Technology without training decreases customer satisfaction

So your call centre has the latest in voice recognition, queue handling and click to chat technology.  Why then do you still receive so much criticism from customers? 

You’ve made some serious investments in the centre.  Your communications room is the envy of others.  Why can’t the customers just be happy?

Technology is a tool.  In the right hands it’s very powerful.  In the wrong hands it’s downright destructive.  You wouldn’t put a chainsaw in the hands of a novice.  So don’t let your agents loose on the latest technology without adequate training.

An obsession with statistics is the enemy of customer satisfaction.  Rewarding call centre agents on the number of calls handled is often detrimental to customer satisfaction.  It is better to look at the quality and outcome of calls.

We all know customers want to speak to real people.  But when they finally work their way through the queue, that real person had better have full product knowledge. 

Nothing decreases customer satisfaction more than a vague customer service agent.  With the increase in multi skilling, centre managers must invest more in training for the broad range of information the agent must be across.  Skimping on product training will backfire with angry customers and frustrated agents.

The best call centres utilise the latest technology to optimise customer satisfaction.  The biggest determinant of customer satisfaction is issue resolution.

Customer has problem.  Customer contacts call centre.  Agent solves problem.  Customer is satisfied.  In one call.

It sounds simple.  But for all the technology in the world, if the agent is not appropriately trained, the customer is unlikely to be satisfied.  Certainly not in the first call and possibly not by the third call.

Routing technology is excellent for sorting calls before they are answered.  Language groups, status customers, sales and payments can all be screened and directed appropriately. 

How frustrating then for a customer booking an international flight to find the agent taking the booking is unable to accept the payment.  Telephone and online payment technology is a given.  Every call centre must have it and every agent must be trained in accepting payments.

Even internal transfers decrease customer satisfaction.  The customer wants to deal with one person. The mystery call researchers would term it, “the perfect call”.  How does it occur?  Through extensive training.

Technology and training must go hand in hand.  Multi skilling demands broad product training.  Customer satisfaction in the first call demands comprehensive sales training.  Agents must be trained in the use and application of different modes of call centre technology. 

And finally, excellent customer service does not come naturally to all.  Technological wizardry will never make up for the damage done by a poorly trained customer service representative.  Ensure customer service training is a high priority in your call centre to maximise the benefits of technology and the opportunity to satisfy your customers.