Transforming Telecom Customer Service: Reducing Wait Times with Advanced Call Center Software

 

How long should you make your customers wait? What is the good average wait time in the telecom sector? As a professional in the rapidly-evolving sector, you must be having these questions in your mind.

Many experts opine that a business’s average wait time should be two minutes or less. But a majority of customers are unwilling to wait even for a minute. A recent study revealed that 60 percent of respondents said that they would hang up if the wait time is more than a minute. And 90 percent of the respondents said that they won’t wait for five minutes.

The findings are not at all surprising. For most people, nothing can be more distressing and frustrating than waiting for even a minute or two in this fast-paced world. Some say “Time is money.” But truth be told, time is far more precious than all the wealth in the world. If money is lost, it can be earned back. But if a second is lost then that’s lost for good.

Today’s organizations must keep that in mind and make sure that they value callers’ time. For that, they must leverage the right tools and technology to reduce customers’ waiting time. One such solution is call center software. This article explores seven ways sophisticated call center software can reduce wait times. Let’s start.

1. Interactive Voice Response

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems do much more than just greet callers and provide them with multiple options. They also provide many self-service options using which callers can get answers to frequently-asked questions or solve simple issues by themselves. Besides, the inputs of callers direct the calls to the right departments and the right available agents, which reduce wait times.

2. Automatic Call Distribution

Advanced call center software not only has IVR but also Automatic Call Distribution (ACD). ACD systems streamline all incoming calls and route those to the right agents. When ACD systems are integrated with skill-based routing, then it helps callers immensely.

3. Omnichannel Integration

Modern call center software that provides omnichannel integration also reduces wait times considerably by ensuring customers can call using various channels and the interactions are consistent and coherent across all channels. That reduces the dependency on calls and customers can contact their telecom companies by using a wide range of channels.

4. Call Queuing Optimization

Advanced call center software monitors call volumes in real-time and adjusts queue settings dynamically. Based on certain pre-established criteria, call queuing systems place callers into a virtual queue until the most suitable agent is available to answer their call. This ensures that wait times remain as short as possible during peak periods.

5. Callback Options

Offering callers the option to receive a callback when an agent becomes available reduces the need for them to wait on hold. A study that polled over 1,100 people found that about two-thirds of respondents preferred callback to hold. Call-back feature improves customer satisfaction and allows callers to continue with their day without being tied to the phone.

6. Ring groups

The goal of ring groups is to connect the caller with a live agent on their first call. These are preconfigured for specific agents to take specific types of calls based on things such as skills and expertise, the time of day, or even agent preference. These are beneficial for larger telecom companies.

7. Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting

Supervisors and managers can use real-time dashboards and reports to monitor the number of customers waiting, average wait time, the number of agents speaking to a customer, as well as available agents. This enables managers and supervisors to make proactive adjustments to reduce wait times and optimize performance.

In Conclusion,

In today’s time, when callers are extremely particular about time, keeping them waiting for more than a minute is a sure-shot recipe for disaster. Once a caller hangs up, chances are high that they never call again. Worse, they may switch over to a competitor brand. That’s why telecom companies must focus on reducing wait times. Selecting the right call center software can be extremely beneficial for companies that struggle with high wait times.