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Managing Your Contact Center BPO: 4 Steps To Ensuring A Happy Work Environment

June 15, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Business, Contact Center /by istaff

Every CEO surely prefers an outstanding work culture, but it’s better if this also includes a pleasant Contact Center BPO environment. Ample space, good ambience and lighting, and ergonomic facilities are among the necessities. As statistics have shown, happy employees are also productive and successful in their jobs. However, it’s safe to assume that not every employee is happy or contented. Unsettled, (even disgruntled) employees are expected, for a variety of reasons. Whatever the case may be, a satisfactory, conducive workplace is high priority. Here are four reliable ways to achieve this:

1. Identify, then engage unhappy employees.

In ensuring a happy Contact Center BPO environment, you must first identify which employees are unhappy or discontented. However, you can’t just ask anyone and get the answer you expect. This requires discernment, a knack for reading between the lines, observing employees’ body language. Facial and eye expressions can convey more information than what is verbalized in conversation. Sharpen your instinct for social cues and focus on context.

2. Ask questions.

Once you have already found out who the unhappy employees are, get to the root of the concern with conversation: ask questions. You cannot jump to conclusions on why they are feeling such. You have to spend time with in-depth question-and-answer moments so that you can find out what is really going on. If they have problems with the office administration, you at least know where you can proceed in finding solutions.

3. Establish, maintain a peaceful work environment.

Employee conflicts are unavoidable when you have people with different personalities working together. Conflict resolution is still your reliable solution in Contact Center BPO, ensuring peaceful environment in the shared workspace.

4. Foster confidence for and within the workforce.

Employees who don’t have confidence in tasks might have internal doubts and anxieties, affecting the quality of output. To avoid this affecting your business, foster a positive work culture, with solid trust in your employees. Positive emotions are invigotating – if your employees are confident enough, your business will surely benefit.

Being a CEO is not an easy task – schedule is always busy and demands priorities; meeting with clients, business development, supervision. However, remember to always make time for your employees, consider their needs as crucial to the success of Contact Center BPO operations.

Outsourced Call Center Solutions: Directory Assistance

June 1, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Contact Center, Outsourcing /by istaff

Heads up for job seekers: do you love connecting people, making introductions? There’s a job that might interest you in outsourced call center solutions. This job comes with access to a directory listing; you’re tasked to verify and provide information upon request.

Directory assistance operators (also directory assistants) are in-demand in the BPO industry. The workflow can be described in a handful of steps. A call comes in, you identify your role and the business that you represent. The caller then makes multiple inquiries concerning directions. It’s often the number or address of a company, which can be a popular restaurant, a five-star hotel, or a historic theater. With access to online directory, you look up the requested details, forward this to the customer, and end the call.

Simple Task, Invaluable Service

The task seems simple, but the service is invaluable to customers and users. It’s a job you’ll enjoy, but it can be challenging. For starters, being a directory assistant for an outsourced call center solutions firm means that you will take calls from people located in different parts of the world. If your customers are US-based, you’re expected to be familiar with all 50 states. You’re also required to know landmarks, and the local numbers (area codes, zip codes) through which these places can be contacted. At the core of your service, there’s the basic requirement that you provide accurate information to the customer at all times.

Going The Extra Mile In Outsourced Call Center Solutions

In some cases, contact details of private individuals are also requested. The task isn’t be limited to identifying commercial establishments, but in locating residences as well. In both instances, providing excellent customer service is paramount, especially when you’re giving directions to someone on a carphone driving down a busy street.

Forwarding Directions, Leading The Way

These days, the job of a directory assistant has become somewhat easier. Modern technology has allowed automation to be set up whenever a call comes in. A common feature involves an automatic read-back of the requested details to the customer once the operator locates this in the directory listing. This allows the operator to accept more calls in a brief handling times. Outsourced call center solutions satisfies customers through prompt and fast customer service delivery, especially when parts of the process are automated.

The Building Block Of Outsourced Call Center Services: What Makes a Good Contact Center Agent?

May 30, 2017/1 Comment/in Call Center, Contact Center, Outsourcing /by istaff

In this technology-dependent BPO industry, outsourced call center services have instrumental role in business marketing strategy. This is especially true in expanding and progressing businesses. With today’s highly competitive business set-up, it’s safe to say having an effective, profit-generating contact center is a sure way companies stay on track.

