In today's marketplace, every company needs a little something to set them apart from their competition. Customer service can be that added value that's needed to rise to the top and stay there. There is a lot of time and money invested in call centers and customer service, and businesses in today's digital age should understand that all it takes is one bad phone call to give your organization a bum rap. Word spreads quickly these days. Companies need to be aware of the importance of customer service and how call centers are really "the voice of the company."
In hopes of learning more about today's customer service representatives (CSRs), Jacada recently conducted a national call center survey. Over 200 North American reps were surveyed from a variety of industries including hospitality, insurance, telecommunications and utilities.
Here's what we heard:
The results showed a clear need to align customer service representatives with customer expectations. Online mechanisms are making a path for themselves, but customers prefer to have their issues handled over the phone. People just want to be heard. The top reasons customers call in are to order products or services, change an address, inquiries into billing and new account set up. A lot of business is handled by call centers, and CSRs are on the frontlines.
- 50% of CSRs require access to 3-10 applications for every call
- 78% would prefer better tools and improved streamlined applications
- 63% spend more than half of their time on the call exploring resolutions to issues
So, what do all these numbers mean? Bottom line, they show a definite need for efficient and knowledgeable (pleasant would be nice too, right?) CSRs. We've all been on the receiving end of one-too-many, problem-riddled calls where the issue was not resolved, resulting in another call. Calling customer service is not on the top of anyone's list these days, but companies understand the need for better processes, systems and training.
Call us. We'll pick up on the first ring.
Coming soon: More doses of the CSR survey results
Jen Childress, Director of Marketing, Jacada Inc.