Here’s how to stay ready for high call demand.
Know When High Demand is Likely
We can’t predict the winning lottery numbers, but we can predict call volume spikes with some accuracy. Review historical call data to see when high call demand has happened in the past, and try to pinpoint the cause – for example, holidays, snow season, tax season, or an event specific to your industry. Knowing when spikes are likely to hit helps you stay ready. In addition to seasonal spikes, be mindful of how marketing outreach or new product launches may result in increased caller demand. Plan for this as part of your marketing cycle so you can be prepared to pick up the call. Finally, use social listening and alert systems to stay ahead of events such as natural disasters, tech outages, or transit strikes.
Prepare Your Team to Respond Coolly
High call volume can be handily managed with support from a trained, prepared team. Ensure that your team is trained to respond to a variety of different inquiries so that they can quickly lend support to other teams or departments during times of high demand. Updated scripts and role-playing scenarios can help get staff up to speed quickly, helping them deliver quality support even when call volumes spike. Additionally, be prepared to quickly hire or scale up your team if needed. Detailed onboarding processes, early outreach, and flexible scheduling can help keep your team responsive.
Support Your Team With Best-in-Class Tech
Customer support is people-centric by nature, but tapping into call center technology can take a significant load off your staff. Smart call routing, self-service options, call back options, or even voicemail can streamline call answering and offer alternatives to hanging up the line. Use real-time analytics to monitor call volume and call quality, and course correct in real time to ensure that you’re delivering the level of support your customers or donors expect. Additionally, make sure that your team is confident using payment software or delivery tracking tools so that calls can be completed smoothly and speedily.
Augment Your Team With Outsourced Support
Whether you have big goals for the giving season or your company has gone viral overnight, even the most solid customer support plan can sometimes require backup. If you need to quickly scale up to meet demand, consider outsourcing support to a nearshore call center such as ListenTrust. Outsourced nearshore support is a fast, efficient way to boost your team numbers while maintaining the quality of support your customers or donors expect. When choosing an external call center partner, look for a team working local hours, breadth and depth of experience, familiarity with high-volume spikes, ability to integrate with your existing processes, and valuable extras such as bilingual support.
Make Short Work of High Call Demand With ListenTrust
Call Center Services aren’t a one-size-fits-all approach. At ListenTrust, our nearshore, bilingual reps work across a variety of industries and verticals to deliver best-in-class customer care. From taking donations on Giving Tuesday to offering support during a major weather event, we offer the specialized services that will keep your customers smiling and your business moving. Whether you’re anticipating a call volume spike or you want to be prepared just in case, talk to the team at ListenTrust about our powerful customer experience solutions.