Outsourced Call Center Services, In A Nutshell

Contact centers are part of company operations, dealing with customer relations or communications. It is essentially a branch of the overall customer relationship management (CRM), with specialized, dedicated agents. Contact centers handle all forms of communication—call centers, e-mails, faxes, phone calls, text and web chats.

Nuts And Bolts

However, operating a contact center is one thing, but running it efficiently is another. As the phrase goes, “What use is a sword if it’s lost its sharpness?” The same goes for contact centers. In order for a business to continue converting customers to their side, it must have great customer relations operation. A functional contact center that is reliable and efficient is a must-have in business. Which brings us to the question, “What makes outsourced call center services any good?”

Agents At The Core

In order to have a profit-making contact center, a company ensures they have the right employees. What makes a good contact agent, then? Well, first off is having the experience required of the job. In order to engage customers, agents must be a great communicators, knowing how and when to conversation cards. Inexperienced agents lack the ability to communicate confidently and persuasively, which in many ways could affect the overall operation of the company. To avoid such problems, sufficient training is required.

A good agent, of course, doesn’t stop in being an experienced communicator. Attracting and maintaining customers is easier if a company portrays a good reputation, and the contact center’s performance can either make or break that. Hence, it is crucial to keep good relationship with clients.

One way to do that is by creating a more personal connection with the clients. It is easier to confide to a friend than to a stranger, and the relationship must be emulated in correspondence between customers and companies. Customers are more likely to engage with sincere, instead of passive agents. Clients receive great service, agents receive great customer feedback, and companies profit with improved revenue and reputation – the definition of a win-win-win scenario.

Key To Good Outbound Call Center Operations: The Script

May 16, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Call Center, Contact Center /by istaff

Outbound collections is a difficult division of any call center operations. Agents deal with irate and rude people on the other end of the line; they’re also likely to come across excuses to prolong payment of outstanding debt. Some calls are easier to handle than others, but everything must be dealt with calmly and professionally. It’s up to the agent to complete the call and make sure the debtor commits to payment.

Outbound collections call scripts come in handy. A good call script, drafted and implemented properly, is the agent’s guidemap in navigating collection calls. It’s a comprehensive outline of do’s and don’ts, also a playbook that helps keeps debtors from hanging up. This tool, while not the be-all and end-all of every call, ensures agents don’t drop the phone without assurance of payment to the other party.

Proper Introduction

A good outbound collections call script starts with proper introduction of the agent, and the reason for the call. It must also verify that the respondent is the actually the debtor. This is not just for formality’s sake; it is imposed by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (or any local equivalent). Good call center operations require debt collectors to identify themselves and the entity they are representing. Starting off with a prompt introduction lends a professional vibe and assures that the agent is on the right track.

The Spiel

Another point that a good call script must possess is a set of answers for the common excuses of not paying the debt. The list of excuses is long and varied, and each can be obvious or creative. It can escalate quickly from “We haven’t received the statement,” to “Our dog ate the statement.” The call script must be ready and creative enough to hold its own, or at least help the agent think on his feet when a more bizarre reason comes up. As the saying goes, “if there is a will, there is a way”, and if the one in debt can worm his way out of the call with words, the one collecting can also put a tight grip on that conversation with effective spiels.

The Pause

One more asset of good outbound call center operations is the pause. Indeed, debt collecting by phone isn’t a one-way conversation. The agent with the script sometimes falls for the trick of reading it religiously, word for word, that the debtor cannot butt in and state his side. The call script must be sprinkled with pauses, placed at the appropriate moments for the debtor’s convenience. A script with pauses allows room for the two parties to breathe, adjust, and keep the call engaging and transparent.

A Guarantee Of Commitment

Lastly, the good call script must secure commitment. It may not be actual payment; for instance, he can promise to be contacted again another time. And after that, the agent can confirm the deal made to prevent misunderstanding. Having this outlined in the script ensures that despite not being able to pay, business relations with this person will still continue. All it takes is firm phrasing to wrap a call, whether it’s successful or otherwise.

Despite these seemingly rigid points, the script does not need to be spoken to the last letter. The best ones are actually just guides for the agent to make a successful outbound collection. Spontaneity still works outbound call center operations, and is always encouraged when it comes with a formidable outline on the side.

An outbound collection call script helps lighten one of the harder tasks of a voice campaign. Irate, rude debtors will be better handled, and excuses will be better countered. It falls on the agent to make the most out of it, but good scripts are always guaranteed to make the most out of every call.

