Many customers end up frustrated after dealing with call centres, but here are a few tips to help call centre operators keep the customers happy.
For many companies, call centres are the only way they can practically and affordably deal with the number of customers they have seeking information. By their nature, often the call centre operators cannot not know everything about a
company and how it operates and sometimes they only know the answers to a list of frequently asked questions. This can be frustrating for customers who want a more detailed reply. However, by following these basic rules, call centre operators can go a long way to making the exchange successful for the caller.
Greeting the Caller
When answering the phone, start by greeting the caller, with name and company, and asking the nature of the call. Do not start by asking the caller for information. So, for example, say: “Good morning, my name is Joe Bloggs from (insert company name), how may I help you today?” Do not start by saying, for example: “Hello, can I have your account number please?”
Time on Hold
If the screen shows that the caller has been waiting to speak to someone for more than a minute, apologise for the delay. If the customer is paying for the call (that is, it is not a free phone number), then offer to call the customer back rather than let them continue paying for the call.
