{"id":33672,"date":"2022-06-27T09:54:14","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T09:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/?p=33672"},"modified":"2022-10-05T13:37:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T13:37:14","slug":"three-ways-to-improve-customer-experience-during-inbound-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/three-ways-to-improve-customer-experience-during-inbound-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Ways To Improve Customer Experience During Inbound Calls"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Contact\n

Acquiring new customers takes a lot of time, money, and effort. So, you can imagine how devastating it is when a phone call causes you to lose business.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it happens more often than it should. Many businesses fail to realize that a customer\u2019s experience will always trump your products’ quality, affordability, and convenience. If someone reaches out to a customer service rep and isn\u2019t treated correctly, they won\u2019t hesitate to sever ties. With hundreds and even thousands of competitors, this is a risk you can\u2019t afford to take.<\/p>\n

Did you know that 96% of consumers<\/a> leave a business due to poor customer service? Although customer expectations vary, companies that wish to succeed must find efficient ways to improve call center experiences. Not sure how or where to start? Continue reading for advice.<\/p>\n

Use Personas To Further Understand Every Customer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Knowing someone\u2019s name, address, email, and phone number isn\u2019t enough to provide quality customer service. You must understand your customers on a personal level. Customer personas can help you personalize experiences during phone calls. These are fictional representations of your company\u2019s target customers, backed by facts and data.<\/p>\n

How do you create a persona<\/a>? You use existing data, previous conversations, social media, surveys, trend reports, and analytical tools to your advantage. What do you already know about your customers? Are there things they said during previous conversations that you can use to connect with them? What products or services do they purchase frequently? What cool facts can you learn from their social media accounts? What do the trends say about your customer\u2019s preferences, pain points, expectations, and behaviors?<\/p>\n

For instance, maybe your target audience is women between the ages of 25-45. Trend reports show that women within this age group are more likely to have children. Social media interactions might show that your target customers prefer live calls to robots. A previous conversation could reveal that a customer has children. Ultimately, you would record this data in their profiles so customer service representatives can provide a more personalized experience.<\/p>\n

Record Calls To Pinpoint Areas Of Weakness<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s always room for improvement. No matter how well your customer service calls rank, you should consistently look for ways to do better. One way to pinpoint areas of weakness is to record your customer service calls. Representatives can review the calls to evaluate where they may have gone wrong. Did they forget to call the customer by name? Were the hold times too long? Did the representative speak professionally and politely? How effectively did they answer the customer\u2019s question or concern? More importantly, what was the customer\u2019s demeanor at the end of the phone call?<\/p>\n

Businesses can use call recording software for sales<\/a> teams to help train staff, resolve issues, and improve customer experiences.<\/p>\n

Be Mindful Of Hold Times<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are going to be instances where you must place a customer on hold to resolve their issue, enter data, or process orders. However, being on hold for too long is frustrating. Therefore, businesses must find practical ways to keep wait times to a minimum<\/a>. Below are a few suggestions to consider.<\/p>\n