Trust is an important part of every relationship. Without trust, you have no foundation for long-term stability. This extends beyond personal relationships and into the brand/customer relationship. An article by Philip Piletic discusses how companies can earn their customers’ trust.
Some trust-building factors include word of mouth (positive reviews online and testimonials from trusted acquaintances), natural marketing that strikes a chord with people on an emotional level, transparency about costs, and making sure your website is secure.
When you’re open and honest, people tend to trust you. But some companies still seem to have a hard time fully embracing this concept. Whether it’s using complicated corporate jargon, preserving complicated and outdated processes, or withholding information, many brands make decisions that go against a philosophy that garners trust.
It really is about getting the fundamentals right, especially in contact centers. To a customer, the process should be simple.
1. The customer calls the company.
2. An agent answers the phone.
3. The customer states the issue.
4. The agent provides a solution.
5. The call ends, and the customer is satisfied with the result.
Most contact centers handle steps one through three well enough, but step four is where things start to get messy. Often, customers will be put on hold or transferred multiple times before the problem can be solved. It’s no surprise that customers often get so frustrated they will hang up before getting the resolution they desire.
Contact centers need to equip their agents with the training and tools that will help them succeed. The goal should always be first call resolution. To accomplish this, your training needs to be thorough and diverse. Your technology needs to be up-to-date with virtual assistants. And above all, you need to allow your agents the freedom to buck the script and speak naturally to customers when the situation calls for it.
Need an omnichannel contact center to provide your customer service? We can help!
Outsource Consultants are call center experts with over 25 years of outsourcing industry experience who have spent thousands of hours vetting and analyzing the strengths and specializations of the industry-leading outsource call center vendors. If you’re considering call center outsourcing, simply call 888-766-4482 or request a free call center cost proposal today and we’ll help you find the solution that best fits your exact requirements.
