December 10, 2020
It is rightly remarked, “The more efficient your business, the more profitable you are.” Each and every day, call centers carry out hundreds of processes, right from handling customer interactions to training, attending meetings, etc. However, with onset of digital age, customer demands have significantly increased and if your call center is not keeping up with it, you are likely to lose your customers in the long run. Therefore, improving call center efficiency can significantly increase customer satisfaction and help you gain loyal customers.
4 Ways How Telecom Operators Can Increase Call Center Efficiency
Mixed Reality
Mixed Reality (MR) is a hybrid of both Virtual Reality (VR) as well as Augmented Reality (AR) which brings together both real world and virtual elements. It enables users to interact with physical and digital items and environments, using next-generation sensing and imaging technologies.
By deploying mixed reality, telecommunication companies can help customers whenever they need any technical assistance.
For example: if a customer has bought a new router and is unable to set it up, the user needs to simply open up the camera in self service app which will give step by step instructions to resolve the issue. Furthermore, if a customer is still not able to set up the device on their own, they can initiate a VoIP call from within the app which connects the customer with an agent who then asks for consent based access of mobile’s camera. After the customer grants camera access, agent can view and suggest the steps to be followed using annotations. Thus, mixed reality helps in faster resolution delivery and increases call center efficiency.
Co-browsing
Co-browsing allows support agents to see as well as interact with the customer’s browser in real time and guide them visually through online processes. It is a high touch interaction in which agents can move their mouse around user’s browser and highlight important information. This makes complex processes clear, helps in faster resolution delivery and aids telecom operators to reduce field visits, thus optimizing call center efficiency. Furthermore, customer privacy is completely assured as the agent cannot access any other tabs or sensitive areas of a browser screen such as fields containing payment details.
Unlike screen sharing, co-browsing is entirely browser based. There’s no need for customers to download any software which is essential for most of the screen sharing apps. The user only needs to click on a link to initiate a session.
Device and Support Guides
Mobile devices can be complex to use, therefore, in the absence of prompt assistance, customers tend to call operator’s call center for help, which results in lengthy support calls and costs. However, telecom ready device and support guides can be easily published across contact centers, website, self care app to help support agents as well as customers in case of any device issue related to troubleshooting or installation.
From detailed specifications to guided steps for device help issues such as battery optimization, mailbox configuration, online smartphone support tool assists customers in everything, thus making sure that subscribers unleash the full potential of devices. Step by step decision trees with visual navigation aid agents and users to decide the next best action to resolve device issue. Therefore, with the help of online smartphone support tool, customers can self solve issues related to devices, thus reducing support calls and increasing call center efficiency.
Auto Device Configuration
With the help of mobile device management solution, telecom operators can auto detect and configure new handsets latched on to the network by subscribers. It enables telcos to deliver settings efficiently to mobile devices. Auto device configuration process avoids potentially incorrect user handling and reduces customer center calls, thereby optimizing call center efficiency and minimizing operational costs.
Auto device detection also helps telcos to gain a precise understanding of devices used by subscribers. This helps operators to target right subscribers through marketing campaigns.
Benefits of Increased Call Center Efficiency
Enhance Employee Productivity
The shift to digital interactions contributes a lot to increase agent productivity and streamlining call center operations across the day. These digital interactions help to reduce response time and increase FCR (First Call Resolution) rate, thus saving significant time for support agents to focus on more complex issues. Engaging customers visually and assisting them in solving device issues helps in faster resolution delivery, reduces AHT (Average Handling Time) and increases employee productivity.
Improve Customer Satisfaction
Increased AHT leaves a bad impact on customers and results in a poor experience. Thus, improved efficiency assists call centers to reduce their response time. Providing users a personalized service by visually engaging them and helping them troubleshoot device issues, enables telecom operators to increase customer satisfaction and reduce OPEX. The latest innovations in augmented reality, visual customer support and advanced AI has transformed the way call centers interact with customers, thereby optimizing call center efficiency and increasing customer satisfaction. Visual support eliminates the need for a support agent to interpret what the user is describing and vice versa, thus removes frustration and increases CX.
Boost Profitability
Optimizing contact center operations increase returns on investments for a telecommunication company. But how does this happen?
When managed immediately, a customer complaint becomes a touchpoint for profit. Thus, happy customers will always interact with your business over and over again resulting in higher revenue. Virtual interactions help reduce response time as well as increase CSAT, therefore, when customers are satisfied, they are likely to stay with a business for long, which boosts sales and profitability. Also, satisfied customers are likely to recommend you to others and help you build new customers. It helps telcos increase customer retention rate and gain competitive advantage.
Summing it up
Customers want an immediate, reliable service that communicates with them whenever they come across any device issue, which signifies that your call center efficiency must be at peak performance or you will likely be losing your customers. Offering a high quality experience is a time consuming task. However, the key is identifying as well as correcting processes to improve overall call center efficiency.