Outbound Call Center Services: 4 Tips For Better Collection Call Results

May 13, 2017/0 Comments/in Call Center, Contact Center, Outsourcing /by istaff

Improving collection call returns take time and patience. Outbound call center services handle the outreach, follow-ups, and demands for payment. The process sounds simple, yet it involves challenges in every step. How can your agents consistently pull off successful collection calls? Here are four important tips to consider and implement:

Always Be Prepared

Your agents need to make calls with essential information in hand. Learn to equip them with all the facts and facts needed.

In preparation, remember that it isn’t simply presenting all the concerns in one blow. Know who you are calling so you can pick the right approach for the specific customer type. Outbound call center services anticipate excuses. Be patient and listen intently. Write down specific concerns so you can address them later. You may even try compiling a list of common excuses and match those with effective rebuttals, so you won’t be caught surprised during the actual call.

Keep It Positive And Professional

Tact and discretion are important in handling collection calls. Your agents need to be firm but polite, use statements that are phrased in a positive and professional manner. This establishes good rapport with the customer.

Keep the conversation positive, so you don’t get stuck in a back-and-forth discussion with the client. However, even if you present yourself as polite and professional, don’t forget to sound authoritative as well. Practice the right tone, pitch, and even pacing in speaking. Sometimes, something written on paper may sound antagonistic over the phone, caused by improper delivery.

Identify Specific Goals

Outbound call center services have scripts that address specific concerns. These serve as guide maps in carefully navigating through the collection.

Form a simple outline of the conversation in this manner: Catch up with the customer, talk about any current business, establish that the payment is late, learn why the payment is late, and make the customer commit. With these in mind, construct a script that is going to get the customer’s attention while maintaining a good relationship, at the same time show that you care. Preparing a good outline for the script, and you won’t be manipulated by the person on the other line during the call.

Adapt To The Situation

There may be a guide in collection call, but simply following a routine won’t help you in getting better results. Learn to leave yourself some room to entertain a possible offer from the customer to receive the right payment.

There is no one shot practice for a surefire collection. Once you listen to the debtor, you can learn about new or even better ways to handle each situation. With every unique case that you receive, you are going to gradually remember picking up essential clues from the other line. Take note of these and use them as references for future calls.

Collection calls are no easy task. But by following these tips, you’ll maximize performance of outbound call center services. Chase after the accounts with knowledge and skill on hand.

Five Steps in Choosing Contact Center Providers

April 15, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Call Center, Contact Center /by istaff

In the competitive field of contact center providers, finding the right one for a specific type of business is a tough job. Even though more and more businesses outsource their customer service to third-party call centers, you should ensure your partner delivers your company’s needs. What looks great on paper sometimes lead to unmet expectations.This is the reason why you should take time to define needs, beyond the immediate fix. Below are some starter tips to help you assess contact center vendors, before you sign any contracts and agreements.

1. Clarify the goals and support you need.

Identifying the type of services the business needs is the first step to classifying or trimming down the list of prospective call center providers. Decide whether your company wants 24-hour service, online chat representatives, or appointment scheduling. Aside from these, you should also set goals, develop a detailed roadmap which shows what the company wants to achieve within a given period.

2. Conduct background checks on contact center providers.

How does the business operate? What are the values they uphold? Who are their customers? These are just some of the many questions you should consider during the process of selecting the right call center vendor. And the best way to find answers is to ask their current clients. Aside from client recommendations, the competency and reliability of a call center vendor can also be assessed through proven track record, in your industry or with your type of clientele.

3. Choose the right people and available resources.

After listing your goals and learning more about the outsourcing company’s reputation, it’s time to know whether they have the right professionals to handle your customer service and support. Since their staff becomes ambassadors of your brand, their skill set should meet your standards. These requirements may include language proficiency, relative work experience, certifications, and the outsourcing company’s training and programs for employees.

4. Can the contact center manage your customer database?

This tip is one of the most valuable criteria you should consider when choosing contact center providers. The provider must seamlessly integrate customer support data into your customer relationship management (CRM). Through them, you would gain further understanding of your customers’ preferences and requirements, in effort to improve your brand’s performance.

5. Clearly communicate expectations.

In order to meet your company’s specific needs, you have to clearly state your expectations, as well as the procedures to be implemented. Explain the purposes of policy, security, and privacy measures. The goal is to develop a lasting relationship between your company and the outsource provider. In addition, you can also discuss your budget and consider asking the outsourcer to suggest changes that can save you from overspending.

