When thinking of the phrase ‘call response times’, many people might automatically associate it with the pressures that the emergency services face when handling critical incidents – and how every second counts.
That’s because each conversation that takes place has to be met with an immediate decision – whether that means assigning an ambulance to attend an incident or providing real-time advice while professionals arrive at the scene.
And yes, businesses aren’t typically dealing with such pressurised life and death situations, but call response times do also really matter to them. For instance, they can be pivotal when it comes to maintaining customer loyalty and building brand credibility.
After all, what does the person on the other end of the phone truly want from a company they’re speaking to? Amongst many things, the overriding expectations centre around how active they are when providing a solution – all while offering an excellent level of customer service.
Everything is now moving at a rapid pace and that means customer expectations will only continue to soar and evolve. If they’re engaging with a business they want their query to be answered correctly and at the first time of asking. And, although it’s seemingly British culture to enjoy queuing, that might not always be the case when waiting to book an emergency doctor’s appointment or addressing broadband that’s on the blink and hindering company performance.
Within an optimised world, patience can often wear thin – and especially so if a call is either missed or results in a ‘busy’ tone. This can be catastrophic for an enterprise as it watches that customer move on to a more proactive competitor.
How the UK Lockdowns Have Forced Business Leaders to Rethink Their Customer Engagement
The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a beaming light on the pressures that organisations face and accelerated the need for an exceptional level of consumer experience. But when the crisis has struck so many industries that once relied on physical premises – as a main source of footfall – how do they transform their communications so that these shoppers are still catered for online or over the phone?
Putting this into context, think about a builder’s merchants or hotelier business as prime examples of how firms have had to swiftly transition from in-person to remote-based engagement. Not only have they had to be ‘present’ – just like they would if somebody were to visit their site – but they’ve had to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to cope with even more calls and website enquiries.
It’s forced these firms to tap into a level of resilience like never before – and figure out, quickly, how to address the likelihood of slower pick-up times and lengthier conversations, as they deal with the vast volume before them.
And if firms don’t get this right, it leads to one thing – missed sales.
While that can be absolutely damaging for a brand to contend with, there is a single word that possesses a great deal of power in response – and that's data.
Phillip Smith[/caption]
