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Did you know customers are 75% more likely to repurchase after a value-enhancing experience? Helping buyers maximize the benefits of their purchases can reinforce customer loyalty by confirming their decision and providing excellent service.
Because customer experience (CX) is vital in business, hiring an Austin call center that focuses on this task can be strategic. However, decision-makers must also optimize other essential aspects of their operations to ensure long-term success.
This article explores how Austin call center management teams can leverage industry best practices to improve overall productivity, efficiency, customer satisfaction, and more.
Understanding evolving best practices in call center management
According to Gusto, the ratio of contractors to employees is now nearly 1:5, up 63% from 2019. This shift is not strictly tied to the job market either because 58% of U.S. contractors cited flexibility as their motivation for contracting compared to 16% who cited a lack of full-time jobs.
Despite this, Austin has continued to attract young professionals wanting to boost their careers and pursue full-time employment. Businesses in the city offer much higher salaries overall compared to neighboring metros such as Houston and Dallas.
What does this mean for Austin call centers, and how does this affect management best practices?
The rise of contract workers shows a growing demand for flexible work arrangements. Austin’s consistent population growth also underscores the roles of higher pay and affordability in attracting and retaining talent.
It makes the city more appealing to professionals seeking better financial opportunities and a lower cost of living. These trends highlight the need for Austin call center management teams to reassess their strategies and strategically implement updated best practices.
Exploring Austin call center management best practices
The management best practices an Austin call center implements affect its operations, clients, and customers.
For instance, a contact center as a service (CCaaS) platform involves multiple communication channels. Social listening is one way call centers and client companies can monitor their target markets besides analyzing platform data. Forgoing it means grossly underutilizing social media.
Below are critical areas and best practices for managing outsourced technical support and other call center services:
Adapt new technology
Modern call centers face pressure to adapt to the rapid growth and widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools. This challenge is incredibly complex because adopting new tech involves multiple processes.
Here is a breakdown of core concerns for this best practice:
- Speed. How soon should a business integrate the new technology into call center operations?
- Utility. What is the purpose and role of AI tools in addressing customer concerns?
- Security. Does it compromise business data’s integrity and customer security?
Austin call centers must address these issues before adopting new technology.
For example, McKinsey & Company found that 71% of customers expect personalized services and interactions, which is one of the significant reasons to integrate AI tools. However, a 2020 Gartner survey found generational gaps regarding satisfaction with self-service platforms.
Most millennials (62%) and Gen Z consumers (75%) prefer to find solutions independently, while only 19% of baby boomers and 43% of Gen X customers feel the same way.
At its core, keeping up with technology is essential in navigating an evolving business landscape. However, it should not compromise customer interest. Slowly integrating tools such as chatbots can help alleviate call center agent workload. Gartner estimates AI automation will handle 1 in 10 interactions by 2026.
Provide adequate agent support
Customer service agents should be a primary focus of optimization as the core component of call center excellence. Besides adopting useful tools to unburden agents, such as interactive voice response (IVR) systems to reduce call volume, sufficient training and support are needed.
The best practices for keeping employees engaged and motivated change based on individual and collective workplace concerns. However, the following tried-and-tested methods work well:
- Create an open and safe atmosphere for employees to make mistakes and seek help.
- Be clear in setting job expectations and proactive in helping agents meet these goals.
- Provide comprehensive training to orient agents on roles and responsibilities properly.
- Prepare guides to help customer service agents resolve issues faster.
- Offer incentives to recognize outstanding performance and maintain employee morale.
- Encourage agents to share their insights and feedback on the workplace environment.
- Perform regular check-ins and increase support for any underperforming call center agents.
According to Zendesk’s Customer Experience Trends Report 2023, 60% of customers say they would switch brands based on expected quality of service. This stresses the need for effective call center management techniques, especially where customer service agents are concerned.
For instance, in an Austin call center with management teams overseeing bilingual agents with different English fluency levels, best practices should include providing robust support for both languages.
Craft an exceptional CX
As the first-level support service for many businesses, call centers are responsible for delivering exceptional CX. It goes beyond simple problem resolution, too. Modern businesses must be more proactive and engaging to keep customers.
Gartner reports that value-enhancing experiences can boost customers’ brand loyalty and advocacy. According to their survey, customers were 86% likely to repurchase, 76% were likely to spend more, and 86% might recommend businesses.
These represent a 2.5x, 3.3x, and 4x greater likelihood compared to no value enhancements.
| Value enhancement | Chance of repurchase or renewal | Chance of increased spending | Chance of sharing word of mouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 86% | 75% | 86% |
| No | 32% | 26% | 19% |
Gartner’s research further reveals three primary activities that drive better CX and brand interaction:
- Validate and reassure customers about their recent purchase decision.
- Focus on educating rather than correcting customers on product use.
- Introduce customers to any new or underutilized product features.
An Austin-based electric scooter company can instruct its call center agents to highlight better mobility in Austin’s congested roads to affirm a customer’s purchase. Providing detailed care instructions and maps to free charging stations enhances the service’s value for customers.
Track and analyze performance
Pivoting to data-driven strategies is an essential step to optimizing call center management and maintaining a competitive edge. A careful review of key metrics, such as first contact resolution and average handle time, indicates how healthy agents can reliably address customer concerns.
Many call center performance metrics correlate to customer satisfaction, including these:
- Average call duration (ACD)
- First response time (FRT)
- Cost per call (CPC)
- Call abandonment rate
- Average speed of answer (ASA)
- Call transfer rate
- Active waiting calls
By monitoring analytical data, businesses and call center management teams can better decide where and how to improve services. Data-driven strategies should keep up with increased customer service demands and respond to evolving customer needs.
Enhance regulatory compliance
More than a best practice, regulatory and legal compliance is a requirement for Austin call centers. Consistently adhering to established industry standards helps build consumers’ trust, prevent legal issues, and keep business operations smooth.
Applicable laws and regulations differ between target industries and required services, meaning a deep understanding of the client’s business and consumers is fundamental to compliance.
Below are examples of laws and regulations U.S. businesses must follow and where they matter:
- Consumer protection
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)
- Location-specific
- Texas Do Not Call (DNC) Registry
- Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act
- The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA)
- Industry-specific
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Regulations
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
BPO firms are also responsible for implementing regulations where the law falls short. Austin is in a one-party consent state, which means call center management best practices include internal checks to prevent violating client privacy.
Going above and beyond the minimum required by regulations is the key to call center success.
The bottom line
Austin call centers must implement the best and latest BPO best practices to provide excellent services. That means carefully monitoring, integrating, and scaling tech tools to offer the best CX. Responding to employee needs is also crucial to retaining amazing agents.
Leading with excellence results from effectively balancing the many elements that influence a call center’s services and optimizing for efficient operations.
Let’s connect and discuss how our Austin call center can help your business grow with flexible, high-quality services.
