In today’s competitive business environment, it is vital to maximising efficiency to remain competitive. One key metric that can help measure efficiency is the average call handling time (ACHT). ACHT is the total time a customer service representative spends on the phone with a customer, from when the customer is connected to when the call is completed. It also depends on how the call handler engages the customer and satisfies queries.
Reducing ACHT can be beneficial in several ways, from improved customer satisfaction to reduced operational costs. Here are eight tips for reducing average call handling time and increasing customer satisfaction.
Streamline the Call Process
The first step in reducing ACHT is streamlining the call process. This can be done by eliminating unnecessary steps and ensuring each step is as efficient as possible. This may include having customer service representatives use automated systems to quickly and accurately collect customer information and route calls to the appropriate departments.
Train Employees
Training customer service representatives can help them become more efficient and reduce ACHT. This can include providing information on the available technology and teaching them about the best practices for handling customer inquiries.
Use Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
An IVR system uses voice recognition software to respond to customer inquiries. An IVR can answer common questions, and route calls to the appropriate representatives. This can save time by allowing customer service representatives to focus on more complex queries and reducing the amount of time spent on simple questions.
Reward Timely Service
Rewarding customer service representatives for timely service can motivate them to reduce ACHT. This can be done by incentivising customer service representatives who consistently exceed their ACHT goals.
Outsource Customer Call Handling
Investing in quality customer call-handling service is critical to reducing ACHT and saving in-house costs. This includes hiring a proven track call handling services provider with all the tools and other systems to work efficiently so that you can give attention to your core business.
Utilise Technology
Technology can be used to help streamline the call process and reduce ACHT. For example, customer service representatives can use automated scripts to quickly answer common inquiries or chatbots to answer basic customer questions. This can reduce the time spent on each call and improve customer service.
Monitor Performance
Monitoring the performance of customer service representatives can provide valuable insights into how to reduce ACHT. This can include tracking the average handling time for each customer service representative and analysing customer feedback to identify areas of improvement.
Finally, Improving efficiency can include streamlining processes, such as automating the routing of calls and implementing tools to help customer service representatives quickly and accurately collect customer information.
Reducing ACHT can positively impact both customer satisfaction and operational costs. By following these tips, businesses can reduce ACHT and improve customer service.
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