However, this is not an excuse for poor customer service. Technology has evolved to such an extent that automation can now play a major role in overcoming these challenges. The fact is that automation has already, and will continue to, transform customer service. For instance, queuing in a bank to wait for a cashier to withdraw cash probably feels like a distant, even faintly ridiculous memory now that we self-serve at an ATM.