Scale Your Call Center
As a call center manager, you want to do everything in your power to ensure your business is running as efficiently as possible. Part of that job is recognizing when your it is time to scale your call center.
It’s important to recognize when it's time to grow your business; but do you know which indicators to look for? In this post, we'll explore some of the most common signs that you're ready to scale your call center, and explore how simple this process can be for a business that uses cloud-based technology.
Your Average Hold Time is High
If you’re analyzing your average hold time and find that it’s extremely long and cutting into your call center efficiency, it may be time to scale up your call center. With a larger workforce, you can cut your hold time down by having more agents available to take customers’ calls.
Customer Service Levels Are Down
As a call center manager, you should be monitoring is customer service levels. High customer service levels are an essential ingredient for a profitable business, so it’s important to keep these levels high. One thing that can improve your levels is to add more agents to your call center.
When you have more agents, you can better allocate call volume; this allows you to handle more customer interactions without overloading your agents. Happier agents provide better customer service, and the less time your customers spend on hold, the better. Everyone wins!
Your Business is Soaring
Another reason that call centers decide to scale up is because business is doing really well. Whether you’re in the midst of your busy season or your product/service is just doing incredibly well, a larger call center can help you manage this growth more successfully.
Agent Satisfaction is Low
Overworked agents can have negative impacts on your call center. They might lose their patience with customers, affecting both customer service levels and customer satisfaction.
If agent satisfaction levels are low due to high call volume (and not enough agents to handle them), consider scaling up your business. This will allow you to bring on more agents to help your current workforce manage the work load. This will also help to ensure that your employee turnover remains low and that you have a positive atmosphere for all employees.
You’re Adding New Employees or Departments
If your call center is experiencing natural growth, such as adding new employees or creating new departments, like human resources, scaling up your call center may be necessity. All of these new employees will need access to your system so make sure you work with your provider so they all have a seat on your system.
Grow Your Business with Cloud-Based Call Center Software
Scaling your call center may seem like a daunting prospect; especially if you're using on-site contact center technology. With traditional, on-site systems, every new agent means new equipment that has to be installed on the premises of your contact center. And if you're only scaling up for a busy season, you may find yourself left with unnecessary licenses and equipments that can't be returned.
With cloud-based call center software, scaling your business doesn't have to be an ordeal. Typically, these systems are offered for a monthly subscription fee per seat; and since virtual call center software is hosted via the web, you don't have to buy additional equipment. All your new agents need to get started is a laptop, a softphone, and a reliable Internet connection.
When it is time to scale your call center, be sure to discuss your unique business needs and your options with your current provider. If your provider doesn't offer cloud-based software, it may be worth the effort to explore some of virtual call center software providers on the market today.
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