The best contact center providers are dedicated to successful delivery of message and service, mirroring the ethics of their clients. Keep in mind the priorities are customer retention and brand value.

3 Skills Required Of A BPO Contact Center Agent

3 Soft Skills Required Of A BPO Contact Center Agent

April 13, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Call Center, Contact Center /by istaff

The contact center industry has grown, almost exponentially so. Today, a BPO contact center is part of everyday society, offering job opportunities to young and driven people looking for promising careers.

As easy as it may seem to be a contact center agent, there are some essential skills you should consider requirements. These skills can be learned, but honing these early on, as well as preparing to use them is sure to make the entire experience run smoother.

1. Calm and Collectedness

First of all, your agents should have calm disposition, in order to take in information and retain it. This can be expanded by helping customers, by taking notes of conversations, and giving an appropriate response. Agents also need to learn about their client inside and out, in order to help customers in need of assistance.

2. Patience

This is best complemented by flexibility. Customers come from various demographics, and not everyone is the same. A diverse group of people is bound to call for support, and agents need to know how to handle everyone. Some may be pleasurable, others not so much, but each customer is still to be given the best service possible. It can be rough, but that’s why clients hire a BPO contact center to handle this work.

3. Communication

Communication is key, and not in the sense of speaking eloquently and having a good hold of the English language. It’s in the way that a customer can be sure that the person on the other end of the line is giving their best service. Clear instructions, digesting information, and responding accordingly are integral for the customer’s satisfaction.

It can be challenging and tiring, operating a BPO contact center, but your agents can thrive in that environment if they’re trained and developed by these essential skills.

Optimizing BPO Call Center Options: Orienting Agents Before Rollout

March 25, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Call Center, Contact Center /by istaff

As a real-time medium, contact center support continues to gain traction over the years, with many companies outsourcing their services to BPO call center companies. If you want to lease service that’s effective in voice support, here are some services you should expect from the provider you choose:

Customers Transcripts Are Available If Necessary

It’s a surefire way to ensure that the interactions with the customers is transparent. Customers are going to want to save the useful information they get whenever they talk to agents. Note this service isn’t staple from most providers, so consider these added value to the offer. Agents must be ready to email a copy of the transcript to customers after the live chat, provided the need and urgency are established.

Mastery Of Products Or Services Endorsed

Common knowledge? Unfortunately, you’ll find BPO call center companies that are content with general knowledge of the client’s offerings. To avoid this, your provider should be fully aware of what you have to offer, follow-up on current discounts or promotions. Informed agents definitely make customers happy, ensuring conversations are pleasant and progressive.

A Positive, Can-Do Attitude

In terms of delivering a good customer experience, having the knowledge is not enough. It’s also important to give off a pleasant and approachable vibe to the person you’re talking to. How exactly can your provider do this? It’s all in the mindset. Every challenge is an opportunity to serve clients as best as you can, anyway you can.

Prompt And Responsive

A key aspect of contact center support is almost-instant interactivity. Customers are going to expect that they talk to an agent as quickly as possible. When it comes down to it, agents shouldn’t keep them waiting for more than 10 seconds. The best chat agents can do so with four to six simultaneous requests, too.

Your BPO Call Center Should Remain Grounded, Genuine

Customers are going to see all through those pleasantries, particularly if they feel they’re just weaving through to a spiel. It’s important to be honest in every live chat session – no empty promises. Own up to the limits of what you can do. This could mean that if you don’t have knowledge of the issue at hand, you should simply transfer the session to a superior or an agent who specializes in the subject matter.

Did You Earn Your Weekend? A Three-Step Guide For The BPO Contact Center Industry

March 18, 2017/4 Comments/in Blog, BPO, Contact Center /by istaff

There’s a reason why people say “thank goodness it’s Friday.” When was the last time you heard someone rant about the weekend? By weekend we mean the period when you actually enjoy some rest and relaxation. Sure, in some industries the definition of the weekend shifts with the schedule (think BPO contact center representatives). Some office staff also take pleasure in ensuring the work for the workweek is really behind them.

For most people, the weekend starts after Friday rush hour, and can end up to the wee hours of Monday morning. Some feel guilty about enjoying the weekend, though, especially when there’s still work left to finish. How do you know you deserve the break, then? Here are three signs you’ve had a great workweek:

1. You plotted and finished goals for your workweek.

Nothing’s more satisfying than knowing you’ve ticked items on docket. Did you complete your mid-term goals, finished all routine tasks? Work never really ends, though, and there’s probably more waiting for you by next week. The point is you were able to put as much as you can behind you, enough to start afresh.

