As business owners, we know that time is money, and every interaction counts. You hired a call center to streamline your operations, improve customer service, and ultimately, boost your bottom line. But are they truly delivering on that promise? It's a question worth asking, and one we're going to tackle in this blog.
Instead of weak promises and confusing reports, let's look at the practical ways you can assess whether your call center is a valuable asset or a drain on your resources. After decades in this industry, I've seen firsthand what separates the good call centers from the ones that just take up space.
Here’s a straightforward guide to help you evaluate their performance, focusing on what really matters to your business.
How to Track Your Call Center's Performance
Numbers don't lie, but you need to know which ones tell the truth about your call center's effectiveness.
How Often Do They Get Calls Right the First Time?
Think about the customer experience. When someone reaches out, they want their issue resolved quickly and efficiently. First Call Resolution, or FCR, measures how often your call center agents achieve that in a single interaction. A strong FCR indicates knowledgeable agents and efficient processes.
Of course, there are exceptions. Complex technical issues might require follow-up. The agents may need to work with your technicians with delivery addresses, ticket numbers, patient details and more. If you're in the home service industry, these aren't new to you, and would explain why you may see a higher FCR rate.
But for the majority of inquiries, a single, successful call is the benchmark.
What's their Average Hold and Response Times?
Long hold times are a major pain point for customers. It's a significant driver of call abandonment. When reviewing your calls, ask yourself:
"Are my callers spending an unreasonable amount of time waiting for an agent?"
While unexpected events like natural disasters can cause temporary spikes, consistently long wait times signal underlying problems. (And that's a big problem that you'd want to sort out ASAP!).
What are Your Call Abandonment Rates?
This metric is directly tied to hold times. If customers are waiting too long, they'll simply hang up and take their business elsewhere. A high abandonment rate is a clear indicator that your call center is creating friction, not solving problems.
How Happy are Your Callers?
Are your callers satisfied with the service they received? No need to ponder when you can measure thier overall experience using a customer satisfaction score (CSAT)!
Numbers tell you what happened, but CSAT scores tell you how your customers felt about it. Tools like Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and Press Gainey (if you're in healthcare) surveys can provide valuable insights into the customer experience.
When you dig into the details of these scores, you'll understand the "why" behind the ratings.
What's their Customer Service Quality Like?
Beyond the numbers, the way your customers are treated on the phone is paramount. Here are some questions you should ask yourself when reviewing your calls:
Do the Agents Sound Professional, Knowledgeable, and Engaging?
Your call center agents are often the first point of contact for your customers. Are they making a positive impression? Are they courteous, helpful, and do they possess the necessary knowledge to assist callers effectively?
Most call centers are staffed to ensure you don't miss a call. Few are staffed (and trained) to ensure that every caller that's captured is shown your business in it's best light.
Do the Agents Sound Scripted?
Firstly, we must note that call center agents do work with a script. Unlike personal assistants, call center agents do not know the ins and outs of your business—only what you tell us to relay to them. They're usually basic pieces of information like your operating hours, business address, and services offered.
"So...are my calls supposed to sound this robotic?"
No! It's possible for agents to work with a script and still sound natural. Many call centers utilize scripts, yes, but the skill lies in delivering them in a way that sounds genuine and conversational, not robotic. It's the hallmark of an award-winning answering service!
Do the Agents Fail to Escalate Calls Appropriately?
Not every agent will have the answer to every question. A call center with a good signing-on process would have established a clear escalation process with you. Based on the clients I've onboarded who have come from call centers that don't do this, I have to say that this is a *must*.
If you have the odd few calls that reach the wrong person over a long period of time, that's fine. If you have the odd few calls that reach the wrong person over a short period of time, that can be a problem. Why do we say can?
Well, any call center is bound to make a mistake or two. If you find the wrong person is reached, report that to the call center, and don't experience the issue again—that's not a problem! (It's actually a good thing because that means you're working with a call center that's listening to you!).
But if the issue keeps repeating itself, that's a problem. If you don't do something about it soon, you risk wasting time (and money) with multiple outbound calls to your team and burnout with your team having to ring the call center up to get updates on the case at hand.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Evaluating Your Call Center
Ultimately, your call center needs to contribute positively to your business goals.
"Are they Helping or Hurting My Brand Reputation?"
Consider the bigger picture here. Is your call center enhancing your brand image, or are they creating negative experiences that damage your reputation?
"Are they Generating More Leads for Me?"
If your call center handles inbound sales inquiries, ask yourself if they're effectively capturing leads and guiding them towards a sale. For folks in healthcare, you'd want to see if they are ensuring patient safety and satisfaction.
"Am I Seeing an Improvement in Customer Loyalty?"
Are you seeing improvements in customer loyalty and retention? Is your internal team able to focus on core tasks because the call center is handling inbound inquiries efficiently?
Now we've told you plenty about the ideal call center. So, let's look at a list of red flags that you might find in your call center (and why they should make you run!).
Call Center Red Flags that Should Make You Run
If any (hopefully not all) of these check the boxes for the kind of service you're receiving, don't let these issues continue. They can be costly in many ways.
Consistent Customer Complaints or Negative Feedback
This is a clear indicator that something is amiss. Pay attention to patterns in the complaints.
Reporting that's Inconsistent/has Poor Visibility
You need clear, reliable data to assess performance. If your call center is providing vague or inconsistent reports, it's difficult to understand what's really happening.
Difficulty Getting Support from the Call Center
When you have questions or need assistance, is it a struggle to get a response from your call center? This lack of transparency is a major red flag.
Changes in Ownership or Management
A call center being bought out often leads to disruptions in service quality due to changes in personnel and processes.
So, Should You Hold Out for Improvements or Find Another Call Center Partner?
If you've identified areas where your call center is falling short, it's time to act. But, should you begin the search for a new call center immediately? Not necessarily. Again, even the best of call centers make mistakes every now and again. So, here's what you should do (in order)
Demand Improvements from Your Current Call Center!
Schedule regular, focused meetings to review performance data and address specific concerns. Clear communication and timely reporting of issues are crucial on your end as well. It needs to be a collaborative effort as it's a business partnership.
Make the Jump to a Good Great Call Center!
If you've made efforts to improve the situation and aren't seeing results, it might be time to consider other options. Don't let a poorly performing call center drag down your business. Luckily, you now know what makes a call center great!
So, save this blog for when you're hunting for a call center and remember, at the end of the day, the call center works *for* you! Your business deserves to be the star of the show. They're just an extension of your business.
Don't settle for mediocre performance. Building lasting customer relationships is a skill that's rare, so if you find the right call center partner—keep them. And if you are looking for one, you can learn more about how we can help your business by requesting a quote from us here!
Topics:
