Using Data for Customer Engagement in the Call Center

People buy from a company because of the product, but often remain loyal, or leave, because of the service. Keeping customers happy is more important than ever.  That’s why there is increasing focus on performance in the call center—the place where experiences are shared, feedback is provided and unsatisfied customers can have their issues rectified…the place where customers can become avid fans when they have a good experience.

Traditionally call centers metrics were based on operational efficiency.  There has been a more recent shift toward examining and monitoring the best way to engage customers and foster a positive experience in the call center; and, not surprisingly, data is at the center of it. As a matter of fact, companies that effectively use data to improve the customer experience report better growth and customer retention rates than those that do not (Aberdeen Group). Consider proactive call center data uses and analytics to drive engagement and increase customer retention rates.

See into the Future

There is an abundance of data coming out of a call center, from call volume and handle time to customer-level information on previous calls, general account activity, and purchase history. It’s possible to extend this historical information into the future with predictive analytics. Companies can plan and strategize for upcoming events (staffing on holidays, new product introductions, etc.), as well as leverage customer behavior data to dynamically make recommendations on call prioritization, scripts, and routing, among other things.

Cross Channel Analytics

Customers today are everywhere—on the go, in their cars, at their desks, you name it. To complement that busy lifestyle, companies need to be readily available anywhere, anytime, on any channel. Implementing contact service centers through social media, mobile, email, and even live chat provide additional channels for customer assistance and opportunities for engagement.  And the steady stream of data from these channels can provide valuable insight into which channels customers prefer to use for communicating about various issues, and how to optimize those interactions.

Call Routing that Goes Beyond Skill Sets

Skill-based routing sends callers to agents who are best able to handle the call, matching the reason for the call with an agent’s capabilities.  The positive impact from dealing with someone who can address a customer’s needs can also extend to leveraging a customer’s personality and communication preferences to connect them with the right agent.  After all, it’s rather normal for certain people to relate better to others. Analyzing recorded calls can determine the attitude, judgment, and evaluation of a customer during their call center experience, allowing for better routing on subsequent calls.   Additionally, scoring each contact for attributes such as neighborhood information, responsiveness, wealth/income, risk/collections can afford even deeper insight and identify optimal call routing opportunities.

Real-Time Data

A major asset in call centers is verified and accurate contact data. Incorrect details can result in costly mistakes, from the actual cost of returned and redelivered mail to the resulting frustration and negative impact on the customer exercise.  Arming agents with real-time caller contact data for verification can save expensive employee hours entering the information, and mitigating the waste of misdirected orders and lost leads due to mistakes in data entry. With as little information as a customer’s name, phone number, address or email address, Redi-Connect service from Redi-Data uses proprietary technology, powered by our industry-leading databases, to deliver information about a caller in seconds, which, in addition to benefits already listed, may reduce average handling time.

Accurate data is the foundation of a best-in-class call center. Does your center have the tools and platforms to capture and leverage the data necessary to build the pillars that support excellent customer service?  One step is team up with the data experts at Redi-Data to implement Redi-Connect service and match contacts against our extensive files using name, address, email information, full phone number or just area code and exchange. We can help increase channels of communication, keep your lists up to date, and avoid wasted calls and lost customers.

Redi-Data…Turn the Best Data into Better Business