In an industry characterized by complexity, heightened competition, low customer involvement and wafer thin margins, there is little room to falter on customer service.
A survey by Harris Interactive as to how adults engage online and via the telephone indicated that 80% of consumers will cease doing business with a company after a negative experience. On the positive side, service continues to be a huge differentiator. 51% of respondents cited outstanding service as the top reason they continue to do business with a company. Another 60% said it was the top reason they would recommend a company.
It is little wonder then that contact centers are central to the customer service strategy of any telecom company. There are, however, five common challenges which contact centers of telecom companies should note:
1. Synchronicity between marketing and contact centers: With multiple products on offer and aggressive marketing initiatives, it is not uncommon to find contact center teams lagging behind on information about new products and services that are advertised by the telecom provider. This can lead to considerable frustration on the part of customers who call in to get information that cannot be provided by the contact center.
2. Focus on customer processes rather than customer experience: Many of the telecom companies are so focused on following a definite process that they lose focus on the customer’s problem. Contact center teams are often bound by rigid call scripts and in the bargain pay little attention to resolving the problem or finding a solution for the customer quickly, leading to angst and frustration. Rather, the focus must be on solving the customer’s problem and NOT just on following the process written in the script. This is possible only if team-members are well-trained and have a thorough understanding of business and technology. Fundamentally, telecom companies should change their metrics, evaluating the customer experience rather than just measure contact center performance with metrics such as average handle time, service levels and process adherence.
3. Lack of training for agents on telecom industry and products: Given the dynamic nature of the products and services on offer, Telecom companies generally do not get to spend enough time in training staff on new products and services that they are launching. Further, the teams need to be oriented on the technology that underpins the telecom business resulting in better solutions and superior service levels. Contact center staff must be able to handle both business and technical issues equally because customers do not differentiate between technical and non-technical issues.
4.Taking technology for granted: Telecom companies assume that contact center technology works seamlessly, continuously and never breaks down. For example, IVR technology is so key to the managing volumes that a failure in IVR for short period can lead to volumes being diverted to the call centre and obviously leading to poor service levels and a big drop in Customer satisfaction, therefore. Telecom companies must examine back-up mechanisms and ensure that they kick-in when automated systems fail.
5. Inadequate measurement criteria: In an industry as dynamic as telecommunications, customer service objectives and targets change rapidly in the context of newer products, markets and opportunities. Companies must rise above the day-to-day operational challenges and process/efficiency targets, and use qualitative performance criteria that indicate the efficacy of the outsourcing program. This must be measured consistently over a longer term period rather than applying short term metrics.
Telecom companies are in the business of managing customer experience in a dynamic environment. Ensuring that contact center processes, technology, training and measurements support the customer experience is paramount to the success of the
--By Prabhakar Bisen
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