What does it mean when your call center receives a high number of abandoned calls? It means you’re passing up many opportunities to provide excellent customer service. It doesn’t matter why the call dropped. The fact remains that the client who needed to contact your company for help did not receive it.
It is pretty obvious that having a high rate of abandoned calls does not benefit your organization’s goals of success. As a result, lowering the call abandonment rate is critical for business growth.
Call Abandonment Rate: What Does it Entail?
A call abandonment rate is calculated by dividing the total amount of calls received in a day or time frame by the number of abandoned calls. It is most represented in percentage.
When evaluating your company’s performance using call center software, it is beneficial to recognize the importance of this metric. A call abandonment occurs when a caller hangs up before speaking with an agent.
Reduce Abandoned Calls: What to Do in Your Call Center
At some point, every call center will experience call abandonment, however, that does not mean you should disregard it. Instead, make every effort to keep the abandonment rate as low as possible. Below are some tips on how to reduce abandoned calls.
Invest in Training Your Agents
Investing in continuing education and training can make a huge difference in the lives of your agents and customers. Training modules, classes, and guides should be frequently provided.
This can help your agents feel more confident when answering the phone. You can also expect increased productivity and a better customer experience by implementing best practices and techniques.
Make every effort to provide agents with the necessary tools and etiquette. You will have reduced call abandonment if you invest in your employees, and you will reap the benefits.
Improve Your Call Center Software
Your call center software has a significant influence on the client experience and call abandonment rate. The best call center software would allow you to customize your call center IVR to meet the specific needs of your company.
To keep callers engaged while they wait in the queue, you can use it to provide basic information and share product updates. It should also give you information about your abandonment rate without you having to spend hours calculating it.
Furthermore, ensure that your call center software includes an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD). It routes incoming calls to relevant operators in your call center to reduce repeat calls and improve customer satisfaction.
Create a Digital Knowledge Base
This is another innovative method for lowering call abandonment. Create channels where clients can get answers to their inquiries before picking up the phone. A knowledge base on your firm’s website is an excellent resource.
It’s ideal for customers looking for simple solutions and information about a product, service, or topic. Consider it a self-service digital library of frequently asked questions built using advanced call center technologies. The organization of your knowledge base can add value to your company. It is critical that your resources remain educational and insightful.
Keep it comprehensive and searchable so that your customers can easily navigate through the content. In addition to lowering call abandonment, your knowledge base can also help your agents save time. It will allow them to devote more time to more difficult calls. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Inform Customers of the Expected Wait Time
It is critical to inform customers of the expected wait time. Do not keep a caller on hold without informing them of the length of their wait. Otherwise, they will become frustrated and may disconnect the call.
Giving an estimated wait time alleviates frustration and establishes expectations. It also increases the likelihood of them having to wait in line. Another advantage of providing callers with an estimated wait time is that it increases customer satisfaction. Because they can choose whether or not to wait in line.
Even if they hang up after hearing the estimated wait time, they will be less frustrated than if they were not told how long it would take to reach an agent.
Dial Unanswered Calls During Off-Peak Hours
It’s logical to redial abandoned calls as soon as possible in situations involving high-value interactions. Agents should be scheduled to dial abandoned calls during off-peak hours.
This will benefit both clients and representatives. Customers will be reassured that their demands are essential, and operators will not be overburdened with calls or left idle.
Calls that have been abandoned can be lined on an outbound queue. With this, calls to redial are delivered to agents once their inbound voice queue is empty.
Be Present Wherever Your Customers Are
Companies are keeping their fingers crossed as new media and communication channels emerge. When looking for help from a brand, today’s consumers use a variety of channels.
Your team may only communicate through one or two channels. If this is the case, then you may be lagging behind in terms of providing superior customer service.
With a call center solution, you can get a multi-channel communication strategy. This will relieve your phone agents of high call volume and stress. Also, understanding your audience is essential for determining the best touchpoints for your digital-first customers.
Your team can communicate with customers via any digital channel, thanks to advanced call center software and technologies. It could be through traditional channels such as phone calls and email, or through digital channels such as SMS, live chat, and messenger apps.
Strengthen First-Call Resolution
The possibility to fix a client’s issue on the first call is referred to as first-call resolution. If a caller’s problem is not resolved on the first call, your call abandonment rate is likely to increase.
Because customers are more likely to become discouraged and hang up the phone if they call repeatedly for the same issue. Again, this could be related to the agent’s abilities and skills in resolving customer issues.
Good call center solutions provide skill-based routing to ensure that customers are always transferred to the agent best suited to handle their inquiries.
Bottom Line
Call abandonment is a big concern for any call center. It is clear that the client is dissatisfied with your business. That is something you would never want. Luckily, there are methods for reducing abandoned calls detected by advanced call center software.
To minimize call abandonment in your call center, use the strategies listed above. Incorporating these techniques is advantageous if your company has a high rate of abandonment. More clients can be connected with your agents and have a more productive and efficient experience as a result of them.
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