On the flip side, the BPO contact center operates under wildly shifting schedules, and it’s likely workweeks are of uneven lengths. Turnover tasks also vary. “Do all you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt knows what it means to do meaningful work.

2. You took on tasks that are over your head, and prevailed.

This is icing on the cake of a great workweek. Did you have items on agenda more than you could handle? Maybe you finally took on tasks you’ve been dreading for a month? Were you forced to jump-start tasks no one else dared to touch? Finishing tasks you didn’t expect to start is great motivation for your weekend. Plan something special and celebrate.

Of course, the downside is realizing you’ve held on for so long on tasks, which is procrastinating. There are always items low on people’s priority lists; thank yourself you finally found it in you to start and finish these.

3. You innovated.

You’ll only appreciate something new when you’ve tread the old routine. Did you discover how to improve on existing processes? Maybe you met a client who have ideas that spark new growth to your business? Did you unlock potential you didn’t know you had? Anything that improves upon the old should be welcome, and you should pat yourself on the back for the achievement.

The BPO contact center is fast-paced and routine-based, and office staff are known for handling the same tasks periodically. Wouldn’t it be nice if you can inject innovations to enhance processes, skip steps, improve output?

Everyone deserves the weekend. Especially those who can put their stamp of approval on the previous workweek. If for some reason you evaluated your work and found it lacking, don’t worry. Next week will catch up soon enough.

Customer Services: Three Essential Processes

March 3, 2017/0 Comments/in BPO, Call Center, Contact Center /by istaff

At the heart of every business endeavor lies the basic need to deliver quality products or services. And though there is a myriad of ways to go about achieving this end goal, it’s still important to remember order processing is just as crucial. A fast, easy, and reliable system of order processing can make for an accurate and hassle-free experience, leading to customer satisfaction and continued patronage. So the need for a proper order processing system, especially in the Digital Age when products or services can be easily accessed online, should be prioritized and properly designed for smooth and seamless transactions.

There are key factors business owners should keep in mind to create an effective order taking and processing system, though they are usually overlooked and unappreciated, these are significant just the same. With online services continually improving and becoming more and more customizable, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the tech, and forget about the main purpose of the whole transaction.

Standard Forms

Starting the whole transaction is the customer placing their order, and in comes the all-important order form. Whether via telephone, web, or in writing, the form should be simple and straightforward, for the benefit of both the customer and the company’s internal teams. All details and relevant variants of the service or the product should be present to easily provide an accurate account of what the customer wants from the company; and it’s in the representative’s best interest to make sure the customer properly understands the requirements and information for a smooth transaction.

The filled up form should be regularly confirmed with the customer. Double-check to make sure everything is in order, and reassure customers they are getting what they want, for the proper price agreed upon. Once the order is finally placed, the completed form would breeze through being processed and getting to the customer.

Order Confirmation and Status

Between the time of placing the order and receiving the product or service, customers would want to know the order’s status. As with the process of taking the customer’s order, representatives should confirm the details of the order placement, complete with a reference number and the receipt of the order purchased. Customers should also be duly notified by the delivery status of the order, if there are any delays or any changes as per the customer’s requests. It is imperative that customers know the status of the order, to reassure them their order has been processed and will be delivered.

Then, once the product or service reaches the customer, and the order has been completed, representatives should confirm if the completion of the order was delivered to the customer’s satisfaction. Communication with the customer is important when it comes to any business endeavor, since it is important for both parties to agree on the same thing, for all intents and purposes.

Customer Feedback

Many businesses tend to forget about this valuable factor when handling orders; they are missing out on the chance to discover what their customers think of their services, if there should be improvements made, or to take up suggestions that can make their future transactions run more smoothly, coming from a customer’s perspective.

By taking the time to reach out, businesses can come up with new ways on how to deliver their products or services better. And by valuing the customer’s comments and suggestions, customers will feel more inclined to trust in the business and rely on their products or services.

With the proper and effective order taking and processing system, the company can look forward to productive transactions, stable growth in the market, as well as a growth in loyal clientele. Going back to the basics of providing quality customer service and taking time to understand the clientele, their wants, and their needs will pave the way for an unparalleled customer service that will be sought after and appreciated.